Learning to drive.Any tips?

[BarBrawllin]

Hi guys,im learning to drive and had 3 lessons already and the guy said im doing better than he expected for somebody who never drove before and that im doing better than the majority of people that learn to drive lol(i dont know if he's bull****ing but maybe the computer games like dirt 2/3 helped me) he was surprised that i didnt need to look at the gearstick to change gears the first time because i was already familiar with the layout from all the racing games i've played lol.He said most people look at the gearstick and sometimes even down at the pedals when learning to drive at first but that just seems crazy to me

I've got this urge when steering to cross my arms over wich your not supposed to do(i always used to do it in the arcades lmfao) and i always catch myself just before i do it but he can see by the way i move my arms that i was about to cross my arms and changed my mind and says well done your learning lol( he suggested practicing rotating a dinner plate at home like a steering wheel as practice lol)

Im only getting 1 lesson a week because the guy is fully booked,would it be worth goin out with my mate to a bit of unused land on an old industrial estate and try to become more familiar with the clutch and gears and try to drill it into my head not to cross my arms when steering? I feel that i need more than just those 1 hour lessons to properly get the feel of driving.

The guys sent me an email from some organisation that teaches the theory etc but i done an online test and almost passed it without even studying lol

Any of you guys got tips for me,like do's and donts and good things to remember? i feel very nervous when im on the road but i drove the car back to my house by myself the last time and thats kinda boosted my confidence a bit.

Next week its 3 point turns im learning,scary!

 

[BarBrawllin]

First tip.

Should be in Motors

LOLOLOL Somebody move the thread please,i forgot all about the motor section!

 

[BarBrawllin]

You get extra points in your test for running over chavs.

AHAHAHAAHHAHA They will never pester me for "spare change" again after i perform a wheelspin on their noggin and set their baseball cap on fire from the friction

 

[BarBrawllin]

This and don't think you're the next big thing out on the road once you've passed. You won't be, you won't know it all and you'll have next to no experience so don't assume passing a driving test makes you a good driver.

Nah id be one of those really slow driving miss daisy drivers i dont want to die or go to jail,i have mates that learned to drive and i went out with them and they were just plain stupid and almost got killed with one of them.None of that show off stuff for me

Stop saying 'lol' all the time.




Take it easy, don't take risks, listen to your instructor.

BTW i have a "lol" addiction.lol trying to break the habit but it never works,im a compulsive loler.

 

[BarBrawllin]

Use plenty of right foot and don't drive on industrial estates/car parks unless you have insurance to drive on the public road.

Hmmm,good thinking that didnt even cross my mind!

 

[BarBrawllin]

Remember, you're not learning to drive. You're learning to pass the test.

yeah i suppose your right one of my mates drove all weird after he passed his test his steering was all over the place(i was about to lol but i caught myself in the act,im making progress!)

 

[BarBrawllin]

chill, don't stress, keep checking mirrors and dials. i would not try your idea with a mate as switching between car types can throw you sometimes.

failing that blackmail the examiners to pass

Makes sense about the different car thing,point taken.The one im learning in right now is a small BMW,dont know what type but u have to push the clutch down and then a little button on the dashboard to start it up. I've noticed that i keep catching my foot on the little foot-rest bit next to the clutch when trying to change gears and it can become a little distracting to move it more to the right for some reason(was gonna lol again but i caught myself!)

The instructor says he has a guy who should be doing his test soon so when he has a free slot he can give me a double slot on his timetable,probly just better waiting for that opertunity. He says he's been doing this job for 7 years and only had one person fail on him so i hope im not number 2!

 

[BarBrawllin]

Mirrors, Signal, Manoevre.

Take it slow and always stick to 30 unless otherwise stated by road markings, signs or your instructor.

Your first 7-10 lessons (on average) will be mastering the clutch, once you don't have to think about the clutch and gear changes you can fully concentrate on the latter objective such as road markings, other road users, driving in different conditions, becoming near perfect in left reverse/parallel parking/emergency stop/bay parking.

Did my test in 20 lessons and lots of private practise in my old mans car, are you learning in a petrol or diesel?

TBH i really dont know if its petrol or deisel,i need to brush up on my car knowledge now so i dont look like a noob The engine doesnt sound odd or anything just sounds like a standard engine,not like a police van or anything so if i was to guess id say petrol,its a small BMW.

 

[BarBrawllin]

Get a decent instructor and don't crash?
kd

Yeah i always keep that one at the front of my mind"dont crash!"

I always assumed that because im a gamer who enjoys racing games that id be zooming around like a maniac unable to resist the urge to do a bit of a Collin McRae(the media always says stuff like this about young first time drivers who played games) but its amazing how different it is in real life when you've got real consequences to your actions!
I guess the reality sets in once you sit behind the steering wheel of a car for the first time that this could be a life changing experience in a good way(more freedom and opertunities and just easy to get around in general),but also in a bad BAD way if your a total n*b end,like you could destroy somebodys life if you dont pay attention/show off and wreck a whole family unit in the proccess.
Im always going to keep those first thoughts and feelings fresh in my mind and never become some sort of show off,as i said earlier in the thread one of my friends almost killed us all in his car by being a total w*nker and i almost saw a friend kill himself on a motorbike by trying to emulate the actions of John Connor from the terminator lol.(that lol was deserved) Thats the only warning i need! better to learn from others mistake whenever possable!

 

[BarBrawllin]

On the assumption that eventually you pass the test.

1) Welcome, you are now learning to drive
2) there is no "fast lane"
3) keep left where possible
4) learn to read the big blue signs that tell you when you can and cannot use bus lanes.
5) Everyone is an idiot until they prove otherwise
6) Use your indicators. Please. Don't become one of the many who bought a car without them
7) Fog lights are for fog, not to look cool

Good luck

Have you got a theory test booked yet?

No test booked yet i was going to practice with the online material my instructor sent me via email from some online driving school and just keep going for lessons untill i feel comfortable enough to sit my theory test. I guess my instructor will let me know when im ready,i think he's really good,the way he explains stuff just sinks right into my mind,i was worried it would go in one ear and out the other as thats what im like tbh but i've been doing well so far,but its only the beggning so things might change later

5) Everyone is an idiot until they prove otherwise ( i dont understand this one?)

 

[BarBrawllin]

nice 1 on proving the daily fail etc talk rubbish. normal people can differentiate between games and reality

Yeah thats always p**sed me off since i was young,people saying that violent games make you a psychopath and all sorts of other weird assumptions like playing driving games makes you think your invincable on the road and drive like a joy-rider According to them i should be running around doing GTA/CSS/Street Fighter moves in real life when im out and about since i've played games since i was a kid

Maybe its different for me since im almost 30(sometimes i forget) im wondering if i was 17 and learning to drive would i fit the stereotype the media portrays? TBH i think id still be as carefull and aware of the dangers as i am now,idiots exist and thats just life. A games not going to alter that fact.

 

[BarBrawllin]

its an important fact that 90% of drivers dont seem to know when to indicate. they often signal and dont do it - or do it without signalling.

The last lesson i had some guy did exactly that,he had his indicators on as if he was going to turn right into a corner driving up the middle lane of the road with the white lines on it then he decided to just steer left into my path without indicating to the left( i was a decent distance behind him though so wasnt too bad for me just made me think wtf lol) and continued driving up the road the whole way with his right indicators on and at the end of the road he turned left at the T-junction and just turned them off altogether

 

[BarBrawllin]

Thanks for all the comments,they have helped me gain some more insight into what i should be doing!

 

[BarBrawllin]

Well after all these replies im a lot less nervous and definetly learned a few tips,cheers guys!

 

[BarBrawllin]

That first part is a bit :/

What exactly do you mean drove the car back to the house "by yourself"?

Three point turns are probably THE easiest maneuver, btw.

I'll stop worrying about the 3 point turns then

I would imagine he means, he drove home with no assistance from the instructor who was present.

Yes this is what i meant,i still had the instructor beside me incase anything went wrong ,id never drive by myself without a licence thats just mental plus i dont have my own car so even if i was mental i still couldnt do that lol