Dad does an L of a job coaching young driver

It may come as a blow to women in their drive for equal opportunities, but more than half of Britain’s learner motorists would rather be taught by their father than their mother, according to research.

A driver s L plate A driver's L plate

Only 24 per cent said mum was a top teacher, against 52 per cent who preferred dad.

And fathers scored all round when young learners were asked why they were so good at coaching behind the wheel.

Dads know what’s going on under the bonnet and on the road, according to 56 per cent of people who took part in the AA survey, and 65 per cent said their father was better at teaching techniques such as clutch control.

But almost 40 per cent of young drivers said dads were quicker to lose their temper in a stressful driving situation while mums were more likely to panic.

top gripe of 28 per cent of learners was being told to “slow down”. Parents who slam on imaginary brakes, swear and even order the learner out of the driving seat aren’t popular either.

Having a parent take a learner out on the road, regardless of whether it’s mum or dad, can really help a novice driver move forward

Simon Douglas, director of the AA driving school

Simon Douglas, director of the AA driving school, said: “Having a parent take a learner out on the road, regardless of whether it’s mum or dad, can really help a novice driver move forward.”

But the majority of training should be done with a qualified tutor. Mr Douglas said: “Learner drivers should aim for at least 60 hours of driving before taking the test, of which about 40 hours should be tutored.”

Dads might be best at teaching but they pass on bad habits such as speeding, not using mirrors properly, not feeding the steering wheel correctly, not checking blind spots and braking too hard.

And almost 100 per cent of instructors agree that mums are best at coaching learners for ­driving theory tests.

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