As automatic cars are becoming increasingly popular, many learner drivers are opting to take driving lessons in an automatic vehicle, rather than a manual one. But is this the easy option?

As a Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) Approved Driving Instructor for the last 17 years, I feel well qualified to say a big, fat ‘no’ to that question.  Automatic driving lessons are definitely not the easy option!

One of the main things I tell all my learner drivers is that the actual physical act of driving/handling a motor vehicle is not the difficult part of learning to drive. Gaining experience and learning to deal with all the hazards that you will face every time you get behind the wheel of a car is the tricky part. That could be dealing with other drivers – their driving skills (or lack of!), their aggression and attitude. It could be other road users (cyclists, pedestrians, mobility scooters) or maybe bad road and/or weather conditions. Put simply, you need to have your wits about you at all times – and that applies to drivers in both manual AND automatic vehicles. 

As a driving instructor, my job is not to ensure you pass your practical driving test (although obviously, that’s the end goal!). My job is to ensure that all my learner drivers learn the necessary skills to make them safe drivers. Safe driving for life! So whether that’s in a manual vehicle, or an automatic – we ultimately just want you to be safe on the road. 

Perhaps if a learner driver has opted to learn in a manual vehicle, but struggles with clutch control, or changing gears, then an automatic car would solve those problems. 

Of course, the government has announced that there will be a ban on petrol and diesel vehicles from 2035 – this means that from this date, all new cars bought will need to be electric. Which in turn means there will be no manual transmission vehicles manufactured from this date. The ban was originally set for 2030, but the government postponed the measure by 5 years. 

So is learning to drive in a manual car going to be a waste of time over the next few years? Most definitely not. Even though the ban comes into effect from 2035, not everyone will be able to afford a new vehicle and therefore most people will continue to drive their manual petrol and diesel cars for years to come. 

Here at Fast Pass Driving Courses, we are able to accommodate both automatic AND manual driving lessons, so whatever your choice, we can help. Just visit https://fastpassdrivingcourses.co.uk/courses/ for more information about the intensive driving courses available in your area.