Taking 17 year olds out for driving practice

[Sparklingbrook]

Anyone else doing this? just wanted to compare notes.

The insurance is insane when they pass, even with a black box (no curfew or mileage limits) it was about £1500 - when her sister passed her test only a few years earlier it was cheaper and no black box.

Dd has her own car and it cost £480 to insure it when we switched to a multi-car policy for mine and dhs cars so that was a result - Admiral if you're interested.

Oh and that's with no black box either (as I was worried my driving would affect her premiums)

I suppose all that bum clenching must do something for your pelvic floor...... 😖

£480!!! At 17? What sort of car?

Lexatin - polo 1.4 2011 - I was shocked too!

DS takes his test tomorrow. He's had 20 hours of lessons and has been driving to and from school with me in the passenger seat. The first journey was hairy, and I am fed up with sitting in the passenger seat worrying about the stone hedges, but I have my fingers crossed.

Ohmygod that's the exact car #3 has! Hers is called Paolo 😃 I think we are with NFU

Ds wants me to take him out. He's had five lessons and is driving into the nearest town with his instructor and doing the emergency stop, reverse park etc etc and has been driving on the ice and in the dark. He wants me to take him out and says he will pass sooner if I do but I've not looked at the cost of insurance. My biggest problem is that we are both stubborn he is as stubborn as they come and so it would end in tears, added to which his younger sister would have to come as well and that would not be at all good.

I have this to come. My DS is 17 on the 10th Dec, I think his dad will be the designated sit in the passenger seat person!

I do feel much less alone reading all of these. I was sort of expecting tales of excellent teenage drivers and very calm parents.
Glad the consensus is much more realistic.

Originally I said DH would have to go out with him but the way things are it's easier for me to do it. We haven't been out today but he did about 60 miles yesterday so I'll let him off.

I am doing this just now. Waited till DD had 10+ lessons with a certified instructor and am trying to give her extra practice in between her lessons. Instructor said it does help having extra time on the road.

I cannot lie, i'm a nervous wreck by the end but try and keep calm.

The way I see it is extra time to emphasise awareness of other road users without the security blanket of dual control because it's a giant leap once you pass your test and you're on your own.

I did this with both ds. Ds2 passed a few months ago. They both had 8 -10 weekly lessons with an instructor before dh snd I went out with them, then the lessons dropped to fortnightly with lots of practice with us. I had LOTS of screaming rows with Ds1 who wouldn't listen uk me at first, but it got easier.

One thing I did go was sit in on one of his lessons with the instructor prior to taking ds out by myself. That way I knew what the instructor was telling him re gear changes etc, so that I wouldn't confuse him by telling him something different.

We bought a separate insurance policy for each ds as they were learning, and did that on a month-by-month basis until they passed. Both ds passed first time so I couldn't have been too bad a teacher!

I confess there's self interest on my part as taxi-ing DD is a part time job in itself and there's no public transport option which fits in with her job / hobby

Is there anyone who has had a dc pass their test without extra ractice on the parent's car?

p-p-p- practice

DD only did for the last couple of weels before her test. DSs instructor told me the usually need 4-50 hours int he car, so how much we did with him would affect how many lessons he needed.

40-50 hours

We've told DS that it'll probably take a year (different light and weather conditions, types of journey, loading and even states of health) before he feels like a confident driver. Passing the test and getting the authorisation to drive is really just a first step.

DS has just passed! First time! Now I can really practice anxiety.

Oh that's brilliant OC. But totally get you now have the next stage of worry.

Today, I am just enjoying his triumph. I will worry tomorrow. Not allowed to brag, except here and incognito. Thank you. Yours will crack it too!

Oh well done oc's son! We've done two little drives today - no dramas, she definitely improving and daylight makes a huge difference I think.

I am so glad I've done with this. DS2 passed his test a year ago but I still feel a bit tense when I am a passenger with him.
We have a dash cam. Useful for looking back at incidents. Once he nearly drove under a lorry on a roundabout and I had the screaming abdabs, he swore I was over-reacting. We looked at the footage afterwards so I could show him our near death experience.
It turns out I was over-reacting

Did it with both mine and hated it, very stressful.

DS was too confident and back chatted all the time, moaned I made him nervous (not half as nervous as he made me),

DD was a lot less confident but followed instructions and it was a much calmer experience.

Glad they have both passed their tests now, couldn't face it a third time.