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

Hopefully next time i will pass......

Sorry to see you didn't pass. I took my test at the center in Pease Pottage back in 2005, and although my driving examiner was nice, he wasn't chatty either.

I failed.... two major and they were really stupid... The guy was silent the whole time. I tried to talk to him but he was not very friendly......

Hopefully next time i will pass......

Don't feel bad. Lots of native-born Brits fail first time round. DH has taken the test several times -- without success 

I failed.... two major and they were really stupid... The guy was silent the whole time. I tried to talk to him but he was not very friendly......

Hopefully next time i will pass......

I had a really unfriendly examiner which was difficult because my driving instructor was really talkative.  Better luck next time!  You will get there! 

I had started a new thread as I am taking my first driving lesson tonight, but then I found this one. Looks like it's been a while since anyone posted here, but thought I'd give it a go anyway. I'm reading through all the messages but am only on page 10.

My name is Denise and I live in Greater London (Laleham, near Staines). Have been driving (in U.S.) for 40+ years, but not yet driven over here. When we moved back here, 6 months ago, I had a total of 3 driving lessons from my husband and it just did NOT go well. (He's not a patient man.) Totally crushed my self-confidence and I am normally a very self-confident person.   

I've been studying the current driver's manual, taking practice theory tests (using the most current 'Driving Test' CD-rom), and paying close attention anytime I am riding in the car.  (I've booked my theory exam in for early March.)

So anyway, after throwing in the towel and feeling like an utter failure, I'm to the point now where I just have to beat this so I've booked a block of lessons in with an AA instructor who is coming by tonight for an initial 2-hour lesson.

From what I've read here, it sounds like two of the most important things is to get an instructor who is knowledgeable and kind. My husband is an impatient/critical type personality, so I really need a DI who is encouraging.

Anyone have any other advice or who tell me what to expect this evening? (We'll be using AA's car.)

Thank you!

I went with the AA for my driving lessons. My instructor was a bit gruff at first, but I grew to like him in the end.  And in the end, he completely prepared me for the test.

I would say just be prepared to feel a bit overwhelmed during your first lesson. The rules of the road here are quite different from the US, and there are lots of little specific things you need to learn in order to pass the test. I came home from my first lesson thinking I'd never get my licence here (and I have 10+ years driving experience in the US), but things started falling into place on subsequent lessons, and I succeeded in the end! 

Good luck!

Hi Tealover and everyone here!

I'm about to embark in this same journey, though I haven't booked an instructor yet. Just a got my paper app in the mail (after applying for the provisional online). I asked this somewhere else, but maybe ya'll can help. How many identity docs do I need to mail in? There's space for 2 on the application but they haven't specified.

I'm also in a bit of a time crunch. I need to get comfy with my driving because I finally got a job (YAY!!!) but I'm waiting for my CRB to go through which may take up to 4-6 weeks which means I could start work anytime, which means I need to learn to drive here asap. Also I came here last April (30th) so I have about 3 months to pass all my tests (providing I can book it all in time!). Oh yeah, the last thing. I can't get my insurance here processed because my US auto insurance is taking forever to find my No Claims history (without it I have to pay £1400 instead of £700). This isn't even all that's going like a rollercoaster in my life right now, just the driving part 

I finally picked up my car (Ford Ka!) the other night and we decided to take it for a spin. As it was dark already and I hadn't driven a car for over a year, we just drove around a quiet neighborhood. I've driven a manual before but that didn't help at all. My partner tried to be as calm as she could though she did lose it a bit when I got too close to a parked car lol. These UK roads are too damn narrow!

So I'm not down on myself but I didn't realize how much I really needed to learn. First, manual driving 101, stop revving. Wish me luck! I'll be praying for you too!

I went with the AA for my driving lessons. My instructor was a bit gruff at first, but I grew to like him in the end.  And in the end, he completely prepared me for the test. I would say just be prepared to feel a bit overwhelmed during your first lesson. The rules of the road here are quite different from the US, and there are lots of little specific things you need to learn in order to pass the test. I came home from my first lesson thinking I'd never get my licence here (and I have 10+ years driving experience in the US), but things started falling into place on subsequent lessons, and I succeeded in the end!  Good luck!

Thanks so much. Somehow, it just seems to help to hear the experiences of others.

My lesson wasn't quite as 'bad' as I thought it would be. Guess it's fear of the unknown, huh? Now that I know what to expect, I won't be nearly as nervous at my next lesson.

I had not really driven for about 6 months so I was a bit rusty, but it didn't take long to reacclimate. In fact, he said my driving per se was excellent, it's just all the little things I'm going to have to master in order to 'jump through the hoops' and pass the test.

One thing I am not used to is keeping both hands on the steering wheel. I think that it going to be one of my biggest challenges. He gave me a neat exercise to do at home holding a round, china dinnerplate to practice the full 'push and pull' manoeuvre. <----Is this the Brit spelling?

The other main thing I kept messing up on was when pulling over to the left side of the road to stop/park, I kept getting too close to the kerb but again, he gave me a little 'tip' (using the windscreen wipers as a visual guide) to help me.

Guess the bottom line is that it's all just going to take practice.

It was a 2-hour lesson tonight and I'm going for a 1.5 hour lesson next week-end. Hopefully I'll be able to do some personal driving time on my own in our car before then.

For anyone here who took driving lessons in automatic:

Did your DI tell you that if you are first in line at either a red light or an occupied pedestrian crossing (and, therefore, at a full stop), that you had to apply the handbrake

I've never heard of this before when driving an automatic!! It just didn't make sense to me (although he explained the 'logic' behind it).

My DI said he was going to double-check it for me (when I questioned him), but he said that's the way he has been teaching.

 

So I went for my second drive today and it was much better. I've stopped revving so much. I still kept trying to change gears with my right hand though (and I only realize it when my hand bumps into the door) - I feel like an amputee with my phantom gears 

Do you guys feel like a nervous 16 year old learning how to drive for the first time? It wouldn't be so bad if my body was 16 again.

Any recs for instructors in the west midlands area (bromsgrove)?

TeaLover - my lessons were for an automatic licence, and I was never asked to apply the handbrake at a red light or crossing. The only times I was told to use the handbrake were when parking/pulling over to the side of the road and when doing an emergency stop.

Glad to hear the lesson was okay!

TeaLover - my lessons were for an automatic licence, and I was never asked to apply the handbrake at a red light or crossing. The only times I was told to use the handbrake were when parking/pulling over to the side of the road and when doing an emergency stop. Glad to hear the lesson was okay!

Thanks so much. It just doesn't make sense to me other than, as you say, when parking/pulling over to the side of the road and when doing an emergency stop.

I'm glad that my instincts didn't think it was right and that I 'challenged' him (in the nicest possible way, of course  ) on it. I have a feeling he'll retract his statement next time we meet for a lesson.

For anyone here who took driving lessons in automatic:

Did your DI tell you that if you are first in line at either a red light or an occupied pedestrian crossing (and, therefore, at a full stop), that you had to apply the handbrake

My instructor told me to apply the handbrake at pedestrian crossings just in case someone hits you from behind so you dont go forward and hit the pedestrians.  I don't do it in everyday driving  and it didnt come up in my test though, so I dont know if you get marked for not doing it. 

Can anyone recommend a decent Highway Code that quizzes you at the end of each section? My partner doesnt drive (never has) and no help when questioning what I just read.

Id ask a driving instructor, but the one lesson I had didnt want me to drive again until I learned the Highway Code... The 2 books I haven only have practice theory tests in them, nothing that gives you a quick quiz for what you just read.

Any help would be appreciated (I need to get a move on as my US license expires and Im unable to renew it)

Thanks.

The only OFFICIAL books which exist are the DSA ones.   Here's the website for the ones in print: http://www.dsabooks.co.uk/

I found online practice tests to be very helpful.

The only OFFICIAL books which exist are the DSA ones.   Here's the website for the ones in print: http://www.dsabooks.co.uk/

I found online practice tests to be very helpful.

Thanks for the link

Do they have quizzes in the books though? Thats my biggest issue in trying to understand everything... I know there are theory tests out there, but thats not going to help to see if I understood the section on crossings....

Also all the sites Ive found for quizzes force you to pay after so many attempts.. I dont want to have to do that just because Im using to follow up on what Ive read.