Tips for new driver (to be!)

newbie007_2

Gene you need to take a hike and pee off my post. You are like a stray dog who wont' leave anyone alone, so sad.

Gene_Hunt_2

newbie007 wrote: »

Gene you need to take a hike and pee off my post

Just stating a fact.;)

morgana

Take the Pass Plus course after you pass. Some ins. companies knock 30% off premiums for this.(and it gives you valuable further experience)
Try Young Marmalade
http://www.youngmarmalade.co.uk/
but there may be a higher age limit

ScratchandSniff-->[X]

tillymama wrote: »

I'm after any helpful tips on how to keep costs as low as possible. We'll be buying lessons in bulk, but I need advice on cars & insurance.

You also need to consider how you will maintain the vehicle and the associated costs, and how you will know whether the vehicles you are looking to buy are in good repair/safe/suitable/expensive to run.

Getting experience of driving/riding different types of vehicle will not only help you refine what you really need in a car, but also give you some experience of other road user perspectives beyond the same small well-maintained dual control learner vehicle. If you can't find someone/somewhere/somehow to do this, try hiring.

mikey72

Don't buy the first few lessons in bulk.
Find an instructor you like, and get on with. Then you can see if you can get a discount by paying for a block. If you pay up front, and hate the instructor, (or he hates you) you'll find it hard to move, and probably not get anything out of it.

optimus_primera

ScratchandSniff-->[X] wrote: »

You also need to consider how you will maintain the vehicle and the associated costs, and how you will know whether the vehicles you are looking to buy are in good repair/safe/suitable/expensive to run.

Getting experience of driving/riding different types of vehicle will not only help you refine what you really need in a car, but also give you some experience of other road user perspectives beyond the same small well-maintained dual control learner vehicle. If you can't find someone/somewhere/somehow to do this, try hiring.[/QUOTE]

Was going to post along these lines.
Its no good deciding what car you think you want/need until you have spent a few hours behind the wheel.

And i don't want to sound negative, but what if find that you don't like driving after all ....... wait till you pass your test before purchasing a car,

olly300

morgana wrote: »

Take the Pass Plus course after you pass. Some ins. companies knock 30% off premiums for this.(and it gives you valuable further experience)
Try Young Marmalade
http://www.youngmarmalade.co.uk/
but there may be a higher age limit

Not worth it for a lot of new drivers particularly if they are older as lots of insurance companies do not take that into consideration.

However if you don't do it it's still worth taking a motorway lesson after you pass if you aren't taught to drive on dual carriageways with large roundabouts.

One good thing about learning to drive in winter is that you won't be afraid of driving in sh*t conditions as you would have already had some of your lessons (when you are more experienced) in some bad conditions.

wba31

personally i'd say buy a car for less than £1000, something you're not going to be petrified about hitting a post/kerb with. once you've passed and you drive on your own you'll realise the theory makes up a minute part of driving, the rest comes from experience. £1000 seems reasonable for insurance for a new driver, age makes little difference until you have no claims against your name

tillymama_2

Thanks all for your input.

ScratchandSniff-->[X] wrote: »

You also need to consider how you will maintain the vehicle and the associated costs, and how you will know whether the vehicles you are looking to buy are in good repair/safe/suitable/expensive to run.

Getting experience of driving/riding different types of vehicle will not only help you refine what you really need in a car, but also give you some experience of other road user perspectives beyond the same small well-maintained dual control learner vehicle. If you can't find someone/somewhere/somehow to do this, try hiring.

It's these associated costs that need the research! I shan't be buying anything before I pass, but I do need to get an idea of the sorts of things to look out for and research. There didn't seem any point in getting a pass, and then having to start a whole heap of research before being in a position to buy a car. I'm the sort of person who needs to be doing something useful whenever I'm working towards something. So I'm busying myself revising for my theory, and researching cars and insurance.

I appreciate what you're saying about needing to try a few different cars. I may be able to go out for a drive with my BIL, but not until I'm confident I'm not going to crash his car!!

mikey72 wrote: »

Don't buy the first few lessons in bulk.
Find an instructor you like, and get on with. Then you can see if you can get a discount by paying for a block. If you pay up front, and hate the instructor, (or he hates you) you'll find it hard to move, and probably not get anything out of it.

I have already arranged with my driving instructor to have a "trial" lesson before I book anything. I know I need to double check we get along, as well as have him assess where I'm at skills-wise. He's then going to look at doing me a deal on a block of lessons for both me and DH.

wba31 wrote: »

personally i'd say buy a car for less than £1000, something you're not going to be petrified about hitting a post/kerb with. once you've passed and you drive on your own you'll realise the theory makes up a minute part of driving, the rest comes from experience. £1000 seems reasonable for insurance for a new driver, age makes little difference until you have no claims against your name

I think I'll be petrified no matter what the car! It seems a bit of a false economy to spend £1k on something that may not last very long if we have £3k available to spend? I do see what you're saying about having a cheaper car to begin with, but if we did have a bump repair costs will be fairly similar surely?

tbourner

tillymama wrote: »

I think I'll be petrified no matter what the car! It seems a bit of a false economy to spend £1k on something that may not last very long if we have £3k available to spend? I do see what you're saying about having a cheaper car to begin with, but if we did have a bump repair costs will be fairly similar surely?

There is no 'IF' about it, you WILL crash at some point, probably in the first 6 months, the big thing is how bad a crash you have. Usually for learners it's a bump or two, sometimes it's a proper crash (roundabout or junction most likely), and idiots have full on rolling flipping crashes from going too fast.

If you crash one of these:



At a junction, someone goes into your front wing at 15mph for example, the insurance company will almost certainly write it off, and you'll lose half the money you paid for it, especially if you buy from a garage.



If you crash one of these:



At a junction, someone goes into your front wing at 15mph for example, the insurance company will almost certainly write it off, and you'll lose about £100.