Choosing the right driving instructor is important and can sometimes be a bit of a minefield.

Prospective pupils must obviously ensure that they like the instructor and that the instructor has the right personal qualities for them – for example, nervous drivers are unlikely to do well with an impatient or terse instructor.

Beyond that, however, pupils need to be aware of all the little – but important – factors that can make such a difference to how many driving lessons are required to pass a test and hence the total cost of the driving lessons.

A few points to check before booking driving lessons in Melbourne are:

What percentage of a typical lesson is spent sitting in a stationary car learning theory? If 20 minutes out of each hour is spent in stationary learning, then this obviously reduces the practical driving experience gained.

How long does each driving lesson last? Some instructors reduce lesson times to 50 minutes to increase their earning power – learners should be aware of this practice when comparing the cost of lessons between different driving schools. At the other extreme, learners should be wary of booking a three hour lesson if they are only able to concentrate effectively for 60-90 minutes at a time – once concentration goes, the ability to learn decreases and the money is wasted. This last point is particularly important for those considering an intensive course of lessons (a semi-intensive course where pupils have daily or twice daily lessons often works better).

Where do driving lessons start and end? If the pupil lives in the country, a large portion of each lesson could be spent on quiet rural roads rather than on mastering the skills needed to drive in a busy town or city centre.

What type of car does the driving instructor use? Is it manual or automatic and how easy is it to manoeuvre? Light, sensitive cars can make manoeuvres easier and so reduce the number of driving lessons needed. Obviously, cars with dual-controls provide a necessary safety net when people first start learning.

Will the driving instructor follow the same routes each week or will they keep detailed lesson plans for each student so that they ensure that students have the opportunity to follow different roads each week?

Does the driving instructor have a thorough knowledge of the local test routes and do they incorporate these routes into each lesson?

1. Does the instructor incorporate all the types of driving (for example, town centre driving,

rural driving

and dual-carriage-way driving) that the driving test will cover into each lesson?