Driving Lessons in Streatham

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

How to choose a driving school in Streatham

When it comes to finding a driving instructor in Streatham, you want someone who:

• Builds your confidence
• Makes learning fun
• Won’t charge a fortune!

So, when you’re looking for a driving school in Streatham, you’ll need to:

1. Compare reviews

Most driving schools in Streatham feature a wealth of reviews on their websites, but usually these are selected from the best. To find a more balanced selection of reviews, you should take a look at Google reviews or head over to a trusted review site like Trustpilot.

2. Beware of terms and conditions

Some driving schools in Streatham have very specific policies - for example, your driving lessons might expire if you don’t use them up within a short time frame, or you might not get a refund if you pass your test without using all your lessons up. Make sure that you read the terms and conditions carefully so that you don’t get caught out.

3. Check that you can switch instructors

It’s important that you have a good relationship with your driving instructor. So, you need to be sure that you can switch instructors if things aren’t working well. Not all driving schools in Streatham state on their websites whether they’ll allow you to switch instructors, so we’d recommend enquiring before you book.

4. Avoid long waiting times

If you’re looking forward to passing your test, the last thing you want is to wait weeks before your first driving lesson. Some driving schools in Streatham don’t advertise their waiting times, so make sure you ask before you commit yourself.

Tips for learning to drive in Streatham

Private practice is the best way to hone your skills between driving lessons in Streatham. The DVSA actually recommends that you do 22 hours of private practice before taking the practical test!

Our driving instructors in Streatham have shared a few of their favourite practice spots.

• Covington Way: Covington Way and the other residential roads off Norwood Grove Recreation Ground and Streatham Common are mainly wide, straight and fairly quiet. Our driving instructors in Streatham would recommend heading here when you’re looking to get to grips with the basics like clutch control and steering.

• Barcombe Avenue: On Barcombe Avenue, near Streatham Hill station, you’ll find a mini-roundabout. It’s a great spot to get used to how roundabouts work before moving onto something bigger!

• Riggindale Road: This residential road near Tooting Bec common has cars parked along both sides. Our driving instructors in Streatham suggest going here to perfect your parallel parking and to work on your parking distances.

• Bedford Hill: Head to Bedford Hill by Tooting Bec common once you’re confident with clutch control. It’s the perfect place to practise your hill starts, according to our driving instructors in Streatham!

• Streatham High Road: Streatham High Road, also known as the A23, is a great place to practise driving on urban dual carriageways, and it’s also got a big box junction near Streatham Station!

Choosing your test centre

Once you’re in the swing of your driving lessons in Streatham, your instructor will help you to pick a nearby driving test centre. Then, it’ll be time to start getting used to the routes that may crop up in your practical driving test!

DVSA practical car test pass rates, 2018-2019

Croydon Test Centre | Pass rate: 37.4%

You’ll find Croydon Test Centre in a residential area near the A23. You can expect to encounter dual carriageways and busy urban roads on a test here.

Address: 111 Canterbury Road, Croydon, Greater London, CR0 3HH

Mitcham Test Centre | Pass rate: 41.1%

Our driving instructors in Streatham say that you’ll probably encounter similar test routes here as at Croydon Test Centre, as the two are located fairly close to one another. You’ll find Mitcham Test Centre in an industrial area.

Address: Redhouse Road, Mitcham, Surrey, CR0 3AQ

Morden Test Centre | Pass rate: 47.9%

Morden Test Centre can be found just off the busy A24. There aren’t any parking spaces for test candidates at this test centre, so we’d recommend arriving early to ensure that you can find a parking space nearby.

Address: 10 Tudor Drive, Morden, Surrey, SM4 4PE

Enter your postcode on the DVSA website to find a full list of test centres near you.

Test tips from driving instructors in Streatham

1. Watch out for parking

Driving instructors in Streatham recommend that you check out the parking situation at your test centre. For instance, Morden Test Centre doesn’t have any allocated parking for test candidates, and Croydon has only limited parking available. You’ll want to know what to expect so that you can leave yourself some extra time if needed.

2. Bring everything you need

You’ll need to bring both your theory test pass certificate and your provisional driving licence to your test, otherwise your test may be cancelled. If you need glasses to drive in, don’t forget them too!

3. Take a driving lesson beforehand

According to driving instructors in Streatham, the best way to calm your nerves and increase your focus is to take a driving lesson directly before your driving test. You can even use the time to go over any routes or road systems near your test centre that you’re unsure of.

Choosing between manual and automatic

The first decision you need to make when you’re looking to book driving lessons in Streatham is which transmission you’d like to drive.

Automatic cars tend to be easier and more relaxing to drive, as they don’t have a clutch pedal. This is particularly the case in urban areas like Streatham, as pressing a clutch pedal each time you come to a standstill at traffic lights or pedestrian crossings can get tiresome.

That said, if you’re planning on taking roadtrips out of London on a regular basis, you might prefer the sense of control that a manual car can give you over longer distances. For example, in a manual car, you can choose to change down a gear in anticipation of a hill for an extra boost of power.

Automatic driving lessons prepare you to pass your test with an automatic driving licence, which will qualify you to drive automatic cars. On the other hand, manual lessons will qualify you to pass with a manual licence - with one of these, you can drive both manual and automatic cars, giving you more flexibility.

The choice is yours!

Where can I take driving lessons in Streatham

Driving lessons are available across Streatham, in areas including Streatham Common, Streatham Hill and Streatham Park.

Some of the popular areas include:

Barking, Brixton, Bromley, Canary Wharf, Clapham, Croydon, Dagenham, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Harrow, Hayes, Hendon, Hounslow, Islington, Kingston upon Thames, Lewisham, Putney, Romford, Southall, Stratford, Sutton, Tottenham, Twickenham, Uxbridge, Walthamstow, Wandsworth, Watford, Wembley and Wimbledon.