Automatic driving lessons in Edlington

Why automatic suits Edlington's roads

Much of New Edlington was built over a century ago for colliery families, so streets such as Clark Avenue and Roberts Road often have cars parked along the kerb. Driving them means frequent stopping and moving off. In an automatic you control all of that with one foot, which leaves more attention for spotting a pedestrian stepping out or an oncoming driver flashing to let you through.

School times add to it. Sir Thomas Wharton Academy on Tait Avenue serves pupils aged 11 to 18, and school buses come in to Tait Avenue from as far as Tickhill. Hill Top Academy on Edlington Lane and Edlington Victoria Academy on Victoria Road also bring slow traffic and children crossing at drop-off and home time.

Using creep and the brake

An automatic will creep forward on its own when you release the brake in drive. We use that to your advantage. In queues on Edlington Lane, you can ease off the brake to move up a car length, then stop again, without touching the accelerator at all.

• Keep your right foot over the brake whenever you are moving slowly.
• Select drive or reverse only with the brake firmly pressed.
• Use the parking brake when you stop for more than a moment, such as at a red light.
• Practise moving off from behind a parked car using creep alone.
• Check your mirrors before you ease off the brake, since the car will move as soon as you do.

Most learners are surprised how much control creep gives them. It makes the slow work in New Edlington far less tiring, and it is the key to calm, accurate manoeuvres later on.

Into Balby and Doncaster

Once you are confident around town, we head out. Broomhouse Lane leads east into Balby, and Edlington Lane takes you north to Warmsworth and the A630. From there the drive continues through Balby towards Doncaster town centre. Traffic lights and roundabouts there call for good lane choice, which matters far more than gear selection in an automatic.

Later in your lessons we spend time on the eastern side of Doncaster, on roads like the ones near the test centre at Shaw Wood Business Park. That part of the city should feel familiar by the time your test arrives.

The automatic-only licence

Passing in an automatic gives you a licence for automatic cars only. If you later want to drive a manual, you would need to pass another test. Many drivers never need to. Hybrid and electric cars use automatic gearboxes anyway. Our guide to manual or automatic licences explains the choice in more detail.

Because there is less to learn, most people need fewer hours to reach test standard in an automatic, although every learner is different.

If you are torn between the two, it can help to try a lesson in each type of car. Some learners make up their minds after a single drive along Edlington Lane, once they feel how much attention the clutch takes in slow traffic around the shops and bus stops.

Our automatic instructors

Diana teaches in an automatic car only and is good at fitting lessons around busy family timetables. Alecsandru is an approved driving instructor teaching automatic and used to be a college teacher. You can ask for either, or simply for a male or female instructor.

Read more on our main automatic driving lessons page or on driving lessons in Edlington. Learners just north of here can see automatic driving lessons in Warmsworth. If you are disabled or on the Motability Scheme, our Motability driving lessons in Edlington are all in automatic cars.

Automatic driving lessons in Edlington: your questions

Will learning automatic in Edlington take fewer lessons?

Usually, yes, because there is no clutch or gearbox to master. How many lessons you need still depends on you, and your instructor will give you an honest view of your progress as you go.

Can I learn automatic around school hours?

Yes. Parents can book lessons around the school run at Hill Top Academy or Edlington Victoria Academy, and students at Sir Thomas Wharton Academy often book after school. Call or WhatsApp us on 07402 034084 to find a slot.

Is the automatic driving test different?

No. The test is the same length and follows the same format. The only difference is that you take it in an automatic car, so your licence covers automatic cars only.