

Learning to drive is one of the most important things you will need to do as an adult. That’s because being able to drive gives you the freedom to go wherever you want at whatever time you want without relying on somebody else’s schedule – provided you have a car. Some jobs too will require you to be able to drive which makes having the skill a must.

If you want to learn how to drive, you have two options when it comes to how you acquire the skill: you can get professional driving lessons, or get a friend or relative to teach you(informal training). So which of the two is the best way to learn to drive?

Although more costly, getting professional driving lessons is the way to go when you want to learn to drive. The quality of training that you will get from a professional simply cannot compare to what you’ll get from informal training. And because driving is a task that can be quite dangerous if you lack the proper skills, it is crucial that you make no compromises when acquiring the skills.

Here are 5 reasons why you should get professional driving lessons when learning to drive:

You’re taught by a professional. Driving schools hire professional driving instructors who have undergone extensive training and acquired the proper instructor licencing. This makes them very good at teaching learner drivers. And because they’re essentially teachers, professional driving instructors can adapt their teaching methods to suit you which will help you learn faster. You’ll also get professional treatment when you learn from a professional instructor making the experience less stressful. Use of a proper training vehicle.Standard vehicles are not designed to be used for training new drivers. Vehicles meant for driver training are fitted with dual controls which enable the instructor to intervene when something goes wrong to avoid an accident. Driving schools also use well-maintained vehicles with a high safety rating to ensure comfort and safety for the learner. Structured curriculum. When you take professional driving lessons, your instructor will use a structured curriculum when training you to ensure that you get comprehensive training that covers all the important areas. Informal training, on the other hand, lacks structure which means that the instructor could skip some important things during training. Insurance cover. Your friend’s or parent’s vehicle insurance does not cover driving lessons. This means that damages from an accident during training will have to be paid for out of pocket which could be costly. And because the person behind the wheel is inexperienced and the car’s not fitted with dual controls, the likelihood of an accident occurring is pretty high.

When you get professional driving lessons, however, you won’t have to worry about insurance as it is taken care of by the driving school.

With informal training, you will have to rely on the schedule of your friend or parent which can be pretty inconveniencing. Going the professional route enables you to plan your lessons as you wish giving you the freedom to follow your own schedule. Additionally, you can have the instructor pick and drop you off at a place of your choosing reducing the interruptions to your schedule.

But even with professional driving lessons, supplementary training from a friend or parent will help you clock more hours behind the wheel which will hasten the learning process and improve your chances of passing your driving test. Combine informal and professional training for the best results.