HOW MANY DRIVING LESSONS SHOULD YOU TAKE?

Posted on Oct 26, 2022. By VALLEY DRIVING SCHOOL

Driving lessons are about more than just passing your road test, they’re about developing drivers that have the skills and training to contribute to an attitude of safety and confidence on the road. Whether you’re a new driver learning the ropes for the first time, or an experienced driver looking for a refresher course, there’s a training program that’s been developed just for you.  

But how many lessons should you take? How many hours should you put in? What type of driving lessons should you invest in? In a world that’s perpetually focused on spending less and less time on important, experience-based learning, lessons and time behind the wheel are aspects of driving that shouldn’t be cut short. In this post, we’ll talk about how many driving lessons you should take before your road test.

PUTTING IN THE TIME

Our very own Melissa Hannam of Valley Driving School tells us that ICBC recommends at least 60 hours of driving preparation to be adequately prepared to take a road test. “It depends,” says Hannam, “on a number of contributing factors. The number of driving lessons a student takes is entirely dependent on how much or how little effort a student puts toward their driving outside of taking lessons. The more practice a student can accumulate, the better prepared they are going to be for a road test.”

The only way to accrue this practice time is to take the initiative to spend more time in the vehicle to gain experience. “The more driving practice a student can do, the more the skills introduced and developed from the lessons are going to sink in,” says Hannam.

  • Spend time with a qualified supervisor.  
    • ​If students have no one to practice with outside of the driving lessons, there will be limited skill development in between each lesson.  A lesson will introduce a new skill and driving time with their qualified supervisor allows the student to practice that skill, develop and master that skill.  Then when the student returns for another lesson, a new skill or maneuver can be introduced. No supervisor time means no time to allow for skill development, limiting time to introduce new skills.
  • Having an adequate vehicle and proper insurance.
    • Most students start by learning on an automatic vehicle and large vehicles may be overwhelming when first learning to drive, or when working on parking maneuvers. In British Columbia, ICBC has an insurance discount for drivers with over 10 years safe driving experience and anyone with an L would not be eligible to drive on that insurance.   
  • Practice in different areas, consistently.
    • Practicing for 60 hours, but only using your time to commute to and from school or work daily along a similar route, is not very challenging and doesn’t develop your skills. Driving outside of your regular routes and neighbourhood will help develop your observation skills and challenge you as a driver. Having large gaps in your time behind the wheel may also derail any progress you’ve made in your skill development.  Practice makes perfect!
  • Drive in Different Times in Different Conditions
    • Always driving at 8pm won’t expose you to different traffic situations. At 8pm, rush hour is over, the roads are less busy and school zones are not in effect. Take the time to explore your neighbourhood at different times to prepare yourself for morning gridlock, a busy highway, and complex driving situations.