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.

Clouds you sound far too nice. Ask your friends, I bet they'll love to help!

As for insurance - I read the AA page which said dealers will have special insurance to cover test drives. When we bought our car we didn't take it home from the dealer on the same day - DH arranged insurance etc in the meantime. I'll speak to him and find out the order of things.

FWIW he found it daunting too. He doesn't know much about cars, wasn't able to haggle a lower price and we're still happy with the car. And he's driven for 17 years!

Maybe look at small cars like fiesta, peugot 206, Renault Clio? Decide on price, see what you can get? Your driving instructor might be able to recommend something?

I know how you all feel about how much money spent and feeling like you cant give up.
My 2nd test is booked for 2nd December. I have to pass it. Im going into hospital in January for some major operations and just feel like if I dont pass now I never will!

Thanks, Iggly. I'm not too nice, I just have very few friends! I only really know two people, both with busy families, jobs, etc, that it's a struggle meeting up at all, let alone to get them to drive me miles around to a dealer or something. If I definitely knew what I wanted and it was kind of a one-off thing, I might be able to persuade one of them, but it could be pretty hard to get them to find the time, and used cars aren't around for that long I expect. I have a much more flexible schedule, but being self-employed means that I hardly know anyone to just sort of find out things from. So it's very helpful knowing about the insurance thing. I don't think I'd be very good at haggling either! I have enough trouble just being able to say something in the first place, as I'm pretty shy. At least having my instructor with me the first time might make it possible for me to at least go, and then when I've done it once, I could perhaps go on my own again. I've bought the Auto Trader, and looked at the online site, but I know nothing about any of the cars really. I just want a nice colour!! :)

I was wondering about something like a Fiesta. I also saw a Focus parked around the corner that was quite small, though the ones I saw in the used car ads looked much bigger - I guess there are different versions. Or perhaps a Corsa, or Yaris or Polo. Even a Ka, though I'd worry about that on big roads as they look so tiny. And everything is just so expensive, plus the insurance and all. I didn't realise that different cars had some kind of insurance category until I saw somethign about it online.

I guess I really need to find out from my parents if I was ever a named driver on their policy, or just an occasional third party, as I didn't drive it that often when I lived there. But it might help reduce the rate.

Clouds, my SIL has a ka - she passed her test in her mid thirties and it was her first car. She's driven it on the motorway, drives almost daily and has no probs.

I have a peugeot 206. It's 8 years old and shit slow.

working .... do not give up ! you have reached the final bit , keep going ! Loads of us felt exactly the same way you do ...but passed in the end.

ABF ... you get it this time , im sure of it !

Good luck today, working!
Everything crossed here for you.

And ABF, as droves said, you'll get it this time (it was just your corner reverse last time wasn't it?) I have every faith in you this time!

Thank you. Im hoping the corner reverse isnt going to be my one manuevre! Although saying that im getting quite good at them because to get off my parents driveway, you have to reverse on a main road (which is fun) and I also left reverse out of my space at home.
Still dont want to do it on the test though!

Thanks, Sparkler. It sounds like a dealer is definitely the way to go then, even if private ones are sometimes cheaper. I'd rather have the security of the warranty as well. I was talking to a friend recently who had grown up in Ireland and when she moved here 8 or 10 years ago, she had to start at the beginning with insurance - her years driving there didn't count. So even if i was on my parents' insurance abroad (which I don't think I was, not named), it probably wouldn't help. But she did say that the price came down quite quickly.

I've been told both good and bad things about Skoda, Peugeot, Renaut, etc. Not so good things about Fiat. Quite good things about Ford, Toyota, Vauxhall, VW. I also didn't realise how different cars with the same name are, depending on what year. I see Fiestas around that I like the shape of, and others that I don't. Same with Polos. And some Focuses are huge and others little. Golfs too. I'm only looking for something cheap so it's likely to be about 10 years old I guess. So probably not the nice shaped ones that I expect are more modern! But some of the KA ones are cheaper, and up to 1.3 enginges.

Useful to know that 1.25 is OK for the motorway. There are quite a lot of 1.2 advertsied, which I guess are cheaper to insure. Only a few 1.3, and then loads of 1.4 but then they're more expensive. Except I've now been told that older cars are cheaper to insure, but more expensive to tax.

Corner reverses are EVIL. I don't know when you'd ever do it in real life. And you wouldn't have to do it so perfectly, either, just to come out of a drive or something. I really hated that and prayed that I wouldn't get it on the test. but I did. and actually, it worked ok on the day, even though it hadn't even in the lesson just an hour before. Good luck with it. One thing that she didn't tell me until way too late was to really look at the corner when you are parked across from it waiting for the instructions - look how sharp or sweeping it is, etc, and that will help get the wheel turned the right amount to start with, so there's less 'fixing' to have to do. Taht was my problem - fixing it if it was going wrong. If it started off right, then I was OK.

Oh hooray, the thread isn't dead! I've just sacked my driving instructor. I got insurance on my dad's car and have been going out with Dad and his friend who is a retired driving instructor and has offered to teach me for free. Test 8th December, wahey!

hint to the car buyers among you ... do not buy a nissan micra 2003 model . They are out there and very cheap . it seems like a very good deal but its not. the timing belt and camshaft in that years particular model is prone to needing replaced .its very expensive and a nightmare to fix.
micra `s before then did not have the same problem. and 2004 models had no problem.(nissan got round to sorting the problem )

Shame , beautiful looking cars .

Nearly bought one , was warned off by mechanic friend.

Ooh hello to the fellow learners and recent passers!I've just sat and read the whole thread,so hello I'm killermouse and have my test this month-gulp!have been learning on and off for the last 8years,always had a reason to give up,my dh bought a corsa in Aug that I ended up driving everywhere.

Which is when we decided that I ought to go for it this time and found an instructor(who just happens to use the same car)which has really helped with my confidence and driving.I just need to work on not letting nerves get the better of me,just thinking about test day makes me feel really sick.I've only told dh and 1friend when it is,as don't need any extra pressure,I manage that perfectly well myself!

Congratulations Bounty! Am v of 3 minors.

Working95 - I hope it all goes well for you. I know exactly how you feel, I'd been learning for well over a year, two driving instructors, horrible luck in tests, but I finally decided that it was time for me to have some good luck.

I'm still waiting to save up for a car, or rather the car insurance. It will cost me a fortune, the prices seem to have rocketed up, even dh struggled to get a good deal this year and I have no idea why.

Maybe we should start a new thread for new car owners/ newly qualified drivers?

Wow, I've just spent the best part of an hour sitting and reading all these wonderful posts!

They are really inspirational, so thankyou to everyone!

I'm 28, mother to a 10 year old. I had lessons when I was 17, but didn't do my test a year later as I was heavily pregnant. Continued lessons when I was 20, failed my first driving test at 21, but then moved abroad and didn't need to drive as all amenities were literally on my doorstep.

Now I'm in the UK again, and starting lessons on the 22nd of this month. I'm learning in an automatic (for numerous reasons) and am really excited!

I actually feel far more confident learning at this age than I did when I was younger, although tests in general still fill me with nerves, but reading this thread has shown me I have options concerning that (beta blockers!)

One thing I have noticed on my provsional, it states it is valid from October 1999 - October 2054? I thought they only lasted 10 years??

Anyone know if there is a reason for that?

Anyway, I plan to participate in this thread until I pass, so I hope to get to know you all :o

Yes saving up for a car is the hard bit, isn't it!

It's scary looking at Auto Trader or something, and having little clue what is a good deal or why. I've tended to pick one or two cars for now and am just looking at the variations within that, mileage, year, features, etc to see how much the price varies - loads!! I guess some of it's to do with condition, but who knows. There was one that seemed like a good deal to me in comparison - low mileage, higher year, better features, service history,, etc but it was cheaper. I think it's because it's not a proper garage though. It's listed as a 'trade' advert, but when I google it, I can't find a company/garage called that, just the company name selling cars on Auto Trader. So I don't know if that's dodgy or not!! Whether he'd have insurance for me to test drive. Whether he's a scammer.

But then, dealers don't offer warranties most of the time either, do they? You have to pay extra for it? So I don't know if something like this is any worse. I assumed dealers are better because they've checked it over, have more of a reputation to lose, etc, but there doesn't seem to be much of a legal difference really. So scary to think of spending that much money on it and maybe it's not good. But then a warranty is another couple of hundred a year, and that's a lot too!

I was looking at a Corsa, just to get the feel of the prices and stuff, because there are quite a few around. But still so many options, and it's hard to know how choosy to be or who to go with. Who is reliable. Do I care about anti-lock brakes, various other safety or spec things like that. Am I willing to wait for a better spec. Whether more miles or later year is more useful. Thousands of other questions like that, and so hard to make decisions. eeeeeek.

good luck to those of you with tests soon.

I don't know about the provisional thing - I thought it was 10 years as well. Maybe that's just the photocard that is 10 years, and the licencde, technically, is longer?

OMG I went on the A14 alone today, slip roads and all. Very scary!! But it was a pretty quiet time so huge gaps, thank goodness. And once I'm on, it's fine - actually easier than driving in the towns/cities because there's not nearly so much to watch for.

Thanks GothAnne- I'm so pleased for you, you totally deserved your pass
The insurance is shocking though isn't it?!

Welcome to the thread Moonskin, good luck starting your lessons again!

Hope everyone else is doing well!

Failed my test today. 3 serious faults. My theory test runs out in 2 weeks so now I need to sit that again. Blast.

Aww sorry to hear that Ciatrice,are you hoping to get a cancellation or is your test centre busy?good luck for next time!

No, I have rebooked my Theory test and will resit again after that. Thanks Killermouse.

Failed that last test. Was in a mood about it so didn't post here again. All on the independent driving section, just went to pieces. Then cocked up left reverse despite having no issues with it normally and having passed it on two previous tests.

Another test tomorrow.

Three tests failed now, all with 3 serious errors.

Cicatrice, my theory runs out 6th of December so I may be joining you in a resit!

I've been signed off work sick for two weeks so no driving for me for a while. Worried I'll fall really behind but in no fit state to drive as very tired.

Good luck working

cicatrice sorry to hear about your test. Fingers crossed for the next one.

Good Luck, working. I hope it works out this time. I hate the left reverse!! The independent driving sounds hard; make sure you know the local area and the likely routes, so that all you have to concentrate on is remembering the instructions.

Cancelled due to snow! grrr aaargh!