learning to drive..

[sara3]

no, not me. I'm an excellent driver ;o)

my girlie is almost 18 and I've promised her driving lessons. wow, so expensive!

I've been told by 2 driving instructors that, at her age, she'll need about 45 lessons, plus another 20 hours in a private car (mine, I assume).

45? isn't that an awful lot?

opinions and experience, please..

[cazzz1975]

yes its 2 years now, it was 3 years ages ago... how times have changed

[sara3]

Hopkirk.. I know! fortunately (in some respects) she can drive her dad's motability car at no extra cost, so that's the plan for now.

thanks cazzz and fluff, so long as it's a reasonable gap.

ummmm.. you may be right, I need to look into local independant schools.

[annie0000]

I had 13 and I was about 20 at the time. I passed first time :o) I think that you can hire a dual control car and use that if you want to take her out yourself.

[sara3]

really, Anne? OMG.. how scary would that be? lol!

right.. back to work. thanks all, will check back later x

[sara3]

*Annie, sorry.. doh :o/

[jake-the-peg]

Make sure people giving you advice about the number of lessons learnt recently - it's been changing a lot.

I'd be pretty surprised if anyone now could pass with a handful of lessons

My son passed last year - I think he took about 35 lessons - he was a fairly confident driver - I'm expecting more for my daughter who's just started.

However he did fail his theory test a few times - the hazard awareness test can be a bit of a pig and disqualifies you if you react too fast - etc.

He'd probably have been down to say 25 -30 if he'd passed that first time.

Where I am with a recommended independant instructor it's £25 an hour.

Wouldn't recommend the big names they just act as a franchaise for driving instructors to get clients and take a cut.

Get personal recommendations if possible

[ummmm]

Could you imagine hiring a dual control? Even as a passenger of an experienced driver I find myself trying to brake.

[jake-the-peg]

Example of recent changes - you now have an undirected driving section

They say "following the road signs take me to xxxxx"

And you have to navigate and drive - you don't fail if you get lost it's to make sure you can still drive when nobody's telling you what to do.

[ummmm]

That's a great idea Jake....and to make sure you don't panic.

[jake-the-peg]

I think so but my point is that it's changed so much that people telling you they had 3 lessons and passed 30 years ago really doesn't help - it's a very different test now.

[ChuckFickens]

Jake makes a far point, If I recall the cars where all still in black and white when I passed :)

[mccfluff]

they had cars back then?

[jno]

I did say it was a long time since I passed. Good grief, I still get lost following road signs so I'd probably fail even after 40-odd years of driving, though how that would make Britain's roads any safer i don't know.

[erin-x]

I had about 30/35 lessons at an hour each and no extra driving. They were £20 a pop and I passed just last year.. Wait until you get to the testing bit. That's when it gets really expensive. :|

[NoMercy]

I think it's 2 years.

[AlBags]

My friend's daughter is 17 and just passed after 30 hrs. Now driving about in a new Swift. Lucky for some.

[jake-the-peg]

My grandfather never passed a test - just wrote to the home office and they sent him back a license

Mind you in the 30s there were 7,000 road deaths a year! over double what we have now even with so many cars

That's why we have a driving test now

[gollysailor]

I had about 10 lessons with a "driving school", it was 42 years ago, so not sure. Depends how quickly you master the basics. Brain surgery is apparently similar in this respect.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrg2g55PNAg&feature=related

[joko]

it takes as long as it takes... some people take to it better than others

though some instructor are on the make...my first load of lessons, i realised he was doing the pedals for me discretely so when i drove another car i was a a bit 'off'... he then cancelled 2 tests on the day... turned up for one in a totally different car that i was unfamiliar with ... and i realised he was just an old perve who wnated me to keep having lessons...

also they are much stricter nowadays and will be looking for every little mistake, expecially at her age...

i was told this by an examiner who i think felt a bit bad for failing me a touch unfairly...but he said he could tell i wasnt ready.

he said they see so many drivers who really shouldnt be on the road, but just because they managed to drive for 35mins without doing anyhting wrong they passed... so they look for any little thing to add, if they can 'just tell' that they have 'fluked' it...

the best thing to do is go for more private lessons... start with an instructor to go over the basics, and then its more about confidence and gaining your 'sea legs' if you get me...just getting used to the road...

i found i drove much better in my own car than an instructor, i think because i alwasy felt he was in charge and i was just following orders...when you have to think for yourself and you are totally under your own control, natural instinct kick in more and i gained confidence much quicker

[craft1948]

The first Mr Craft taught me to drive, I think that was in the divorce papers.