Recently, I was invited to speak on BBC Radio Wales about intensive driving courses and road safety. It was a great opportunity to discuss something I care deeply about; not just helping people pass their driving test, but helping them become confident, safe drivers for life.
During the interview, I shared my professional opinion, not absolute fact. Driving education is not one-size-fits-all. Every learner is different. However, after more than eleven years as a driving instructor and instructor trainer; and now specialising in driving theory education through Theory Test Practice, I’ve seen consistent patterns in how people learn best.
One of the most common questions I hear from learners and parents is:
“Are intensive driving courses a good idea?”
My answer is balanced:
Intensive courses are not necessarily bad, but I don’t believe they are the best way to learn from scratch.
Let me explain why.
What is an intensive driving course?
An intensive driving course usually means completing a high number of lessons in a short time frame, often daily lessons across one or two weeks with a driving test booked at the end.
They’re popular because they sound efficient. Many learners want to pass quickly. There may be pressure from work, university, family, or long test waiting times. Some simply want the freedom that driving brings as soon as possible.
And that’s understandable.
Efficiency is attractive. But driving is not just an academic subject where you study, take an exam, and move on. It is a practical life skill.
Passing a test is not the same as becoming a safe driver
Passing the driving test proves that, on one day, at one time, under test conditions, you met the required standard.
Becoming a safe driver means:
- Making calm decisions under pressure.
- Anticipating hazards naturally.
- Managing distractions.
- Reacting correctly without panic.
- Driving confidently in unfamiliar environments.
Those abilities develop over time.
You can pass a test quickly.
But you cannot gain experience quickly.
Learning a practical skill takes time and reflection
Driving is similar to learning a musical instrument, a sport, or even cooking confidently. It’s not just about knowing what to do, it’s about being able to do it automatically.
When experienced drivers face a hazard, they don’t think:
“Check mirror, brake, steer.”
They simply respond. Those responses come from repetition, gradual exposure, reflection between lessons, and building confidence steadily.
Reflection is a crucial part of learning that’s often overlooked.
When learners have time between lessons, they replay situations in their mind, notice road behaviour as passengers, remember instructor feedback, and arrive at the next lesson mentally prepared.
This mental processing strengthens learning. Without it, lessons can blur together, and confidence can feel fragile rather than natural.
Where intensive courses work well
I don’t believe intensive courses are bad. In fact, they can be very effective in the right circumstances.
They are particularly useful when a learner already has driving experience, lessons were taken in the past, confidence needs rebuilding, skills need refreshing, or the test is approaching.
In these situations, an intensive course acts as a focused finishing programme. It pulls existing skills together, improves consistency, and builds test readiness efficiently.
Used this way, intensive courses make perfect sense.
Where challenges can appear
Difficulties arise when intensive courses are used for learning from scratch.
A brand-new learner has to understand basic vehicle control, learn observation routines, develop hazard awareness, build confidence in real traffic, manage nerves and pressure, experience different road types, and drive in varied conditions.
Compressing all of that into a short, high-pressure timeframe can lead to overwhelm, information overload, lack of confidence, and test-focused driving rather than safe driving.
Some learners still pass but passing and feeling confident afterward are not always the same thing.
Many new drivers tell me they passed quickly but felt nervous driving alone afterwards.
Experience can’t be rushed
Experience builds safe drivers.
Time on the road in busy traffic, quiet roads, rain and darkness, dual carriageways, and unfamiliar locations is what develops real hazard awareness and decision-making.
That experience can’t be fast-tracked.
My teaching philosophy
My work now focuses on theory education because I saw how often learners struggled, not with physical driving but with understanding the principles behind driving.
When learners understand why we check mirrors, why we slow early, why hazards develop, and why anticipation matters, their driving improves naturally.
Understanding why builds genuine confidence.
Memorising how builds fragile confidence.
This philosophy applies just as strongly to practical learning as it does to theory.
So, what do I recommend?
Based on my experience, my personal opinion is:
For beginners: regular weekly lessons allow steady progress, reflection, and confidence-building.
For learners with prior experience: intensive courses can be an excellent way to prepare for the test.
For anyone: rushing purely for speed can add unnecessary pressure.
And it’s important to say again that this is my professional opinion, not a universal rule. Every learner is different. Good instruction always adapts to the individual.
A final thought
Passing your driving test is a wonderful milestone. But the real goal is much bigger than that.
It’s feeling calm behind the wheel, anticipating hazards naturally, making safe decisions, and enjoying the independence driving brings.
That doesn’t come from rushing.
It comes from learning, reflecting, practising, and understanding.
Whether you choose weekly lessons or an intensive course, my advice is simple:
Focus on learning to drive — not just passing the test.
