Aibu to be annoyed at dd driving instructor?!

[werniebooster]

Dd has had approx 20 hours with instructor.

He has said that she is driving well, all that she needs to do apparently is make changing gears etc second nature - she has told me she is doing this

Lessons consist of driving around our residential area, lots of turns, traffic lights and onto some main roads. But no roundabout practice and no test routes etc.

She needs to learn in the next three months before she moves area. Originally he said it was fine but now he's fudging it and saying how it's just not enough time (12 hours) to learn manoeuvres/do test routes - however he hasn't even started her on these even though she has no difficulties with work covered so far and would like to be stretched!

Aib to be pretty fuming?

Honestly, I'd just change instructor. I had to do that myself when 8 or so lessons in, my first instructor hadn't let me above 3rd gear. He didn't let me turn until lesson 4. No reversing until lesson 3. The one time he let me on a road with other cars he seemed like a nervous wreck (and I assure you it wasn't my driving!)

My advice would be to use a local FB selling site to ask the community who they'd recommend. My replacement instructor was fantastic and I see him recommended on our local site several times a week. He doesn't waste money on advertising and gets all of his bookings from word of mouth.

Thanks everyone, really appreciate your advice.

Dd has booked a lesson in with another instructor now so will see how that goes. Obviously there is a chance it is her and her driving but she was just coming home more demotivated each time - I'm a teacher so obviously am aware of the importance of having clear objectives in lessons - his objectives genuinely were to "just drive" although no country roads, no dual carriageways, no roundabouts... Literally just turning and the odd traffic light.

New instructor fingers crossed seems more enthusiastic and immediately asked her if she had a goal to work towards. She mentioned perhaps aiming for late Jan and he's immediately planning things with that in mind, think she feels quite excited at the thought of progression should her driving be up to scratch. Obviously if he agrees with previous instructor then fair enough, our fault for thinking she was ready for more, but I think the big issue was that she felt she wasn't getting anything out of the lessons. If she can feel encouraged and motivated by it then that's amazing. Perhaps it's just a difference in teaching/learning styles

I think she is dreading saying anything to current instructor though.

What reason do people tend to use?!

Don't want to end on a bad note as he's not to blame, what did others do?? We live in a small place and I can imagine him turning up on the day of her test!!

It took me forever to learn to drive and I had 3 instructors. The first one I had for about 10 lessons. Her husband was a stairlift salesman, and they spent every night in our local. In the end I got sick of hearing her talking the whole damn time about her problems and I'm pretty sure they had an alcohol issue. The second one I switched from because my friends instructor was really good with her and I go by word of mouth.

I dread to think how many hours I had in total. Possibly around 30/40 mark (passed on the 4th or 5th test). I remember not doing much for a considerable amount of time.... and then suddenly it was, oh okay park here parallel for me, very good, now go over there and reverse around the corner. Once you start learning them and begin to get them, it does honestly start to go a bit quicker.

If your daughter isn't gaining much momentum with this instructor, I'd have a word with him myself and say that you need to start hearing of some different activities in the lessons. But honestly, driving around for 4 lessons seems normal. He may be assessing what she can do, how confident she is with being on the road before pushing her.

ooh sorry! i missed the 2nd page and your last response OP!

Whenever I switched I just said that I'd decided to go with someone else due to a friend recommending or something along those lines. They wont take it personally.It's just business.

DH is a driving instructor. He introduces manoeuvres, road driving etc pretty early on - as soon as the pupil has a good grip of left / right turns. Definitely far fewer than 20 lessons. By 20 he's usually prepping mock tests unless the pupil really isn't ready.

But iklboo the OPs daughter has had 20 lessons with 3 instructors. Only 4-5 with the current instructor.

Before i started learning to drive with an instructor i was taught by a family member. I thought i knew how to drive. So when i started with an instructor i got a bit annoyed and fed up because all i did was drive around a housing estate. I wanted to be on the road learning manouvres and passing my test by 20 lessons. Turned out i didnt know how to drive, i knew how to drive in a straight line and go around a corner.

I quickly snapped out of my thinking and 25 lessons in with the same instructor and i am progressing nicely.

OP I understand - I think it's a pretty poor show if your dd has proved herself competent with other instructors and yet for the past six (?) hours new instructor has just been going round the same old routes...

She will never pass unless having lots and lots of private driving with you or someone else too. It takes a while to get used to new instructors.

And tests can book up months in advance. Have you said to instructor you want test routes covered? You can also download the ols routes online (they officially don't follow 'routes' anymore but there are only so many places she can drive so a good place to start!) You should be taking her out on the routes and tricky bits over and over again

20hrs with 3 instructors is hardly anything

Old test routes - just Google it

Sorry just seen she has new instructor, hope it goes better! But she seriously needs private practice

Did your daughter post a thread on this very recently? There was one where the OP was in a strikingly similar situation (on third instructor, wanted stretching through doing manoeuvres and dual carriageways etc, had 20 hours, wants to do test in next three months etc) - if not, might be worth looking for it, because there was some advice on there.

Yes, sorry it was a cross post.