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LEARNING TO DRIVE
Drive Smart is a safety focussed Driving School operating in Adelaide,
South Australia.
We will help
you become a smart thinking, really safe driver who knows what to do
when, where and why.
Whether you
have only just started learning to drive or have done a fair bit of
driving, we can help.
Drive Smart is committed
to helping you learn to drive, smart and safe.
Check below for more
information and help.
Why choose Drive Smart?
Your Drive Smart Instructor has had training
and teaching experience way beyond most Instructors.
This means you will be taught better
and will become a better driver than most. It means you will understand
what you are doing and why. You will be taught the way you
learn best.
You won't just be told what to do,
then made to do it... you will be guided through the learning process,
developing your own skills and knowledge. This means you will be much
more likely to remember what you learn - for life!
Although we have a great time doing
it, we take driver training seriously. You will have truly achieved the
required standards in all areas before getting your P's. Sorry - no
short cuts!
You will be taught in the most "real
world situations" possible (starting out as gently as you need). This
makes sure you will know and actually understand what you are doing. As
examples:
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Hill Starts will actually be done
on a steep hill.
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Parking will be ok... and you
should even be able to fix the ones that didn't work.
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You will eventually have to do
lane changes in traffic - yes there will be other cars around.
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Advanced Traffic Management is
taught on busy main roads and expressways, once you are ready.
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Country Drive will cover an
extensive range of country road situations.
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Round-a-bouts will include
familiarisation with the famous Britannia where possible.
Training will be tailored to your
specific needs. For example:
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If you have never driven, our
initial focus will be to get you driving - safely. This will enable
you to start driving with your Supervising Driver, getting that
important practice without scaring them (or yourself) too much.
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If you are already driving, we
will look at improving your driving where needed, without wasting
time teaching you what you already know.
What will your Instructor be
like?
We really enjoy
driving and teaching people to drive. That means you will enjoy learning
with us. You won't get yelled at or even told off, but you will be
supported and encouraged all the way.
Patient, friendly, well presented,
positive, experienced, well trained, professional and dedicated would
all be good words to describe your Instructor.
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When to start lessons
We
recommend you start lessons as soon as possible after getting your
Learner's. This will help get you started in the right direction,
i.e. you won't have 50 hours of 'bad' habits that need to be fixed.
Use your 50 hours to practice what you learn in your lessons. Saves
time and money.
If you plan to get your P licence as soon as you can (after
6 months) then you need to book lessons almost straight away - 6
months is only 26 weeks and the time will fly! Think about it. Possibly
a couple of weeks or so to get started, 10 to 20 (maybe more) lessons at
one per week, a couple of weeks missed due to other commitments and your
26 weeks will be gone! Don't wait! Contact us now to arrange lessons.
How many lessons will it take
This is a popular question. There is no easy answer. Everyone is
different and learning is done at different speeds and in different
ways.
It very much depends on how much practise you can get between
lessons and the quality of that practice. There should always be things
to practice after each lesson.
As a guide we find many people take between 12 and 22 (90 minute)
lessons to complete their training. We have had a small number of
clients get through the CBT Training in 7 or 8 lessons. At the other end
of the scale, we have had some who have taken almost 40 lessons to
become an excellent driver.
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Saving Money
Learning to drive well is one of the greatest life investments you
will ever make. You are probably going to be driving for at least 50
years. One mistake during that time will potentially cost you thousands
of dollars and a lot of pain even if you are insured.
All this sounds good but we know that it doesn't count for much when
you are trying to find the cash for lessons each week. Below are some
tips to save you some money and still become the excellent driver you
want to be:
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Really know your Road Rules and other information from the Drivers
Hand Book. We don't mean doing the RAA on-line Theory test 50 times -
that doesn't help much out on the road. Really study the book. The more you
know, the less we have to teach you.
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Take an interest in what other drivers do. Whether they are good or
bad you can learn from them.
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Practice, practice, practice what you learn in your lessons. This is
the big one and makes the most difference.
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Make your lessons work for you. Don't be afraid to ask lots of
questions. It will be quicker to say you don't understand something than
to wait for your Instructor to work it out.
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Study what you will be doing in the following lesson as much as
possible.
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Check out our
Supervising Drivers page for more tips.
50 Hour
Program
If you don't have anyone to help you
get
your 50 hours driving, we can help. We can put together an
interesting course to ensure you gain experience in all sorts of
situations. In addition to our normal program, we can include:
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Extended Freeway driving.
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Extended Country driving.
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Gravel Road driving.
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Street Directory navigation.
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Adelaide Roads familiarisation.
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Night driving by arrangement.
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And more..... to suit your
requirements.
Gravel
Road Option
Australia has millions of kilometres
of gravel and dirt roads. At some stage all drivers will be faced with
driving on one. We can help you be prepared. Lessons will be of at least
two hours and include:
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Appreciating and respecting the
difference between gravel and bitumen
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Braking on loose surfaces
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Experience on a wide variety of
road types and surfaces
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Understanding of sharing the road
with others
Manual Lessons
We are able to help with manual lessons in your car (conditions
apply). The best car to have lessons in is your insured and
roadworthy vehicle. After all it is what you will be driving.
Most people choose to have a couple of lessons, doing lots of
practice in between.
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