How long did it take for you to learn to drive?

[charliecat]

Im 25 and cant drive, havent ever really tried, well mainly because the truth is i cant feel the pedals through my shoes and am quite likely to go zooming in to the nearest hedge.
I dont feel i would ever feel confident enough even if I could feel the pedals and I got lessons.
How long did it take you and were you confident or a gibbering wreck at the thought of driving?

I have had lessons on and off since i was 17. Passed after my 4th try about 12 years ago but never really started driving and kept having bursts of determination, having lessons and then not doing it on my own and giving up - this is a standing joke in my family and they're were always trying to make me. I just find it terrifying. But then I had some lessons in an automatic and for me it made a huge difference. Just moved from Manchester to Shropshire and am driving most days short distances! I am really pleased with myself and has made life much easier for me. I still dont think I'm great - I"m slow which pisses people off, not very good at steering round bends LOL but we do ok. I started just doing routes I knew really well and always go somewhere new on my own without the kids. My dh is a bit bemused by how difficult I find it because he finds it so easy but is very supportive. I'm absolutely crap at reversing, parking etc cant imagine ever going on a motorway or in a city but then again I never thought I would be driving DD's about the place and I do enjoy the freedom even though it is limited. Do it in an automatic!

I am 25 and have been learning since september (missed quite a few lessons in winter due to weather conditions).
My test is on Tuesday. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!!

My dad taught all 4 of his children to drive at 17 (what a hero). I didn't take my test straightaway though I used to drive a lot with a qualified driver in the passenger seat.(I was never nervous when young). I took my test at university in my 20's and didn't pass first time as was so nervous that I didn't listen properly to where the examiner wanted me to go and he got really cross that I turned down the wrong road. After I passed I drove around quite happily for a number of years but then had a period when I didn't own a car for a few years. I bought another car when dd2 was a couple of months old so was very nervous about driving again. However now I don't think about my driving (as I'm so naturally cautious on the road)but am just frightened of all the nutter drivers out there which nowadays driving seems to be all only about avoiding their badly driven vehicles!

Sounds like my Dad was 17..................

I'm 33, have been learning on and off for the last 10 years, have failed my test 3 times and HATE driving. I'm going to have to do it again soon though cos we live inthe middle of nowhere and three kids on the bus for 45 mins to town is a bit much!

Charlie: Do you have to wear shoes for the test? Why? Phone up the DVLA to make sure. It's not illegal to drive barefoot in the UK. I almost always do, precisely because of the feeling the pedals thing, so totally understand that concern, and high heel shoes are a nightmare to drive in, esp.... but had to learn to drive with big boots on when I worked on the drilling rig. If they do insist on shoes for the test, maybe ballet shoes or something equally thin-soled? How can they say no??
Sorry, you'll hate me; I got my California driving license about 2 weeks after my 16th birthday (bullied by my mom). 10 years later took maybe 20 lessons to get my British license... there are so many idiosyncratic things about how you are "supposed" to drive over here that I would never have understood otherwise.

i went barefoot on a lot of my lessons, my instuctor said it was better to drive barefoot, than to struggle with the shoes and crash the car Not sure about the actual test, but I still go barefoot now if I am wearing boots or heels, as I can't drive in them

I think the footwear thing must be very personal. I tried to drive in flat shoes for the first time yesterday, got to the end of the road and had to go and put on a pair of heels. I couldn't feel the pedals properly and was completely unable to judge how far down the clutch was and so on....

message withdrawn

can anyone drive wearing slingbacks with heels? i haven't even tried yet, but with this nice weather that's what i'll be wearing and i wonder if it's possible. i'm useless at driving by the way. drove with high heel boots a couiple of times and felt i was taking a risk so i stick to flat shoes now. doesn anyone ever drive in flat shoes at changes into high heels when getting to their destination?? perhaps i should try this approach.

I think it took me about a year, in my early 20's, with a gap in the middle because we moved to another area. I had zero confidence, or rather, relied much too heavily on my instructor telling me what-to-do-when. Then when I had a new instructor, lo and behold, I knew myself when to change gear, when to brake etc!! A change was good for me.

I passed my test first time, much to my astonishment. I made a real booboo at the very first junction when traffic lights changed from green to amber and I dithered whether to stop or not. Eventually stopped with an alarming squeal of brakes. I knew that I'd blown it so was fairly indifferent about the rest of the test. When the test finshed and the examiner said I'd passed, I nearly fell off my perch!!! I scrambled out of the car, whereupon my instructor blasted me for dithering and then told me that the Test route didn't start until the other side of the junction so the examiner had to ignore my glaring error.

Btw, I can't drive in heavy shoes, I need to feel what my feet are doing. Quite a few people I know have driving shoes, so I don't think it's that uncommon.

Well I just passed, first time on the 6th of May and I'm really chuffed as I'll be 28 this year and sick of buses!

I felt just like you and put it off for years because I felt too scared to try.

A good tip is to try an independent company near you as it is hit and miss if you end up with a good instructor with bsm or aa and also because of availability and price (I was told I couldn't get an instructor for 2 months through BSM!). I started off with one guy who was unbelievably brilliant but unfortunately he had a heart attack and died (not during a lesson!) and the company I was with found me an equally good one.

Another tip is to try Bach's rescue remedy from Boots. It is very calming and will help with your nerves - I used it for my test!

I'm a not-very-good & even slighly phobic driver BUT I force myself to drive in the US, even in NYC, which some people find mad. But I cannot drive in London. I did try once and hit a car within the first 10 seconds. However, I know I can't keep relying on dh & buses, so I would like to start lessons. Not to thread-hijack, but can anyone recommend an instructor in London? I had a look in the yellow pages and felt overwhelmed so I gave it up. If I could use someone who had been "vouched" for I'd feel much more comfortable. Any suggestions welcome via this thread or "contact another talker" if you'd prefer.

I passed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

well done xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx how was it ?

Ohhhhhhh Wallace, fantastic. Well done

That's splendid Wallace! Well done!!!!

It went very quickly. To be honest I thought I didn't drive very well - I was nervous and kept making mistakes. I got 8 minor marks, which is about average I think....
Unfortunateky the car is in the garage, so I still can't drive til it is fixed!

BTW Thanks everyone for your congratulations
It is great being able to share my delight with as many people as possible I am over the moon
We live in a very rural area with a rubbish bus service...It will really change my life, and the kids, being able to go places. I will have to drive dh to work when I want the car though...

Message withdrawn

2 years of lessons, 3 driving instructors and 3 tests. Passed at the age of 32 and have never looked back.