Intensive Driving Courses - £190 all inclusive?

[lazymoezy]

I've had about 9-10 lessons with my instructer already, I have had some long breaks in between and my intructer, therefore, has recommended that I do a whole load of lessons in a 2-3 weeks, so, not as intensive as some.

Firstly, he is a qualified instucter, a very good one and has some sort of higher qualification which means he teaches certain things which normal instructers usually dont, its advanced driving or something like that.

Anyways, he first offer me 20 lessons + the car on the test day for £420, then 10 lessons + the car for £190 which is a better deal as borrowing the car usually is £50+.

I only need about 10 more, not even that but think this is a very good deal, I can drive and have driven by myself around the blocks on my own and with an a adult.

What do you think? Most compaies charge way more than this, so, personally I think its a decent offers, especially for me, as I want to have my car before September! Now need your opinions!

Thanks,

-MoE-

[alwaysonthego]

I paid £160 for 10 lessons, I have never heard of having to pay extra to borrow the car for a test apart for the normal lesson charge

[lavandergirl]

I learned with BSM but because my ADI was recommended and he is very good. He never charged me extra to take the car for the test.

Intensive driving is not for everyone. It does prepare one to pass the test but one might have less driving experience. You can only encounter new situations the longer u drive on the road.

www.2pass.co.uk is a good website for learning to drive.

[lazymoezy]

Either way its a good deal, I usually pay £22ish, sometimes I get the £2 back. So, I pay atleast £20 per lesson so £190 aint bad, I also want some lessons in a short amount of time, I have decent experience on the road, not a joy rider or anything but can't help taking cars out when cousins come around without their knowledge :D (only around the block where there are no cars).

I dont know if my instructer actually charges for the car to be taken to the practical test but have heard of many instructers charging, my mate paid £50, they have to sit in the test centre for an hour or two, so, it is understandable.

[cajef]

but can't help taking cars out when cousins come around without their knowledge

my mate paid £50, they have to sit in the test centre for an hour or two, so, it is understandable.

Sounds like you want to be banned from driving before you even take the driving test.

Your mate was done, have you discussed the the actual test with your instructor he should have told told you exactly what to expect and what goes on at the test centre, also if he has got time to fit special semi-intensive courses at a cheap rate in his diary that is a sign that he is not busy, not a great recommendation.

The last thing the examiners want is you sitting around in the test centre for an hour or two, if you read the instructions for your driving test it tells you to arrive at the centre approximately 10 minutes before your test time.

[lavandergirl]

I've had about 9-10 lessons with my instructer already, I have had some long breaks in between and my intructer, therefore, has recommended that I do a whole load of lessons in a 2-3 weeks, so, not as intensive as some.

I only need about 10 more, not even that but think this is a very good deal, I can drive and have driven by myself around the blocks on my own and with an a adult.

-MoE-

It's easy to learn how to maneuver the car but it takes a lot of experience to be aware of the hazards.

[alwaysonthego]

I would have put it a bit more gently then Conor, but he is right and if you get caught then you could lose your licence before you get it. Can't someone sit in with you?

[MrsTine]

I have deleted several messages from this thread due to abusive language - Please remember to be nice to ALL money savers! If you feel it was unfair please send a mail to Abuse and they will review your message.

Lazymoezy - driving a car on a PUBLIC road would be a motoring offence - doesn't matter how quiet it is... If it's a public road you are breaking the law and therefor if you crashed the car and your cousin had to claim and if they were honest they would "grass" you up. You would potentially be banned for 2 years (happened to a friend of mine) and get a fine. This will not go down well with insurance in the future and you would probably get a DWOC as mentioned (in one of the replies I had to delete sorry...) will be something that employers might not look favourable upon...
Not to mention the disrespect you are showing towards your own family for taking their cars for a little drive when they are visiting! And what if children were riding bikes down the road and the worst happened and you hit one? I'd advise you to think very very carefully about your actions...
The advise about your instructor having too much time on his hands is true... my AA instructor 10 years ago had a full diary and certainly couldn't have fitted that many lessons in - and certainly not during peak season (summer ie lots of daylight). Also I wasn't charged for use of the instructors car when I took my test...
Please... don't drive a car without someone there, make sure you're insured to drive it and don't do it without the owners consent!
Also... 10 lessons... not enough to make you a "good" driver. You're a learner, and you are learning how to pass your test so that you can go out on the roads safely and learn how to drive...
Safety first... please?

[lazymoezy]

Ok, thanks for that. I have taken atleast 10 hours of lessons already, this course would add another 10, so, 20hrs in total, some people need mroe some need less, I think I am more or less ready now but another 10 would surely be enough for me.

Here's the stupid part, is the road in my block private or public? Its a load of housings about 30-35 houses and has a huge gate to get into the area, you can park outside but residents can park inside the gates, no member of the public can get in without our consent because you need to 'buzz' in or use the key. Doesnt that make it private? Then again other people in the area can use it? I dont drive outside of these gates though, did a while back, stupid I know but havnt for ages and wont till I get my car and am fully legit!

Update on my intensive course....its 10 hours consisting of 5 lessons, making that 2hrs of driving per lesson. Its going to be spread out over 3 weeks as I have delayed my test because something popped up on that particular date. So thats about 2 lessons per week, not as intensive as some made it out to be, more like a good deal. (Would have never done the course if lessons were more than 2 hours long, I find 1 or 2 hours is enough).

Thanks for responce,

-MoE-

[MrsTine]

I'd still be concerned the instructor has that many 2 hour slots... serious a good instructor would struggle to book you in like that - ESPECIALLY in peak season which is now with the summer holidays...
And I still don't see why he should be charging you for the use of the car for your test???

As for the road - is it private or not - hmmm not easy to tell without seeing it - but why risk it??? You'll have a license in a few months and then you can drive legally - what if when you were joy riding your relatives car in this fenced area a child ran out in front of you? If you'd been driving about in a private fenced of field then maybe I could kinda condone it (if you had the owners consent!) but not where other people and children are potentially at risk.
Is it really worth chancing it just because you want to have 5 minutes of fun? Wait a few more months and you'll be able to drive anywhere you like legally :)

[highguyuk]

IMO, 20 lessons is not enough. One of the "old myths" is that it should take you double your age in lessons to pass ... I'm presuming your quite young but even at 18 (presume you want car in September for Uni/College) that requires 34 lessons.

However saying that, I passed the day after my 18th Birthday and I had 28 lessons. No family owned a car at that time, so my 28 lessons was all I had. 28 hours to pass. So, I was fairly chuffed I'd manage to pass. I went for my test after 25 lessons, then another, and passed 3rd time. Ahem.

Have you passed your theory test yet? If you havent, maybe you should concentrate on that first and continue to take WEEKLY lessons (as opposed to some here and there!).

It is also slightly concerning that your instructor has that much availability. My instructor was only part time, so I had more choice than some, but even then there was no way he could have fit me in with the kind of schedule you have been offered.

Who has decided you only need 10 more?

[lazymoezy]

He is more of a friend now, half my mates know him and keep in regular contact maybe that could be a reason, also he fits me in at all sorts of different timne, really early in the morning, late in the evening...as long as I get my lessons I dont mind. i've seen his dairy, he even said he gives priority to those who are closer to their tests and as im not that far away maybe he is setting some time asdie for me.

Oh and another thing, just remembered, he could be doing it because I gave him a phone contract the other day, long story but I gave him a phone contract at a bargain price, so, maybe it's his way of returning the favour?

Finally, I'm the one who thinks I need 10 more lessons, dont want to sound big headed but I reckon I'm ready. My instructer thinks 10 more should be enough but we shall see after the 10 as I got to brush up on a few things. You cant just say after 10 hrs im all good, you have to do the full 10hrs and see if you need anymore lessons, hopefully not in my case.

I done and passed my theory in Fedbruary 2007.

[MrsTine]

Don't forget - passing your driving test doesn't mean you know how to drive - it tells you that you are driving to a standard that means you are fit to continue learning on your own (and this process continues all through your life... - take it from someone qualified to drive ambulances on blues and two's - I am advanced qualified etc and even I learn something new all the time - I'm trying very hard to not be patronising here, but really... You're young and invincible - I know because I was once - right up until I had to perform CPR on a friend and when he passed away I was the one having to call his family, friends and work and I had the task of going and telling his wife that we couldn't save him... I've had 6 years to think very hard about my own mortality after that day and I wil always have nightmares. But I bet not as many as the guy who was driving and caused it...

This really isn't a go at you - it's just an old fogey (27...) trying to pass some very hard earnt lessons on in the hope others never ever have to stand in the same spot and have to tell someone that a person they love has passed away so tragically...

Driving instructor aside - because this is only a matter of our opinion on why he has this much time no matter what time of day :) - some of us feel he might not be worth the money because he has too much spare time - we could be wrong! But in reality if we are not then all that will happen is you will fail - if you are not ready to be let out then you won't pass - simple as. Worst case you will have lost some money and have to get lessons with someone better. False economy - but nothing more.

The driving un-supervised treally truely is what I think concerns a lot of us - no matter where you do it.

Be safe... and if you want to take the advice that we think it's false economy to go with this instructor then do so :) If not then again entirely your choice... Just stay safe :)

[scbk]

When I was learning I was doing 2hr lessons, and did about 10 in total. Didn't have to pay to "hire" the car for the test but was obviously charged the cost of a lesson (£20) and the instuctor picked me up from work and took us back there.

Re: the road by the block of flats - it's probably privatly owned but may still count as "public road", just like supermarket carparks are