Anyone else got a learner driver?

[secretscwirrels]

Come and share tips and horror stories .

DS1 has had a few lessons now and his instructor said it was time to practice. After much research on MN of course I had the insurance sorted and off we went.

We are lucky to live miles out in the sticks so session one was just stopping and starting down a deserted lane. My car is different to the driving instructors car so there was much kangarooing and stalling.
I thought I was very patient but it's many years since I learned to drive.

On session two we did a 5 mile circuit of villages, left turns only. At one particularly sharp bend I did think to myself I hope we don't meet a bus on that bend. We did.

Not yet, but will be watching with interest as DS will be 17 later this year. Got him some of those Young Driver type lessons for Christmas (with a local driving school who operates on part of an old air field).
I am dreading having to look for insurance cover to be honest. He won't be able to drive my car (too big) so I hope he can be insured to drive DHs otherwise he thinks we will be buying him another car cos apparently we are made of money
DS has no patience whatsoever when either myself or DH tries to tell him how to do something, so hoping he will stick with an instructor tbh.

I got DS a session on an airfield for his 16th birthday.
I won't be buying him a car though it seems many parents do. I plan to keep him as a named driver on my policy for a couple of years (until it's DS2s turn). He will be allowed to use my car a bit to build up experience.

His driving instructor reckons the more practice the better but we stick to stuff he did 3 or 4 weeks before in lessons. It's nerve racking with no dual controls though.

DD got her provisional licence today...gulp! DH is taking her out on her birthday in two weeks time. His car is an estate but quite old, mine is a 2l turbo so she is not using that. Haven't investigated driving lessons yet.
Some of her friends are getting cars but we can't afford it and she doesn't work.. Too much course work and voluntary work. Not sure we would buy one even if we could afford one though ,think at this age they should just drive a family car.. But not mine!

Been there, done that, got that tee shirt with both teens and DH. I was a very brave foolish woman. Smile, stay calm and swear loudly when you're back home, alone.

My nerves are shredded.
On Friday last week we were heading back into the village behind the primary school bus, I warned him that school bus was a potential hazard and children might run out. Lo and behold 4 small boys of about 6 or 7 dashed straight out into the road in front of the bus. their parents were clearly not MNers and hadn't bothered to meet them. Lucky DS was only doing about 5mph.

I guess he will not forget that whenever he sees a bus.

DD3 will be doing this next year. The older three have already gone through it.

I was able to take them on a route making no turns against the traffic but in a residential area with plenty of other traffic and some pedestrians. Scaryyyyy...

Worst part of helping them get hours of practice was taking them along fairly narrow streets with cars parked on either side and oncoming traffic. They didn't really have a sense of the dimensions of my 4x4 (yes, I am one of those) for a good while but you only develop that through practice. Another hairy experience was taking them to a large car park and helping them do the turn into the parking space and then back out again. Yelled really, really hard at DD1 when she tried to answer her mobile while making a right turn one day.

at mathDD and mobile phone.
DS is in lower sixth and all his friends are gradually turning 17 and starting lessons. Very few of them seem to be practising with their parents though.
I was hoping that it would reassure me that when he does pass his test he has had lots of hours behind the wheel.
I will be grey by then.

When DD1 was learning (coming up to her 16th b-day) it was in the US and she had to do 25 hours with a licensed driver over age 21 before the DMV would issue her licence even after she passed the school course -- school ran the driving lessons; learning to drive was a graduation requirement. She was doing really well in both theory and in-car practice yet the instinct to look down and reach for that dratted phone kicked in as soon as she heard it despite everything she had had drummed into her. I really embarrassed her yelling at her as she had two friends in the back of the car and they heard it all too. But I was horrified.

Ds started lessons last week. He was really happy with how it went and likes his instructor. We will insure him to drive my car as a learner so that he can get some practice but we definitely won't be buying him a car of his own! I am not getting involved in driving practice for a while yet - dh can do that!

Last year I went on a speed awareness course after being caught doing 35 in a 30 zone.
It was actually very, very good and one of the course leaders was a driving instructor. I asked her advice about my soon to be 17 year old. She gave me a few ideas, she was very set against intensive courses because they don't give sufficient experience in all conditions. One of DS's friends passed his test after just doing a 7 day course.
She also said that I should go along in the back seat to observe. DS was horrified when I mentioned that.

DD has had 2 lessons now and seems to love it. I have said I will start taking her out when she has had a few lessons and so is a bit more confident/competent with the controls. I must get her added to my insurance policy soon.