Learning to Drive

Ultrasonic

photome wrote: »

Its better to learn and get a license then worry about costs of insurance, even if it means not driving for a few years

Why? Frankly that sounds like a very bad idea. Having a very inexperienced driver not driving for a few years and then expecting them to be able to get into a car and drive safely just sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

mikey72

Ultrasonic wrote: »

Why? Frankly that sounds like a very bad idea. Having a very inexperienced driver not driving for a few years and then expecting them to be able to get into a car and drive safely just sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

The insurers don't agree. Insurance is far cheaper if you have your license for longer.

Ultrasonic

mikey72 wrote: »

The insurers don't agree. Insurance is far cheaper if you have your license for longer.

I have a vague recollection of an insurance company I was with making a distinction between the number of years that a licence has been held, and the number of years the person has actually been driving. This was relevant for me as I had gone a year or two without driving. This might be uncommon or I might be mis-remembering though.

Whether insurance is cheaper or not, I'm still not convinced it would be in the new driver's best interests. As I alluded to above, I drove very little after passing my test. I was at university at the time and initially drove my parents' car during holidays, but then stopped doing even this as it wasn't worth the insurance cost for occasional use. My driving did though definitely suffer as a result. I thankfully didn't have an accident when I started driving again, but I was defintiely low on confidence for a while, and consequently not as safe as I could have been. In hindsight I'd wished I'd delayed learning to drive until just before I left university.

Spottedleopard

Is your SD at College? Ask her to ask there for recommend local driving instructors, lots of them around here have good relationships with the colleges and advertise there and sometimes even offer discounts if they are from certain colleges.

My girlfriends sister is at College and I know she got her driving instructor on the recommendation of the college and she gets a 10% discount on all lessons- she doesn't have to block book or anything.

Spottedleopard

Also, if the lessons look to cheap to be true- the quality of instruction probably isn't all that great!

I saw one advertised a few weeks ago were each lesson would of ended up being £9 an hour. No decent instructor would charge that little- your are looking at least £20ph for a decent instructor!

LandyAndy

CompletelyLost wrote: »

Personally I hated 2-hour lessons... after about 45 minutes my concentration was gone and it was such a waste. I ended up changing to 1-hour lessons twice a week. Guess it's a personal thing though, as I know some people are the opposite and don't get in the zone until their 2nd hour.
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Not much choice when it is a 25 minute drive each way to/from the city where the test centre is.:)

CKhalvashi

I managed to negotiate £20 for the first 2 hours with a local instructor. We got on well, so I did block book. Passed first time. Local instructors have more power to negotiate than franchises, and also have a reputation to keep.

Before going stupidly low on price, remember that this was over 12 years ago. £30 for 2 hours is what my niece paid for her first, then £18/hour in 8 hour slots after that.

CK

Learner_Driver

I need practice driving but parents wont let me use their car ortake me out because the insurance is huge Cant afford extra lessons so totally screwed.

photome

Learner_Driver wrote: »

I need practice driving but parents wont let me use their car ortake me out because the insurance is huge Cant afford extra lessons so totally screwed.

Whats your point.

Sometimes you cant have what you want?

Billy-no-Money

Lots of good advice above - recommendation is the best way and local instructors are likely to offer a better deal than the big names such as AA, BSM, Bill Plant etc.

The big franchises charge more than the independents but each instructor is still self-employed. They're more likely to have a newer car (some franchises change cars as often as six-monthly) but that's about it - and for learning a car needs to be straightforward to drive, with good visibility (my ADI wife uses a Fiat Panda) - don't get sucked in by image.

Another risk with some of the big groups is they might use a 'PDI' instead of an 'ADI'. A 'PDI' (or 'pink badge') is someone who's only part-qualified and still training, using you for practice. It's legitimate but to get to PDI stage a trainee just has to pass an extended theory and driving test, they have NOT been tested on their instructional ability - which includes knowing how to keep you and others safe on the road. That is a hard thing to learn, the test (Part 3) is difficult, and a very high proportion never make it. Training of ADIs is a lucrative business for these groups (you'll have seen the ad for RED, they're an extreme though - BSM use this method to some extent, AA say they don't).

It's not cut-and-dried but why should you pay full price for a trainee instructor?

Some other thoughts; ten lessons for £100 might look like a bargain, but most will need far more to pass their test - look at the total cost, and remember it takes most drivers more lessons now than it did thirty years ago.

Also - it is illegal for an instructor to use their mobile phone while supervising a pupil, even to read a text.

On the general points of insurance costs; time a licence is held is important even if you're not driving, though you don't begin building up no-claims until you're insured in your own right.
Secondly - it is perfectly possible to pass your test without practice, and it can make it harder if your supervising driver challenges the way your instructor teaches you - the driving test is not perfect but at least it's consistent.

Another thing just crossed my mind; your first lesson won't involve much driving if any, this is one reason that some schools offer an initial two-hour lesson for the price of one.

Finally - get your head down and study for your theory test. It's common for pupils to take longer than they need to pass their driving test because they've delayed doing the theory. You can't take your theory until you're 17 (with a few exceptions) but there's nothing to stop you studying and booking the test three months in advance!