Driving Scariness...

Sadly, this is all in the Highway Code, about not ever having the car in neutral, and all the stuff with the clutch, as well. You can fail your test if you don't do it their way.

Coasting is definitely frowned upon as not being in full control of the vehicle, although obviously you have to "coast" for a short distance every time you change gear and every time you come to a stop. 

Many of the other things which instructors seem to insist upon are not test requirements, however.  I was discussing this elsewhere some months ago, and checking upon how things stand now (it being a good few years since my U.K. driving test). 

For example, both a retired and a current DSA examiner confirmed that there is absolutely no requirement in the test to apply the parking brake at every stop, or between forward and reverse movements when doing the 3-point turn.   The requirement is to be in full control of the vehicle at all times and not let it roll.  It seems that instructors just have it ingrained that insistence upon use of the parking brake every time is the best way to make sure that a novice driver doesn't roll when he shouldn't.  Many don't seem able to adjust to accepting any other method when faced with an already experienced driver.

What about the rule that you must not indicate unless you see another car?? 

Again, it seems to be an ingrained part of "official" instruction.   I can see a certain part of the argument, that it could be better not to signal if that signal could be misinterpreted, e.g. signaling left to pull up at the curb on the far side of a junction so that others might think you were about to turn left at the junction.  But my reasoning says that it's better to signal your intentions and nobody sees the signal than to not signal because you didn't notice another road user.

And I finally said - 'Gaaaah - what is WRONG with you?!  Why DO you keep putting on the hand brake every time we come to a stop?!  It's not necessary!' 

We don't all do it!    My parking brake philosophy is simple:  Release at the start of the journey, apply when reaching my destination and parking.   

Yes, it would be sooo nice, just to be able to hop in the car and drive to the shops, however, most of the shops are in Alnwick, which seems like the freakiest place to drive ever, IMO. The roads there are even narrower, more crowded, and scarier than here! In fact, I should take lessons there, just because I know if I can drive around there without issues, then it would seem pretty easy to drive around most of the other villages. And in Newcastle? Not sure I will be ready for that for quite a long while!
Heck yeah! I definitely want to feel like you do now! I am going to keep driving (with DH in the car for a while), and hopefully take some lessons soon. I just want to get it over with and not feel this anxiety anymore.

Jewlz, where is the testing centre where you'll take your test?  That's where you need to practice.  My instructor lives near me, but for my lessons we always drove up to Gloucester and he had me follow the exact test routes, pointing out places where people trip up and giving me hints on how to pass.  An example was "If he takes you through the roundabout this way it will be because people generally use the wrong lane here.  Be sure to be in the left of the right lanes."  When I took my test it was all very familiar.

Good point about automatics, I wonder if you have to used the hand brake?

I didn't have to use the hand brake at traffic lights or stops, but my instructor suggested that I use it when asked to pull over to the side of the road and stop (something that happened several times on my test).

Again, it seems to be an ingrained part of "official" instruction.   I can see a certain part of the argument, that it could be better not to signal if that signal could be misinterpreted, e.g. signaling left to pull up at the curb on the far side of a junction so that others might think you were about to turn left at the junction.  But my reasoning says that it's better to signal your intentions and nobody sees the signal than to not signal because you didn't notice another road user.


My parking brake philosophy is simple:  Release at the start of the journey, apply when reaching my destination and parking.   

Perfect. Meaning the parking brake!

As for signaling.....I wish more people in the US (at least, where I live) would use theirs. Between the lack of signals, abrupt lane changing, cell phones and texting while driving  ....its very dangerous driving here.

Good luck with the lessons, Mrs. R. Finding a good instructor is definitely key. Hope it all works out.

I definitly agree that it is probably harder to re-learn stick shift over here, rather than do it for the first time on the 'wrong side' (which is what I did).

One of my favorite things about passing the test is being able to coast! That was one of the hardest habits I had to break while I was taking my lessons and the test.

And my instructor said the same thing about the parking break, Paul. That you won't fail for not using it, but you could fail for rolling backwards. So better to be safe than sorry!

And the biggest piece of advice I can give to anyone taking the test, is print up the test routes and practice them. They print them all online at the DSA website. By the end of my lessons/practicing, I knew them all really well, including all the tricky bits.

As for signaling.....I wish more people in the US (at least, where I live) would use theirs. Between the lack of signals, abrupt lane changing, cell phones and texting while driving  ....its very dangerous driving here.

You said it!  Don't forget the tail-gating.

Launching off this thread, I started a new thread about how my (and hopefully how others') driving lessons are going.  It's here. 

We can do it!    (and then it won't be scary anymore!)

As for signaling.....I wish more people in the US (at least, where I live) would use theirs. Between the lack of signals, abrupt lane changing, cell phones and texting while driving  ....its very dangerous driving here.

Absolutely! I went home to the US about a month after passing my driving test, and found driving to be even more infuriating than I remember.  Especially lane discipline on the highways (which doesn't seem to exist at all), but that could also be because my husband has a bit of a thing about being in the correct lane on the motorway. I think it's his biggest pet peeve.

Especially lane discipline on the highways (which doesn't seem to exist at all), but that could also be because my husband has a bit of a thing about being in the correct lane on the motorway. I think it's his biggest pet peeve.

My husband has often commented on that when we're in the US.  I just say - we're in America now, babeeeee - where the driving is wild & free!    And, to borrow from persephone...now it's time to put that thing in cruise control & stick our feet out the windows! 

Oh dear.     This is making me even more nervous.  Living here in tiny Middle-Of-Nowhere, North Yorkshire it would be such a HUGE help if I could drive.  But having to UN-learn how I've been driving for 30+ years, maybe this dog is too old to learn new tricks.  Of course my DH thinks there's nothing I can't do and no reason I should fail at UK driving.  Bless him.     But he also thinks I can do it without lessons.  I disagree.  

now it's time to put that thing in cruise control & stick our feet out the windows!    

 LOLOL  Now that's my kind of driving!  

But he also thinks I can do it without lessons.  I disagree.  

I'd say get some lessons.  I found getting a license in the US so many years ago (age 15!) very easy.  From my impression, they are much more particular about how you do things here - at least for passing the test.  Then you can go back to driving the way you drive. 

I was very nervous at/after that first lesson last Monday cos that woman instructor I had was just awful!  But I've had two lessons with a much better instructor since then & am feeling a lot better.  I'm not going to scrimp on the lessons though because I want to pass the test as soon as I can & be done with it!

My husband has often commented on that when we're in the US.  I just say - we're in America now, babeeeee - where the driving is wild & free!    And, to borrow from persephone...now it's time to put that thing in cruise control & stick our feet out the windows! 

Haha!  

My husband is a really good and skilled driver, but he just can't deal with driving in the US. Whereas I understand the unpredictability, and can cope with it. I learned to drive in NJ. I fully expect that at an intersection, the person on the other side making a left-hand turn will (at least attempt to) cut me off  

He also can't deal with pedestrians having the right of way. As he points out, there are few if any times in the UK, where cars and people can go at the same time.

DH was amazed at the 4-way stops in my small hometown, people politely took turns and yielded to the car on the right, he couldn't get his head around it.  "No one is swearing or making rude hand gestures!  I don't understand!"   

He also can't deal with pedestrians having the right of way. As he points out, there are few if any times in the UK, where cars and people can go at the same time.

It was more common in the past for British intersections to have lights phased so that pedestrians got a "Cross now" light on the side streets while cars on the main street saw green, but in most places these were gradually altered to the present arrangement where the pedestrian only gets a "green man" when all possible vehicular movements into that road are stopped.

Despite what you may see, at the thousands of non-light intersections around the U.K., it is still the law that a driver turning into a side street must yield right of way to a pedestrian who is crossing.  It's just widely ignored and seems to be rarely enforced any more.      

Despite what you may see, at the thousands of non-light intersections around the U.K., it is still the law that a driver turning into a side street must yield right of way to a pedestrian who is crossing.  It's just widely ignored and seems to be rarely enforced any more. 

Thanks for saying that, cos I was sure my driving instructor (or maybe it was the Highway Code, or both?) said something about yielding right of way to the pedestrian.