Driving instructors MSE style

SingleMumOf2_3

Sorry if I have posted in the wrong place. I am a single mum so have to be extremely careful with the pennies.

I have had lessons before, but got ripped off. I need to pass before August.. but I have no idea how to figure which instructor to go with.

Anyone have any tips? And does anyone know how many hours driving it normally takes to pass? I have already passed my theory.
I got as far as 60mph roads, traffic lights, small roundabouts etc. Though didnt do any manouevers.

Kilty_2

Ask people for personal recommendation - do not choose a driving instructor based on price alone.

Inactive

Kilty wrote: »

Ask people for personal recommendation - do not choose a driving instructor based on price alone.

Good advice.

Driving instruction is a service based item, not a tin of beans.;)

Justicia

Inactive wrote: »

Good advice.

Driving instruction is a service based item, not a tin of beans.

Also good advice! :rotfl:

MX5huggy

Anyone that you could practice with? Time behind the wheel is what you need.

I had 6 lessons then drove about 10000 miles in 6 months next to my GF, mum and Dad then had 2 lessons to get rid of some bad habits. Passed 1st time, examiner said it was the best drive she had had in a long time. Because nothing was a surprise, despite never spending hours on the test routes as instructors like to do. Was not very good a manoeuvres but there is not much call for 3 point turns when driving normally.

Kilty_2

MX5huggy wrote: »

there is not much call for 3 point turns when driving normally.

Depends on your sense of direction I guess :rotfl:

SingleMumOf2_3

No I have no one who I can practice with unfortunately. A few people have recommended a few instructors.. but someone recommended last time and I got ripped off.

Are private tutors usually better than the company's?

Inactive

SingleMumOf2 wrote: »

No I have no one who I can practice with unfortunately. A few people have recommended a few instructors.. but someone recommended last time and I got ripped off.

Are private tutors usually better than the company's?

If you mean self employed ADI's, then yes, in general, they are.

DaveF327

If you have 9 months in which to pass, you would be better off setting yourself a weekly or monthly budget rather than a total figure.

After all, you don't buy all your year's food in one go, and if someone told you that would cost £2600, you would dismiss it as too expensive despite paying that much anyway in weekly £50 instalments.

The main thing to consider is consistency: you shouldn't take a load of lessons then have a long wait before a test, nor should you leave too long between lessons or your skills won't be consolidated, you'll forget stuff and each lesson will end up being a repeat of the one before.

As other posters have said, the best way to find a good instructor is personal recommendation. You say that your friend did this but you got ripped off. How exactly did he rip you off and why didn't this happen to your friend?

Each instructor is an individual and some people will get on with him, others not. Their methods should achieve a common goal, but not everyone will appreciate an individual method. Far better to discuss questionable methods with a wider audience before assuming that it's all a rip off.

Tell us what your weekly / monthly budget is and we may be able to provide more tailored advice regarding a training schedule and timescale. Learning rate varies with age too. Early twenties is a good time to learn, but leaving it until you're thirty-something will mean more lessons to reach the test standard.