Your first driving lesson is mostly about getting acquainted: with the car, with your instructor and with how driving feels. Here you see step by step what happens in that first hour, what to sort out beforehand and what you don't need to worry about.
What your first hour looks like
Go through the five steps one at a time with the buttons.
-
We pick you up
At the agreed time we're at the door: at home, at school or at work. You don't have to go anywhere.
-
Getting acquainted and set up
We go over what you already know and adjust the seat, mirrors and steering wheel together. You'll hear where the pedals are and what each button does.
-
The basics
On a quiet road you practise pulling away, steering, accelerating and stopping. Step by step, at your own pace.
-
A short drive
You drive yourself, with your instructor beside you calmly showing and explaining everything. If something is about to go wrong, she steps in.
-
Honest advice
At the end you'll hear roughly how many lessons you need and which package fits you.
Nervous? That's normal
Almost everyone gets in with a few nerves, and that's fine. The first lesson is designed to start from zero: never sat behind a wheel, then you're starting exactly where you should. You don't need to know or be able to do anything yet.
Little can go wrong, either. The lesson car has extra pedals on your instructor's side. Brake too late or too gently and she does it for you. And if something isn't clear, say so straight away: better to explain it three times than to guess for an hour. By the end of the hour you know how driving feels, and that's exactly what this lesson is for.
Sources: Rijksoverheid, CBR: eye test