Can you learn to drive from YouTube?

A BBC report suggests many learner drivers are turning to YouTube or other social media to help with the cost of obtaining a driving licence.

Cost is often cited as the main reason for the shift, with many one-hour lessons currently costing between £35 and £50. That’s before you factor in extra practice time. According to the RAC and DVSA guidance, learners need 45 hours of lessons with an instructor and 22 hours of private practice.

The BBC article highlights the case of Megan Kielthy, who passed her driving test in August. She says social media tutorials “definitely” saved her money. But she also warned about the amount of AI-generated images and misinformation online: “I stumbled across an AI image of a roundabout showing which lane to be in for the exit and it just made no sense. I showed it to my driving instructor and he agreed it was ridiculous. If people solely relied on online content it could lead to people going on their test unprepared or misinformed of what they're going to experience on their test and driving after."

A driving instructor’s thoughts

In the article, John Reynolds - a driving instructor with 13 years’ experience - explains what inspired his videos on test routes, common mistakes and manoeuvres: "I started making short videos for learner drivers to actually learn something outside of driving lessons and to learn things which they need to know for the driving test. I also do long videos on YouTube so people who can't afford driving lessons have got the opportunity to find out the correct way to do things for the test. So by doing these extra lessons online, it can help bring down those costs.”

However, John urges caution, encouraging learners to follow online driving tutorials and appreciate the differences to when you’re actually in a car: “It needs to be used responsibly and it's looking for those snippets of information to actually improve your driving. You need the practical skills to make those actual decisions. When you then try that road, it's a totally different scenario.”

How to spot a trustworthy driving video

If you’re unsure whether a video or image is accurate, you should cross-check against official DVSA resources or flag with your professional driving instructor. They’ll be able to confirm the rules of the road.

Manoeuvre and technique videos are often higher risk than any theory content (which is easier to fact-check against official sources). This is because picking up a bad habit when it comes to driving a car can stick.

Things to do before checking a video:

• Is it from an established source, driving school or instructor? You are more likely to be able to trust their judgement and advice.
• Is it a brand new channel with no official recognition? View with caution.
• How recently was it uploaded? Driving laws and rules can change quickly, especially when it comes to The Highway Code.
• Does it look AI-generated? Definitely consider this against official and authoritative sources.

The DVSA’s YouTube channel has videos that can help when you’re learning to drive or preparing for your test.