Driving Lessons in Milton Keynes

Your guide to learning to drive in Milton Keynes

View other guides: Driving Lessons in London, Driving Lessons in Birmingham, Driving Lessons in Manchester.

How to choose a driving school in Milton Keynes

In regards to driving schools Milton Keynes has a number of options. With this amount of choice, you should be looking a driving instructor in Milton Keynes who:

• Makes you feel supported
• Makes it enjoyable to learn
• Won’t empty your pockets!

That’s why it’s important to remember these 4 things!

1. Compare reviews

You can find out about the driving schools in Milton Keynes by reading about other local learners' experiences. Check out reliable review sites like Trustpilot or Google reviews. They'll help you find driving lessons in Milton Keynes to suit your needs.

2. Beware of terms and conditions

Driving schools in Milton Keynes can be quick to offer great introductory deals. Be aware, though, that these can often come with hours that have to be used at specific times of the day or week - times which might not match your schedule.

3. Check that you can switch instructors

Learning with a single instructor is preferable to changing constantly. Sometimes, however, an instructor may not suit your learning style. Though some driving schools in Milton Keynes will let you switch, it might only be directly after your first lesson.

4. Avoid long waiting times

Wait times at driving schools in Milton Keynes can be up to 4 weeks or more in busy periods like summer. Worse still, some schools will only let you know their wait times after you’ve made a booking enquiry.

Choosing between manual and automatic

An important consideration before learning to drive is whether you’ll take manual or automatic driving lessons.

Manual cars give a strong sense of control, and might be more satisfying if you see yourself cruising up the A5 on a regular basis. Automatic cars, on the other hand, are easier to drive in city centres, and might better suit the gridded streets of central Milton Keynes.

Another factor is price. Manual lessons are generally cheaper, as manual cars are more common. That said, automatics are considered easier to drive, so you could end up passing faster, and thus, for less.

Also consider the permission each licence provides. A manual licence will allow you to drive both transmission types, but an automatic licence will limit you to automatic transmissions only. It’s best to consider which cars you’ll potentially be driving in the future before you make your decision.

Finally, bare in mind that some driving schools in Milton Keynes may not offer automatic lessons at all!

Tips for learning to drive in Milton Keynes

Supplementing your driving lessons in Milton Keynes with extra practice is a great idea. In fact, the DVSA recommends a minimum of 22 hours of private practice before taking the practical driving test.

If you listen to driving instructors; Milton Keynes is a great, if unique, place to practise. Here are a few generalised options given by driving instructors in Milton Keynes.

• Residential areas: These are great places to practise outside of driving lessons in Milton Keynes. Residential blocks offer a wealth of narrow roads, roundabouts, and crescents to practise on. Here you can improve your steering, clutch control, and all variety of parking maneuvers.

• Arterial streets and ways: Saxon Street, Grafton Street, Portway, Child’s Way, all of these provide increased challenge once you have your confidence up. Here you can practise negotiating large, multi-lane roundabouts, and using your observations to change lanes safely.

• City centre: Whilst the city centre in Milton Keynes is very well organised, it still represents a decent challenge in heavy traffic. The streets around Intu Milton Keynes and Centre MK should keep you on your toes with some large junctions full of impatient shoppers!

• Rural roads: When the grid finally stops, it does so in a big way. There are a bunch of narrow roads and lanes ringing the city where you can get experience cornering, accelerating, and stopping on uneven surfaces. It’ll be a nice break from driving lessons on Milton Keynes' perfectly-sealed streets!

Choosing your test centre

Once you’ve done enough driving lessons in Milton Keynes, your instructor will help you pick a test centre, and introduce you to the routes that are likely to come up in your driving test.

Test centre pass rates

DVSA practical car test pass rates, 2018-2019.

Bletchley Test Centre | Pass rate: 44.6%

Whilst situated on a residential street, the Bletchley Test Centre offers a few immediate challenges to overcome. Church Green Road can be deceptively busy during the day, and there are plenty of junctions and roundabouts to test your decision-making skills.

Address: Block 4, Government Buildings, Wilton Hostel, Wilton Avenue, Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, MK3 6DH

Leighton Buzzard (Stanbridge Road) Test Centre | Pass rate: 46.8%

Located on the outskirts of Leighton Buzzard, this test centre pits you against the uneven Leighton Road from the beginning. Instructors in Milton Keynes say there will likely be a moderate amount of traffic travelling at speed when you’re trying to exit the centre so take your time and start on the right foot.

Address: Leighton Road, Stanbridge, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, LU7 4QG

Cardington Test Centre | Pass rate 41.2%

Country driving is the name of the game around Cardington Test Centre. Be ready for multi-lane roundabouts, dual carriageways, and single lane roads with generous speed limits. Remember to slow down on any corners obscured by trees, especially in the wet.

Address: Cardington Training Establishment, Paul Waller Avenue, Cardington Bedfordshire, MK44 3EQ

You can also search the DVSA to find the nearest test centre to your postcode.

Test tips from driving instructors in Milton Keynes

We ask driving instructors in Milton Keynes for the inside line on test day.

1. Take a lesson beforehand

Whilst Milton Keynes isn’t the most varied of testing locations, it doesn’t hurt to get into the swing of things early. Drive around the test area to familiarise yourself with all the junctions and roundabouts, then practise some parking techniques so you’re comfortable in the test.

2. Be patient on roundabouts

Milton Keynes is packed with roundabouts, and these can cause some panic in a test situation. Approach multiple lane roundabouts with caution and wait for a good opportunity to enter. You’re better being overly cautious than slightly reckless.

3. Make observations a habit

With Milton Keynes’ well-planned roads you’re never far away a second lane. Habitually checking your mirrors and blindspots will keep you informed of other cars’ locations and give you more time to take action should you need to.

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