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Why it’s good to learn in stages
Find out why learning in a staged approach can help make you a safe driver.
In this topic
Why it’s good to learn to drive in a staged approach
Why it's good to learn in stages
What to practise in each stage of learning to drive
Planning your drives
What a good supervising driver is like
Qualities of a good supervising driver
Choosing a driving instructor
Why it's a good idea to learn to drive in a staged approach
There's more to driving than just knowing roads rules and controlling the car.
You need to know how to drive safely in many conditions and situations.
Start with simple driving and move to more complex driving situations as you gain experience.
Learning to drive in a staged approach helps you
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What to practise in stage one
Basic car control like how to start, steer and stop safely in quiet areas with no traffic.
This is the shortest stage.
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What to practise in stage two
Getting comfortable driving on quiet roads at low speed, using skills from stage one.
You’ll start driving near other road users in this stage.
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What to practise in stage three
Developing your driving skills on busy roads and in more traffic.
You’ll be looking out for and responding to a variety of hazards.
This stage is longer than stage one and two.
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What to practise in stage four
Drive with less help from your supervising driver to prepare for solo driving.
You’ll get experience in all types of weather conditions and on different types of roads.
You’ll use all the skills you’ve learnt so far to get ready for driving on your own.
This stage can take the longest.
Planning your drives
You need to get lots of practice in many different conditions and situations to develop safe driving behaviours.
Following a staged approach will help you learn at your own pace.
So plan your drives with your supervising driver to match your experience using the planning guides in each stage.
What a good supervising driver is like
Whether they’re your parent, carer, guardian, older friend or someone else, your supervising driver is there to help you become a safe driver.
So make sure you get on with them well.
Qualities of a good supervising driver
Driving instructors
Many learners get professional driving lessons when they’re learning to drive.
A driving instructor can give you professional advice on safe driving behaviour and tasks.
It's a good idea to seek out the services of a driving instructor in the early stages of your learner period.
When choosing an instructor, it's a good idea to:
