What to expect in your first driving lesson
Almost everyone is nervous before their first lesson. Knowing exactly how it runs takes most of that away.
Bring your provisional licence
Your instructor has to check it before you drive. Bring the photocard, wear comfortable flat shoes, and bring glasses or lenses if you need them for distance.
If you are unsure whether your eyesight meets the standard, say so. You need to read a number plate from 20 metres, and it is better to check on day one.
The first twenty minutes
Jude drives you to a quiet road before you take the wheel. Around Morden that is usually the streets near Morden Park, and in Kingston the residential roads off Coombe.
You then run through the cockpit drill: seat position, mirrors, steering grip, and where the pedals and controls are. It sounds basic, and getting it right makes everything that follows easier.
Your first drive
You will move off, drive in a straight line, stop safely, and repeat until it feels less alien. In a manual you add clutch control and first to second gear. In an automatic you go straight to steering and observation.
Nobody expects smooth. Stalling in a manual on lesson one is completely normal and not a sign you will struggle.
How the lesson ends
The last few minutes are a short summary: what went well, what to focus on next time, and a realistic sense of how many hours you might need.
The DVSA average is roughly 45 hours of lessons plus private practice. That is an average, not a target, and your own number depends on how often you drive.
Written by Jude Driving Academy, teaching automatic and manual lessons across South West London and Surrey.