Best options for learning to drive?

charlie792

Basically Im 21 soon and have pretty much never driven before - First (and only) ever lesson I ended up crashing, not exactly serious but it ended up with the instructor calling a tow truck (to be fair wasn't exactly my fault)

I really need to learn sooner rather than later for better employment options so its something I really need to consider now.

So Ive been looking at a few basic options and would welcome some opinions.

Firstly - get put onto OH's insurance policy - would cost £1500 extra.
OH has offered to teach me to drive as much as he can and then I could just have a few lessons when needed.

Secondly - get my own temporary insurance for his car, found a company doing this for learners for £250 for 3 months
Supplement this with additional lessons from a driving instructor

Thirdly - go entirely through a driving instructor

The thing is Im totally clueless and somewhat petrified of driving (and crashing) again and part of me thinks paying for lessons initially would in some respects be a waste of money especially just to get to grips with the very basics?

I don't really know how many hours I would need in each situation - probably a fair few... and the very cheapest Ive found them locally is £170 for 10hrs so it could end up getting very expensive......

Part of me thinking option 2 is the best - especially as we could go out for a least an hour a day that way but part of me is also terrified of breaking the car!

property.advert

Go with an instructor completely. Pass your test and then take more lessons for motorways etc. You will get confused driving two types of car. Your relationship may never recover.

Do not go near your car until you are confident you will not wrap it around a lamp post or more importantly, hit me.

It may take thousands to get you passed. You may be a natural or perhaps a nightmare.

casseus

with the price of insurance for newly passed learners, my advice would be to insure yourself as a main driver (OH as named driver infrequent user)on a car from when you get you license.

get a cheap vehicle, that has just passed its mot and is mechanicly of good engine, tax it (if need be) insure youself on it, even if you do next to no miles in it and its sat there. you will have a NCB to start yourself with when you pass giving you cheaper insurance. something like a fiat seicento 1.0

with 3 month learner driver cover your throwing good money after bad.

learn with an instructor, do a pass pluss or even a pass plus and advance driver education course, sell car you had sat or part ex it for a newer car to drive yourself in.

Oldernotwiser

You don't have to learn to drive, certainly not until you feel happier than you do at present. I didn't learn to drive until I was fifty and it never stopped me getting a job.

bluenoseam

I took one "lesson" with my older sister which put me off learning to drive for the better part of 10 years, it's only now that i'm considering it to open up employment oppertunities - i can still hear the stupid bint screaming in my earhole that i was going to tip the car while going 15mph!

spiro

The average number of driving lessons a person has is 42.

Personally I would start with an instructor so you don't learn any bad habits from OH. Once you have had a few lessons, continue with the lessons but put in eatra hours with the OH. Bear in mind that lesson are cheaper than falling out with the OH which I've know to happen big time over driving lessons.

MOEED2K

Secondly - get my own temporary insurance for his car, found a company doing this for learners for £250 for 3 months

What company was this?

SWT_D.I

I am a former ADI, now working in another industry as a staff trainer.

Learning to drive involves just TWO skill sets;

1) Car control skills
2) Road procedure and behaviour

Picking up car control skills in a manual transmission car takes a considerable amount of time and can be quite confidence-sapping, especially when trying to learn car control skills e.g. clutch control etc 'live' in traffic. Ideally, some 'off road' time should first be spent acquiring car control skills without having to focus on the dynamic road traffic environment.

Before I left the driver training business, I decided to teach solely automatic lessons for people with disabilities and mobility problems. I discovered to my surprise that most people, including complete novices, were able to master the required car control skills in two-to-three lessons. I was then able to teach them road procedure and appropriate behaviour fairly quickly as they were no longer struggling with car control concerns.

The cut the long story short;

Take lessons and pass the test in an automatic - you'll absolutely love the lessons and enjoy driving I promise.

After passing in the auto, drive around for a period of three-to-six months (or until you feel confident) then take a single two-hour lesson in a manual car with an ADI then apply for and pass your manual test.

This is the cheapest, quickest but most importantly, stress-free way of learning to drive. You'll save yourself ££££££s and will absolutely love learning to drive. I guarantee it.:beer:

red_eye

OH's teaching to drive will end up in a brake up

pixieland

just passed my driving test at the grand age of fifty three!!.Tried a manual but just couldnt do it .The roads are so busy now i had to learn road skills first.Love driving my little automatic and i know i have had people say to me but thats not real driving but i can drive to work and just got a new job which i have to drive to work or else its to far to walk no public transport.I am going to wait about a year then i might have manual driving lessons and see how i get on.