Learning to Drive: Your Experiences.

[Zogger]

Learnt last / this year (while I was 22). Probably spent closer to £1000 on the lessons etc, but they are pricey round here. I suspect the responses will be skewed toward the lower end here, but I did about 40 hours overall
Didn't have any access to another car, and I think learning in the dark straight after work made it slower - I always felt like I made faster progress in daylight, and I often spent about 20 minutes of the 2 hour lesson in traffic. Having said that it was good experience of driving in the dark before passing. Could probably have passed earlier if I pushed for a test on a cancellation date as well as it was about 2 months from the date I booked to the test. Then my first test was cancelled due to snow and moved by a week.
Passed first time with 2 minors on mirror checks as well

Most stupid mistake while learning was probably pulling out of a junction about 10m in front of a car and then stalling it in the middle of the road, but there are many

Insurance should be a bit cheaper for being older but still a fair amount. Adding my brother who has been driving over 10 years as a named driver took £200 off. I'm fully comp at about £1200 but it's only a low power polo.

 

[kefkef]

Shall we throw in some old skool? Learnt 19yrs ago (god i'm getting old!), lessons were about £8 each and i had a budget of £100 from my 17th birthday from the folks. Had my first lesson, booked the test and used my second lesson payment for the hire of the instructors car for the driving test, passed in 5 weeks (had to wait for the test date) having had 1 lesson. Mind you, i had been driving on the familly farm in Ireland every holiday since i could reach the pedals at about age 11

 

[Yarde]

Edit: whoops, thought you said your real test. You probably still need to get your provisional license, but I'm not 100% on that.

You need your licence number to book the test, if you have a provisional then it should be fine.

I've got my provisional, so it might be something to look into

 

[miniyazz]

For some reason (don't think he's ever claimed insurance) it was cheaper for his dad to insure ANY driver as a named driver on his car, rather than him at 18

What happens if you crash your car on your own property? Or into a different car you own? Will insurance still pay up?

 

[ajgoodfellow]

I passed when I was 17

Took about 20 hours worth of lessons with a private instructor at about £18/hour (as I booked them in batches of 10 otherwise it was £20/hour)

Had lots and lots of private practice though - at least an hour a day during the week (driving to and from college) and a few hours over the weekend (practising manoeuvres)

Didn't pass first time though - you don't have to take the test in the instructor's car, however. I just used my Mum's car and installed an extra rear view mirror for the examiner

 

[Gustov]

I passed on my 4th attempt at 17 in a seat Ibiza 1.8.

Theory First time

I'm nearly 20 now and haven't had a incident so that's all good.

As arrogant as it sounds, I consider myself to be one of the better drivers amongst my friends despite having 4 attempts at the test. Didn't help that the test center was St.Albans (very similar to London)

By the third I was probably the most stressed out I'd ever been in my life. I get very nervous in similar situations and usually don't deal with them very well.

I'll be a gayer and admit to coming home and crying my eyes out after my third fail, first time I've cried in years

All in all it probably cost me about £700-800

They day i passed was one of the best of my life Probably because i went through so much to obtain my license.

Passing first time is a completely different experience to what i went through. (credit to those who did) Sure you can say they are better drivers etc but there are a lot of extenuating factors that can make the difference between a pass and a fail. Most stressful period of my life.

 

[Cybermyk]

I had my motorcycle test passed in 78. I didn't bother with cars until 85ish but I remember having 6 lessons and passed first time. Probably cost me less than £100 including the bike test

 

[miniyazz]

Obviously second attempt pass drivers are best. They're not too cocky because they failed once, but they're not driving retards either (no offence guys , just telling it how it is*)

*joking. But, seriously.

 

[typk]

I had seven 1 hour lessons over 2 months and passed first time with 2 minors. Didnt cost too much.
Just try and go out and practice as much as you can. Also take your test in the car you feel most comfortable with. I took mine in my own car.

 

[Ali195]

Got my test on Tuesday but roundabouts ...OMG i hate them. Small one's i have no issues with but the large 4 exit one's ...sweet jesus.


I indicate right....go around, suddenly it all splits off into other lanes, instructors like 'keep left, KEEP LEFT', i think a car will hit me from the left so keep right still (coming back on your self). Its like my body does it and my mind wants to do the right thinkg but cant override. Plus i hate it when instructor gets fustrated but doesnt do anything about it.

I work in technical support & when i customer doesnt find 'START', i say 'in the bottom right hand corner of your screen is a round button' ....i have about 5 backups if that doesnt work.