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Believe it or not, there have been Driver’s Education Schools for nearly as long as there have been automobiles.  About the time that Henry Ford was perfecting the assembly line that would make cars available to the middle classes, other men were developing a method of teaching the new middle class car owners not to kill themselves or others on the road.

Early London Driving Schools

Not surprisingly, the first driving schools in the UK were located in London.  The British School of Motoring was founded by Stanley Roberts in south London in 1910.  Originally housed in his father’s garage, Robert’s first students were typically former coachmen who were training to make the transition to car chauffeurs.  

Competition Erupts

Robert’s “Popular Course of Mechanism and Driving” was not the only class for long.  Soon other equally ambitious young men began opening schools in large cities throughout the country.  Roberts kept up by expanding his business to other locations around England.  He also made a steady sum of 50p per hour teaching “correct procedure, discretion and behavior” to Great Britain’s fledgling drivers.  

Driving BootCamp

Driving was originally seen as primarily a man’s domain.  However, this was not just because of the male chauvinism dominating Edwardian England; driving early cars was hard work and required a high level of physical strength and training.  For instance, early cars did not have steering wheels.  Instead, drivers turned early cars by pushing and pulling a gear shift style stick.

Taming Early Traffic

If early drivers had to fight their cars, they did not typically have to deal with other drivers.  Early driving schools were more likely to give lessons on contending with startled horses than dealing with fender benders.  That’s because a full decade passed before there were 100,000 cars in all of Britain.

The Proof Is In the Pudding

During the first two decades of driving instruction, British drivers only had to prove that they had taken some sort of driving class before they could be issued a license.  They did not have to take any sort of test to prove they’d learned anything.  Thus, any one could open up any sort of school and issue a certificate of completion without ever actually having taught the student anything.

Let’s Test This Theory

All this changed in 1935, when the government introduced the famous L-test, a 25 minute exam covering written questions about the Highway Code and practical questions concerning stopping, signaling and other basic driving skills.  Candidates also had to take an eye test to prove that they could see well enough to drive. Interestingly, only about 60% of those taking the test passed during the first decade in which the test was offered.

Ironically for those who love the popular situation comedy, the first person to pass the L-test was a Mr. Beene, who received the coveted Driver’s License number 000001.

The War and the Road

During the war years, as petrol was rationed and new cars became impossible to buy, there was a sharp decline in the number of driving schools.  This pinch was not felt among the general public as the focus was more on surviving than driving.  However, the lack of proper driving instruction became more obvious when the war ended.  In the early 1950s, the number of first time drivers passing their initial tests dropped to 50%.

Teaching (and Learning) Today

The 46,000 driving schools in Britain today offer, on average, 45 hours of training, including how to navigate complicated local roads, built up areas and motorways.  They also train drivers to operate the ever increasingly complicated vehicles available on today’s market.  Most of all, they are tasked with the arduous task of convincing today’s drivers of the obvious dangers of drinking and driving and the not so obvious dangers inherent in driving while talking on a mobile phone. Focused driving, good auto care and insurance are essentials. 

About the Author

Melissa Cameron has had lots of experience with driving schools, both as a student and as the mother of students who recently completed their first lessons. Learn more about driving schools in Manchester, UK as well.