Learning to drive

willhub

willhub

willhub

Caporegime
Joined
3 Jan 2006
Posts
25,276
Location
Chadderton, Oldham
So I'm considering on learning to drive, it just seems sensible to do, at some point I'll move and realise I've got a parking space or a bit of road I could in theory plonk a car on, and then I'll want a car anyway, I cycle, and I'll hapilly cycle from Manchester to York, but I can't take stuff with me, so this is where I need a car, or if I want to go somewhere, like London, I can't be faffed with trains.

So one thing I'm thinking is the cost, probably around £800 in total for driving lessons / test? But then a car could be £200 a month on finance, + tax, then petrol.

The next thing is, learning to drive, do they just stick you in a car and whack you in the deep end on busy roads with maniacs? Or do they take you somewhere quiet to get more acquainted with the car?

Last time I tried to drive a car I was going in circles at 20mph in an abandoned mushroom farm, but it took me about 30 minutes to get the thing moving cause of the clutch, seemed proper hard.

tl;dr: I'm nervous about learning to drive and don't know the true costs of learning to drive.
 
I'm just learning to drive now too - only had my first lesson last weekend. I'm using an AA instructor but not directly through the AA so am paying him £21/hour which isn't too bad from what I've heard (my sister paid the same guy £25 hourly through the AA).

No idea how long it's going to take me to pass my test but am hoping within a year of starting to learn is a decent thing to aim for - the girlfriend (who drives) wants me to pass by my birthday in September! ha
 
Long time ago, they will take you to an open safe area first and then wean you onto bigger stuff depending on you ability, most nervious i've ever been was for my driving test.
 
It's worth learning at least, certainly can be useful. No way I could have got my job if I wasn't ready to start driving at short notice, so I recommend getting the license!

£800 might be optimistic, possible if you pass first go though and learn quickly. Don't forget insurance, this will be a lot of the costs! A smaller engine car will be lower tax and insurance.

On my first lesson I drove back along all sorts of roads from a village near my town, so that was sort of at the deep end I guess, but it'll be a dual control car anyhow so you can't go too wrong. Research a good instructor.
 
My first lesson included a hill start :p

Usually some quiet residential roads or an industrial estate. You'll get the hang of it pretty quickly. I think the key is to have consistent tuition for the first 8-10 hours.

A lesson every 2/3 weeks won't be frequent enough. I had about 19 hours of lessons and passed first time in 3 months. Of course there's no rush and everybody learns at different speeds. You need to feel confident & in control before you pass, I don't know how people manage to pass without feeling this but they do and ultimately end up being awful drivers.
 
I had some lessons when I turned 17, (5 years ago now mind...) my first lesson was mainly on a quiet estate just to practice start/stop. Then an hour or so on reasonably quiet 'countryish roads on the outskirts of town'. 2nd lesson I hit 75 on the ring road.

Hopefully this year I'll do it again and pass as I could finally use a car too.
 
I was nervous about learning to drive, them my instructor said "you have as much right to be on this road as anybody" went fine from there. Even graduated to driving HGV's in the end.
 
First lesson I had my instructor drove out to a quiet trading/industrial estate and got me to drive around there a bit before going onto roads properly.

Mine was quite good and seeing I was struggling with driving about the busy town center got me to drive out around town on the dual carriage ways, etc. until I was more familiar with driving in general before trying more intensive roads again with stop/start traffic and complex junctions, etc.
 
Like most things the worry is before you actually do it so take the plunge & get that first lesson out the way. The instructor will not push you to do anything you are not comfortable with. :)
 
Driving is like riding a bike. The mechanics of it are very simple, anyone of sound mind should have no trouble... But, like riding a bike, it's all in the head. Don't agonise over it, book a lesson and do it.
 
willhub said:
The next thing is, learning to drive, do they just stick you in a car and whack you in the deep end on busy roads with maniacs?
Click to expand...

That wouldn't be very safe for you or the instructor, would it?

Last time I tried to drive a car I was going in circles at 20mph in an abandoned mushroom farm, but it took me about 30 minutes to get the thing moving cause of the clutch, seemed proper hard.
Click to expand...

Someone, i.e. non-qualified person gave you some private lessons?

tl;dr: I'm nervous about learning to drive and don't know the true costs of learning to drive.
Click to expand...

A good instructor will take note of the nervousness of pupils and adjust the lessson accordingly. My very first lesson was spent entirely just explaining the controls, I think I was allowed to start the engine and maybe drive it a few yards down a very quiet road. It was 20 years ago and I still remember it. :)

Then it'll start with very simple things in very quiet roads, and only move up to more complicated things when you're ready. Don't worry about it.
 
I would take a trial lesson with a company that does fast pass courses and they will tell you the best course for you if they are reputable, None of this 1 lesson a week taking a year to learn nonsense.

I already knew how to drive and went to these guys who are local to me and the instructor was fantastic and passed with 8 hours of lessons in 2 days but like any good school or instructor they have courses for all experience levels.

http://www.passfast.net/
 
instructor took me to an industrial estate, showed all the workings of the car then we drove round the estate then I drove the 2 miles home.

Get your theory done and out the way then just concentrate on the lessons.
 
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