Private practise vs more lessons

quotidian · 6 Dec 2012 at 00:34

My dad was just costing up how much it would cost for me to be added to his insurance as a learner driver and its pretty steep TBH. The extra would be the equivilent of quite a few extra lessons, although if I was added to his insurance could I still drive after I passed my test in his car?

I was just wondering if anyone had a good / bad experience or practicing without an instructor ie. is it really going to ingrain bad habits that much like people say?

I can see the benefits of it as I could get out on a sunday morning or sometime its not busy and also theres no time limit so you can go back and retry routes again and again to get used to them in between lessons?

Daniee · 6 Dec 2012 at 01:24

If you were added to his insurance, once you pass your test you would need to notifiy the insurer that you now have a full license before you could drive his car again. This usually costs more than only having a provisional (based on when I was looking at quotes when I was learning 5+ years ago)

I didn't bother doing it and just went with lots of lessons.

cheechm · 6 Dec 2012 at 01:34

2 years after learning to drive you'll have forgotten everything and will most probably drive like a slob.

(Probably not. But you'll adjust your driving style to what suits you).

d_brennen · 6 Dec 2012 at 01:35

A bit of both is good for your confidence and mastery of the road (sorry, that phrase has stuck in my mind all these years

) but too much private practice can make "bad" habits part of your driving style. Remember, your instructor is teaching you to pass the test, not to be a competent driver

Coxyis · 6 Dec 2012 at 01:45

As the post above suggests, you're learning to pass a test and not to be a good driver.

I passed my test after 3 lessons with an instructor but quite a bit of time on the road with my grandad sat next to me. I think you just need to remember what your instructor has told you and build on it, but I guess it depends how disciplined you are. If you can remember what you should and shouldn't be doing, extra time can be a blessing.

I wouldn't advise going out when it's especially quiet, getting used to a bit of traffic won't do you any harm in my opinion.

Zefan · 6 Dec 2012 at 02:12

If you're finding yourself at the stage where you're catching yourself making mistakes before/without the instructor telling you you've made them then I think you should go for the special learner driver insurance and drive your Dad's car.

I used a very small specific company with mine, to get a short term (2 weeks) temporary policy as a learner driver. I wasn't a named driver on anyone's insurance, I merely drove my Sister's car for a bit. It cost about £80 for two weeks, much cheaper than having to pay for someone to sit beside you and tell you what you already know.

:Edit: I believe it was https://www.collingwoodlearners.co.uk/ I used although they don't seem quite as small and have a far less crappy website than I remember... but it was 3 years ago though so who knows. There are quite a few places that will do it now, stick short term learner driver insurance in to google and I'm sure you'll find a good deal.

cheechm · 6 Dec 2012 at 02:13

d_brennen said:
Remember, your instructor is teaching you to pass the test, not to be a competent driver

And this is the problem with learning to drive. It shouldn't be about being able to tick the boxes. In my opinion, teaching someone how to drive is completely different to teaching someone how to be safe. Obviously the two will go hand in hand, but few instructors teach the learners how to drive safely in situations they might not have experienced.

AshD93 · 6 Dec 2012 at 09:32

There is normally a clause in the contract for provisional drivers that means that premium changes once you past. It's always gone up massively from stories I've heard.

It makes more sense to pay for a few extra lessons.

iaind · 6 Dec 2012 at 09:34

Premium will go up when you pass. A newly passed driver is a much greater risk than a learner who, by law, has to be supervised at all times

quotidian · 6 Dec 2012 at 11:33

iaind said:
Premium will go up when you pass. A newly passed driver is a much greater risk than a learner who, by law, has to be supervised at all times

Will the extra they look for after I pass + the initial extra cost be the same as the cost of putting me onto my dads insurance if I had already passed?

iaind · 6 Dec 2012 at 11:43

quotidian said:
Will the extra they look for after I pass + the initial extra cost be the same as the cost of putting me onto my dads insurance if I had already passed?

Yes, the premium will be increased the same amount and the charge will be pro rated

Gribs · 6 Dec 2012 at 12:58

A lot of the benefit will depend on how you get on with your dad as a passenger. When I learnt I couldn't stand going out with my dad but was fine with my mum as she generally just sat there quietly and let me get on with it. She'd mention anything when we'd finished.