Neil Bayliss Driving School

Under 17 Driving Courses

To the best of my knowledge I am currently the only qualified driving instructor in North Somerset who offers off road under 17 driving courses at a proper off road site not a car park. While you can't drive on the road under the age of 17 (Unless you are disabled) you can learn some driving skills off road. Unlike learning off road with family or friends these lessons are in dual controlled cars with a Driving Standards Agency licenced driving instructor in North Somerset and are covered by full insurance.

Why under 17 driving courses?

There are several reasons why learning at this age is an advantage and these are only the top few.

Safety: We believe that having learnt the basic skills on under 17 driving courses, even off road, young people have a better understanding of vehicle capabilities which improves their awareness of road safety. We are all road users whether we are drivers, cyclists or pedestrians if our road awareness is raised then we are less likely to cause or be involved in accidents on the road.

Efficiency: Because all of the control skills are learnt in an off road environment on under 17 driving courses with virtually no other traffic to negotiate the learner picks up these essential skills very quickly, if doing this specific course they will also learn the basic road skills. Therefore when they come to take driving lessons in Weston super Mare they can save many more hours tuition than they spent on the off road site.

Effectiveness: At this age people are more receptive to learning new skills as well as not having bad road habits already embedded, off road under 17 driving courses are an ideal start towards safe driving. As a driving instructor in North Somerset I have had a new learner who had no previous driving experience who took this course then shortly after followed it with an intensive course when she was 17 and passed her driving test with only 2 minor faults recorded just 10 days after her 17th birthday.

Cost: The DSA estimate the average cost for learners to pass the driving test today to be £1,500. As shown by the example above the number of hours of driving lessons in Weston super Mare needed can be vastly reduced if the learner already has basic vehicle and road skills from the under 17 driving course therefore reducing the overall cost of getting a driving licence by a substantial amount.

Personal Safety and Security

I am very aware of the vulnerability of this age group and so take additional precautions to ensure their security and safety while under our instruction. Further details on booking the course.

My driving school insurance provides full cover for this age group. The council run site I use for this course requires documentary evidence that the learner has passed their 16th birthday for their insurance. This can be a valid passport or a birth certificate.

Full Day Course for those who are 16

This course is restricted to those who are 16 due to insurance restrictions at the off road site used. This site is set up with actual road conditions including basic junctions, traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, mini roundabout, etc. It includes between 5 and 6 hours one to one tuition at the site, over an hours verbal tuition and between 7 and 8 hours pre course study using the workbook and DVDs giving a total of approximately 15 hours. The course costs £200 with a discount of 15% for a midweek booking (£170), the site is not available on Sundays.

The course includes the loan of the Driver Tuition Manual and the Video Briefs and Demonstrations Plus video of a previous pupils experience of the course (£30.00 deposit required, fully refunded when materials are returned in good condition) For an additional £25 I can supply a recording of the site and your performance at the end of the course this is recorded on a USB flash drive for playing back on a PC, this must be booked in advance.

This course is ideal for those who are just approaching their 17th birthday as it gives them a flying start to learning to drive whether that is taking driving lessons in Weston super Mare with me or another driving instructor in North Somerset or the surrounding areas.

There is a video and photos available of the off road site which can be found on the Facebook Page, Neil Bayliss Driving School.

PLEASE NOTE The site has availability restrictions beyond my personal control, it is closed Bank Holidays and during the Devon Show as well as individual days when it has been booked for specialist acticities. Any provisional booking is subject to confirmation of availability from the site operators.

Terms of Booking

Please phone or e-mail via website to arrange a provisional date (held for 7 days).
On receipt of a 50% deposit for the course plus the deposit for the DVDs we will forward the DVDs and workbook and/or confirm the date.
Balance payable when collecting the learner on the day.