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Planning your driving lessons
When should you book professional lessons: right at the start, partway through supervised practice or just before the test? Each can be a useful time to check your skills. This three-stage guide explains how the focus of a lesson can change as you gain experience.
It is a way to plan driving lessons shaped around your experience, rather than a fixed lesson schedule or a separate set of licensing rules. Your instructor can help you decide what needs attention next.
April's three-stage overview
In the video shared with this article in 2022, April Seymour explains how early lessons, a progress check and test preparation can help learners and their supervising drivers. The written guide below covers those three stages too.
Watch April's driving lesson overview on YouTube.
Three useful points to review your skills
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Start with the basics
If you have little or no driving experience, early lessons give you time to become familiar with the car and its controls. Work on moving off, steering, positioning, observation and stopping in a setting suited to your experience.
A clear explanation at this stage can also help your supervising driver understand what to practise with you between lessons.
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Check your progress during supervised practice
Once you have built some experience, a lesson can help identify habits, improve technique and resolve questions about road rules. Bring up any situations that you and your supervisor find difficult.
The original guide suggested a check around 30 to 50 logbook hours. Treat that as an example, not a requirement: you can ask for help earlier or later, depending on what you need.
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Prepare for independent driving and the test
As your skills develop, lessons can focus on observation, judgement, manoeuvres and making safe decisions without prompts. A preparation lesson gives you feedback on what still needs practice before your assessment.
The original example of around 90 logbook hours or a month before the test is a planning prompt, not proof of readiness. Your skills, required licence conditions and completed assessments all matter. No lesson or level of experience guarantees a pass.
Keep the licence requirements separate
For Queensland car learners under 25, the usual logbook requirement is 100 hours of supervised driving, including 10 at night, unless an exemption applies. Learners aged 25 or over do not have to complete the logbook requirement. Supervised practice is still important at any age.
Check Queensland's steps from a learner to a provisional licence for the requirements that apply to you. Car learners must pass the hazard perception test before booking a practical driving test.
Planning and booking lessons
How do I get started?
Create your Coastwide customer account, then choose an instructor who covers your suburb. Tell them about your experience and what you would like help with.
Can I manage my bookings online?
Yes, you can manage bookings through your account. Our Queensland-based team can also help with booking questions from Monday to Friday.
Should I choose a lesson package?
Compare the current driving lesson packages for your suburb. Choose based on the skills you need to develop, the inclusions and availability. A particular number of lessons does not suit every learner or every stage.
Can you help with a driving test package?
Test support depends on instructor and vehicle availability. Check the package inclusions and contact the team to discuss your test plans. Allow time beforehand for your instructor to assess your preparation and work on any gaps.