Getting behind the wheel and having your first driving lesson can be incredibly daunting. So daunting that some learner drivers may prefer to have their first driving lesson with a family member, or friend, as opposed to a driving instructor.

But is this a wise decision? We’ve weighed up the pros and cons so you can make the right decision for yourself.

Learning to Drive with a Friend or Family Member

Having a family member or friend help you out when learning to drive isn’t uncommon, in fact it can be hugely beneficial in helping you prepare for your driving test.

Click here to read more on how private practice can help you pass your driving test.

Some new learner drivers find the concept of their first driving lesson intimidating, and instead opt in for someone closer to home to help them out with it.

If you’re feeling nervous about driving, having someone familiar next to you can make the world of difference.

However, sometimes it can be even more distracting. It’s important to know (though we love them a lot) not all mums and dads are professional driving instructors. The potential downside to having a relative or friend in the passenger seat is that they might not know how to deal with a first-time driver.

What the professionals advise for your first driving lesson

On our Twitter page, a few of our driving instructor followers weighed in on the matter:

I think it depends on the student I would say, the student needs to be in a calm, relaxed environment at the start, and often this can be supplied by the parents. But long term a trained, calm and experienced driving instructor would very much be the way forward. 🚗💪😊

— Ollie (@Totallydriving) May 3, 2018

So difficult to drag a bad habit out of a new pupil that a parent has indelibly imprinted in to the new drivers brain, such as you must go through all the gears when slowing down or preparing to stop ….. O M G the amount of times I have had to clean that fiasco up ….

— Stephen Hicks (@MINItooLearnIn) May 2, 2018

I think that the first experience should be with someone that is calm and able to share good practice with the learner. Ideally you would ask a professional to do this, after all you wouldn’t get them to fly a plane for the first time with their mate sat next to them!

— Mark Carroll Driving (@ukdriving4life) May 2, 2018

I think to get the best out of your first experience , and it’s just my opinion that going with a Driving Instructor is the best way, however I would do my homework and look at reviews for the instructor or school as would want my loved ones or friends to have a top experience

— John Lendrum (@LendrumsDriving) May 3, 2018

 

 

We even hosted a poll which was pretty conclusive:

Should a learner drivers first time behind the wheel be with a driving instructor or a family member? 🚗😀 We want to know what you think! #WednesdayWisdom

— InsureLearnerDriver (@insurelearners) May 2, 2018

 

The final verdict

It’s clear that the most common thing to do for your first driving lesson is to seek the help of a driving instructor, but the final decision is down to you.

If having your first driving lesson with a close friend or family member makes you more relaxed, then go for it!

With InsureLearnerDriver, you can get practising outside of driving lessons from just £2 a day*.

Click here to get a quote for learner driver insurance

For more tips on staying safe on the roads or for regular driving test tips, follow us on social media:

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*Subject to customer criteria.