Hello Trucksim
( * means see notes at the bottom)
Basically, I wrote this for anyone else worried/interested about learning to drive and what it's like. Tl;dr, try not to panic, keep your ears open for advice and your eyes open so you're a safe and progressive driver!
If enough requests are made I could do this in video format with visual demonstrations of maneuvers and other talk in more detail. After all, some won't learn from writing and this is all coming from what I've been taught and what I've learned - I'd love to assist others who were like me before learning and being there.
About me:
As you may already be aware I've been eager to drive for a few years, like most of us under the legal age to drive or in less fortunate financial situations. After saving up for a few months, I had a few hundred pounds shortly after my 17th birthday in September. I booked *10 hours of driving tuition with an instructor *recommended by my friend and his mom; they both said he was friendly, tailored lessons to the student and was a first time pass for my friend.
Advice for any driving: Always be: Aware, steady, progressive (little to no hesitation), respectable and predictive of your surroundings.
On my first lesson I was picked up, we spoke a lot before moving while we got to know eachother and of course I looked about for a government authorized ID to make sure he was legal and trained, saw it stuck to the bottom of the windscreen. He drove me to an open road where he starts all his pupils and we then swapped seats so I was in the driver's seat. As I had previous experience he ran through basic controls and briefed me on the workings of the car. When I was asked to set off and proceed to normal driving position on the road -as with most first drivers- I almost stalled. I didn't panic and we did get moving and used to steering, handling, etc. Naturally, my inner child was excited as hell but I have to keep him inside so I can focus on being safe and learning from a professional in order to pass first time, thus saving money and making a better impression. This hour lesson was basically getting used to controls, some basic junctions on quiet roads and accustoming myself to the road from a driver's perspective.
All my following lessons (4) have been an hour and a half in a busier town. The second lesson included the following skills and maneuvers: Controls, roundabouts, junctions, dual carriageways, traffic lights, "turn in the road" (formally three-point turn, but now they allow more than three turns as long as it's safe an efficient). The only time in this lesson I nearly stalled was at a set of traffic lights, every time I nearly stall I always put the clutch in fast enough to recover it. I was also a little too fast doing the turn in the road but my final attempt of three was just about perfect. Although I do get a bit flustered as anyone would, don't let it get to you - remain calm and be safe whatever you do. The chances are your instructor will have *dual controls on the car you use just to help out where necessary.
Lesson three consisted of going back and further into town. Bay parking, straight line reversing, some pedestrian crossings, larger junctions, more roundabouts and another turn in the road. Again, I nearly stalled but recovered it at the same set of traffic lights as last time. We also did a rather steep hill start at which I was told I did faultlessly - I was indeed very proud of myself! The three point turn this time was also flawless.
Lesson four took place on the day I write this post (Wed 10th), I booked my theory test for Friday 12th.
Lesson four we were also back in town. This time we covered reversing around a corner (easier than I thought!), more bay parking, after school driving (heavier traffic, "lollipop men/women", children), night and rain driving. With remaining calm and controlled it was effortless to be in top control of the car, even overtaking a stopped police car with no worries at all. I never stalled in this lesson, in fact at the end my instructor claimed he was "very impressed" and next lesson we shall move on to the Emergency Stop and parallel parking which will mean all areas are practiced. Following three or four lessons will be practices and then one more before my practical test.
I now have my theory test to do on Friday and my next driving lesson will be next week. I feel in 5 and a half hours driving I have progressed a lot and I'm quickly becoming ready for my practical, the theory test is the hard part, or at least the hazard perception test. The hazard perception is the one I am worried about.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
I will keep this topic updated with my news and progress on this subject, as I said I am writing this for those like me who are worried or have interest in what it's like to be a learner driver and what it's like to progress. If requested I can do an in-depth video format of this, split into parts of which I can include visual and verbal demonstrations. Of course when I get a car this would be easier but with money being an issue you know how it is :p
I hope I helped / will help someone!
( * means see notes at the bottom)
Basically, I wrote this for anyone else worried/interested about learning to drive and what it's like. Tl;dr, try not to panic, keep your ears open for advice and your eyes open so you're a safe and progressive driver!
If enough requests are made I could do this in video format with visual demonstrations of maneuvers and other talk in more detail. After all, some won't learn from writing and this is all coming from what I've been taught and what I've learned - I'd love to assist others who were like me before learning and being there.
About me:
As you may already be aware I've been eager to drive for a few years, like most of us under the legal age to drive or in less fortunate financial situations. After saving up for a few months, I had a few hundred pounds shortly after my 17th birthday in September. I booked *10 hours of driving tuition with an instructor *recommended by my friend and his mom; they both said he was friendly, tailored lessons to the student and was a first time pass for my friend.
Advice for any driving: Always be: Aware, steady, progressive (little to no hesitation), respectable and predictive of your surroundings.
On my first lesson I was picked up, we spoke a lot before moving while we got to know eachother and of course I looked about for a government authorized ID to make sure he was legal and trained, saw it stuck to the bottom of the windscreen. He drove me to an open road where he starts all his pupils and we then swapped seats so I was in the driver's seat. As I had previous experience he ran through basic controls and briefed me on the workings of the car. When I was asked to set off and proceed to normal driving position on the road -as with most first drivers- I almost stalled. I didn't panic and we did get moving and used to steering, handling, etc. Naturally, my inner child was excited as hell but I have to keep him inside so I can focus on being safe and learning from a professional in order to pass first time, thus saving money and making a better impression. This hour lesson was basically getting used to controls, some basic junctions on quiet roads and accustoming myself to the road from a driver's perspective.
All my following lessons (4) have been an hour and a half in a busier town. The second lesson included the following skills and maneuvers: Controls, roundabouts, junctions, dual carriageways, traffic lights, "turn in the road" (formally three-point turn, but now they allow more than three turns as long as it's safe an efficient). The only time in this lesson I nearly stalled was at a set of traffic lights, every time I nearly stall I always put the clutch in fast enough to recover it. I was also a little too fast doing the turn in the road but my final attempt of three was just about perfect. Although I do get a bit flustered as anyone would, don't let it get to you - remain calm and be safe whatever you do. The chances are your instructor will have *dual controls on the car you use just to help out where necessary.
Lesson three consisted of going back and further into town. Bay parking, straight line reversing, some pedestrian crossings, larger junctions, more roundabouts and another turn in the road. Again, I nearly stalled but recovered it at the same set of traffic lights as last time. We also did a rather steep hill start at which I was told I did faultlessly - I was indeed very proud of myself! The three point turn this time was also flawless.
Lesson four took place on the day I write this post (Wed 10th), I booked my theory test for Friday 12th.
Lesson four we were also back in town. This time we covered reversing around a corner (easier than I thought!), more bay parking, after school driving (heavier traffic, "lollipop men/women", children), night and rain driving. With remaining calm and controlled it was effortless to be in top control of the car, even overtaking a stopped police car with no worries at all. I never stalled in this lesson, in fact at the end my instructor claimed he was "very impressed" and next lesson we shall move on to the Emergency Stop and parallel parking which will mean all areas are practiced. Following three or four lessons will be practices and then one more before my practical test.
I now have my theory test to do on Friday and my next driving lesson will be next week. I feel in 5 and a half hours driving I have progressed a lot and I'm quickly becoming ready for my practical, the theory test is the hard part, or at least the hazard perception test. The hazard perception is the one I am worried about.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
I will keep this topic updated with my news and progress on this subject, as I said I am writing this for those like me who are worried or have interest in what it's like to be a learner driver and what it's like to progress. If requested I can do an in-depth video format of this, split into parts of which I can include visual and verbal demonstrations. Of course when I get a car this would be easier but with money being an issue you know how it is :p
I hope I helped / will help someone!
Notes:
*10 hours: This will vary on your own previous experience. I have driven a 3.0 TDi minivan a lot previously with my uncle on private land (so it is legal as I was underage without a license) and he recommended I wouldn't need more. If you have no experience behind the wheel, you may need more hours. Simulators with wheel, pedals and shifter do help but you can not rely on them to work like real life!
*recommended: Only use an instructor someone you know has used previously or know someone who used them. It's always better to take recommendations as they would have met the instructor; also, the more people who recommend, the better the instructor. If you can't get a referral to an instructor, make sure to research who you want to teach you so that you know they are reliable.
*dual controls: Chances are, after your first lesson you will always go to the drivers seat first, you'll never sit in the passenger seat again after initial briefing on lesson 1. In the passenger footwell they will have another set of pedals (brake and clutch in our car). This allows them to demonstrate, monitor and cover you if you make a mistake. Don't worry or feel bad if you are assisted in doing something, it's for your learning benefit and of those around you. I've had to be helped on more than one occasion and it is no offense to me at all.
Links:
2014 Practice Mock Theory Test
Driving Theory Test Practice: DVLA Mock Theory Test! (Multiple tests)
http://www.search2drive.com/mock_tests (INCLUDES HAZARD PERCEPTION)
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency APPROVED mock test
*10 hours: This will vary on your own previous experience. I have driven a 3.0 TDi minivan a lot previously with my uncle on private land (so it is legal as I was underage without a license) and he recommended I wouldn't need more. If you have no experience behind the wheel, you may need more hours. Simulators with wheel, pedals and shifter do help but you can not rely on them to work like real life!
*recommended: Only use an instructor someone you know has used previously or know someone who used them. It's always better to take recommendations as they would have met the instructor; also, the more people who recommend, the better the instructor. If you can't get a referral to an instructor, make sure to research who you want to teach you so that you know they are reliable.
*dual controls: Chances are, after your first lesson you will always go to the drivers seat first, you'll never sit in the passenger seat again after initial briefing on lesson 1. In the passenger footwell they will have another set of pedals (brake and clutch in our car). This allows them to demonstrate, monitor and cover you if you make a mistake. Don't worry or feel bad if you are assisted in doing something, it's for your learning benefit and of those around you. I've had to be helped on more than one occasion and it is no offense to me at all.
Links:
2014 Practice Mock Theory Test
Driving Theory Test Practice: DVLA Mock Theory Test! (Multiple tests)
http://www.search2drive.com/mock_tests (INCLUDES HAZARD PERCEPTION)
Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency APPROVED mock test