Believe it or not, parents are not in fear of their lives. 59% of parents said they are concerned that they don’t want to cause confusion for their young driver by teaching different techniques to that of the driving instructor. This is an easy one to overcome by keeping in touch with their driving instructor and asking your learner to explain to you what their instructor has said.

If you’re not sure about something they have been taught, rather than disagree with your learner, it’s a good idea to ask the instructor to avoid causing confusion with the learner, as the instructor probably has a good reason (and not to mention the most up to date best-practice). My daughter has a handy feedback app where her instructor notes what she wants her to practice before the next lesson – so this really helps us know what to focus on.

A third of parents are concerned about aggressive drivers. This is one of our pet hates here at Marmalade too! Despite the fact that we have all been a learner at some point, some drivers have no patience and will tailgate, overtake and even honk their horn behind you! It’s frustrating, and can be unsettling for the learner but, just like bullies at school, you just need to rise above it. It’s helpful if this happens to just reassure the learner to stay calm. It goes without saying that, it would be counterproductive to start shouting, honking at or gesticulating to the aggressive drive (as tempting as it may be!).

We feel so strongly about the issue we launched a petition to Government to impose stricter penalties to deter abusive behaviour on the road. Unfortunately, it was closed early due to the General Election (where all petitions were closed), and then the pandemic struck! As it is close to our hearts, we will re-launch this later this year. If you’re keen to get involved when we do, subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date.

25% are apprehensive about getting stressed out in the passenger seat! It’s natural to feel anxious, particularly the first time you do it. Neither of you know what to expect and you want to provide your learner with the best support. Team this with a feeling of lack of control and it’s a bit daunting. This means important to choose a time when you are both feeling calm to avoid emotions escalating, and also, don’t be scared to cut a session short if things aren’t going so well.

I found that if we had a stressful drive, a break from driving for a few days worked a treat and the next time we headed out would be a clean slate. Another top tip is to breathe deeply and slowly and concentrate on keeping your voice steady and calm – it will not only put the learner at ease, but I found it helped me feel calmer in myself.