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Original poster

Anyone taught their DC to drive from the very start?

33 replies

hairybakers · 08/10/2021 10:35

DS turned 17 in March and due to huge hold ups at DVLA didn't get his provisional for a couple of months, we then moved house etc so we have only just got to the point where he can start driving lessons.
Unfortunately all the driving schools/instructors round here are fully booked for the foreseeable but he really really wants to learn how to drive (and I'd love him to also)

I'm getting a new car in a couple of weeks, changing my automatic SUV beast thing for a manual small engine mini so it feels like it'll be appropriate to teach him in this until we can find an instructor.

I've driven for 20 years+ and am generally confident and calm on the road.

I just don't know where to start?!

Obviously I'll sort the insurance and L plates etc but would I just take him to a big empty car park to start with?

OP posts:

Xiaoxiong · 08/10/2021 10:45

My dad taught me to drive (on an automatic) in a big empty parking lot!

BlueChampagne · 08/10/2021 10:52

No, but my friend and her two brothers were both taught successfully by their father. Definitely a big empty car park to start with - it will lower the stress as he kangaroos around! Then quiet roads once he has some control over the gears.

Does he cycle? That will give him some sense of being a road user, what to look out for etc. before he starts.

teentitango · 08/10/2021 10:53

When I've had lessons we usually start on a quiet side road getting used to the controls etc, and go further and further each time. I was only taken out on the major roads when I was capable of actually handling the car. Also I think you need to more aware due to not having dual controls

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Driving & parking

Hen2018 · 08/10/2021 10:57

Yes. It took a surprisingly long time. We started going in a straight line on a quiet lane.

Hen2018 · 08/10/2021 10:58

Should have said he had 3 paid for lessons before his test.

TeeBee · 08/10/2021 11:00

I took my son during lockdown round the industrial estates until we could get a driving instructor. Just getting used to how a car works, reversing, driving round in circles, parallel parking. Just to get his confidence up.

Ozanj · 08/10/2021 11:01

I think it all depends how well you drive and how well you know the highway code. Out of my friends the only ones who learned to drive and pass their tests entirely through parents / relatives & didn’t need to take a single lesson, were those whose parents had taken some kind of advanced driving qualification themselves.

Sparklingbrook · 08/10/2021 11:05

I took my DC out for practice alongside their official lessons. It was just driving and I didn't 'teach' as such. I'm glad because things have changed since I learned to drive years ago, if I'd been teaching him it could well have been 'wrong', so not sure.

RolloTomassi · 08/10/2021 11:11

Do it! My parents bought me a little old banger and did my first lessons so I could get a feel for the basics and gain some confidence. Started in the car park of a showcase cinema!

Instructor did take over (I think everyone needs at least some of the "formal" learning for the purposes of passing the test) but I had regular practice with my parents and passed quickly.

Sparklingbrook · 08/10/2021 11:12

Get the theory test out of the way ASAP too.

Original poster

hairybakers · 08/10/2021 11:14

Oh yes the plan is def to let an instructor take over as soon as possible but at the moment they are like gold dust round here!

Huge empty car parks, im coming for you!

OP posts:

trilbydoll · 08/10/2021 11:14

My Dad taught me to get started, he thought it was a waste of money paying for me to learn how not to stall. We went to a very quiet residential road and I could get up to 20mph and 3rd gear before starting lessons

TeenMinusTests · 08/10/2021 11:21

DH taught DD1 completely (something like 4 lessons along the way to check progress was OK and test readiness), and is about to start on DD2 in a week. . There is a lot on the internet these days on expected methods to make sure you don't teach 'incorrectly'

An empty carpark or an industrial estate on an evening or weekend is a good place to start.

MissCreeAnt · 08/10/2021 11:26

Def do your homework first, we've been warned that good practice has changed.

Sparklingbrook · 08/10/2021 11:37

@MissCreeAnt

Def do your homework first, we've been warned that good practice has changed.

Yes, I'm trying to think of the specifics but there's a few things that were news to me. There's something about the clutch and not using the handbrake so much.

MrsKellySeveride · 08/10/2021 11:37

My DS turned 17 in May and we had similar issues with booking a driving instructor because of the backlog.

I insured DS on my car through Marmalade who specialise in insurance for learner drivers - chose the 1 month option to start with as I didn't know how things would go.

I have been driving for 25 years and do it without actively thinking so I was worried that I wouldn't be able to explain things that I do instinctively.

We started out on the supermarket car park at 10pm. Just moving off and stopping initially. Then did changing into 2nd gear and driving at around 10mph (was fast enough for DS to start with). Then over the next few weeks we moved to starting off on the car park then driving around the adjacent industrial park (got some funny looks from HGV drivers parked up for the night). By week 2 (we didn't go out every night, just when we were both available) DS felt confident enough to drive home - he was terrified but did really well. Once he's got used to driving home in the dark with no traffic, we tried driving in the day with traffic around. He insisted on having the car covered in L plates but a couple of trips out and he was confident to go back to a normal amount of L plates. All of the times we went out, I only had 1 heart attack so not dreadful in the grand scheme of things.

He's now having lessons with a proper driving instructor and doing exceptionally well - test next month! I think those initial few weeks with me helped him gain confidence and work things out in his own head before delving straight in.

Good luck to both of you! 🚗

picklemewalnuts · 08/10/2021 11:40

I started mine with manoeuvring. It was all low speed, and they learned how to feel the car and where the car was in relation to everything else. We didn't do low speed crawling around until they had forward and backwards, stopping starting, felt the turning circle etc. Then we did straight lines and getting faster.

Itsnotlikemilkingacow · 08/10/2021 12:21

Not what you asked, but you say he got his provisional licence then you moved - make sure he has notified dvla of the change of address. I think instructors have to make sure the provisional licence is correct/valid etc before you can start lessons.

minmooch · 08/10/2021 17:34

Yes I taught my son to drive before he went travelling. When he came back we did more driving then he had less than 10 lessons and passed his test. His instructor said I had done a good job!

In4mation · 08/10/2021 17:40

We taught our two kids the basics, and spent hours driving round the industrial estates. Didn’t want to waste expensive lessons learning not to bunny hop.

The instructor then taught them how to do it properly!

Worked for us.

Puffalicious · 08/10/2021 17:46

I don't know about not being able to do it 'properly': my uncle taught all of us girls in the family and my dad the boys. We all passed no bother- me first time.

Sparklingbrook · 08/10/2021 18:20

@Puffalicious

I don't know about not being able to do it 'properly': my uncle taught all of us girls in the family and my dad the boys. We all passed no bother- me first time.

I didn't feel I could do it 'properly' because things seems to have changed since I learned to drive and I didn't want to promote any bad habits if that makes sense.

Puffalicious · 08/10/2021 20:23

I know what you mean SparklingBrook we're going to teach DS1 and then follow up with as few lessons as possible.

wallysally · 08/10/2021 20:48

I wish...here in Ireland you HAVE to have 12 lessons with an accredited driving instructor.

meadowbleu · 08/10/2021 20:54

I did. I used an industrial estate on the weekend to start, just small roads, stopping, pulling in to the kerb and graduating to reversing around the corner and doing a three point turn. It was baby steps until we could get professional instruction.

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