Learning to drive driving you mad?

[ShowOfHands]

So here it is, a learning to drive thread.

I think there are a few of us. I predict much swearing. Is it only me that goes one step forwards, only to go 8 steps backwards?

I'm SOH, have been learning for the grand total of a fortnight. DH is teaching me. My aim is to be driving by the end of September when dd is supposed to start nursery and they change the driving test again.

I live rurally (very rurally) and rely on dh for lifts everywhere. Even a supermarket trip is reliant upon him being home from work. And as he's a police officer, he's never home on time, works long hours and as a consequence, we're fairly isolated.

I am trying to focus on the new lease of life for us.

I don't have a provisional licence yet (still waiting for it) but live on private land with tracks of about 3 miles so am driving round a farm atm.

I'll kick off the swearing so there's no illusion of standing on ceremony. How the buggery feck do you look in 3 mirrors, one windscreen, at the speedometer and not cry all at the same time? Answers on a postcard.

Thanks again for the good luck wishes. When I was washing the car I noticed...a FLAT TYRE - noooooooo! DH is out now getting it replaced. He made me pump up the flat one so he could drive it to the garage though - I'm flipping knackered now. I'm off to pick up DD from nursery...wish I could have a nap!

GOOD LUCK TODAY NYX ! .

mirrors before you do anything ! remember signals and too BREATH !

I PASSED! I passedIpassedIpassedIpassedIPASSED!

The examiner said to me "you drove very well" twice, and told me I was very good with my mirrors (!)

I'm soooooooooooo happy. It works, this learning to drive lark actually works.

Thanks all for your good luck wishes. Best of luck to all of you who have still to take your tests. I will come on again to find out how you're getting on. Thanks again for letting me jump on the thread at the end

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!

Well done, NYX!!!!

Well, that was a short-lived participation in the thread but it doesn't matter, because you PASSED!!!!

Well done nyx !
!

Gauchita ...your next !
Hows the lessons going ?

I've always said the one-off 45-minute driving test is a ridiculous idea.

When everything else is accepting that some degree of continuous assessment has to count towards a qualification, even university exams, the driving test seems stuck in the 1950s. A good driver can have an awful test and a dangerous boy-racer can pretends to be a careful driver for that length of time. (Or get passed the way Simon in The InBetweeners does. )

A competence-based approach such as ShowOfHands suggests here on the very first page would be much fairer - and a far more accurate assessment of your ability. It could take some people 7 weeks to pass, it could take others 52 weeks. So be it.

I should add that my brother is an Advanced Driving Instructor and could not disagree with me more. That doesn't make him right :)

Wow 2 passes since I last looked!!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

Well done Sugar!!!!
Well done nyx!!!!

Really pleased for you both

I agree with you, UD, absolutely. I actually drove better in the test I failed a few weeks ago than I did today - but of course I don't care at this point! But you're so right.

Thank you Gauchita and Droves! I am hanging around, Gauchita, to find out how you and Heart and Ferret get on

Thank you blackfly, I'm really pleased for us too! :) Good luck to you for your test in September (I think it was September) x

Thankyou, yep 16th september. I almost hyperventilate thinking about it. Very very nervous!

Good luck Gauchita, just noticed you moved your test forward- will be thinking of you!

Is SOH still around? Not seen a post for a while.
If you are around SOH, hope everything is going well?

You know what, blackfly, I actually drove worse in this test than in the one I failed. And the examiner still said I drove very well. I think that if you can control the car - slow down a reasonable distance before turning, for example, and be very controlled - it goes a long way. That's my tuppenceworth!

I stalled in this test, and also my parallel park wasn't fabulous and I had to go forward and back a bit to get closer to the kerb, and also I was pulling out from the side of the road at one point, then spotted a car coming towards me, so I said "if you don't mind I'm just going to reverse back here to let this guy past first", did it, then pulled out as normal. I thought I'd fail. And I passed! And I am sure you will too.

Thanks Nyx,you were very cool with the car coming! It's really good to know they aren't looking for perfection cos that's pretty much impossible for me (or maybe anyone!) I think.
(My xh once drove for 5 min with the handbrake on, didn't notice until the stink of burning filled the car- and he has done evasive, tactical and defensive driving courses for work!)
Must remember not to do that!

Hi all,

Can I jump on here too? I'm 28 and 31+4 weeks pregnant. I learned to drive when I was 17, took a test and failed. Then nothing til about November last year. I had quite a few lessons and then fell pregnant in feb(planned!) I had to cancel a few lessons due to feeling sick and exhausted and since April ish I haven't had any lessons again! The problem is I hate learning to drive. I really want to be able to drive and know I will love the independence it gives me but I hate the lessons. My instructor kept telling me I could drive ok really it is more my confidence that I need to build up, but I never felt like that, I just sit in the car thinking "I can't do this, I can't do this!"

I know I am now using my pregnancy as an excuse not to learn (which is really silly as one of the main reasons to drive now is the fact that we have a baby on the way!) but also we are moving house which is turning out to be quite expensive so really don't have the money to spend on lessons! I wish so much that I had re-taken my test at 17, but going to uni seemed so much more important and then living in London meant I had no need for a car!

Hmm, so to be on this thread I will be a fake really as I'm not technically learning to drive but.....I know I have to soon and someone is going to have to force me into it! On the other hand I also need reassuring that it won't be all that bad to not be driving when I have the baby!

When is a realistic time to think I will be able to take up lessons again? Baby is due mid October.

Noteaforme , welcome to the thread !
CONGRATS on the pregnancy !
I dont see why you cant start lessons now , as long as its ok with your midwife,and instructor.If you feel able then why not?

But if you`d prefer to wait until your baby is here, why not start off with the theory test?
You can do that without even sitting in a car...then you have two years to learn and pass your practicle test.

If you have a section birth , you not supposed to drive for a wee while after...think its 6 weeks. So you could be talking december before you get started on the practicle side.

Newbie here - I saw the thread linked in another post and wanted to say hello. I've been learning on and off (well, mainly off) since 2007, but after about 18 months break from lessons I've gone a bit hardcore about learning.

Long story short - DP, DS and I are moving to the country in, err, six weeks time and I have to have my license by then. DP bought me a nifty little Citroen C3 (only 7k miles on the clock) and we've been out driving every evening and I feel like I've improved so much.

I'm going to book a short intensive course to brush up on my manoeuvres and get rid of any bad habits before my practical test.... oh, and I have my theory test tomorrow morning at 8:30am. I am bricking it despite having nearly wore out my "LEARN 2 DRIVE!" dvd...

Good luck to everyone else learning and sitting their tests!

Oh, should clarify, I have been driving on the roads for ages. Most evenings DP takes me on the run out to our new house, about 40 mins out of the city. Loads of roundabouts (normal and mini), varying speed limits, city roads and country lanes so I'm getting a good variation. DP won't teach me the manouvers though - says he has loads of bad habits doing them as they're the first thing you "forget" once you pass, so that's one of the reasons why I'm going to book proper lessons. I haven't had any disasters when out driving, aside from a few stalls (esp at busy roundabouts) and the usual private hire taxis and boy racers having the desperate urge to overtake me no matter the cost. Idiooooots.

SOH is utterly useless at keeping in touch and spending time on a thread she started isn't she? Thank goodness I'm here to update you on her atrocious driving.

Hello everybody!

Wow, our pass rate has gone through the roof. Well done to all of you, you clever, clever things. And welcome newbies.

Sorry I've been MIA. Very busy here. My grandmother has been very poorly and in hospital so I've been staying with friends close to her to help out. She's much better thankfully, though insulin dependent now and requires daily care. She's so desperate to stay in her own home. I'm not going into it here, I'll start crying and ranting and it's not pretty.

Have also bought our first house which has kept us extraordinarily busy. Still in the waiting for valuations/survey stage but it's going to happen I hope. Not as rural as where I am atm, is a small market town and therefore I'm not in such a rush to pass, though I'd like to.

Driving? Okay actually. I can drive competently. I despise other people who don't indicate or tailgate or speed round you or gesticulate or laugh but I'm doing just fine. I haven't stalled for about 5 weeks, don't even think about gears anymore. Manoeuvres though? Nope. Cannot do. It's the reversing into a bay thing. I can't see a bloody thing. Not even tried turning in the road or emergency stops yet.

People learning with an instructor can you answer me some questions...

Do you indicate on a mini roundabout?

If there are no other cars in sight, do you still indicate while turning (dh doesn't but am wondering if you should)?

If you approach a t junction up a sharp hill and you can't see if the road is clear, do you edge up and look or is it okay to pull up to the junction, stop and then judge? I struggle with edging on a hill and would rather stop and assess but is this allowed?

On a roundabout with 5 exits (assuming you're no 5) do you indicate on an approach only for exit 1 and exit 4? I know you indicate as you get ready to leave, but what about the approach?

There are more, I'll remember and ask in time if that's okay?

you approach the roundabout in the correct lane , not indicating if you are going straight ahead .
Indicate right if turning right , but remembering to indicate left as you leave the roundabout .(remembering to look as you get near the junction before to make sure no nutters are trying to get out without giving right of way to you.
IF your turning left then indicate left as you approach in the correct lane ,

you can indicate on a mini if you want , but you dont have to because most of the time there is not enough time to , as long as you indicate on approach to what direction your turning.

if no other traffic you dont have to indicate , but its a good idea to still do so peadestrians will see what your doing . it also keeps you in the habit of indicating iykwim?

the edging at a junction is allowed as long as its safe to do so.
If you really cant see what is comming then it would be the best thing to stop before edging .

There are no lanes on this roundabout. It's ridiculous. Its nickname is Heartbreak Roundabout. It's where people fail their tests and/or die.

I know that exit 1 you indicate left, exit 4 you indicate right (until past exit 3). But 2 and 3 are both straight on? I guess that's what I mean.

Love your new name btw!

Catpower most people i know say the practice dvds are harder than the actual test !
good luck !

So I won't get done for undue hesitation if I just stop at a junction regardless of what's on the road? I wouldn't do it on other junctions, this particular one is up a steep hill with a blind corner at the top.

So theoretically if I approach a mini roundabout and it's v busy and I'm turning right, I indicate right on approach. But won't be in trouble for not indicating left whilst coming off it? Yes?

Sorry to bombard.