Is there anywhere I can let my son drive in the UK?

Question

Hi,
Does anyone know if there is anywhere in the UK where I can let my son drive my car, like around a track or something. He is almost fourteen and very keen to learn to drive early.

Thanks

Thanks for all your answers. I certainly need to make sure I stay legal. For the people who gave me information about the places in Essex and Sheffield, thank you very much - do you know the name of them. Anyway, I'll need to think about it and of course I can tell him to wait, but for his birthday he had one of those driving lessons at Brands Hatch (but you can't do that every day) and he seems to have a talent with driving.

val f1 nutter, thanks for your answer, what airfield is that?

Answer 1

Your backyard...

Answer 2

There's a place called Tockwith in Harrogate Yorkshire. There's a disused airfield there. I used it about 10 years ago when I was a teenager and it was really good. No idea of prices or exactly where it is or if it's still going but it's worth checking out if you live in that area. There's a long straight stretch and then a roundabout as well.

Answer 3

Before I turned 17, I had to settle for a nearby medical centre car park for practice with my father's car on a Sunday. It's not a public road, which means I got away with using it (I know the law's a bit different in Scotland, where anywhere the public has access , as mentioned, is a no-no).

The place in Sheffield sounds great. If only I knew about it back then! I wonder whether that'd have been worth the 30-40 mile trip there (from Bradford) for me.

Answer 4

It has to be privately owned land, which the public don't have access to. Make sure you check for public footpaths running through.

Otherwise, if caught, he is already disqualified from driving by reason of age, so he is driving whilst disqualified and he also gets done for no insurance. Those convictions wait around until he legally applies for a licence. Not a good start to a driving career. You get done for aiding and abetting him in both offences.

Don't be tempted to use carparks, as advised but the other person who answered.

It's not easy telling a 14yr old to wait but you have to consider the bigger picture. He could cause an accident and change someones life forever.

Answer 5

where i live there is a disused airfield and part of it is open to the public for a small charge. if you have any race tracks near you it might be worth giving them a ring. make sure you teach him the highway code at the same time. if he's really keen i would get him into carting where he might turn out to be the next Jensen Button. good luck

its westonzoyland airfield, near bridgwater in somerset.

Answer 6

In Sheffield there's a place that's designed just for that. Its at Norton, laid out with proper junctions and roundabouts. You pay a small fee for an hour or so. Its excellent, both my kids learnt the basics there. I expect other areas of the country offer similar schemes. Ours is or certainly was, council run. So I suggest you contact your local council.

Answer 7

Only on private land,ask a farmer or some one who own,s some land ,not in any car parks .

Answer 8

yes there is a place in hornchurch essex it has roads lights hills rounderbouts and pedestrian crossings the ideal place for a learner does not even have to be accompanied
took my wife there for first time in a car
the name of the site is CARDROME

Answer 9

bentwaters airfield near woodbridge. some of my mates have been there and they are not old enough to drive yet.

Answer 10

just teach him in a parking lot or sumthin or take em out early early in the morning. kids driving to early not such a good idea VROOM-VROOM

Answer 11

try a disused airfield