Learn to Drive and Car Maintenance

Learn to Drive and Car Maintenance

Here at Nightcourses.com our impeccable environmental credentials are momentarily cast aside as we celebrate all things car-related – learning to drive, teaching others,  maintaining your motor, there’s something for everyone!

Generally, non-drivers can be divided into two groups of people: those who would dearly love to learn but don’t have the means (i.e. money or car); and those who do have the resources but refuse to learn for any number of feeble reasons – annoying car ads, the melting of the polar ice-caps, Jeremy Clarkson, or if you’re like me, sheer laziness.

Driving however, is a basic life skill in today’s society and without it, your working, familial and social activities can be quite constrained. Not knowing how is sort of like expecting to thrive in a hunter gatherer society - without the ability to hunt animals or gather berries.

And the anti-car principles of us non-drivers are of course, nowhere to be found when a journey requires quicker and more reliable transport than the bike or bus. In this situation, a friend, partner or relative is shamelessly wheedled into giving us a lift. Well no more my non-driving friends! Yours truly is ready to take the lead and learn to drive in 2010.

You may be tempted to save some cash and seek to learn from a friend or family member, but there are three very good reasons not to go down this path.

Firstly, a qualified driving instructor is more than likely a better driver and trained to teach; secondly, you will pick up all the bad habits of your amateur teacher – which can be very damaging come your driving test; and finally, learning to drive is probably the most stressful activity known to man and thus liable to lead to irreconcilably damaged relationships. You’d be surprised how quickly a mild misunderstanding regarding gear shifts can degenerate into blood-spitting fury.

That said, extra driving time spent with a loved one will hasten the learning process. But to get the on road with full confidence and in the quickest time, driving lessons from a qualified instructor are your only option. Driving theory and pre-test programmes ensure the whole learning experienced is covered.

Speaking of which, and turning to the esteemed drivers among you, does anyone fancy the job of driving instruction? Working when it suits you, and dealing with new people everyday are just of two of the perks of an instructor’s life. Not to mention the life-affirming pleasure that comes from transforming your student from a sweaty-palmed Frank Spencer into a coolly efficient Steve McQueen.

Most drivers live in apprehension of their next NCT test and the ensuing costs. Well the smart alternative to burying your head in the sand and praying the mechanic sees your car’s shortcoming as lovable foibles, rather than dangerous failings in need of urgent (and costly) repair, is to enrol in a car maintenance course.

You might picture these programmes as relationship counselling for you and your car. In return for your increased interest and care, your vehicle will stop making that highly irritating noise every time you go over 10mph. In addition, when the time comes to finally separate, a car maintenance course will provide you with invaluable knowledge regarding buying and selling. At a cost of about €100 to €150, these programmes are likely to save you much more in the long run.

Donal Kavanagh