Why Telford Learners Are Choosing Automatic Driving Lessons Telford

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In a town where roundabouts are as plentiful as coffee shops, the act of learning to drive in Telford has long been a rite of passage. But there’s a quiet revolution happening on the roads—and it doesn’t involve a clutch pedal.

Automatic driving lessons are rapidly becoming the go-to choice for a new generation of learner drivers across Shropshire’s largest town. From Lawley to Madeley, Telford’s driving schools are reporting a marked increase in students opting for the simplicity of automatic vehicles, ditching the stick shift in favour of smoother progress and quicker test passes.

• Driving Lessons £40 per hour

The End of the Gear Stick?

For decades, mastering the manual gearbox was considered a badge of honour—a skill that separated the seasoned driver from the novice. But with electric vehicles on the rise and modern automatics delivering better performance and fuel economy than ever, that mindset is shifting almost as fast as an EV off the line.

“In Telford, we’ve seen a significant spike in automatic lesson enquiries over the last 18 months,” says Mark Hughes, a local driving instructor with over 15 years’ experience. “Learners want to pass their test quickly and with less stress, and automatics offer exactly that.”

The figures back it up. Nationally, around 40% of driving tests are now taken in automatics, and in urban areas like Telford—with its mix of busy town traffic and high-speed dual carriageways—the appeal is clear. Less time stalling at junctions means more time focusing on observation, positioning, and anticipation: the pillars of safe driving.

Telford: A Test Bed for Modern Learning

Telford’s driving test routes are a mix of the predictable and the punishing. The A442 Queensway demands confident merging and clear lane discipline, while residential areas around Trench and Donnington challenge learners with parked cars and tricky mini-roundabouts. For automatic learners, the simplified vehicle control often translates into higher pass rates and reduced lesson time.

“It’s not about taking the easy option,” insists Chloe Reynolds, a 17-year-old learner from Wellington. “I just want to get on the road safely and sooner. I’ll worry about gears later—if I ever need them.”

And she has a point. With the UK government aiming to phase out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035, the automatic gearbox is no longer a luxury—it’s the default. Electric vehicles don’t come with gearsticks, and future motorists may never need to know the difference between second and sixth.

Choosing the Right Instructor

Telford boasts a healthy mix of independent instructors and national schools offering automatic tuition. Whether you prefer the personal touch of a local ADI or the structure of a larger franchise, most now offer dual-control automatic vehicles, often hybrids or full EVs.

Prices for automatic lessons tend to be slightly higher than manual—expect to pay between £35 and £42 per hour—but many learners find they need fewer sessions to reach test standard. Some instructors also offer intensive courses, ideal for those looking to pass within weeks rather than months.

The Road Ahead

While purists may still swear by the manual transmission, the road ahead seems firmly automatic. For learners in Telford, it’s about making driving as accessible, stress-free, and future-proof as possible. After all, if the car can do the shifting for you, why not let it?

As the motoring world evolves, so too must the way we learn to drive—and in Telford, it seems that evolution is already well underway.