When Should You Take Your Driving Lessons?
Certain weather conditions are more challenging to drive in – but that doesn’t mean they should be avoided while you take your lessons.
As the provider of driving lessons Stowmarket leaners trust, we know how to guide people to success in all weathers. With winter just around the corner – do the seasons affect how you learn to drive? Should you wait until summer to start? Here’s why winter might be the perfect time to get behind the wheel.
Spring and summer
When you are learning to drive, it’s all too easy to assume that late spring and summer are the best times to get behind the wheel for the first time. After all, driving is made much less stressful by the pleasant weather and the perfect temperature. A large number of people decide to take up driving lessons at this time of year, worried about what the winter months have in store for them. However, the weather in the UK is anything but predictable – and we have seen it all at Nayland Driving School!
The winter months
Few drivers choose winter as their favourite season. After all, this time of year comes with a number of things that can make driving more complex, especially for a new driver. These are as follows:
- Slippery roads due to rain, snow, or ice
- Poor visibility in bad weather
- The sun lower in the sky throughout the day, causing glare
- High winds
- Cold weather adversely affecting your car’s battery, raising the risk of breakdowns
- Raised risk of a frozen engine
- Higher fuel usage due to more frequent car usage, winter tyres, and having your heater switched on
- Earlier sunsets, with more driving in the dark as a result
Even though the above sounds inconvenient at best and terrifying at worst, tackling these weather conditions during your driving lessons can have a number of advantages.
We’re here to help
Learning to drive during the winter will help you to build knowledge and experience when it comes to challenging driving conditions. Lots of learner drivers find that they feel unprepared for driving in the colder months, which can lead to anxiety and errors behind the wheel. While it may not seem like the obvious choice to begin learning to drive now, tackling all that winter has to store head-on will help you become more confident, and build a toolkit of coping mechanisms and solutions that you can apply when the weather is something of an obstacle.
Remember, you won’t be alone either. Your instructor is there to help you, and will offer really useful advice and practical demonstrations. Having someone who has seen these weather conditions countless times in the car with you will help you to feel much safer, allowing you to relax and simply focus on the road.
Driving in different weather conditions
Chances are, you will get the chance to drive in all weathers. The average learner takes around 45 driving lessons to pass, in addition to 20 hours of practise. Therefore, it’s likely that you’ll end up taking some of your lessons during the winter months. Unless you take an intensive driving course, your tuition could be done and dusted very quickly. There’s no need to fear driving in the winter with us though – no matter how you choose to learn!
Find out more today
To find out more about our driving lessons in Stowmarket, please do get in touch with our team today. We’d be delighted to hear from you and answer any questions that you may have.
