Driving in summer is easier in most respects than doing so in the cold and dark days later in the year. But if you are learning to drive at this time of year, you will still need to acquire some extra skills for tackling winter conditions later on.

Now that June is upon us, winter is very distant and meteorological summer is officially here. The weather is warm, the daylight hours are long, and, with a bit of luck, there will be lots of sunshine.

All of this would suggest that the summer is a great time to have driving lessons, especially if you can progress quickly and be ready to take your test in August or September.

There are some definite pros to doing just this:

·       You can enjoy the benefits of daytime driving even in evening lessons

·       Dry weather means safer road surfaces and no potholes hidden in puddles

·       You avoid the downsides of driving later in the year, such as poor light, mist and ice on the roads

Why Is Summer Driving Sometimes Challenging?

However, not everything about driving in the summer is easy. The AA has listed several issues to consider:

·       You are more likely to encounter heavy traffic on the roads in summer

·       There are also likely to be more pedestrians and cyclists on the road in warm weather

·       There is a risk of being dazzled by the glare of the sun

·       You may struggle if you suffer from hay fever

In addition to this, there are some issues that you won’t need to consider while you have your L plates. For instance, tyres are more likely to burst in the summer if the pressure is wrong or they are damaged, but your instructor will ensure they are in good condition.

The above list may seem like a downside to driving in the summer, but the other side of that is that you need to know how to deal with these conditions anyway. Anyone learning to drive at another time of year would always encounter summer conditions in due course.

The converse of this, of course, is that while you have the advantage of not having to deal with wintry road conditions, you could find you learn and pass in summer and then go on to face some very unfamiliar circumstances later in the year.

What Conditions Do Drivers Face In Winter?

Among the challenges of winter driving highlighted by the RAC will be:

·       Driving in the dark more

·       Fog

·       Snow and ice, including on your windscreen

·       Heavy rain, sleet and snow

These various conditions can conspire to make it harder to see and make the surfaces more hazardous. They require skilled, careful driving and a good knowledge of how to use your windscreen wipers and lights, as well as preparing your car before you set off.

If this makes it technically harder to learn in winter and potentially makes the process take longer, not least as it may be wise to cancel lessons in very bad weather, the positive is that you will learn a lot of skills that you won’t get to master in the summer.

Are Road Accidents More Likely In Summer?

When considering whether summer is the best time to learn to drive or not, two important pieces of evidence may be considered. One is road safety, based on comparing accident rates in different months, while the other is pass rates.

If one analyses accidents in Hertfordshire in 2025, there is nothing to indicate that any particular time of year was worse.

For instance, November had the highest number at 206, followed by 193 in October, but the lowest number was in January, and there were more in June than in December. Moreover, the higher figures in autumn in Hertfordshire were not repeated in other police force areas.

Is There An Ideal Time Of Year To Take Your Test?

The other consideration is when it may be best to take the test. Once again, there is no stand-out period of the year. In the latest figures, the 12 months to September 2025 saw monthly pass rates varying only slightly, at around 43-46 per cent.

As such, there is evidently no one ideal time of year in which to take driving lessons or sit your test, in terms of pass rates or road safety.

Instead, the important lesson to take is that while there are major advantages to having lessons in summer, there are also downsides and once you have passed, you will go on learning as you experience different situations on the road.

Equally, this also means that if you need more lessons than you hoped, your test may be several months away, by which time you will at least have had the benefit of experiencing more varied conditions, making you a better driver in the long run.