The few, the brave - those of us taking driving lessons right now!

 We just want to pass the bloody test & be done with it!  

AMEN TO THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whoa. So after the first driving lesson, I was exhausted and near tears--and it went really WELL. I don't think I realized how stressful it was going to feel, though.  We begun with some fairly non-threatening gear changing up and down the road, but then we drove home! on major roads! through manchester! I stalled the car when he told me to turn onto the first major road--I think in protest at the very idea .  Otherwise, it was okay.

I did notice random differences in driving (don't cross over your hands on the wheel, use parking brake instead of footbrake etc) but whoa. I can't wait till this is over.

Bravo to you, Jenny!  I can't even begin to imagine driving through downtown Manchester...Basingstoke (aka Doughnut City because of all the roundabouts) is as bad as I want to get.  Keep going.  You'll succeed.   

i can't imagine driving home on the first lesson! wow, you should be proud. i had my fifth lesson yesterday and still had the instructor drive me to and from the area where we practice... I'm still too chicken

i can't imagine driving home on the first lesson! wow, you should be proud. i had my fifth lesson yesterday and still had the instructor drive me to and from the area where we practice... I'm still too chicken

I think I've had about 13 lessons at this point.  I still make really dumb mistakes like not noticing and crossing a solid white line without stopping, not staying in the correct lane in a multiple lane roundabout, making a right turn from a position too far along (and almost failing to stop for a car that had just come round the bend)....and on and on....every time I think I've 'got it' I really mess up...postponed my test from July 3rd until the 30th.  I just hope I'm ready by then.

Well done Jennie, and hang in there NHow and hellojulie!  I'm sure you'll all get there! 

One thing that helped me (and I'll admit I was a scaredy cat and most others probably wouldn't need to do this) was my instructor didn't let me schedule the test.  He said he'd seen the pressure of a test date become a stumbling block for many students.  Instead I just went along taking lessons, and taking it as slowly as I wanted with trying new things, until I was driving confidently.  Then he had me book the test.  He said "You could pass that test today, and you still have a few more weeks to practice."  As soon as I'd booked the test, I got more anxious in my driving (and so made more mistakes) but there was time for that to even out before the real test.  When I finally took it I passed with only one minor fault.

I really like my driving instructor so it helps. She is so patient, if I say I'm not ready for something she isnt pushy, we just do something else instead.

We ending chatting endlessly about everything - however, its good because it distracts me from my nerves. My 4th lesson I did really well I think - but on the morning of my 5th I woke up a complete nervous mess. I am finding it downright terrifying at times, but getting the hang of it.

I think that driving a manual will be fun once I get it - but for now, I pretty much hate it!

I must say none of my British friends (hubbie included) can really understand my fears and problems.  They just say things like 'study the rules and you'll be fine.'  or 'you've been driving all your life, you'll be fine.'   Until I spotted this thread I thought I was the only American who was so scared about all of this.  Now I know it's pretty common (although I'm not really sure why).  I don't understand why I'm not just 'getting it' by now and still have colleywobbles before lessons.  Any enlightenment out there?

For me, I think part of it is that I'm not only learning something new--but also un-learning a bunch of habits--all at once--in a moving vehicle.  Driving was never an issue for me before, so going back to square one is...discomforting.  My instructor is super nice, but stuff that seems obvious to someone who grew up in the UK (i.e. "parking" versus "emergency" brake and...well...driving on the left!) are super strange to me--so I don't even have any real experience to draw on. (Really, I understand why there are different types of pedestrian crossings, but why do they need so many! And when will I be able to tell which is which from the car?)
My first lesson wasn't terrible, but it was exhausting to have to constantly correct/change habits and learn all at the same time. And, of course, I brilliantly decided to do this in a busy city!

I guess that's what I think too, Jenny.  Having to unlearn as well as learn anew.  It's strange to me that I don't 'see' signs, markings on the road, etc.  They are not the same as in the US, so are not second nature and I miss so much.  It's very frustrating because I'm constantly doing things that seem stupid and that I 'shouldn't' be doing but I do.  For example, when my DI says drive straight on, I expect to go, well, straight ahead...but NO, sometimes straight on means follow the road as it curves into what looks to me like a righthand turn.  And what's straight ahead has a very faint white line across it (visible under a microscope) and if I kept going I'd need to signal a left turn !!  OY!  Maddening.

It's strange to me that I don't 'see' signs, markings on the road, etc.  They are not the same as in the US, so are not second nature and I miss so much.

So true! With the signs, I realized that I was (naturally) looking for them on the right side of the road--I really wasn't looking at the left at all! Which, emmm, made me look rather an idiot when I couldn't spot what my instructor was looking at at one point. And I'm with you on the different phrasing as well--we had a ten minute conversation about headlights (headlamps...)!

I think it's hard to explain to people who grew up with this system how disorienting it is to have everything the wrong way about. Especially if you are right/left confused anyway (as I am--when I first got my US license, my friends labelled EVERYTHING in my car "left" and "right".)

I'm not sure if right/left orientation is my problem...just everything's enough different to be disorienting.  Having the bulk of the car to the left of where you're sitting is DEFINITELY hard to get accustomed to.  A friend told me I should line up with the middle line on the road ( when I learned in the States I was taught to orient to the right side of the road).  This helped a lot.  Now I'm actually able to drive in fairly narrow roads without freaking out so I guess it's starting to take a bit.  But the signs and road markings are still a bugbear....

I must say none of my British friends (hubbie included) can really understand my fears and problems.  They just say things like 'study the rules and you'll be fine.'  or 'you've been driving all your life, you'll be fine.'   Until I spotted this thread I thought I was the only American who was so scared about all of this.  Now I know it's pretty common (although I'm not really sure why).  I don't understand why I'm not just 'getting it' by now and still have colleywobbles before lessons.  Any enlightenment out there?

My husband could never understand why I was afraid of it either.  He used to try to correct my hand position or remind me to check my mirrors, when I was just at the point of trying to keep from getting in an accident! 

I think Jennie has hit the nail on the head about it being disorienting.  I had to think, think, think about my driving all the time here and I suddenly realized how much of driving had been unconscious or automatic in the US.

When you know how to drive (in the US) and somebody says "Go straight at this next intersection" you don't consciously think "I'll go straight, but I'll remember to stop well back from the sign, then inch forward and give way to cross traffic, etc".  You just do it.

But when you don't know how to drive (in the UK) and somebody says "Go straight over this roundabout" you suddenly find that you have to think through like a sort of mantra "left lane, no signal, look right, give way, pull in, pass first exit, check mirrors, signal left".  Then if somebody asks you a question, or corrects you, or if you need to read a sign in the middle of it, your mind goes blank.

Worst of all, it's a mini-roundabout and all your instincts are telling you that you have right-of-way over that car approaching from the opposite side with its right turn signal on...only you don't have right-of-way.  So you drive in and nearly get hit.  Or you know that its different but can't remember what's right so you come to a complete stop and give way to everyone.

All I can say is take heart, it does get better.

My husband could never understand why I was afraid of it either.  He used to try to correct my hand position or remind me to check my mirrors, when I was just at the point of trying to keep from getting in an accident!  

omygod, is that SOOOOOO TRUE!!  

I think Jennie has hit the nail on the head about it being disorienting.  I had to think, think, think about my driving all the time here and I suddenly realized how much of driving had been unconscious or automatic in the US.
When you know how to drive (in the US) and somebody says "Go straight at this next intersection" you don't consciously think "I'll go straight, but I'll remember to stop well back from the sign, then inch forward and give way to cross traffic, etc".  You just do it.

All the 'moves' are completely automatic in the US...you don't need to think about what to do.  Your body knows.  So you can just focus on what the other drivers are doing.

But when you don't know how to drive (in the UK) and somebody says "Go straight over this roundabout" you suddenly find that you have to think through like a sort of mantra "left lane, no signal, look right, give way, pull in, pass first exit, check mirrors, signal left".  Then if somebody asks you a question, or corrects you, or if you need to read a sign in the middle of it, your mind goes blank.

Worst of all, it's a mini-roundabout and all your instincts are telling you that you have right-of-way over that car approaching from the opposite side with its right turn signal on...only you don't have right-of-way.  So you drive in and nearly get hit.  Or you know that its different but can't remember what's right so you come to a complete stop and give way to everyone.

That's exactly it!!  Wish my DI understood this.  He even owns property in Vegas and drives there.  But I still don't think he gets what's so hard about driving here if you never have.

All I can say is take heart, it does get better.

Thanks so much. Hugs!

I guess that's what I think too, Jenny.  Having to unlearn as well as learn anew.  It's strange to me that I don't 'see' signs, markings on the road, etc.  They are not the same as in the US, so are not second nature and I miss so much.  It's very frustrating because I'm constantly doing things that seem stupid and that I 'shouldn't' be doing but I do.  For example, when my DI says drive straight on, I expect to go, well, straight ahead...but NO, sometimes straight on means follow the road as it curves into what looks to me like a righthand turn.  And what's straight ahead has a very faint white line across it (visible under a microscope) and if I kept going I'd need to signal a left turn !!  OY!  Maddening.

^this!!! I sometimes wonder if my problem is not so much where the signs are - but that I as a passenger in the car here for 3 years before learning to drive. My husband did all the driving. I would sort of just zone out to the signs and things because I had no reason to pay attention - so I am finding I am still doing the same thing even though I am driving! It is just so much to take in and pay attention to at once - then I panic, stall - Ive even stopped right in the middle of the road cos I didn't know what to do! I do see slow progress though - if I could just get past my nerves I'd probably be much further along.

I hope that once the manual parts become easier, the other parts of driving (mirrors, signs, ect) will get better because I can pay more attention to them instead of just getting the car to move forward