To think dds driving instructor should be doing more?

[Blueybingomum]

Dd started learning to drive start of March. She has a driving test booked end of next month and her teacher thinks she should be ready. She has barely done anything. A lot of driving round our town, but no country roads (we live in a small town in the countryside) or any real dual carriageways.

dh takes her out every so often in his car but it feels like she’s nowhere near ready 😩

I don’t understand why her instructor isn’t doing these things with her?

She's not ready by the sounds of it. DS is 18 and had 54 lessons since July last year. And around 30 hours of private practice with a parent on and off since March this year. He's sitting his test next month.

Get her instructor to swap test dates with another student. She needs more time. No point rushing it.

How many lessons has she had? Assuming 1 per week since March, that sounds about right. You and DH can chip in with some extra practice too if you are concerned.

I'd be talking to driving instructor aswell. Or at least ask if everything has been covered, ask what constitutes 'ready'. They are providing a service to you so if you're not happy about the service or you think they're not up to the job then why are you being so blasé about it?

We had this with Ds1's instructor. Dh was unimpressed so we quickly got rid, got another and she said he was ready and he passed!

Having/needing lessons for over a year definitely isn’t the norm. Frankly I’d think about switching instructor if they are teaching at that pace! DD started in May & got a first time pass 5 months later in October - this seems to be fairly typical, give or take a month or two. No private practice so this was all down to her weekly 1hr lessons.

If she's insured on your car, take her out as much as you can, she likely doesn't need instruction so much as practice and exposure to different situations now.

Are you sure your dd isnt saying shes ready when her instructor is saying otherwise? “Should be ready” isnt the same as “book your test”!

It's not a race. Everyone learns at their own pace. I had closer to sixty lessons over twenty years ago. Passed fifth time. Been driving 21 years. People take as long as they need. Some just need 10 lessons others many many more.

I needed many driving lessons during two years time, and also drove privately with my parents before I passed my driving test (on the first try). Everybody's different!

@Blueybingomum What does your daughter think? Does she feel ready?

Are you sure dh hasn't just forgotten the level new drivers are at. I thought the same when I was in the car with a relative who was learning and they past the next week 1st time

Agree it took me over a year, driving did not come naturally to me at all past 3rd time but iv been driving for nearly 20 years never had an accident or ticket or anything.

The DVSA website states the average learner driver has 45 hours of lessons and 22 hours of private practice. That does correlate to about 6 months of lessons, as all the local instructors around this area insist on minimum lesson length 1.5 -2 hours. That also mirrors my DS 17 recent experience -more or less exactly the same as the DVSA guidance and he was able to pass his test first time.

Then I'm above average I had triple that 💅

The instructor will be taking her around the tests routes so they are familiar. If there are no fuel carriageways or country roads they will not spend time doing this.

If you want to her have more varied practice take her out yourself.

DS was getting 1hr lessons over 12 months....rather than 1.5h-2hr lessons in 6 months. Horses for courses. Does it matter?

Even getting an intensive course in 12 weeks doesn't guarantee you pass your test first time.

There's no dual carriageway near us so it's not covered by instructors here.