Driving Lessons in Pinner

Where we start

Complete beginners start on the quiet roads behind Harrow Arts Centre. They're open, with long straights and very little traffic, so you can focus on getting used to the car, the controls and your basic checks without any pressure.

The two spots that catch Pinner learners out

• The stop sign at High View, on the way back to the test centre

  Examiners often bring you through High View, stop you at the stop sign and ask you to turn right. Visibility to the left is very poor, so the skill is knowing how far to peep and creep forward without pulling out into the road. We practise this junction until you're confident judging it.

• The two mini-roundabouts on Uxbridge Road

  Heading down Uxbridge Road past the Shell garage, you're usually asked to go ahead at the first mini-roundabout, then turn left at the second towards Cuckoo Hill. It's easy to end up in the wrong lane, and there's very little distance to move from the right lane to the left between them. Getting your lane right early is the key, and we'll drill it on lessons.

Building up to busier roads

Pinner's quieter side streets are a great place to start. As your confidence grows, we gradually move on to busier roads with more traffic, pedestrians, traffic lights and roundabouts, raising the difficulty step by step so you're never thrown in at the deep end.

Meeting traffic and junctions

Much of the Pinner test runs through side roads with cars parked on both sides. You'll learn when to hold back, when to go and where to wait for oncoming traffic, and how to take good observations at junctions with limited views.

What we avoid, and why

We steer clear of the area around Pinner station during the morning rush and the school run, and Hatch End High Street at the same times. Both get very congested, and you'd spend your lesson sitting in traffic instead of learning.