Practicing driving outside of lessons.

gam3r

gam3r

gam3r

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I've had 10 lessons so far, in a manual ford focus(05 plate) with the AA(£24pl, oh dear :( )

My sister has a ford focus, manual 02 plate.

Well i want to practice in it, i know i need someone over 21 who has had their liscense for over 3 years, that would be my dad, but im wondering to i need to insure my name under her car as a learner or something? How much would this cost around?

Also my sister and dad think i have no car control at all and say "10 lessons isnt enough blahblahblah you dont have full control your instructer uses dual controls", after i tell him he RARELY uses the dual controls. This works me up so bad :( , Anyone got any ideas on encouraging them?

In the manual thingy AA sent me they said the average learner needs 22hours private practice..!
 
Unfortunately you'll have to go on her insurance as a named driver and it'll probably cost a fortune. :(

Which is a shame, when I was learning the miles I put under my belt with my dad outside of lessons were invaluable :)
 
Do you feel you are ready to drive in a car without your instructor and dual controls? It's a lot different driving and knowing you are solely in control of the car. IMO your instructor shouldn't have to use the dual controls at all. If you start driving on your own too early you might pick up bad habits.

Everyone is different, I guess it's down to the way you feel and whether you can convince your dad and sister you are ready.
 
Im pretty confident i could. I drove my sister focus around the block a week ago or so.. I mean i don't even want to force my dad to take me onto busy main roads, just quite roads would do me for improving clutch control.
 
You'll need to be a neamed driver on her insurance. When i was learning in the 406 Estate 1.9 TD, it cost an extra £80 per month.

WhenI was learning, my instructor used his dual controls once, and that was in the first few lessons. As long as you listen to the person who is in the car with you and trust them to keep you both safe then theres absoluetly no problem.

Extra practice is a necessity as it gives you something you cannot get anywhere else; experience.

10 Lesson is enough to have the basics, and be safe under supervision. Just pick fairly quiet roads to start off with. A few hours and then hopefully your Dad or whoever will be confident with your ability.

I had so many hours extra driving and I'm pretty sure it not only has got me out of some tight situations but also prevented me from making some silly mistakes as a new driver. you really can't beat experience.

Burnsy
 
gam3r said:
Im pretty confident i could. I drove my sister focus around the block a week ago or so.. I mean i don't even want to force my dad to take me onto busy main roads, just quite roads would do me for improving clutch control.
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Driving around the block totally insured I hope ;)

Burnsy
 
Ive found the best thing to improve clutch control is practising maneuvers, it's improved mine no end. Luckily I have a cark park at the end of my street so I'm able to drive my car freely in it without supervison, mine and the mrs car are the only 2 that use it. Driving on the roads is a different matter of course so you have to be sure you are ready, even if it is on quiet roads. I haven't passed my test yet as I failed last week but I feel my standard of driving is good enough to drive on the roads with an experienced drive as a passenger.
 
gam3r said:
i have a sainsbury's car park at the end of my road
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However that is freely accessible by the public, so therefore is covered by the same laws as the road, which means you'll need someone over 21 with a licence for >3yrs, plus valid insurance.
 
Personally I think 10 lessons is enough. When I was learning to drive I actually started with my Dad, who made me do about 500 miles a week with him for six weeks. Then I took two lessons with an instructor to learn how to pass my test (rather than learn how to drive) and passed 1st time.

I think there are two factors to consider:

1. Your Dad, unless he passed recently, will have very different ideas on driving than your instructor and you need to not fall into bad habits. With me, my Dad insisted on always scaling down through the gears as he learnt to drive when engine breaking was important. These days it is not but he could not get his head around changing down from 4th to 2nd.

2. Does your Dad have the temprament to sit with you? From his concerns already voiced I would suspect not as he's always going to be very nervous in your sister's car thinking you could prang it at any given moment.

I countered the second one by buying a cheap old car and getting myself and my father insured on it. Cost a lot (in insurance) but it became my first car so when I passed I was completely comfortable in it and I also started building a no claims bonus immediately, which might not seem like much but 8 years later when I wanted to insure a 330Ci at a relatively young age, I was glad to have that NCB behind me. Dad was also much less nervous since it was my car I was going to prang.
 
I agree with the others in the thread. I spent a *lot* of time driving with my dad at weekends, or anytime I could really.. certainly helped. Infact, after I failed my test the first time, I didn't have any more lessons, I just drove with my dad, as I knew what I did wrong and how to fix it (checking blindspot when pulling away, if you must know).

I think 10 lessons should easily be enough. I started driving with my dad after about 4-5. Instructor only used his dual controls in the first couple of lessons though.
 
I practice away from my instructors car, my 1st instructor had a 1.2 Clio, hated it, so I shopped him, ive had 2 lessons with my instructor in a 55 Plate New Shape Focus, its nice to drive but I havnt had a lesson with him in 2 months, because all i need are my menouvers now, and im asking him to come back but do my lessons in my car, I own a Fiat Cinquecento... and im more confident driving in that than I am in any other car...
 
I spent a bit of time learning to drive in the Micra K10 with my Dad before any lessons.

As a n00b it was werid going from a 1.0 Carb'd Petrol car with no PAS & ABS to a 1.4Diesel with PAS, ABS.

Was ok though and Dad's lessons were invaluable.
 
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