Learning to drive in your late 60's

chrisw

immy1 said:

I think that's just it Sea-Shell. The roads are so busy these days with plenty of inconsiderate and risk-taking drivers about. It is a jungle out there.

It's really up to you how to approach it. 

You can become part of the jungle fighting your way through or you can go at your own pace and let the others fight it out around you whilst floating calmly through.

eamon

Speak to your family, friends & neighbours re driving instructors in your area and then interview them. As others have said apply for your provisional driving licence. The link below is useful.

https://www.gov.uk/apply-first-provisional-driving-licence

mynameisboba

As a former driving instructor, there’s a broad calculation for an estimate of how many hours of professional driving instruction (not just being accompanied by a nervous Mum or Dad) that a person needs to get them to test standard - take your age and multiply it by 2, then convert that to hours.  This guy is looking at 134 hours.  If he takes a 2 hour lesson twice a week, he’s looking at about 34 weeks of driving lessons.  

Ask any potential instructor what they scored on their last check test.  Don’t bother with any that scored 1-3.  6 is the highest rating.  If any refuse to answer, avoid like the plague.

Longwalker

I learned in my mid 40s, 2 hour lessons a week, took about 16 weeks before I was test ready, but I held off a while longer because of nerves - but passed first time 

I had to learn to drive after moving from a city to a very rural area with no public transport at all, otherwise I would never have bothered 

Whilst I had never been behind the wheel of a car, I had always been co pilot, doing the map reading and sign watching and ensuring Mr L was in the right lane ( he can drive but no sense of direction whatsoever lol ) so I was already up on the theory and hazard perception and road markings 

As @annabanana82 has said , learning to drive and then continuing to drive is not cheap and perhaps putting the money towards taxis could be the better option 

Mums insurance as an older driver is sky rocketing ( shes older then you )and she uses her car just once a week now to the local shop, we take her on longer journeys. We are trying to convince her to give up and use taxis 

Sea_Shell

Longwalker said:

I learned in my mid 40s, 2 hour lessons a week, took about 16 weeks before I was test ready, but I held off a while longer because of nerves - but passed first time 

I had to learn to drive after moving from a city to a very rural area with no public transport at all, otherwise I would never have bothered 

Whilst I had never been behind the wheel of a car, I had always been co pilot, doing the map reading and sign watching and ensuring Mr L was in the right lane ( he can drive but no sense of direction whatsoever lol ) so I was already up on the theory and hazard perception and road markings 

As @annabanana82 has said , learning to drive and then continuing to drive is not cheap and perhaps putting the money towards taxis could be the better option 

Mums insurance as an older driver is sky rocketing ( shes older then you )and she uses her car just once a week now to the local shop, we take her on longer journeys. We are trying to convince her to give up and use taxis 

This is a key point IMO.     You'd been an active passenger in your non driving days, rather than a passive one.