12 EDT Lessons: The Beginners Guide
Obtaining a drivers licence in Ireland begins with taking the 12 EDT lessons.
This Driving Class guide aims to break down each lesson, ensuring that you’re prepared for what comes your way during these driving lessons.
We’ll take each EDT driving lesson in turn, outlining what’s involved so that you can maximise your learning.
What Are the 12 EDT Driving Lessons?
For the uninitiated, EDT stands for ‘Essential Driver Training’ and refers to the compulsory 12 hours of lessons with a certified EDT driving instructor.
Together, the 12 EDT driving lessons are a structured program aimed at providing drivers with essential skills and knowledge required for safe driving.
These driving lessons cover the spectrum of issues that you’ll need for safe driving, from basic controls to advanced manouevres. For more information, see the official RSA EDT Driving Lesson Guide.
The Breakdown of the 12 EDT Lessons
Lesson 1: Car Controls and Safety Checks
Lesson Goal: To familiarize yourself with the vehicle’s controls and perform essential safety checks before driving.
Main Challenge: The main challenge of the first EDT driving lesson is just getting used to being behind the wheel of the car.
Difficulty Level: 3/10; this is a handy one to start with. Use it to see if you’re comfortable with the teaching style of your driving instructor.
Lesson 2: Correct Positioning
Lesson Goal: To learn how to position your car correctly on the road, including lane discipline and road markings.
Main Challenge: You may find it tricky at first to interpret where your car is on the road relative to the middle lane and other cars.
Difficulty Level: 5/10; certainly the difficulty level has gone up a notch, but with your driving instructor at your side, there’s nothing to fear.
Lesson 3: Changing Direction
Lesson Goal: To master the techniques for turning left and right, as well as making U-turns and navigating roundabouts.
Main Challenge: You may find it tricky at first to interpret corners and how far you need to turn the driving wheel.
Difficulty Level: 5/10; having familiarised yourself a little more with driving, corers should be relatively manageable.
Lesson 4: Progression Management
Lesson Goal: To develop skills to drive at appropriate speeds and manage your progress through traffic.
Main Challenge: Being able to judge when to apply speed and when to hold off — and how to interpret the speeds of other road users.
Difficulty Level: 4/10; we think this one is easier; the key is to drive sensibly, pay attention to speed limits, and you’ll find the right speed.
Lesson 5: Correct Positioning (Advanced)
Lesson Goal: To refine your positioning skills for more complex driving situations, such as multi-lane roads.
Main Challenge: The big challenge here is anticipating other road users’ actions and reacting accordingly.
Difficulty Level: 6/10; basically, this is the same as EDT driving lesson 2 with a little more complexity.
Lesson 6: Anticipation and Reaction
Lesson Goal: To enhance your ability to anticipate potential hazards and react appropriately.
Main Challenge: The biggest challenge in EDT lesson 6 is likely to be other drivers’ driving badly (and in some cases, even displaying road rage).
Difficulty Level: 6/10; this is like part 2 of EDT Driving Lesson 5 — which in itself is a continuation of lesson 2.
Lesson 7: Sharing the Road
Lesson Goal: To understand how to share the road safely with other users, including cyclists and pedestrians.
Main Challenge: Entering, crossing, and joining roads safely is the main challenge here. Essentially: When to stay and when to go?
Difficulty Level: 7/10; the difficulty level here depends a lot on traffic levels. Joining a queue of moving traffic can be tricky for learner drivers.
Lesson 8: Driving Safely Through Traffic
Lesson Goal: To learn to navigate through different traffic conditions, including heavy traffic and congested areas.
Main Challenge: As with some previous lessons, the biggest challenge here will be dealing with aggressive drivers (if they’re out that day).
Difficulty Level: 7/10; by now, you should be relatively comfortable with road conditions, but this is probably the biggest step up yet.
Lesson 9: Changing Direction (Advanced)
Lesson Goal: To practice advanced direction-changing techniques, such as navigating complex intersections.
Main Challenge: The biggest challenge here is MSM — Mirrors, Signal, Manoeuvre — the most important 3 letters for any learner driver.
Difficulty Level: 8/10; this is something you have to nail. It’s relatively straightforward, but so many people don’t nail it.
Lesson 10: Speed Management
Lesson Goal: Focus on managing your speed in various driving conditions, ensuring safety and compliance with speed limits.
Main Challenge: Knowing when to accelerate, when to decelerate, and when to stop…
Difficulty Level: 5/10; this is a step back in difficulty levels at this stage of the EDT driving lessons and you should be fine.
Lesson 11: Driving Calmly
Lesson Goal: To develop strategies to stay calm and focused while driving, reducing stress and improving decision-making.
Main Challenge: For those of us familiar with driving anxiety, the challenge is to stay focused on the present.
Difficulty Level: The difficulty level here really depends on how well you’re able to stay in the moment. Chill, and this will be easy.
Lesson 12: Night Driving
Lesson Goal: To gain experience in driving at night, understanding the challenges and adapting your driving style accordingly.
Main Challenge: From a sensory perspective, it can be difficult to adapt to night driving having spent so much time practising during the day.
Difficulty Level: 5/10; Once you pass the initial, sometimes odd feeling, of driving at night, this one is usually relatively straightforward.
Tips for Success in Your 12 EDT Lessons
- Practice Regularly: Between lessons, practice driving with a qualified accompanying driver to reinforce what you’ve learned.
- Stay Focused: Pay attention during your lessons and ask questions if you’re unsure about anything.
- Review Your Progress: Keep track of your progress in your EDT logbook, noting areas where you need improvement.
- Be Patient: Learning to drive takes time and practice. Be patient with yourself and stay committed to improving.
Conclusion
Completing the 12 EDT driving lessons is a crucial step towards becoming a safe and competent driver.
You may feel like you can become a competent driver in less than 12 hours, but experience on Irish roads suggests otherwise. The EDT lessons are compulsory to help you and everybody else.
For more information on 12 EDT lessons and to book your sessions, visit DrivingClass.ie. Happy driving!
