You can learn to drive in so many ways.

Self taught

You could get a friend or a member of the family teach you in their car or your own car. As long as the car is legal to be used on the road with you behind the steering wheel, and the person you are going out with meets the requirements to be in the passenger seat with you (be over 21 years of age, have UK full licence for at least 3 years, and be qualified to drive the type of vehicle you want to learn in).

Advantages.

You can utilise as much or as little time to practice learning.

You can have as many passengers as you can legally hold in the car.

You cannot be charged for the lessons.

Disadvantages.

The training and/or understanding of traffic law may not be current or in line with the national standards of driving. The Driving Test has changed a few times over the years. Your Uncle may have passed his test back in 1995. However, the number of vehicles on the road was less, The driving test was shorter, there were different test requirements regarding manoeuvres. Driving standards have evolved.

The vehicle will not be dual controlled. Dual controls on a car are classed as modifications. How will the accompanying passenger be able to stop you from pulling out in front of a vehicle you havent seen?

A vast outlay in Vehicle costs, insurance costs and road tax costs would have been made in order for you to learn to drive. This is a very harsh reality. Driving isn’t cheap. To have your freedom on the road, it has a cost.

Use a driving lesson booking agency

These agencies are companies that will charge you the price of lessons and then try to contract you out to driving instructors according to your location. There are many of these companies around. It is highly unlikely that they have Driving Instructors directly work for them. They are normally just a contact to see if they have any space to take a student on.

Advantages

You may be lucky to get a Driving Instructor allocated to you.

Disadvantages

These companies are unregulated.

They have no governing body to licence, control, and check standards of practice.

They don’t have DBS checks.

There is no way of knowing what sort of company they are. They do not exist on any approved register.

You would have paid more for the lesson than if you dealt with the Driving Instructor directly.

You could have paid in advance for a service that may not be available at all. In other words “Paying for something that doesn’t exist”.

You may be allocated a Driving Instructor that is unsuitable for you. Getting your money back could be problematic.

Use a Driving School

Driving Schools can be anywhere from a sole trader up to a national company of hundreds of instructors. They have all got one thing in common. They are regulated.

Advantages

Every instructor is approved by the DVSA to charge for lessons (so why pay a 3rd party company which will cost you more?).

Every Instructor displays their badge to show they are qualified to teach (this is a requirement by law that this must be displayed).

Every instructor is DBS checked (without it, they cannot be on the Approved Register of Driving Instructors).

Every instructor is standard checked to ensure teaching standards are current and appropriate.

Driving schools have a responsibility to ensure all Instructors comply with the rules and regulations laid out for them to teach (Complying to the Code of Practice).

The vehicles you learn in are modified with dual controls.

The lessons are structured to help make learning easier and safer.

Instructors are continuing their professional development (CPD) by taking extra courses.

Driving schools will not take money from a customer if there is no availability to book any lessons.

Your money that you spend is for a professional service that will give you the freedom on the road. Financially, it is far easier to pay for lessons and then pay for a car than the other way round.

Disadvantages

What would do you think the disadvantages are?