Feel like I will never drive

[Cinammonroll]

I didn't get on well with manual, failed many times (i mean almost 10). Had a long break from driving and I tried again yesterday in an automatic.
Spent the entire 2 hour lesson practicing left turns as I just couldn't get them right, with positioning, steering and general panicking.
I managed to get a few good steers at the end, but felt embarrassed.
Partner was laughing when I told him saying how on earth can I not do left steers it's so easy.
Hopefully I'll improve with lessons, but I'm not sure.
I worry I'll never drive. It's not the end of the world if I don't, but it'd make day to day life a lot easier if I could and improve job prospects a lot.
I see it a lot on here, that most posters wouldn't date a male who couldn't drive and see driving as a 'basic life skill' that everyone should be able to achieve. Thankfully I'm not male so hopefully less taboo.

A lot of it is just repetition and confidence from that. Your boyfriend is being unpleasantly unsupportive by laughing. I'd be very unimpressed with that attitude.

You could look into a track-based beginners lesson, to learn just the basics of handling the car rather than public road related things as well. Places like Dunsfold Park do sessions. Or if you can find a large tarmaced area (car park?) that's not busy at certain times where you could go to just practice basic car handling?

left turns? Are you based overseas OP? Genuine question, no offence.

No I'm in the UK, why?

What do you mean you can’t make left turns? Do you mean right turns?

My first lesson was mostly left turns… makes sense to start with the basics

I mean i struggled with turning left. Don't know how else to explain.

New car ... its not always easy. Go at your own pace.
I was like you once. I passed on an suronatic and now drive everywhere... motorways etc all good.

Contrary to what large sections of mumsnet believes, not driving doesn't make you a failed human being.

Oh, ok. Maybe driving just isn’t for you and that’s ok

Driving isn’t for everyone and, if you cannot left turn, I don’t think it’s for you.

It took me forever to learn to drive.

first lot of lessons - had about 50 hours when I was 17yo in an old Datsun sunny. Failed test with three errors (each of which would have been a fail) and then went to university

sexond lot of lessons about two years later in a Nissan mixes - had about 12. Failed test sign one dangerous error

second lot of lessons a year later - did an ‘intensive’ course in a Renault Clio, which was about 13 hours across five days with the test right at the end. Finally passed.

so I probably had about 80 hours’ tuition in total. Nobody would take me out as I was clearly a huge liability and they feared for themselves and their cars. But I did it. The intensive course was the best for me. I’m not the best driver, and I struggle with long distances as I get tired, but I stuck with it.

good luck.

If even the automatic doesn't help you manage then maybe you are one of those people who just doesn't have the capacity (can't think of a better word, apologies) to drive a car.

Hey ho. I can't play violin or get interested in football either. It's not obligatory and if it were very easy the tests wouldn't be so hard for so many

Maybe your DP needs to wind his neck in, there must be something fairly common he can't do that you find simple. Make that comparison to him.

Sorry I don't understand.

I'm not judging or having a go, I'm just trying to understand.

You said you struggled with 'left turns'. All you have to do is turn the steering wheel to the left, and accelerate, until you have completed the turn, then straighten up.

What was going wrong when you were doing it?

Give the OP a break. It's a learnt skill. Some people take to it immediately and others just need to practice. Road positioning and steering are the starting point. My very first lessons (a long time ago now) were pretty much just driving along a long straight road on a very quiet business park. And then starting to go around the block doing just left turns until I was happy with that.

Mocking the OP and belittling her isn't helpful.

@RoseslnTheHospital

Nobody has mocked the OP.

I failed my test three times and then I got a new instructor and he got through to me somehow and I passed but I think anyone can learn, you just have to keep practicing and invest in a good quality instructor.

I would try to find somewhere really quiet where you can practice without having to worry too much else going on. Do you have an automatic car to practice in? Would your boyfriend be able to sit in with you whilst you get your confidence back?

In your situation I would simply accept that driving isn't for you and move on. Not everyone is cut out for it and if what you've posted is true then you definitely shouldn't be on the road. Instructors will never tell you this as they want to extract as much money from you as possible.

Hmm. All the posters reckoning they don't understand what she means by left turns? Right....

Not everyone is cut out for driving so don't fret.
I bet there is something that you are good at that a driver isn't.

Not everyone can be good at everything.

Left turns are the basics of driving. If OP said she couldn’t do three point turns or parallel parking that would be more understandable.

No one was mocking her.

Don't know if this helps but imagine the front right corner of the bonnet needs to run along the white line on the road. And go practice in a large empty car park, say on a Sunday after the shop had closed. Practice lefts, get a feel for how much you need to turn etc.

I agree with the people who've suggested finding somewhere to practise on your own without other cars & road safety to contend with. Google old airfields near you, or large areas of hardstanding that you can get access to. There's a good one in Somerset but no idea where you live of course!

Boyfriend is not the right person.

Is it fear, or the technique itself that you're struggling with?