[Shaney]

Hi-I had at least a year of lessons until last year when i had to give up for a few reasons..ie..money and time (I have a toddler). I thought I would do one of those pass in a day course as I know the basics. Anyone have any experiences regarding passing your test in this way? ...or any recomendations?

I thought I would probably benefit from this as I already have had many lessons.

Cheers xxxx

[honeyb35]

personally i wouldnt reccommend it, I did an intensive driving course after a short break, following a previous lot of lessons. I failed my test as I couldnt regain my skills and confidence in such a short space of time. It felt like the instructors basically didnt care either, as they recieved a large amount of money upfront. It really knocked my confidence and I didnt start lessons again for quite a while. After a few with BSM my confidence came back and I passed on the second attempt.

[tifftifco2]

got to agree with the above they are no good and you must remember you may have had lessons but you are still a learner and to learn to drive takes time you need to be able to go home and think about why you screwed up that turn in the road and then go back freshed faced and bushy tailed in a few days to then perfect it. And the fact you will be driving a child around says to me you should ensure you are fully experianced or as experianced as a new driver can be. I been driving 7 years and i still make mistakes now i woukd not advice these lessons in my opinion they should be stopped form doing them luckily there are the examiners there to fail if need be sorry if that seemed harsh but it's not safe practice.

[Shaney]

thanks for your replies...I'm actually a childminder so I will be driving a few kids around!! I did think I should really have lessons the conventional way to be safe..I'm also not a very confident driver!!

[Tyranna]

Originally Posted by Shaney

Hi-I had at least a year of lessons until last year when i had to give up for a few reasons..ie..money and time (I have a toddler). I thought I would do one of those pass in a day course as I know the basics. Anyone have any experiences regarding passing your test in this way? ...or any recomendations?

I thought I would probably benefit from this as I already have had many lessons.

Cheers xxxx

... I wish!

I had just over a dozen lessons about 12 years back, but then had to move to a new job and never completed lessons or took a test. I'll probably have to start from scratch, but anyone recommend how many lessons I should take this time?

Interestingly, however, I did take and pass tests for reach and counterbalance forklift last year, after only 2 & 1/2 days on a course arranged by the Jobcentre. I know a forklift isn't very much like a car, but the counterbalance does involve similar ignition-clutch/gears engine use and signalling/manouvering...

[mrmist]

Originally Posted by Tyranna

...I know a forklift isn't very much like a car, but the counterbalance does involve similar ignition-clutch/gears engine use and signalling/manouvering...

But no roadcraft at all, which is what a few decent lessons might start to teach you. Please do not go driving other people's kids around after just 1 day of learning. The very idea disturbs me.

[Tyranna]

Don't worry, I'm not that sort of person..!

I'd primarily be keen on driving as an additional skill for getting a job, as well as enabling me to get more cabaret work in towns and cities around the country, which would most likely involve me driving on my own for long periods.

You're dead right about the need for more roadcraft skills; I have been ride a bicycle for years, but when I did have the driving lessons, I had to alter my whole sense of perception and get used to mirror use and the limited rear visibility when driving a car!

[Squiggs]

Your fork truck examiner will also most likely have talked you through the "written test" part of it too!

The lessons you have will be of use - you'll have to start from scratch of course but I'd guess your rate of progress would be faster than average up to a point

[DT Ralge]

As an ADI, myself, I agree with the negative posts - Driving is a hard enough to get right in a pressure test situation without try to cram everything in a day.
Driving is the most dangerous thing most of us do - shortcuts don't make us safe even if we MIGHT scrape through the test - it is only a test of minimum competence, after all.
Best of luck.

[perplexed]

An incredibly bad idea.

The mechanics of driving is the easy bit. On a one day course you'll get no practice of the "what if??" scenarios.

Questions will come to you over the course of several lessons, which may not occur to you in one day, simply because a situation may not arise which promts it.

Road craft is learned over a long time, and effectivly can only be taught to a certain degree, the rest is experience.

Good luck what ever you decide!

[Saxon]

The trouble with many people (and I’m generalising here, not pointing the finger at anyone in particular) is that they think passing the driving test is a piece of cake, and listening to their mums , dads and grandparents makes them think “well they did it in 10/20 hours, why cant I?”

Short memories are what’s to blame sometimes, and parents, grandparents and even older siblings cannot for the life of them relate to today’s driving test compared to the "child’s play" test they took, pre May 4th 1999. For those not around in the days prior to May ‘99, unlimited driver faults was considered ok, and serious faults of today were often classed as "minor". The early day Theory Test, that started July 1st 1996 was an insult to anyone’s intelligence, and allowed a candidate to pass this after their practical, providing they did it within six months!

Some pupils still expect to pass with barely a dozen lessons under their belt, and if they don’t then they will blame their instructor, as its ‘got to be the instructors fault and not theirs!’

Fact is, to put it into school exam terms, the driving test today is more like an "A" level, than the GCSE level that their predecessors took. In fact the test prior to 91 was really so easy, one might pass it with a blindfold on compared to today!

Don’t try do it too fast – you simply can’t do it in one day. You need the on-road experience that only time can give. For example, I had a pupil yesterday pass his test after only 23 hours tuition (my 9th pass on the trot by the way ) and even he admitted that, whilst he had good control over the vehicle itself, what he still felt short of was experience in making that ‘judgement call’ when things don’t go according to plan.

Don’t put a set number of hours on it either – everyone learns at a different pace. The Driving Standards Agency recommends at least 45 hours for a 17 year old along with lots of private practice. This figure rises as you get older because your brain can’t assimilate all the information as quickly. Remember that, as instructors, we are trained to a high level and teach hundreds of people to learn to drive over the years and are in the best place to advise on whether you are ready for your test or not. The old wives tale about instructors keeping people on just to make money from them is just that – an old wives tale. Be guided by your instructor as to how many hours you’ll need and don’t expect him/her to give you an exact figure at the outset – anyone who does is telling porkies.

Remember a driving licence is a privilege, not a right.

[Ally_Fraser]

Originally Posted by Saxon

The Driving Standards Agency recommends at least 45 hours for a 17 year old[/b].

At £20 an hour I bet your bank manager agrees with this recommendation as well!!!

[Saxon]

Have you ever done a costing for arriving at a price?

[Ally_Fraser]

Now now don't get tetchy, it's just a joke dear boy, just a joke.

[DT Ralge]

Originally Posted by Ally_Fraser

Now now don't get tetchy, it's just a joke dear boy, just a joke.

Well you did ask for it - our earning potential when you take off all the outgoings is much misunderstood and often overstated (those "Become a Driving Instructor" adverts make it sound very easy!) I'm pleased to see that "Train to become a Plumber, IT specialist ..." adverts are competing for the stock of disaffected or redundant employees fancying a shot at self-employment.

[Pseudonym]

Anyone considering a career as a driving instructor may be well-advised to watch this brief educational clip...

[Saxon]

Originally Posted by Pseudonym

Anyone considering a career as a driving instructor may be well-advised to watch this brief educational clip...

Not seen that for ages!

Nice one