Have you ever looked over to your instructor and wondered what they are thinking? There's probably a million things running through their head and when a driving instructor has to teach a difficult student, there's probably a few things that they say which aren't exactly what they mean.

Learning To Drive Is Stressful For The Instructor Too

Though driving lessons can be stressful for learner drivers, they can also be stressful for instructors. In reality, driving instructors regularly put themselves in a precarious position, getting in the car with a mostly inexperienced driver. All the while they have to appear cool, calm and collected. So what do driving instructors really think when they're teaching? And if there are any driving instructors reading this, which of these can you relate to?

Knowing when to change gears becomes more natural, the more driving experience you get. For beginners it's good to have a marker. We suggest 1st Gear (0 - 5 mph), 2nd Gear (6 - 15 mph), 3rd Gear (15 - 30 mph), 4th Gear (30 - 40 mph), 5th Gear (41 - 55 mph) and 6th Gear (55 - 70 mph). Ask a parent to take you somewhere quiet so that you can practice listening to the engine, or the next time you are a passenger. One of the key things that you are expected to do is to look out for hazards and thoroughly observe your surroundings. Especially in unfamiliar areas, it's always worth taking a few extra moments and slowing down before proceeding with any manoeuvres. Apart from the indicator being a slightly irritating sound, keeping the indicator on when it's not needed can confuse other drivers. If your signal doesn't cancel after a turn, keep an ear out for that ticking sound and manually flip the indicator. Experienced drivers aren't always the most courteous to learners. If you can make progress safely, aim to do so, otherwise drivers behind you may start to act recklessly. Try to keep a steady pace, but don't let the cars behind you bully you into driving too fast. When passing parked cars, try to keep an adequate distance. It may seem odd positioning the car more to the right than normal, but you run the risk of damaging the parked cars and the instructor's car by staying too far to the left. Try to keep at least a door width gap between you and parked cars. Manoeuvres are a tricky business and on your first few attempts, you may have to do a number of corrections to finish in the right position. With time and plenty of practice, you'll quickly see that number decrease. Remember it is about completing the manoeuvre safely, so concentrate on that first and the rest will come with time.

What does your instructor say?

This is, of course, all just a little bit of fun and I'm certain your instructor has your best interests at heart, which may be exactly why they adjust what they say out loud. Their aim is not to discourage but encourage, and hey, we're all allowed to have our little moments of panic - right?