Are you waiting eagerly for the moment to be behind the wheel and start learning how to drive your first vehicle? Or are you just in a rush to get your licence as your job requires you to travel too far and you have already paid a lot of your hard earned money in taxi fares and Uber? Either way, one question you must be thinking about is that how often should you be taking your driving lessons to ensure that you are on the track and ready for your drive test?
So the journey has begun, you have passed your learners test and have got the learners permit or you already have an overseas licence which you need to get converted to Victorian Driving Licence. It is the time for you to now start thinking of doing some supervised driving and organise driving lessons soon to get you on the track of achieving your goal i.e. your Victorian Drivers Licence .
What driving lesson frequency will best suit your driving needs?
This article is going to help you with driving lesson frequency and what driving frequency will be better for you. In the end, we'll also mention how important it is to choose the right driving school and instructor for your driving course to ensure that you have a smooth learning experience.
Driving Lessons are the only key which can get you driving on road in no time.
But have you ever thought of how often should one take driving lessons?
Frequency of driving lessons will depend on many factors discussed below.
Prior Driving Experience
The frequency of driving lessons will depend on how much prior driving experience you have. If it is your first time behind the wheel then it is very important that you do take at least 3 lessons in a week from a Driving Instructor so that you stay in touch with what you are learning. Long gap will not help in improving your confidence as you are not in touch with what you learnt in your previous driving lesson. It normally takes 10-15 mins just to get things on track in the lesson, so it is important that you do look forward to have at least one hour lesson each time.
In case you are preparing for the test and have some hours behind you, then you might keep the lessons at least once a week and practice in your own time frequently. Again, if you ain't getting enough time to practice by your own then you might have to increase the hours you spend with your driving instructor. If you already have a driving experience and have got the overseas license then you only might need 10-15 hours of practice to be test ready and your driving instructor can polish your current skill set to ensure that you do meet the Vic Roads Drive Test criteria.
It's not necessary that all new learners should take driving lessons on the same frequency. It all depends on where you are sitting in the graduated licencing system and how many hours you have already done. If you are having over than 50 hours of practice then you can go for driving lessons once in a week to make sure that you are on the right track. You should take driving lessons every week and practice driving on your own at least once a week. You can of course take driving lesson less than that but the more driving lessons you get, the better prepared you will be for driving and your driving test. It's not only about how many hours of experience you have; it also depends on how confident you are and how quickly you are learning.
The Intensity of Driving Course
People who are driving for the first time should start driving lessons every other day. The driving instructors can decide how much you need to practice at this stage depending on your driving skills and experience. Once you get more confident about driving, you may drive three times or twice in a week with supervised driver. If you choose to go for driving lessons once in a week then your journey might be longer than expected and you might not be able to achieve your goal on time. The driving instructor will best guide you on how many hours of practice you must be doing. If you are test ready then you will need to take intensive test preparation training. At Safe N Smart Driving School we do intensive test preparation lessons with duration up to 2 hours and we take you on the Vic Roads drive test routes in Coolaroo, Bundoora, Broadmeadows or any other areas your looking to go for your drive test.
As professional driving instructors we know how to prepare you for test and we offer driving lessons in package deals with driving lesson prices so cheap and affordable.
Practice Levels
Even if your driving instructor balances the theory and practical driving lessons, you’ll still need additional driving practice to become a good driver. You will need driving lessons as per the stage you are in your learning experience. Requirements for driving lessons are dependent on the driving experience you have so far. This requirement is broken down as per the logbook requirements to various stages of on road learning experience discussed below:
Stage I 0-30 hours
The Beginners are advised to keep the frequency of driving lessons at least 3 lessons a week with a Driving Instructor and start practicing in their own time after completing 10-15 hours or when they are confident that they have no confusion with the accelerator/brake pedals and can smoothly manoeuvre the vehicle. The driving instructor will monitor the driving progress and provide guidance as required by the learner driver and can suggest if they are ready to drive under supervision with their family.
Stage II 30 - 60 hours
In Stage II the learner driver must take at least 1-2 lessons a week depending on how much practice they are getting with their supervised drivers in their own time. One lesson is good if they are spending at least 2 hours of their own time.
Stage III 60-90 hours
At this stage if the learners are lagging behind in their 120 hour log book goal then they should be looking to take 1-2 lessons a week to ensure that they are not falling much behind in case they are not getting much time to practice by their own with their supervised driver.
Stage IV 90-120 hours
At this stage the learners need to ensure that they are doing everything right as per the Vic Roads Test criteria and are learning the basic tips and tricks to do three point turn and reverse parallel parking which are required to be demonstrated to clear the drive test. It is important to take at least couple of lessons a week from the Driving Instructor to ensure that what you have learnt so far is being implemented correctly.
Test Preparation Stage
At this stage ensure that driving lessons are provided only by professional driving instructors who have the in depth knowledge about Vic Roads Drive Test Criteria. It is important to spend 5-10 hours in the test route area to familiarise yourself with the hazards in the area and the challenges you might face on the day of your drive test.
Overseas Licence Holders
Though as an overseas licence holder, you already have the experience of driving and have the confidence behind the wheel, it is still important to be aware of the Vic Roads Test Criteria. Depending on the how much you know, as per my experience the overseas licence holders might need anywhere from 5 hours - 20 hours of practice in order to refine their driving skills and be ready for the drive test. They should keep their lessons closer to their test and start practicing with a Driving Instructor at least 1-1.5 months before the test so that the instructor can do an assessment and advise them how many lessons they will need to be ready for the drive test. In case they are not in touch with driving over a long period of time then they might need to start the preparation 4-5 months before planning to sit for the Drive Test.
Conclusion
As you can see driving lessons are super beneficial for everyone - they help to make our roads safer. Taking driving lessons is especially important if you are inexperienced as it keeps your skills up to date and practice driving in real life situations. The frequency of driving lessons varies greatly depending on the driving experience you have so far and your knowledge of the road rules. The Driving Instructor will assist the learner throughout this driving stages. As a new driving graduates-in-training, it will be beneficial for them to do driving as much as they can to gain some more driving experience. This is because new drivers are still not fully aware of road signs and driving rules and their observations and reflexes and decision making is not that quick.
Perhaps you might like to learn driving with your family member or a friend, but at the same time you must understand that they are not professional driving instructors and might not be able to give the professional guidance that an accredited Driving Instructor can. Moreover the car you have is not fitted with the dual controls and it gets really hard for the supervising driver to take control of the tough situations and challenges that may arise during the course of your driving lesson. It is very important to pick up a Driving Instructor who is accredited and has the qualification. Take assistance from the Google Search engine to ensure that the Driving Instructor you are choosing has good reviews and ratings from previous learners. At Safe N Smart Driving School our instructors are accredited, have clean driving history, first aid certification, working with children check and do hold Cert IV in Training and Assessment. All our vehicles are clean, almost new and have ANCAP 5 star safety rating.
The Driving Instructor will assist the learner throughout this driving stages. As a new driving graduates-in-training, it will be beneficial for them to do driving as much as they can to gain some more driving experience. This is because new drivers are still not fully aware of road signs and driving rules and don't have driving experience, they will not know how to handle difficult driving challenges.
Discuss this with your driving instructor before booking driving lessons. They can offer free driving lessons consultation just to give more insight into the best way to prepare for your driving test and how many driving lessons you will need.
To know more about how our Driving Instructors can assist you with your learning journey, give us a call at 0423240629 or visit our website www.safensmart.com.au to explore various lesson and test package options.
Do remember that safety on road is a shared responsibility between driving instructors, supervised drivers, road users and driving graduates-in-training. "Be Safe & Drive Smart" that is our moto at Safe N Smart Driving School and we would love to assist you with your learning journey and making you a safe driver on the roads. Please do leave a comment if you liked the article and found it beneficial and do mention if you will like us to write on any other topics that you would be keen to learn about.