11/08/2026
🚗 Please be the difference.
Give confidence, not fear.
Today I had a lesson with a learner driver who had never driven a car before in her life.
We started on a very quiet road in an industrial estate. After around 30 minutes of practice, I felt she was ready to move somewhere slightly busier.
And before anyone misunderstands — I didn’t take her into the middle of town. We simply moved from the industrial estate to a quiet residential area.
We came to a T-junction and she stopped.
A car was approaching from her right. There was probably enough time for an experienced driver to go, but she didn’t feel confident enough yet.
And that’s absolutely fine.
She’s learning.
Then a car pulled up behind us.
The driver didn’t wait minutes. He barely waited seconds.
He saw her miss that gap and immediately started vigorously sounding his horn and waving his arms at us.
Why?
Seriously… why?
You can see the learner car. You can see the L plates. You know exactly why we might be taking a little longer.
And at some point in your life, you were a learner too.
This isn’t a rare occurrence. Ask almost any driving instructor and they’ll have similar stories. It happens far too often.
But it still makes me furious inside, because that learner was doing well. She was building confidence. She was making progress.
One impatient person can turn that confidence into fear in seconds.
So next time you find yourself behind a learner, please remember:
That might be their first day.
Their first junction.
Their first time dealing with traffic.
Their first time trying to make these decisions while controlling a car.
Give them a few extra seconds.
Be patient.
Be the difference. Give confidence, not fear. ❤️🚗
We all had to learn once.
