Douglas – Greenbank
Douglas got in touch about starting driving lessons at the end of 2022. He had never driven before but felt that he would like to learn the skill and add it to his life. We started by driving up to the Braids in Edinburgh where there is a nice long road which is great for a first driving lesson. in this lesson we covered the basics, talking about the controls and how things worked. Douglas did well following what I was saying and made sure to ask questions which helped me know exactly the parts he was understanding and if there was anything that needed further explanation.
After a few driving lessons, we were at the stage where Douglas could competently drive around a housing estate and deal with some pretty horrible uphill junctions. Douglas was doing his driving lessons on Fridays as he was currently working a 4-day week as a software engineer. Douglas told me he had specifically organised a four-day week in order to create time for driving lessons in his schedule.
As the weeks went by Douglas progressed steadily and we would plan what we do in each lesson at the end of going out. This meant that we moved at an efficient pace and Douglas knew what we were aiming for. After a few months of going out weekly and having covered everything it was time to give a mock driving test a go. This was great to see how Douglas would handle the extra pressure and would give us the next list of things we needed to perfect.
After generating the list of things to clear up we set to work and within a few weeks of going out, we tried another mock test which was a huge improvement. We continued this cycle of mock test then fix the issues then a mock test again to see where we were at.
After a good few mock tests and leaving no stone unturned, we both felt that it was time to get the driving test booked.
Douglas managed to get a test booked for mid-June which was only a few weeks later. I felt we would be ready though. We carried out two more practices and then before we knew it test day was here.
Douglas was nervous but once he started the test said he felt okay and was focused on what he needed to do. I was delighted that when he returned with the examiner he had passed his driving test on his first attempt in Edinburgh at the Currie test centre.
