Refresher lessons

[Stationclare]

Is it unreasonable to have driving refresher lessons even if you haven't actually stopped to need 'refreshing'?
Had a car for a year post passing. I've driven less than 1000 miles in that time. Limited few routes. Very local. Probably 3 or 4 times a week. Never really drive Any where I actually want to go ifswim? Those places I go by public transport . Buses are good but sometimes it would be much easier to drive.
Not why I wanted to learn
Manoeveres are awful too

Do i keep practicing in my own? Or pay for someone to guide me and help me gain confidence?

There's nothing wrong with refresher lessons if you think it would help improve your confidence and driving abilities You never known they might have various rips and tricks that help things "click" for you and therefore become easier and less intimidating. Go for it I say.

Thank you
Just half of me thinks I'm wasting my money.
I just feel I have such a limited list of places and things I can do even with a car! Which was the whole point in buying a car in the first place so that i could be very independent

Do it! I passed my test and then didn’t drive for a while. I had refresher lessons and practiced my route to work, filtering on and off duel carriageways and a bit of motorway driving until I was confident. My driving instructor said he enjoyed giving lessons to someone who can already drive!

I had refresher lessons after a gap of about 3 years, as I had lost confidence after passing my test. It was the best money I've ever spent.
You would probably not need many lessons as at least you haven't stopped driving completely like I did.
I would recommend you include a motorway driving lesson too, as that really helped me!

One thing I regret is not including parallel parking! Sometimes I'm tempted to book a lesson just for that, even though I've now been driving for 20 years!

I keep thinking that i will just practice more and it will click. But I'm not. I just do the same drives.
For example I've been to asda today. Both really helping as hardly stretching myself but I cant face anything too stressful. Asda is bad enough...
Oh god yes. I couldnt parallel park if my life depended on it!
What I should have done bassoon as I passed is just do it and do it all straightaway.
This limited driving that I'm doing atm is making me feel like a learner.
I do feel embarrassed about lessons in case anyone see me and wonders why I'm having lessons when apparently I have a car!!
They also need to be in my car as an instructors car won't help .

I wouldn't worry - plenty of people have lessons in their own car? I wouldn't have thought you'd need L plates as you've already passed.

Money well spent if gives you the confidence you need driving so feel can go where you want to.
I'm sure you could do the lessons in your own car as insured. Although you shouldn't worry what others think as actually plenty of people either avoid certain manoeuvres or limit driving & haven't done anything to change that. Is also a risk that anxiety may creep in over time & further restrict ability if left to own devices.

Thanks Yes I think I will go for it. And yes I may get more anxious over time and restrict myself further.
People I know(haven't told many how I feel) have said I'm crazy to pay out more money and keep practicing.

The trouble is that it's very hard to psych myself up to do it. So i end up doing same route as always.

I had a gap of 8 years and had refresher lessons but also did quite a lot of local easy routes to build up confidence. On parking, I think the best thing you can do is just go somewhere super quiet. I also planned out routes on ghe satellite view of goggle maps so I could see which lane I needed to be in. Some people just need a bit of time. I reckon it took me a year of driving again before I left confident. I still don’t enjoy it but I’m not limited by it. I do need to push myself more re motorways and long distances but it is hard has my husband loves driving so he automatically does it on longer trips.

Refresher lessons would be great there's also several driving courses you can go on if you've already passed, pass plus is one that is recognised/advised by the government or other 'advanced' lessons. People have them after they've had a crash and things too.

Here's some tips from the DVSA for improving confidence www.safedrivingforlife.info/blog/overcoming-driving-anxiety

Alternatively do you know a kind confident driver that could take you out every week for a bit? If it's just encouraging you to stretch yourself a bit? I find if I've got someone else there I won't make so many excuses to not do something! That would only cost you a bottle of wine or some chocolates!

Great idea IMO to have lessons to help with anything you’re nervous or unsure about, e.g. reversing, parking, joining a motorway, anything else. Why on earth not?

A friend of a dd had lessons and took her test in a very quiet area where her folks had a holiday home, and was consequently so petrified of driving on the much busier roads where she lived, that she hardly drove anywhere for ages. A few hours with a patient instructor would probably have helped a lot.