Sebby turned 10 this year and for his birthday he requested a driving lesson in a real car, like he had seen on T.V.
Back in 2021, Isaac and Eliza had a driving lesson with Young Drivers and really enjoyed the experience of driving a real car and were keen to have another lesson too.
Young Driver offers responsible learning, in a safe, controlled environment in a fun way, to nurture the future generation of safe drivers. From the age of 10, kids can drive a Vauxhall Corsa, as long as they are at least 142cm.
Sebby is just 135cm, so had to opt for the Firefly – a real car, but in miniature and just like the one he had seen on TV, so he was very happy. Firefly’s are only available at selected courses, but thankfully they have them at our chosen location of Cribbs Causeway in Bristol.
This sporty little two-seater drives and handles just like a proper car and Sebby had lots of fun and learning some of the basics of driving, under the careful guidance of his instructor.
I did fear for her toes at one point, but she was brilliant with Sebby, instructing him to follow the course, laid out with cones and real road signs.
The first step was getting used to the controls and Sebby was soon navigating a junction, going around a roundabout and even reversing into a parking space.
His favourite part of the experience was being able to get up some speed as his confidence grew.
The only downside of the Firefly is that it has no roof, so the kids need to be prepared for all elements and despite being the middle of July, we managed to choose a very wet and windy day.
Not that the weather bothered Sebby, he would have stayed in much longer than his course, if allowed.
At the end of the session, Sebby was given a certificate to say which elements of driving he had completed and a driving licence.
The Firefly driving courses run at the same time as the other Young Driver sessions in a different area of the carpark, so Isaac and Eliza were able to have a lesson at the same time.
Because this was their second lesson, they managed to reach stage three of the course and reached speeds of 30mph, which both felt was really, really fast.
Now that Isaac and Eliza have done a couple of lessons, the instructors have recommended taking them to a “super site”, where they can learn to master car controls on a purpose built road circuit, rather than in a car park.
A 30 minute lesson costs from £39.99, a 60 minute lesson costs £79.99, Firefly lessons just £20 for 15 minutes and gift vouchers are also available if you are thinking about giving this experience as a gift. Find out more at: youngdriver.eu/lessons_and_experiences