Tell me all about teens getting driving experience

[DointItForTheKids]

My DD is 17 and I want to start her driving (as does she). However, she's quite tentative and wants to start driving with just me and her, just to get familiar. I've got no problem with that. I do also understand that in no way would I be able to prepare her for the driving test - she will have to have lessons, but she just wants to start off with me.

It's 30+ years ago since I learnt and I'm not familiar with what the up to date process is but understand the child applies for a provisional licence is that right? So that gives them the right to drive but only under supervision?

Then presumably I'd need to get her insured to drive my car - then with the provisional licence and the insurance, is that it, would she then be able to drive under my supervision?

But I'm thinking, where could I take her driving? Initially I just want to do slow manouvering with her to get her used to using the gears and the clutch, reversing, parking into spaces and by kerbs, that sort of thing. In actual fact I don't particularly want to take her out driving on the roads (at least not until she's had a good few formal lessons with a driving instructor first) because I don't think it's sensible to do that straight off the bat and certainly not in a car that doesn't have dual controls (!). So where could I take her - out of town car park at a quiet time of the day say? This is UK so trying to think what would be good places to go.

How many lessons, typically, does a student need (probably that's a how long is a piece of string question but asking anyway!).

Be interested in how other people have approached this.

Ok got it. I guess the P plate is a double-edged sword though - like a green light for idiots to hassle someone who's new rather than back off and let them breathe like it's supposed to work. As we all know, people riding up your tail end when you're already an established driver, appears to be a phenomenon that's not going away any time soon!

I'd love to commission a light that could go in the rear screen that said "BACK OFF!!!!" in flashing neon . I'd have one myself not just her.

I would like to ask a kind of part 2 to this question which is about future journeys.

My DD might want to go and visit her dad's side of the family - they're 100 miles away. Obviously of course she would need to build up to this but it worries me anyway, her having to plan and execute a journey like that. Guess we'd just need to see how she took to it and what her own confidence levels were.

I would like to ask a kind of part 2 to this question which is about future journeys
I'm not up to date but I think they teach them how to drive with sat nav now. As far as the drive of 100 miles - it might be something you could do with her the first few times.
I found that as their friends reached 17 they all learned to drive and the majority either got a car or use of a family car we live in the sticks with no public transport so driving for teenagers is liberation for them and their parents. The dilemma then is what you allow as far as passengers is concerned once they have passed their test.
I made them stick roughly to the following. No passengers until 3 months and then only during the day - say lifts to college. No taking lifts from newly qualified friends. At 17 the temptation to show off coupled with inexperience and distraction from passengers is a worrying mixture.

DH taught DD1 in a dual control car that happened to be for sale when we were looking. I have since researched and it appears you can buy 'dual control conversion kits' to turn a normal car into dual control. I am thinking we might do that for DD2 in 3 years time. Even if it costs say £300 it wouldn't take many lessons saved for it to pay it's way.

Thanks both. Yes I think who they get in a car with is as important as how they build their competency driving and take time to expand their passenger-carrying, having that understanding of how dangerous distractions can be.

I just paid for DD to have lessons. We researched and got her a great local instructor. He was £2 a lesson more than most but he had such a good reputation we felt it was worth it. He got her though with confidence. There is no way I would have been able to do it and I'm a professional driver

These days they also have to take a theory test at a centre before they can have any lessons. You can apply on line.

This isn’t true.

We also used industrial estates and new build estates where road infrastructure had gone in on weekends.

Our problem was we had to drive for approx 1.5-2hrs to get to those places and then back again. Was a complete faff and lost at least half a day each time but it was only at the beginning.

Night driving commenced in huge supacentre carparks after hours - much better as this was only 30mins away.

Sorry I was mistaken. I remember now it was the theory test before applying for the actual test. My mistake. I remember DS didn’t even look at the Highway Code book I bought him as you can find it all online now.

Going forward once she passes think about insurance with a black box. Makes insurance cheaper. You get it fitted to the car and it monitors their driving. Speed, sudden braking etc. Some have a curfew so they can’t drive late at night.

We have DD's car on our Admiral multi-car insurance, no black-box, no restrictions.

I second the young driver lessons. Dd had her first this year, aged 12. Brilliant. She cannot wait to be 17

Thanks everyone, absorbing all your experience.

Teentimestwo
We also found Admiral helpful and the cheapest option both on provisional and then when DD had passed.

I'm liking more and more the idea of renting a dual control but just one thing to ask - how did people find having the dual controls as a passenger! Did anyone have to invoke grabbing their steering wheel, jabbing the brakes or anything like that?!?

Thinking back to the many, many years ago when I was learning to drive, I think the most the instructor ever did was readjust road positioning when I first started as you're a bit rubbish at staying in the middle of your side of the road until you get the hang of it.

Just wondered what sort of 'interventions' you'd had to carry out.

DH had to slam on the brakes quite a few times with DD, mainly at roundabouts. She has dyspraxia which meant learning to coordinate all the looking and actions took her longer than average.

We have put two DSs through this in the last couple of years. Lots of good advice above. We (DH) didn't take Dss out in our car until they'd been out with instructors for half a dozen lessons or so. Instructor recommended we don't try to "teach" them, just give them practice and guidance. Things have changed since we all did our test and lets face it, we don't drive to test standard on a day to day basis! DH initially took them to our local Uni campus at the weekends as it has a full road layout but is quiet at the weekend.

We used Veygo for learner insurance as we could insure for 2 hours at a time (about £4) and you can do it on-line for when you need it at a few minutes notice.

I think it's beneficial to have some lessons before sitting the theory as it's useful to be able to properly visualise the scenarios and what you would do irl

Mine both had about 20 lessons with instructor plus a practice test etc. Both passed 2nd time, sat a couple of weeks after the fail.

Instructors start with left turns if I remember correctly, then move on to right turns and work their way up the maneuvers. DS2 wet on the motorway on his lessons but not DS1 as it was introduced in between them learning.

We found an empty car park on a Sunday on an industrial estate for our first bunny hoping, session of driving.
We then graduated to driving round the actual industrial estate. It was quite funny passing the same learner drivers over and over again.

I stopped taking her out so much once she was ready for proper roads and faster driving. I let the instructor take the risk on that for a while with their duel controls, then resumed taking her out again once she'd had a bit of practice and I was more confident she wouldn't kill us or crash the car.

The next child will be taking one of the intensive week courses to get it over and done with quicker. You can choose how many hours you want to pre book. We've chosen 36 hours and she'll do it over 6 days leading to a test on the last day. It's slightly more expensive at £1200 but she wants to be able to drive over the long summer holiday as we won't be in a position to run her around.

Veygo waxon - never heard that one before, that's brilliant info - I'll look that up - cheers for that.

qweenbee - yes, 'looking forward' to the kangarooing!! I too see a phased, dip in dip out kind of approach actually and it's been very useful to have all the links and I've certainly got a much better understanding of what we all need to do than I had before. I agree too with not trying to 'teach them' - 100%.

Veygo are part of Admiral. Now they've both passed, we have both DSs insured through Insure the box for a shared car. Initially £600 for 17 year old Ds1. He turned 18 in the first year then we added 17 year old DS2 to the policy for an extra £100 when he passed. Just renewed for year 2 and it was £520 for them both. Still 18 and 17. They have a black box fitted.