Nicky Hardy - Driving Instructor

14/10/2026

Huge congratulations to Dr Yongfeng Zhou on passing your practical driving test first time in Cambridge today. I’m so pleased I was able to help you achieve this goal. Look forward to seeing you on the road 🚗😊

06/10/2026

Borrowed from another instructor but so true …

This is a question that pops up frequently on forums and Facebook groups and it always raises the same question in my mind.

Why on earth would you want a cheap driving instructor?

Responsible parents and pupils who are serious about learning to drive and being able to do so safely long after passing their test, tend to want good instructors, patient instructors, recommended instructors, successful instructors, experienced instructors, qualified instructors, reputable instructors or a hundred other superlatives I could include

Learning to drive and become a safe driver isn't a cheap process but as with many things in life - buying cheap often results in buying twice. I've lost count of the number of pupils who have eventually arrived with me desperate to pass their test who have sometimes wasted thousands of pounds on cheap driving instructors. They'd have saved themselves a fortune and a load of time, if they'd just bought quality in the first place.

Now you might imagine that the cheapest instructors would be the busiest and have long waiting lists but the opposite is often true which begs the question, why is this instructor so cheap and how come they are immediately available?

ADI's play a vital role in road safety. Passing the driving test is only the start. Far too many newly qualified drivers are killed and seriously injured every year because they didn't have the skills, understanding or experience to deal with a developing situation. More than 1 in 4 crash within the first year.

Is saving a few quid on lessons really worth seeing your son or daughter being cut out of a crumpled vehicle.... or worse. Only last week, a 17 year old driver drove into the harbour in Sunderland killing 3 of his friends. He now faces a charge of causing death by dangerous driving and a long prison sentence, whilst his friends are never coming home.

Responsible, reputable and talented driving instructors don't tend to be cheapest. We keep our prices fair and we deliver value for money which is why we are in demand and others are desperate for work.

So do you really want recommendations for a cheap driving instructor or would you like a really good one?

30/09/2026

21/09/2026

What do the police say about passing on the left (undertaking) 👀🚔🚓

I did some useful highlighting to help the understanding that maintaining lane and passing lane hoggers can get you prosecuted.

This is because passing on the left, and lane hogging are both a hazard, and equal in stature under the catch all offence of careless driving.

Why is that the case though? Well, in the U.K. as we know you’re supposed to drive on the left, because of that, we don’t emphasise nearside safety checks, until modern times, cars weren’t even mandated to have a nearside door mirror if there was a central rear view mirror.

And obviously… I’m sure we’ve all seen a lane hogger go from middle lane to slip road dangerously, and that’s why you don’t pass cars on the left because it’s a hazard.

Now, I’m not saying don’t do it, you can make your own decisions, but if you’re caught doing it, just don’t be surprised if you’re convicted for it.

30/08/2026

You can turn 17 and pass your theory test without ever having sat behind the wheel of a car.

You could have never changed gear, never approached a roundabout, never dealt with a pedestrian crossing, never tried to read a road while managing a car, yet you can pass the theory test and immediately go online looking for a practical test.

That theory certificate is not a golden ticket to the driving test centre.
It does not mean, “Congratulations, you’re ready to drive.”

The theory test is supposed to give you the knowledge that sits underneath the practical skill. Signs, markings, priorities, speed limits, stopping distances, hazards and the rules that allow millions of complete strangers to share the same roads without turning every junction into a game of dodgems.

If you learn the theory by memorising answers just long enough to pass the test, you’ve missed the entire point. You’ve learnt the answers to the exam without learning the subject.
Theory should become part of your driving brain.

When you approach an unfamiliar road, you shouldn’t need to have driven there before. You should be able to read what is in front of you and make a safe decision from the information the road is giving you.

Road signs and markings are basically a silent driving instructor sitting beside you. They’re constantly giving you information, warnings and instructions, but they’re about as useful as a chocolate sat nav if you don’t understand what they mean.

This is also why learning test routes by memory worries me so much.

You are not learning to drive if your plan is, “I remember this road, I turn left here, there’s a roundabout coming and I know which lane I used last time.”

Change the route, add some temporary roadworks, alter a speed limit, close a lane or send you somewhere you’ve never been before and suddenly the script has disappeared.

A competent driver doesn’t need the script.
They read the road.

If you have passed your theory test but still regularly struggle to recognise signs, understand road markings, identify speed limits or work out priorities, go back and study them. Passing the theory test doesn’t mean that knowledge should be packed into a suitcase and shoved in the loft with your revision notes.

You need it every single time you drive.

The theory test was never the problem. Treating it as a memory competition rather than learning the reasons behind the answers is.

The moment you sit behind that steering wheel, you take responsibility for far more than moving a car from A to B. Your decisions affect your passengers, pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and complete strangers you will never meet.

Get something badly wrong and the consequences don’t ask whether you’re 17 or 70, whether you’ve been driving six weeks or sixty years.

The steering wheel might only be held by two hands, but the responsibility sitting in those hands is enormous.

Learn the theory.
Understand the theory.
Then use it to learn how to DRIVE.

Share and tag your friends in 🫶🏾
Sheena Ahmed
Motorvation school of Motoring

25/08/2026

Congratulations to Kyle Knowles from Newmarket on passing his driving test first time today in Cambridge with only 2 drivers faults. What a great result and thoroughly deserved. Enjoy car shopping and drive safe 🚗😊

23/08/2026

You've decided it's time to learn to drive, now it's about finding the right instructor for you. 🔍

Our GOV.UK service makes it easy to search for approved driving instructors (ADIs) near you. 📍

ADIs choose whether to be on this service, so they won't all be listed. You can contact DVSA to check if a driving instructor who isn’t listed is qualified. ✅

Ready to begin your learning to drive journey? Find driving schools, lessons and instructors 👉 https://ow.ly/RTe450Zzpox

30/07/2026

Three weeks after passing her driving test, an 18-year-old driver had already been caught up in a pattern of dangerous driving.

The police investigation found she had regularly been speeding, using her mobile phone behind the wheel and filming Snapchat videos while driving.

One video reportedly showed her reaching around 100mph on a county road.
Another showed her driving onto the wrong side of the road towards an oncoming vehicle as her friends shouted at her to stop.

In 2022, Liberty Mitchell pleaded guilty to overtaking on the wrong side of the road and causing the head-on collision in Gloucestershire that killed two innocent people a teacher and a taxi driver.

She was originally jailed for six years and eight months, but the Attorney General referred the case to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

Her sentence has now been increased by two years and seven months, meaning she will serve a total of nine years and three months in prison.

She was also disqualified from driving for eight years and four months and must pass an extended driving test before she can regain her licence.

Two innocent people lost their lives, and countless others have been left to live with the consequences.

The sentence has been increased, but one question remains… should someone responsible for this ever be allowed to drive again?

09/07/2026

“My mate passed after 20 hours.”
“My dad only needed 10 hours.”

You will hear comments like these throughout your learning journey, but they are completely irrelevant to your progress.

Imagine a classroom of 30 pupils. They all receive the same lesson from the same teacher, yet by the end, some will understand everything immediately, while others need more explanation, more practice, or simply more time. That doesn’t make anyone less capable. People learn differently, and that’s perfectly normal.

Think about a running race. Every runner covers the same distance, but they don’t all cross the finish line together. Some finish first, some finish later, but they all reach the finish in their own time.

Learning to drive is exactly the same.

Your instructor’s job is to guide you, challenge you, and help you progress at a pace that’s right for you. Comparing yourself to someone else serves no purpose because no two learners have the same experience, confidence, coordination, or way of processing information.

In my car, I will push you to achieve your potential, but how much I challenge you depends entirely on how quickly you are learning. Every lesson is tailored to the individual sitting behind the wheel.

Don’t worry about how many lessons someone else had.
You will hear comments like these throughout your learning journey, but they tell you nothing about your own progress.

Focus on building strong foundations, developing safe habits, and becoming a confident driver for life.

Take your time.
Learn it properly.

Driving is a lifelong skill, not a competition.

Sheena Ahmed
Motorvation school of Motoring

19/06/2026

Well done to Max Cutche on passing your driving test in Cambridge today. A well deserved result after all your hard work. It’s been my pleasure to help you and I look forward to seeing you out on the road. Drive safe 🚗☺️