Automatic driving lessons in Auckley

Why automatic suits Auckley's traffic

Hurst Lane is a good example of why many Auckley learners choose automatic. The Hayfield School and New College Doncaster both sit on it, so at the start and end of the day it fills with buses and with parents dropping off, while students walk to the bus stops. Traffic moves in short bursts, and in a manual car that means a lot of clutch work.

In an automatic, the gearbox handles all of that. You move your right foot between the accelerator and the brake, keep your eyes on the children crossing and the bus pulling out, and let the car choose the gear. Many learners find their observation and anticipation improve faster because they have one less thing to think about.

Using creep and the footbrake gently

An automatic car creeps forward on its own when you take your foot off the brake in drive. Learning to use that creep is the automatic version of clutch control. We practise it on the residential roads around Larch Avenue and Walnut Avenue, edging out of junctions where parked cars block the view, then stopping smoothly with light pressure on the brake.

• Moving off: foot on the brake, select drive, release the parking brake, check all round, then ease off the brake.
• Junctions: let the car creep to the line so you can see past parked vehicles, ready to stop.
• Parking: creep gives you slow and accurate control for bay parking and parallel parking.
• Waiting: at the Gate House Lane level crossing, apply the parking brake and stay alert instead of holding the car on the footbrake for a long time.

Your left foot stays still. Using it for the brake is a common mistake for people who have driven a manual before, and your instructor will help you break that habit early.

Building speed on the Great Yorkshire Way

Once you are comfortable in the village, the Great Yorkshire Way gives you somewhere to build speed. The A6182 runs from the Hurst Lane roundabout towards Parrots Corner and on to Junction 3 of the M18. On the slip and approach roads you learn to accelerate firmly to match the speed of the traffic. Then you check your mirrors and blind spot before settling into the correct lane.

An automatic gearbox will drop a gear if you press the accelerator hard, which helps when you need to join faster traffic. Coming off the link road onto the A638 Bawtry Road, you then plan your braking early so the car slows smoothly into the next roundabout.

The automatic-only licence explained

If you pass your practical test in an automatic car, your licence lets you drive automatics only. For many people that is no problem, especially as electric cars are automatic and so are many hybrids. If you later want to drive a manual, you would need to pass another test in a manual car.

Automatic learners often need fewer hours to reach test standard, because there is no clutch to master. Lesson rates and block booking packages are on our prices page. For a fuller comparison, read our guide on manual or automatic licences, or see how we run automatic driving lessons across Doncaster.

Automatic instructors and nearby areas

Diana teaches in an automatic car and is good at fitting lessons around busy family timetables, which helps parents with children at Hayfield Lane Primary School or Auckley School. Alecsandru, a former college teacher and approved driving instructor, also teaches automatic. You can ask for a male or female instructor when you book.

Friends in nearby villages can book automatic driving lessons in Finningley or automatic lessons in Bessacarr. If you are disabled or on the Motability Scheme, our Motability driving lessons in Auckley also use automatic, dual controlled cars. Everything else about learning locally is on our Auckley driving lessons page.

Automatic driving lessons in Auckley: your questions

Are automatic lessons in Auckley quicker to pass?

Many learners need fewer hours in an automatic because there is no clutch or gear changing to learn. The total still depends on how often you drive and how confident you feel, and your instructor will tell you honestly when you are close to test standard.

Can I take my test in an automatic and drive a manual later?

Not straight away. An automatic pass gives you an automatic-only licence. To drive a manual car you would need to pass a separate practical test in a manual, though your experience on the road would make that much easier.

Do you teach automatic lessons from The Hayfield School area?

Yes. Sixth form age students at New College Doncaster and parents at The Hayfield School on Hurst Lane can be collected nearby. We agree a safe meeting point so you are not waiting in the busiest part of the school run.

Will I still learn manoeuvres in an automatic?

Yes. Automatic learners cover every reversing exercise used on the test (parallel parking and bay parking as well as pulling up on the right), plus the emergency stop. Creep makes slow, accurate manoeuvres easier for most people.