Driving instructor issues

[Lyxou]

DD has been having driving lessons for 18 months with the same instructor. She was booked in for a test in April, but her instructor said she wasn't ready and wouldn't let her take the test in her car, fair enough, we cancelled.

She now has another test booked in a couple of weeks, but the instructor keeps talking as though she's taking the test in our car, even though my DD keeps correcting her and telling her that she's taking it in the instructors car. The only reason we cancelled the last one was because we want her to do it in the instructors car, and it's partly why I'm spending a fortune on proper driving instructor lessons.

She also keeps telling DD that she needs to make us take her round all the test routes, but we don't know the test routes, can't teach her (don't mind sitting in while she's driving, but I've no idea what mistakes are minors/majors etc) and the test centre is a 30 minute drive away. Also, even though she's insured to drive one of our cars, it was only ever to give her a bit of top up practice when we were already driving somewhere. We both work full time, and currently snowed under with other life stuff (death in family, other children etc.), and we don't have time to take her over to the test centre city - it takes about 2 hours all told, so a whole evening really. We have plenty of money, so happy to pay the instructor for extra lessons/longer lessons, which I've repeatedly asked for but they've never materialised. I'm just wondering what the instructor is playing at? It's making my DD confused and panicky about the test, and the instructor keeps implying that she's lazy for not making us take her to the test centre city for practice in our car, even though it is entirely our fault because we don't have time. DD can drive fine but she is a nervous driver. I'm getting increasingly annoyed with the way the instructor is treating my lovely DD, and don't know what to do.

I had a driving instructor and my own car to practice in. I practiced in my car every single day, and my instructor took me out once a week in his car. He wouldn’t let me do my test in my own car, as he said it was far easier for him to get his valeted so it was clean, knowing all the mirrors etc were present so the examiner couldn’t refuse the test. Also his car had parking sensors and mine didn’t.

He was fantastic and got me from nothing to passing in 4 months. I started my first lesson at the end of September and had passed by the beginning of January. If your daughter hasn’t gelled with the instructor I think you need to find a new one. I was genuinely sad when I passed because my instructor was fantastic.

I am teaching my dd to drive for various reasons. Got her a little car and started from scratch. She’s been driving a couple of months now every day practicing and she’s ready for a test now.
We downloaded the test route app and use these exact routes for driving practice. The routes become familiar and are challenging. Means they don’t fail on something unusual or unexpected. There’s 12 routes for our area so quite a bit to get through. Gets them used to following a sat nav too.
Only downside to the app I’ve found is you need to be within feet of the test centre itself for the app to work, so that can sometimes be an inconvenience.
She’s never had a driving lesson with an instructor but I think I’m going to book a mock test with one shortly before test date arrives just to smooth anything over. But she’ll be taking the actual test in her car. Waiting times for test are another level and just add to the pressure of the day itself. Also print off the show me tell me questions and make sure she knows how to pop the bonnet and locate the basics. My sons driving instructor didn’t tell him about this part of test so he picked up a minor before starting .

There's a section on the DVSA website about taking a test in your own car - you do need any mirror.

If she’s taking it in your car there’s quite a lot you need to check as well as making sure the car is pristine. Do check the rules - I see you already know about the second mirror but there’s other stuff too which we nearly fell foul of!

DVSA recommend 45 hours of instructor lessons with an additional 22 hours of private practise.

Whaaaaaaat?! I had 12 paid for 1 hour lessons, couldn’t drive either of my parents cars so zero other practice and passed first time 10 weeks after turning 17.

DD is 12 and has done 2 hours of Young Driver sessions and is happy (off road, admittedly) in 4th gear and with reversing already.

We’re petrolheads, admittedly, weaned in all things car from birth, but 67 hours to pass the test is ridiculous!

If she's driving your car lots round and about she is doing plenty of practice. She doesn't 'need' to know the test routes if she has a little familiarity and knows roughly from her instructor lessons I'd say that's fine. Knowing it too well can lead to complacency.
(FWIW eldest had 10 lessons passed with no minors, admittedly a few years ago)
I'm sure she'll be fine taking the test in your car.

Situation sorted, the instructor has completely backed down now that I've stepped in.

Pisses me off that she didn't listen to DD when DD talked to her about it, but it's sorted and that's the immediate problem solved.

Someone above mentioned getting a car valeted if not using the instructor's car. We didn't for DD. It was fairly clean outside. Luckily no greasy finger prints inside, so I just gave it a dust and shook mats. I took out DH's pair glasses and a couple of parking receipts, leaving car essentials in, ie ice scrapper, cloth for screen, manufacturers manual, notebook, pen, MOT and service details. The examiner happily let DD do her test in our car.

I hardly practiced in the family car and took my test miles away from where I lived. I didn't even do the test run I took for the actual test. It certainly didn't take 18 months either. You must be able to see whether she's a competent driver if you take her out so much. The instructor sounds pretty odd to me.

I did mine in 18 with no practice.
However , everyone is different, some people just find it harder than others.

But for the DVSA to reccomend 60+ hours?!

We bought one from eBay - cost very little and then it was really easy to fit once at the test centre.

We had two instructors for dd (had to change due to covid delays and dd moving to university) and found communication difficult with both, and it always just seems a bit 'not quite' professional when dealing with them - and a couple of,others we contacted beforehand. One still technically owes us £300 after we paid upfront and he only turned up for one lesson - he then left the 'group' of instructors he was with, neither he or they would continue communication and the instructor basically has no income since leaving so not even worth chasing anymore,.

The first one turned up and did the lessons but seemed to like to delay putting drivers into the test, and wasn't great with communication. I'm sure there are really good professional ones out there but we definitely fell unlucky.

Dd ended up passing her test in our car after doing some driving with dh.

But for the DVSA to reccomend 60+ hours?!

Because they want fully confident and competent drivers, who know lots about driving in different road and weather situations, based on if it's morning or night time, if it's cold and wet or hot and sunny, if it's rush hour or not, on big, fast roads, slower around town, on country lanes, etc.
Obviously the more lessons (or rather the more time spent behind the wheel) the better experience you have of driving in different situations.

Experience is always going to be the ideal.

Ds1 passed confidently with teaching from Dh, then me, instructor lessons, and practicing twice a week with me and Dh, in a few months.
I'm glad instructor backed down. Your lack of effort on the test routes is worrying though. I looked up our's, watched it, as did ds1. Then we drove them, twice. Was enough.

Thanks for all the info. I did think it was odd, when, after about 8 lessons, I decided she'd probably learnt enough for me to take her out, and I discovered that she couldn't even steer! So I did 3 X 1 hour sessions with her, making her drive up and down the parking bays at Tescos, doing a U-turn at the end of each one. It worked. I should have binned off the instructor then, but she came so highly recommended from my next door neighbour, whose 3 children all passed first time with her and fairly quickly. That was a fair while ago though, before the pandemic. I've just been assuming that DD is like her Dad and struggles with driving.

If DD fails I'm just going to keep booking her in for tests and take her out myself, and not bother with an instructor. I've had enough of it all, especially the vast quantities of money I'm hemorrhaging on it.

Some of the delay has been due to not being able to get test slots, A-level exams getting in the way etc.

Confidence is a major part of driving OP and it sounds like your daughter's instructor hasn't worked on building hers. Don't underestimate how quickly it can be undermined by someone picking at her all the time.

After a couple of bad experiences I got a lovely instructor who explained things patiently and complimented me when it went well. He went on holiday and a family friend took me out in his car as a favour... ha ha... what a complete disaster.

He was shouty, picked on every slight mistake and it all went downhill. At the end of the few days he told my parents that I was such a bad driver he was surprised that I'd had that many lessons! My instructor was shocked at how much I'd regressed when he returned and I failed the test I had booked shortly after.

I passed on the second go though, a couple of months later. On the hardest route with an examiner known for being 'tough'. All the other instructors came to congratulate me when I stepped out of the car.

There is no such thing as 'struggling' with driving people struggle with different aspects maybe. But there's so much dick swinging around being able to drive, picking it up quickly etc that it causes so much anxiety.

Also OP I wouldn't take those with high first time pass rates. Look for one that's known for patience!

My DD took her test in our car, and most of her friends also did in their own or parents' cars. We borrowed an extra stick-on mirror for the examiner, but she used her own one. Also got the little stick on blind spot mirrors for the side mirrors. Made sure the car was reasonably clean! It gives you loads more flexibility if you use your car, with the difficulty of getting tests at the moment.

My DH took DD out for 2 hours on Thursday, then 2 hours again on Friday, and he says he gets the impression from DD that the instructor hasn't done much parking practice with her either, she's just been pootling around for an hour every week.

I'm wondering if the instructor was good before the pandemic but can't be arsed now, since there's clients queuing, so no worry about getting work, And she's found she can talk people into doing it in their own car, probably because people are struggling to get instructors, and then she doesn't even have to worry about her pass rate.

I'm kicking myself so much for not binning her off a year ago, or even 6 months ago. I might even teach my other daughter myself, I bet there's tons of help on line.

Almost all the routes are on YouTube

I'd text instructor now and tell her you are very concerned.

Can you post on your local Facebook group for a new instructor. Say test in 2 weeks needs lessons. Desperate. I know many instructors have long long, waiting list may just be possible that someone will have an opening. and May be able to fit in 4 lessons in the next two weeks and get her sorted.

If you and DH do loads of driving with her, go over the test routes, at least twice. she could possibly be ok?