Supportive friends and family supervised an estimated 5 million hours of private practice for learner drivers in 2024.

According to AA Driving School research, this has prompted many to consider becoming a professional driving instructor.

However, helping a learner has also led to many becoming wary of getting involved again.

Getting involved

One in twenty (6%) drivers said they had supervised a learner in 2024, according to the poll by the AA Driving School.

The average number of hours they each supervised was 25, making a combined total of 5,062,500 hours throughout 2024.

Half of these drivers (52%) were parents supervising their own child; one in ten (11%) were supervising their spouse or partner, and a fifth (20%) were people supervising another relative.

One in ten (12%) were supervising a friend,d and 4% were kindly helping a friend’s child.

Catching the bug

For most, it was a positive experience, with nearly a quarter (23%) saying they would consider becoming a driving instructor.

Overall, half (53%) said they enjoyed the experience and two-fifths (44%) said they thought being a driving instructor would be a rewarding career.

Only a fifth (21%) said they would not do it again.

Putting in the hours

The average number of hours of private practice given per driver varied significantly across the regions.

Supervising drivers in Wales delivered an average of 35 hours of private practice each and those in Northern Ireland a whopping 47 hours.

This fell to just 19 hours in London and 20 hours in the North West.

This higher number of average hours given may not have been a positive, though, as drivers in Wales and Northern Ireland who gave private practice were the most likely to say they wouldn’t do it again (31% Wales; 33% Northern Ireland).

 Looking for help

Mark Born, head of instructor training at the AA Driving School, believes that helping someone pass the test is a “great feeling”.

“It’s no wonder so many people start to think about driving instruction as a career once they have experienced the satisfaction that comes from helping someone fulfil their driving dream,” adds Born.

Demand for driving lessons is at a record high at the moment, which “makes it a great time to become a driving instructor”.

 AA Driving School saw new pupil registrations increase by 5.1% in 2024, with regional peaks of up to 127% (Salisbury).

The 10 places most in need of new AA Driving School franchised instructors are:

  1. Liverpool
  2. Oldham
  3. Bristol
  4. West London
  5. Blackburn
  6. Edinburgh
  7. Harrow
  8. Medway
  9. Salisbury
  10. Motherwell

Family ties

However, teaching a family member to drive can lead to bust-ups, according to a survey by The Green Insurer.

One in 10 people described driving lessons with a family member as a “negative experience” with frequent arguments that strain their relationship.

Just one in four (25%) respondents said they had had a positive experience of having lessons or practice sessions with a family member without any arguments or disagreements.

This figure drops to just 9% among the 18 – 24 age group, compared to 31% in the 55 – 64 age bracket, who recall being taught by a relative as happy.

Some learners had such a negative experience of practising their driving or being taught by a family member that 2% say the stress and arguments made them stop driving with them altogether.

Quality time

Despite some challenges, many people do opt to go out driving with their learner-driver children.  The main reason given is the convenience of taking the car out anytime for ad hoc practice sessions (66%).

One in two (49%) people cited the high cost of taking driving lessons with a qualified instructor, and one in five (19%) saw driving with a family member as a way to supplement driving practice between lessons.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, just 15% saw the benefit of spending time and bonding with a family member as one of the benefits.

Not worth it

While some parents are happy to take on the responsibility of teaching their children to drive, those who have not chosen to go down that route cited several reasons.

The number one reason given was they would find the whole experience too stressful (44%).

Other concerns included not feeling confident about their teaching skills or being worried about passing on bad habits (41%), the potential for arguments or disagreements (38%), the cost of adding their child to their car insurance (35%), the potential to lose their No Claims Bonus in the event of an accident (22%), and not having enough time to commit to regular practice (15%).

Four per cent admitted that they did not wish to repeat their bad experience of being taught by a family member.

Paul Baxter, CEO of The Green Insurer, said, “Our findings show that while many families are willing to teach their children to drive, it often comes with challenges. Arguments, stress, and tensions behind the wheel are common.”