Driving Lessons in Sutton

Your guide to learning to drive in Sutton

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

How to choose a driving school in Sutton

You deserve an instructor who:

• Builds your confidence
• Makes learning enjoyable
• Won’t cost the earth!

So make sure to do these 4 things:

1. Compare reviews

Check out Google Reviews, Reviews.io and Trustpilot for a wide range of reviews on driving schools by learners like you. Most schools in Sutton will only show their best reviews on their website so it’s wise not to use them by themselves to assess a school’s quality.

2. Beware of terms and conditions

If you block book lessons, you won’t get refunded on unused hours with some schools in Sutton. Make doubly sure to look at the terms and conditions to find out what happens if you don’t use up all your hours.

3. Check that you can switch instructors

You want a driving school that will let you switch instructors if you need to, for example, if you move to a new area that your instructor can't cover. Some schools in Sutton can provide you with a new instructor right away, but others might not be able to.

4. Avoid long waiting times

It’s wise to know when a driving school will let you start lessons before you make any payment. There are driving schools in Sutton that won’t show their waiting times until after you are halfway through the online booking process. Look out for this to avoid waiting for much longer than you’d like to start driving.

Choosing between manual and automatic

Give yourself some time to think about whether you want manual or automatic driving lessons.

You won’t have to learn to use the clutch with automatics since they don’t have one. This cuts out some of the trickier bits of driving so they’re much quicker to learn in.

Automatics are also less stressful in traffic because you don’t need to change gears as you continually stop and start.

Though if you fancy saving a sum, manuals are cheaper to buy and maintain. You might also like the feeling of control a manual gives you, especially if you want to leave Sutton using the long dual carriageways like the A217.

On top of that, a manual licence lets you drive both manuals and automatics, whereas an automatic licence will only let you drive automatic cars. Both have their pros and cons so it’s your call in the end!

Choosing your test centre

Your instructor will help you practise the routes that are likely to come up in your driving test. Sutton doesn’t have a test centre within its postcode area, but here are the ones that are closest to you.

Test centre pass rates

DVSA practical car test pass rates, 2018-2019.

Croydon Test Centre | Pass rate: 37.4%

You’ll find Croydon Test Centre on Canterbury Road in between ‘Newey & Eyre’ and ‘J & A Autos Ltd’. It has a pass rate below the UK national average.

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

Morden Test Centre | Pass rate: 47.9%

Morden Test Centre is rather hidden on the corner of Tudor Drive to the right-hand side of Ranya Barbers. Watch out for the tricky junction with the B278 dual carriageway on Furness Road.

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

Tolworth Test Centre | Pass rate: 49.3%

Tolworth Test Centre is along Douglas Road, right next to the A240. You’ll get your fair share of roundabouts if you take your test here and will likely go on the large Tolworth Roundabout.

Address: Douglas House, 1 Douglas Rd, Surbiton KT6 7RZ

Check out the DVSA page to find your nearest Driving Test Centre.

Test tips from Sutton instructors

1. Take care on double roundabouts

If you take your test at Morden, you’ll likely drive on Church Hill Road which has double roundabouts. A double roundabout might seem daunting, but it's just a matter of keeping a low safe speed and getting correct lane positioning.

2. Overtake if you need to

Taking your test at Morden Test Centre might have you going onto the A219 dual carriageway. Be careful, as you could be penalised for hesitating if you don't overtake a slow-moving vehicle on a dual carriageway.

3. Arrive early

There is no parking at Morden Test Centre and there is limited parking in both Croydon and Tolworth Test Centres. So arrive early to get a space.

4. Take a driving lesson beforehand

Fit in another driving lesson before you take your practical test if you need that little bit of extra confidence. You can practise on any roads you’re uncertain of or think might come up on the test.