Learner driver hotspots in Tilbury and Basildon are a nuisance

W hen a new driving test centre becomes operational, it's fair to suggest that the immediate area becomes awash with learner drivers.

With clutches juddering, learner drivers struggle to make their way round neat grids of quiet, tree-lined streets.

These areas are usually on an L-test route and are used by learners to practise emergency stops, three-point turns and reverse parking from 7am until 9.30pm. 

When the motoring schools invade the area, they turn them from a peaceful haven to a congested hell causing.

It's not uncommon to see driving school cars parked nose to tail as pupils take in instructions about the next manoeuvre or guidance on how to avoid causing danger to other road users. 

With so many localised driving instructors converging on to these areas it's easy to understand how residents feel the situation is gradually getting worse.

Residents, say the cars are a daily noise nuisance and regularly mount curbs, dent bumpers and leave skid marks and resort to taking photographs of the cars for a dossier to make an official complaint to highways officials or the police. 

When the Driving Standards Agency receives a complaint, they pin notices in test centre waiting rooms whilst if we as a school are made aware by local residents of overuse we invite our driving instructors to use alternative areas.

Although it should be noted that instructors are within their rights to use the highway as long as they are not committing an offence.

People do need to realise that learners have to learn to drive somewhere, and without suitable off road training areas, driving schools will look for areas that can accommodate the learners skill level.

Driving instructors will usually respond with an obviously selfish answer, like, "we won't hit any cars because we don't want to damage our own ones". 

With not wanting to sound arrogant with the residents, they do need to remember that this is real life and we all needed to learn somewhere. 

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