Cost / No. of driving lessons

different people need different amounts of time but the budget sounds about ballpark, hopefully the costs aren't that high nowadays, will no doubt be able to save some with some "buy x amount for y" packages early on. Though do be careful with these from some instructors as they may try and advise you on nothing in that time.
 
30 sounds about right, I did 40 but I was a silly goose and had switched instructors 3 times and spread those hours across almost 6 months. Saying that my last instructors was brilliant, little strict but I did find the test a breeze because of that.
 
I'd start off with your budget but add in an extra test.

If you can then it may be an idea to rent a dual control car for a couple of hours to get the hang of the basics (or a quiet car park as suggested above) because at first even pulling away smoothly will be a challenge - only practise will help this.

Once your instructor is happy that you can do the basics and know what the examiner will be looking for id sub in some dual control hours with a family member to get more practise in too - 10 quid an hour rather than 20-25 means effectively you'll get more experience for the same cost. Obviously dont stop taking lessons but have instructor lessons say every second week at this stage
 
You shouldn't need 30 lessons, try aim for 10-15, I done about 10 when I was 17 at about £19 p/hour and passed second time (first time I failed due to someone over-taking me on a single carriage road when driving at speed limit), got a free re-sit tho after a lot of arguing -.-
 
The official average at the moment according to the DSA's figures is somewhere like 45 hours of tuition to pass. That's an average, however. My instructor trainer had someone who passed first time with a clean sheet after only 12 hours tuition from total scratch. Simiarly, he's had people into the hundreds of hours who still make fundamental errors when not fully talked through their driving every step of the way.

I'm teaching someone at the moment who's had 16 or 17 hours and isn't anywhere near close to me being able to keep quiet and let them get on with it on the approach to junctions or hazards. On the flip side, another student of mine was driving relatively safely and independently around quiet roads by their 3rd hour - they just "got" the car control, made good decisions and could judge junction approach speeds, meeting oncoming traffic situations etc.

I'd say that most people who have the interest and inclination to be on a motoring forum are going to be better than average, and also, have a different perception of how easy learning to drive is after their own experience.
 
[TW]Fox;22957840 said:
This is where its really handy to find somebody who will go out with you. You do not need 40 hours of one to one tuition to learn to drive a car. That is a ridiculous amount of tuition for something that isn't that hard to get the hang of. However, what you might well need is 40 hours of PRACTICE which for most people is the same thing as paying for hourly driving lessons if they dont have access to a car to practice in.
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This.

I had 10 lessons, with the 10th being an hour before my test. The time between my tests was spent driving my parents car. The lessons soon became just about learning the rules of the road and the requirements to pass the test (routes, tricky junctions, manoeuvres, how to handle difficult situations, etc).

Random bit of info, I was taught to drive by the same instructor who taught Jenson Button :). He failed his first test for speeding :D
 
Finding the right instructor will save you money in the long run. My sister is learning at the moment and she did about 20 lessons without picking much up at all, which was frustrating for her. I told her to change to my old instructor and it made all the difference, she learnt more and grew more confident in the first 3-5 lessons with her new instructor than she ever did with the previous one. I was appalled to find out that she had gone through 20 lessons without learning all of the maneuvers.
 
Thanks guys,

The £30 was the dearest price I could see locally but I think the one I'm probably going to use is £21

I have looked at getting learners insurance on my mum or dads car but their insurance is having a laugh when they're asking for £1k to add me to the policy as a learner driver.
 
quotidian said:
Thanks guys,

The £30 was the dearest price I could see locally but I think the one I'm probably going to use is £21

I have looked at getting learners insurance on my mum or dads car but their insurance is having a laugh when they're asking for £1k to add me to the policy as a learner driver.
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To be honest, £1k extra for a learner isn't bad these days. It'll be £2k+ once you pass!
 
I had 20 hours of tuition (hour 20 was the test).

Despite it costing £1000 you will gain a huge amount from going our with your parents. For each weekly hour with an instructor I was probably driving 4-5 with my parents.
 
I only did 10 hours of lessons. Beforehand I learned how to "drive" around a disused industrial estate with my Dad, once a week for about 3 months some years before. Though to be honest, I could drive from the moment I tried. It felt natural. The 10 hours of lessons were just spent learning how to pass the test and learning the roads I'd be driving on during the test. I passed first time without a single fault at 19.

If you know someone with a car that will insure you and let you drive it, this is best way I reckon. Learn the mechanics of driving to the point where you're totally comfortable, then take lessons with an instructor to learn the test patch and manoeuvres in the car you'll use for the test.
 
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