Driving is not as easy as some make out. Just failed my 5th driving test.

[Aeroflotgirl]

I know on Mumsnet. some on here like to say how everybody should drive and how it is a life skill, and negative comments about non drivers. I just failed my 5th test, took 4 tests 20 years ago and failed, but thought I would try again. My goodness, the test is a lot harder and it is really tough. I can see a lot of people not having the skills that incorporates that. I will take another few, then call it a day.

It is not the person's fault, some people are just not able to drive, and that probably includes me. What I found difficult is reading the road signs and getting into the right lane, especially on the big multi laned lighted roundabouts. So out of my depth and just fell apart.

I feel sad that some will regard me as being immature, CF, and undesirable if I am not able to drive. I always make my own way to places using public transport or taxi or if my friends offer me a lift and insist if we are going to dinner, I will but them a drink at their insistence. So try not to take advantage.

Definitely change instructors until you find one that you're comfortable and relaxed with!

Don't carry on unless YOU want to. You are not immature or incompetent if you can't drive. Driving is not a pre-requisite to adulthood! I was 31 when I learned. It took me 9 months of practice practice practice. I'm afraid that practice is what you're going to need, driving is about doing it so often that it becomes instinctual. I had a really hard time with road signs at the start too because you have to conentrate on so many things. But once driving becomes instinctual for you, then you've got the head space for the signage.

I hope you can find a calm friend to practice with you if that's what you want to do!

Thank you very much, no all my friends have manual cars, and dh has a big manual SUV and we would have to take the kids if he takes me out, as I don't have anyone to look after them. Also dh is not the most patient on the road, he gets quite anxious too, so having me would really hightern his anxiety. He drives not because he enjoys it, but because he has to .

MirriVan Dh is an anxious driver, so noway. Shame my friends own manuals too I can only afford limited lessons . I guess I have to do the best with what I have. I don't think the instructor prepared me well at all. That is the main thing. If i have a good instructor who is patient and understanding than i hope that the outcome will be different.

Another thing it might be worth thinking about, is saving your lesson money for a while, then booking some two hour lessons. You can go further - practice on all sorts of roads, and get further. You relax into it and don't waste such a % of your lesson getting back into it each week. Or do 2 lessons a week (using the money you save now by not having lessons for a month or two).

You don't need to learn to drive now, you need to learn confidence on the big roads and at the big roundabouts. The pp is right - use what remaining cash you have wisely and book 2 hour lessons to concentrate on your weaknesses - get your confidence up. Good luck.

Also consider getting a new instructor.

Thank you, I will probably do that!

Passed first time at age seventeen.

It was a while ago though and I did nearly ran over the man with the red flag.

"run" not ran.

Oh no nometal 😥😥😥

Sorry to hear you didn't pass. I was also a late learner. I did a test when I was about 20 and failed, then moved to London and didn't need to drive really, then moved back to a rural area a few years ago and needed to drive. I started learning in autumn 2017 and passed in early 2018 on my first test since the one long ago. BUT I had a brilliant instructor who recognised I was a basket case and worked hard at building up my confidence. We decided early on which of the local test centres we would use (the one with the highest pass rate! :) ) and in the weeks leading up to my test we drove ALL the potential test routes around that town over and over again. When I did my actual test, which involved driving through town and country, one enormous roundabout and two junctions on the dreaded A30 dual carriageway, there was no place on that test route which I had not driven with my instructor many times. I thought "oh no" when we headed for the dual carriageway but I knew I'd done that bit of road before and I could do it again. The weirdest thing that happened on my test was during the sat-nav guided part when it directed me down a local back road which turned out to be closed for roadworks, so we had to do a diversion into a housing estate and find somewhere to turn round - a turning which the instructor actually didn't know but I had been there before! I didn't panic and just did a neat turn and we carried on past the diversion until the sat-nav sorted itself out. To be honest I think keeping cool in that situation probably was what got me the pass!

Maybe, if your instructor hasn't been driving all the possible test routes over and over with you, you need to find a different instructor. It's now just over a year since I passed and I drive a lot - I have a new job which I couldn't get to if I couldn't drive in a rural area.

Good luck.

I attribute my painless pass to my father giving me the opportunity to drive long distances while learning. We lived at the opposite end of the country to our relatives so I often had chance to drive for hours at a time and experience a wide variety of roads and conditions. This built up my confidence hugely.

As already suggested, if you wan't to drive auto only, then you need to be able to practise in one as much as possible between lessons.

BTW I learnt in a manual but switched to autos in the early 1990's.

I passed at the second attempt, 25 years ago. I also passed in a seaside town where there weren't any dual carriageways or big roundabouts. I had to get used to them after passing my test, especially when I moved to live in Greater London, Zone 6.

At least you're learning how to do that before you pass your test, OP. When you pass your test (and I'm sure you will), you will already be a very good driver.

Driving tests are so nerve wracking! I remember how my legs turned to jelly in my first test! Failing a test really doesn't mean you don't have the capacity to be a good driver.

I passed 7th time, although this was almost 25 years ago. Nerves were my problem, never failed for the same thing twice, just could never seem to hold it together on the day. Don't give up. I also felt like everyone around me could do it except me so why couldn't I?!