Learning To Drive
Before you can get behind the wheel you will have to apply for a provisional driving license.
You can do this on-line at www.gov.uk and follow the links headed “Driving and Transport” and then “Driving Licences”,
Alternatively, Application packs are available from the post office.
Once you have a valid provisional licence you will need to decide whether it is manual or automatic lessons you want.
NDT is one of the very few driving schools that can offer driving lessons in either manual or automatic cars.
If possible you should try to do your lessons with a manual car as when you have passed your test you will be able to drive both manual and automatic vehicles.
But if you wish to learn to drive an automatic car only, or maybe you have tried a manual car and find that you are struggling with the clutch and gears, and finding things just to stressful. Then why not try a Automatic driving lesson with us and see how you get on. Without making any further commitment to continue at all.
There is nothing to be ashamed of. You haven’t failed as a person. You could try and persevere However if gears are not that important to you then don’t make life hard work.
- But if you pass your test in an Automatic car you cannot drive a Manual car solo with out taking another driving test.
Finding An Instructor
The best way to find an instructor is by recommendation and hopefully that’s how you come to be here. But if you are here from other means then please be aware that some driving schools use trainee instructors who are trying to gain experience in teaching before taking their finial qualifying exam. Immorally many of these schools do not tell the customer this so you do not know if your instructor is fully qualified or not.
The easy way to tell is that all qualified instructors have a approved licence to teach badge displayed in their car with their photo id on it. Don’t be afraid to ask to see it if its not immediately obvious.
- Remember it’s your money you’re spending.
A trainee badge is pink with a triangle on it. A qualified instructor badge is green and has an octagon (50 pence) shape on it.
All instructors are also graded and checked by the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency.
- Nick is a fully Qualified high grade instructor and works to the terms set out by the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), the Driving Instructors Association (DIA), and the Motor Schools Association (MSA).
- Nick has also holds an Enhanced DBS Certificate.
Proving Your Entitlement To Drive
Changes to driving licences which came into effect in June 2015 means that the old paper part of your licence is now not issued with a new driving licence and is now not a legal document on driving licences issued before June 2015. so the driving licence now consists of simply the photo card, therefore any endorsements, penalty points and driving bans which maybe recorded on the old paper part are now only accessible online.
For insurance purposes before your first lesson NDT is required to check your licence details to see the vehicles that you are allowed to drive, and to check for any penalty points and disqualifications. Therefore before your first lesson NDT will ask you to go online and generate a “check code” which will allow your instructor to check this information.
What you will need to do.
- Go to www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence
- Enter your driving licence number, national insurance number and the post code that as shown on your licence.
- Click on “Share licence information”. This then creates a code which is case sensitive and can only be used once. It is valid for 21 days only.
- Pass this code together with your licence number to Nick at NDT.- probably easier to text to 07786390275 or send the information using the message box on the contact page of this website. please be aware that the code is a mixture of upper case and lower case letters and numbers.
Nick will then be able to check your licence entitlement online prior to your first lesson.
Please also bring your licence with you on your first lesson for inspection.
Note – This way of checking your licence is now common practice and you will find that you will also have to arrange a “check code” when you arrange car insurance for your own car, and if at some point you hire a vehicle.