What Should I Expect in My First Driving Lesson?

With your first driving lesson approaching, you might be feeling some combination of nervousness and excitement. Don't worry! Our certified instructors are calm, patient, and experienced. They will ensure you have a safe, fun, and educational time behind the wheel!

Where Do We Meet?

Your instructor will pick you up at home, work, school, or another designated location to start your first lesson. Make sure you are ready at least five minutes before the start or your lesson and double-check you have brought your permit with you!

When your instructor arrives, they might have a brief chat with your parent or guardian if they are present for the start of the lesson. After that, it's all about you! Your instructor will ask about your driving history (be honest!) and give you a quick orientation to the car. You'll then either hop in the driver's seat or take a quick drive to a calm, residential area or parking lot to get you acquainted with the vehicle controls. Your instructor will teach you how to adjust your seat and mirrors, review what all those buttons and knobs do, and have you start the vehicle!

After You Start the Car

From here, every lesson is different. Your instructor will customize your lesson to your skill level, progressing at a pace in a way that's both methodical and safe.

For most beginning students, you will spend the majority of the first lesson driving around quiet residential streets, where you will master lane positioning, smooth turns, and acceleration and braking. You'll also learn the proper way to navigate intersections controlled by stop signs. The goal is to build a solid foundation of driving skills from which we can build on.

While we're cautious, we also won't dwell one skill: once you've achieved a certain proficiency with a skill, it will be time to move on to the next one. For some students, this may mean the first lesson will also include an introduction to traffic signals, three-point turns, and reversing. 

Wrapping up the Lesson

Your lesson will wrap up back at the designated drop-off location. Note, your instructor will take you back a few minutes early to leave time for questions and comments on the lesson. Your instructor will suggest what and how much to practice so you can be prepared for your next lesson and will also fill out a lesson report, which will be emailed to you and your parent/guardian that day. This way you can see exactly what you worked on, and can track your progress over time.

With your first lesson complete, it's time to practice, practice, practice! Make sure you hone in on those skills you learned so your second and third lessons can be used to learn new, more advanced skills.

Ready to learn how to drive? Book your driving lesson today