We get asked these questions every week about learning to drive with Jim’s Driving School. Here are honest answers from Danny, a Jim’s Driving School instructor from Sunbury with 15 years of instructing experience across heavy vehicles, road trains, B-doubles, and articulated vehicles. This article covers 11 common questions about driving lessons, test preparation, parking, routes, and what new drivers need to learn.
Watch the video above, or keep reading for the full Q&A.
What do you like about Driving School?
Danny likes teaching learner drivers how to understand roads, road rules, and their own limits.
For Danny, the job is about meeting new people and helping younger students understand what to do behind the wheel. He has worked with heavy vehicles, road trains, B-doubles, and articulated vehicles, so his view of road safety comes from real road experience, not just theory.
That background matters because learner drivers need more than steering and braking. They need to understand speed, space, road rules, heavy vehicles, and how to respond calmly when traffic changes around them.
Is it rewarding?
Yes, Danny says teaching learner drivers is rewarding because it helps young people become safer and more aware on the road.
He puts it simply: “It’s not a game.” That line sums up his approach. Driving lessons are not about rushing through hours. They are about building the judgement a new driver needs before they are out on the road without an instructor.
Danny says it makes him feel good when he sees students learning what to look for and how to handle real driving conditions.
What are some common questions?
The most common question Danny hears is how many hours a learner driver needs.
His answer is direct: “10 hours is minimum.” He also explains why professional lessons can help. Learners often pick up habits from parents, and some of those habits may not match current rules, testing expectations or safe-driving practices.
Danny focuses on common problem areas: speeding, roundabouts, driving alongside trucks, failing to use indicators, merging and mirror checks. He says mirror checks are essential because drivers need to understand what is happening behind them, not only what is happening in front.
What is involved in a lesson?
A lesson covers practical driving basics such as hand position, road rules, curves, speed control, and safe behaviour.
Danny teaches students how to position their hands on the steering wheel, understand road rules, and stay aware of the vehicle’s position on the road. A good lesson also deals with habits that can create risk, such as speeding up, tailgating, or failing to read the traffic around you.
The aim is simple: get out there, understand what you are doing, and drive safely. For people comparing lesson options, the official Jim’s Driving School site explains the division’s driving lesson and test package services.
What’s the difference between Jim’s and other driving school?
Danny says Jim’s Driving School is different because the instructors are professional, certified, and backed by a wider support system.
He says they do not try to be “super trainers.” The focus is on teaching the proper things to do and staying on top of the basics. That includes certification, working with children checks, and having backup behind the instructor.
That support structure matters inside the Jim’s Group model. Jim’s Group franchisee training is built around giving local operators onboarding and support before they go live.
What services do you offer?
Jim’s Driving School offers one-hour classes, five-hour and 10-hour packages, refreshers, and licence conversions.
Danny also talks through a real lesson with Rio, who had completed six hours at the time of filming. The plan was to drive around Sunbury, do loops, handle a roundabout, practise merging, manage speed, work through tight corners, and improve visibility.
He also focuses on vehicle positioning. Learners need to know where the centre of the vehicle sits compared with the shoulder and the middle of the road.
How long is a lesson?
A lesson can run from 45 minutes to an hour, with one hour used as a minimum for some practical runs.
Danny also offers morning school runs in Sunbury. He can pick the student up from home, drive for half an hour, and then run them into school so they get real experience driving from home to school.
He also mentions work runs. Depending on where the student works, they can pick them up from home and take them to their workplace, so they become familiar with a regular route they may often use.
What route do you normally take?
For fresh learners, Danny starts with quiet areas before moving into turns, roundabouts, mirror checks, and traffic awareness.
He uses quiet streets to help students understand left turns, right turns, roundabouts, and what is behind them. Danny says he is always pointing at the mirror so the student learns to check the rear and understand what is happening around the car.
He also gives a clear view on automatic versus manual. Danny personally recommends starting with automatic so the learner can focus on roads, braking, vehicle control, and awareness. He says the manual can come later, perhaps after six months or a year, once the driver understands the basics.
What’s involved in the driving test now?
The driving test now follows a set route and focuses on safe, legal, controlled driving.
Danny says learners need to avoid mounting kerbs, give way to the appropriate vehicle, stop properly at stop signs, and avoid mounting gutters. They also need to avoid creating hassles behind them or forcing another vehicle to take evasive action.
If a learner causes a serious issue, Danny says they may be asked to pull over, and that can end the test.
How long is the test?
The driving test can range from about 15 minutes to half an hour, depending on how well the learner drives.
Danny’s advice is to take your time, stay about 5 km under the posted speed limit, and observe what is happening around you. He reminds learners not to panic because the test can feel stressful, but calm driving gives them the best chance of getting through it.
He also explains that parking can be difficult because learners must judge vehicles on both sides, manage blind spots, and reverse safely. During the test, driver assistance features such as reverse cameras may need to be shut down, so learners should rely on signs, observation, and basic car control.
What is the key to parallel parking?
The key to parallel parking is setting up beside the back window, coming in gently, not oversteering, and using up to three bites if needed.
Danny tells students to come up to the back window, move in gently, avoid oversteering, and follow the car in. He says three bites should be enough to get the vehicle into position.
If it takes more than that, the tester may ask the learner to try once more. If that still does not work, the tester may move to a three-point turn, depending on the situation. Danny’s main advice is to go slowly, listen to the steps, and stay controlled.
Ready to take the next step?
To book lessons, visit Jim’s Driving School. If you are looking at the business side of the Jim’s network, explore Jim’s Group franchise opportunities, read about franchisee training, or watch more day-on-the-road franchisee videos.
Learn What It’s Like Learning To Drive With Jim’s Driving School
The full video is worth watching for parents, learner drivers, and anyone who wants a practical look at what happens inside a real Jim’s Driving School lesson.
Danny’s approach is simple. Learning to drive is not a game. It is about building safe habits, understanding the road, checking mirrors, managing speed, handling roundabouts, and knowing how to stay calm during the driving test.
What stands out most in Danny’s lesson: the 10-hour minimum he recommends, the focus on mirror checks, the quiet routes for new learners, or his simple approach to parallel parking?
📞 Call 131 546 or visit www.jimsdrivingschool.com.au to learn more about how Jim’s Driving School helps learner drivers build confidence, understand the road, and prepare for safer driving.