8 Reviews

Smart Driver Academy

Leeds, West Yorkshire
Reviews
Emma Schafer
21 Jul 2026
REPORT
Peter has been an amazing instructor, I had to switch from another instructor due to various issues and when I came to Peter I felt extremely anxious about driving and I had no confidence in myself. U... Read More
Peter has been an amazing instructor, I had to switch from another instructor due to various issues and when I came to Peter I felt extremely anxious about driving and I had no confidence in myself. Up until that point I had found learning to drive incredibly difficult, I felt like maybe my brain just wasn't wired for driving. I also really struggle with anxiety in daily life, and every time I drove I was in a constant state of panic. When I contacted Peter he really made an effort to understand my anxiety and understand my difficulties. On my first lesson with him he made sure I felt comfortable. He also gave lots of positive feedback in every lesson which really helped to build my confidence, and he never got annoyed no matter what I did, he always stayed calm and simply focused on helping me correct mistakes. Peter always went above and beyond, even dedicating time between lessons for advice and support. I also liked that he actually taught you to be a safe driver rather than simply teaching you how to pass the test, and explained why you have to do things rather than simply telling you to do things. Thanks to Peter I passed my test first time with 0 minors, which is something I NEVER thought I would achieve, in fact I was convinced I would fail. He believed in me even when I didn't believe in myself. I would definitely recommend Peter to people who are anxious, lack confidence, or feel like their brain works a little differently. I now feel confident about driving, and that's coming from someone who rarely feels confident about anything! Thanks so much Peter I will be forever grateful. Read Less
Emma A
10 Jul 2026
REPORT
As someone who had really struggled learning to drive, and had tried and given up twice already I was pretty sure I wasn't able to do it, so to be writing this review after passing my test is crazy to... Read More
As someone who had really struggled learning to drive, and had tried and given up twice already I was pretty sure I wasn't able to do it, so to be writing this review after passing my test is crazy to me! I approached Peter with a message saying I wanted to try one last time to learn to drive and he took things really slow and let me decide the pace as I was really unsure of my own skills. Having dyspraxia makes it so much harder to commit physical skills to memory and Peter took the time and worked with me to find words that helped me understand what he needed from me in each step of the process. Previous instructors were nice and tried their best but ultimately didn't know how to help when it just wouldn't click, where Peter worked to find what it took to get me there. It took time but Peter was there with me each step of the way and I couldn't have asked for more patience, thoughtfulness and overall just the willingness to work with me. I cannot thank him enough and highly recommend him for anyone anxious or overall not confident in their driving ability. Read Less
Charice L
11 Jun 2026
REPORT
I started my learning journey with Peter in April 2025 and passed my test in Jun 2026. Peter is very knowledgeable and is always very patient and supportive. If there are 10 stars in the rating I will... Read More
I started my learning journey with Peter in April 2025 and passed my test in Jun 2026. Peter is very knowledgeable and is always very patient and supportive. If there are 10 stars in the rating I will give him a 10. I didn’t pass the first time but Peter helped me go through the faults and explained everything in detail and made sure I fully understood. The whole learning journey was enjoyable. I would definitely recommend Peter as your instructor! Read Less
Julie
17 May 2026
REPORT
I hadn’t driven for 25 years and my Husband hoped I would start driving again. After reading Peters reviews I felt he could be the person to help me achieve this. The first time we spoke he put my min... Read More
I hadn’t driven for 25 years and my Husband hoped I would start driving again. After reading Peters reviews I felt he could be the person to help me achieve this. The first time we spoke he put my mind at rest straight away. I drove on main roads during my first lesson because Peter gave me the confidence I needed. He is calm and professional and gives gentle guidance every minute of the lessons in a way that it is easy to understand. He has ways of explaining things so you clearly understand what you need to do. Peter, I will never forget how you helped me to do the one thing my lovely Husband wanted me to do at the very hardest time in my life x Read Less
Sophie Jenkins
13 Mar 2026
REPORT
I can’t recommend Peter enough. I actually started learning to drive back in 2018 with a different instructor, but due to moving house, COVID, and a period with a second different instructor who I did... Read More
I can’t recommend Peter enough. I actually started learning to drive back in 2018 with a different instructor, but due to moving house, COVID, and a period with a second different instructor who I didn’t really get on with, there were lots of gaps in my learning. For a while I genuinely started to believe that maybe driving just wasn’t for me, and it was beginning to give me quite a lot of anxiety. At the same time, I knew how much I wanted the independence and confidence that comes with being able to drive. Peter completely changed that experience for me. From the very beginning he was incredibly kind, patient and understanding. He took the time to explain things clearly and calmly, and always in a way that made sense to me. I mentioned that I’m a visual learner, and he would often draw diagrams or use little models to help me properly understand what was happening on the road, which made a huge difference. His calm personality and patience made every lesson feel supportive rather than stressful, and I actually found myself looking forward to my weekly lessons. Thanks to Peter’s teaching, I passed first time with only one minor fault. I’m so grateful for the confidence and skills he helped me build, and for giving me the independence I had been hoping for for so long. Thank you so much, Peter! I’ll always appreciate it. Read Less
EthelredFlametail
30 Jun 2016
REPORT
I really enjoyed the driving lessons with Pete. I have high functioning autism and I managed to pass both my theory test and driving test first time. Pete has an excellent and funny teaching method t... Read More
I really enjoyed the driving lessons with Pete. I have high functioning autism and I managed to pass both my theory test and driving test first time. Pete has an excellent and funny teaching method that is easy to understand. You will be driving confidently in no time. Thanks again Pete from Aleister Read Less
Phillip Mcintyre
7 Aug 2015
REPORT
He is a top class driving instructor and has time a go though all you need to know about driving safe and getting you though your test thanks again
Simon Macbeth
26 Jul 2013
REPORT
Fantastic instructor and really good person to deal with. Had half a dozen hours worth of lessons so far and felt I have learnt a lot. Really highly recommend Peter and Smart Driving Academy.
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Book an Appointment
Online booking unavailable
Please call
07918 108577
423 Selby Road
Leeds West Yorkshire LS15 7AX
Business Hours
Monday
Mon
07:30AM-20:00PM
Tuesday
Tue
07:30AM-20:00PM
Wednesday
Wed
07:30AM-20:00PM
Thursday
Thu
07:30AM-20:00PM
Friday
Fri
07:30AM-20:00PM
Saturday
Sat
08:00AM-17:00PM
Sunday
Sun
10:00AM-16:00PM
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Smart Driver Academy

Leeds, West Yorkshire
(8)
423 Selby Road
Leeds West Yorkshire LS15 7AX
Monday
07:30AM-20:00PM
Tuesday
07:30AM-20:00PM
Wednesday
07:30AM-20:00PM
Thursday
07:30AM-20:00PM
Friday
07:30AM-20:00PM
Saturday
08:00AM-17:00PM
Sunday
10:00AM-16:00PM
Emma Schafer
21 Jul 2026
REPORT
Peter has been an amazing instructor, I had to switch from another instructor due to various issues and when I came to Peter I felt extremely anxious about driving and I had no confidence in myself. U... Read More
Peter has been an amazing instructor, I had to switch from another instructor due to various issues and when I came to Peter I felt extremely anxious about driving and I had no confidence in myself. Up until that point I had found learning to drive incredibly difficult, I felt like maybe my brain just wasn't wired for driving. I also really struggle with anxiety in daily life, and every time I drove I was in a constant state of panic. When I contacted Peter he really made an effort to understand my anxiety and understand my difficulties. On my first lesson with him he made sure I felt comfortable. He also gave lots of positive feedback in every lesson which really helped to build my confidence, and he never got annoyed no matter what I did, he always stayed calm and simply focused on helping me correct mistakes. Peter always went above and beyond, even dedicating time between lessons for advice and support. I also liked that he actually taught you to be a safe driver rather than simply teaching you how to pass the test, and explained why you have to do things rather than simply telling you to do things. Thanks to Peter I passed my test first time with 0 minors, which is something I NEVER thought I would achieve, in fact I was convinced I would fail. He believed in me even when I didn't believe in myself. I would definitely recommend Peter to people who are anxious, lack confidence, or feel like their brain works a little differently. I now feel confident about driving, and that's coming from someone who rarely feels confident about anything! Thanks so much Peter I will be forever grateful. Read Less
Emma A
10 Jul 2026
REPORT
As someone who had really struggled learning to drive, and had tried and given up twice already I was pretty sure I wasn't able to do it, so to be writing this review after passing my test is crazy to... Read More
As someone who had really struggled learning to drive, and had tried and given up twice already I was pretty sure I wasn't able to do it, so to be writing this review after passing my test is crazy to me! I approached Peter with a message saying I wanted to try one last time to learn to drive and he took things really slow and let me decide the pace as I was really unsure of my own skills. Having dyspraxia makes it so much harder to commit physical skills to memory and Peter took the time and worked with me to find words that helped me understand what he needed from me in each step of the process. Previous instructors were nice and tried their best but ultimately didn't know how to help when it just wouldn't click, where Peter worked to find what it took to get me there. It took time but Peter was there with me each step of the way and I couldn't have asked for more patience, thoughtfulness and overall just the willingness to work with me. I cannot thank him enough and highly recommend him for anyone anxious or overall not confident in their driving ability. Read Less
Charice L
11 Jun 2026
REPORT
I started my learning journey with Peter in April 2025 and passed my test in Jun 2026. Peter is very knowledgeable and is always very patient and supportive. If there are 10 stars in the rating I will... Read More
I started my learning journey with Peter in April 2025 and passed my test in Jun 2026. Peter is very knowledgeable and is always very patient and supportive. If there are 10 stars in the rating I will give him a 10. I didn’t pass the first time but Peter helped me go through the faults and explained everything in detail and made sure I fully understood. The whole learning journey was enjoyable. I would definitely recommend Peter as your instructor! Read Less
Julie
17 May 2026
REPORT
I hadn’t driven for 25 years and my Husband hoped I would start driving again. After reading Peters reviews I felt he could be the person to help me achieve this. The first time we spoke he put my min... Read More
I hadn’t driven for 25 years and my Husband hoped I would start driving again. After reading Peters reviews I felt he could be the person to help me achieve this. The first time we spoke he put my mind at rest straight away. I drove on main roads during my first lesson because Peter gave me the confidence I needed. He is calm and professional and gives gentle guidance every minute of the lessons in a way that it is easy to understand. He has ways of explaining things so you clearly understand what you need to do. Peter, I will never forget how you helped me to do the one thing my lovely Husband wanted me to do at the very hardest time in my life x Read Less
Sophie Jenkins
13 Mar 2026
REPORT
I can’t recommend Peter enough. I actually started learning to drive back in 2018 with a different instructor, but due to moving house, COVID, and a period with a second different instructor who I did... Read More
I can’t recommend Peter enough. I actually started learning to drive back in 2018 with a different instructor, but due to moving house, COVID, and a period with a second different instructor who I didn’t really get on with, there were lots of gaps in my learning. For a while I genuinely started to believe that maybe driving just wasn’t for me, and it was beginning to give me quite a lot of anxiety. At the same time, I knew how much I wanted the independence and confidence that comes with being able to drive. Peter completely changed that experience for me. From the very beginning he was incredibly kind, patient and understanding. He took the time to explain things clearly and calmly, and always in a way that made sense to me. I mentioned that I’m a visual learner, and he would often draw diagrams or use little models to help me properly understand what was happening on the road, which made a huge difference. His calm personality and patience made every lesson feel supportive rather than stressful, and I actually found myself looking forward to my weekly lessons. Thanks to Peter’s teaching, I passed first time with only one minor fault. I’m so grateful for the confidence and skills he helped me build, and for giving me the independence I had been hoping for for so long. Thank you so much, Peter! I’ll always appreciate it. Read Less
EthelredFlametail
30 Jun 2016
REPORT
I really enjoyed the driving lessons with Pete. I have high functioning autism and I managed to pass both my theory test and driving test first time. Pete has an excellent and funny teaching method t... Read More
I really enjoyed the driving lessons with Pete. I have high functioning autism and I managed to pass both my theory test and driving test first time. Pete has an excellent and funny teaching method that is easy to understand. You will be driving confidently in no time. Thanks again Pete from Aleister Read Less
Phillip Mcintyre
7 Aug 2015
REPORT
He is a top class driving instructor and has time a go though all you need to know about driving safe and getting you though your test thanks again
Simon Macbeth
26 Jul 2013
REPORT
Fantastic instructor and really good person to deal with. Had half a dozen hours worth of lessons so far and felt I have learnt a lot. Really highly recommend Peter and Smart Driving Academy.
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CLAIM IT HERE
Incorrect information? Let us know