Whether you are looking for driving instructors or driving lessons in Hounslow, Isleworth or Ashford Middlesex, this section has picked out some of the most commonly asked questions. I have tried to answer these as honestly as possible, based on my experience. There are also various excellent websites that provide a wealth of detailed information on all related topics. Some of these can be found on Useful Links.

Filby Driver Training

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lessons will I need to take? • The accepted average is around 50 - 70 hours of professional tuition together with other practice with friends and family. Looking at my last 50 test passes, although there were variations either side of these numbers, my own experience shows 50 hours to be a good average figure. • Looking back at my past clients - all ages, male and female, all shapes and sizes, different backgrounds etc, I can find no common denominator to say that one person is going to learn to drive any faster than another. • The important thing is that when you do take your test you have the necessary skills to drive on your own with confidence. • Driving a manual car requires good hand / eye / foot co-ordination, and as new learners discover, driving is not an easy skill to master. Some start in a manual car, and then move over to automatic because they do not like the distraction of a gear box and clutch. For clients who have struggled to master manual driving I have recommended the automatic route as the best way for them to get driving. That’s no bad thing - as the expression goes, it’s horses for courses. • I thoroughly recommend doing as much extra driving, in addition to lessons, as possible. Learning the basic skills with an instructor is important, but what an hour or two a week doesn’t give you much of is on the road experience. Go down the same road 10 times, and you could experience 10 different sets of road conditions. It is important that you feel comfortable with whatever comes your way and this can only be gained while out and about and driving. • Since I passed (a VERY long time ago!) the roads have become a lot faster and very much busier. So for me the most important thing is that when someone passes they have absolute confidence in their driving abilities because they will then be driving on their own and without someone next to them to help out if things get tricky. • .......and finally. Hopefully it goes without saying that you should make sure that any car you drive is properly insured and that your co - driver meets the requirements to take a learner out on the road. Refer to the DSA website. Can you guarantee that I will pass my test? • The simple answer to this is “No” • We are teaching people, not machines. Machines can be programmed to do the same thing the same way to get the same perfect result each and every time. People, on the other hand, and no matter how well trained they are, occasionally make mistakes. Also, people have different personality types. Some are super confident. Some are extremely nervous. Some have superb natural co-ordination skills, others do not. • Any instructors who say they can 100% guarantee a candidate will pass is making a very bold claim. If you find such a person, my suggestion is to get booked into their diary quickly! • Even with the best, most comprehensive training, anyone taking a driving test has the possibility of failing that test, sometimes through nothing more a simple momentary lapse in concentration. • One thing is certain though. If you fail to prepare, then you prepare to fail. So your chances of passing are dramatically improved with an experienced and knowledgable instructor to take you thorough your training program and prepare you properly for what will be expected of you on the day. Do you teach test routes? • No. • Teaching test routes is not the same as teaching someone to drive properly in a variety of areas covering a variety of road conditions. • If you practice the test routes often enough you will eventually be able to do them without too much thought. This may be enough to get you through a driving test, but how will you cope on your own on unfamiliar roads? To be in a car on your own and without any help is a very lonely place to be. How qualified is my instructor - Choosing a Driving Instructor • There are two types of instructors badge. A Pink badge denotes a trainee instructor.  Fully qualified instructors hold a Green badge. I am a fully qualified, fully insured, DSA registered Green badge holder. Do you use your mobile phone during lessons? • No. IT IS ILLEGAL TO USE A MOBILE PHONE WHILE DRIVING. This law applies equally to driving instructors, who SHOULD NOT use a mobile phone for any reason while the car is moving - particularly while in charge of an inexperienced learner driver who requires their undivided attention. • I am well aware that I have lost plenty of potential clients because I have taken a few hours to reply to calls where I have been teaching, so those people have called other instructors instead. As much as I hate losing business, I will never compromise anybody’s safety by using my mobile during a lesson. Do you piggy back your lessons? • No. My view is that you are paying for my undivided, uninterrupted attention during your lesson and not to double up as a taxi service. • I have never piggy backed lessons, however, this is used by many instructors to save on travel time between lessons. As the paying customer, if you are happy with such an arrangement, that is your choice. • So you will get a full 60 minute lesson, and not 50 minutes to allow for taxi time between lessons. Do the examiners have quotas to pass and fail? • My experience of driving examiners across a number of test centres is wholly positive. I have sat in on a good number of driving tests and I can honestly say that if someone has failed their test, there has always been a valid reason why. I have never been in the position of questioning a decision, and results have always been fair, and backed up with a proper explanation. The bottom line is that if someone drives to the required standard then they should pass. It really is as simple as that.

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