Driving and learning to drive

[Samilktray]

Hey thanks guys

[Captain...]

Motorways are a piece of piss mate - statistically the safest roads. It's the fvckin idiots diving 80mph down country lanes that you need to watch out for...

 

Biggest danger is losing concentration from just driving in a straight line for hours.

[Izzy]

Biggest danger is losing concentration from just driving in a straight line for hours.

Indeed. Many of the accidents on Motoways happen when people fall asleep at the wheel. It's easy to go onto 'Autopilot mode' and lose concentration as you say. I always make sure I have a flask of coffee, some pro plus or jelly babies for a long journey - and plenty of stops on the way.

[Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo]

Motorways are like dual carriageways but with an extra lane and if you need a piss and it says go now or go in about 2 hours, go now otherwise you end up a YouTube sensation

[Hollism]

Had less than 20 lessons and passed both first time- one minor in the practical. Definitely doesn't make you a better driver for passing quicker or with few minors though. I had a nasty crash in the rain 6 months after I passed.

How many minors can you get now without failing? A friend of mine got 12 and still passed. Seems odd that in a 45 minute test, you can do something potentially dangerous every four minutes and still be deemed ready to drive.

[pSinatra]

Passed first time in 1989 aged 17 after about 20 lessons.

 

Much easier in them days.  Apart from an emergency stop & reversing round a corner, it was just a case of driving around & identifying a couple of road signs.

 

Actually did 2 emergency stops on my test, when a dustbin man shot out into the middle of the road on Hallam Crescent.

 

My driving instructor allowed smoking during lessons, used to hurl abuse at women drivers & played the awful Def Leppard far too loud on the stereo in his Vauxhall Nova saloon.  The shittest learner car I have ever seen.

 

 

[Len Finsbury]

My driving instructor was called Jimmy Saville 

[CollinsLCFC]

I failed my test just over a year ago with 3 minors and a major. The nerves got the better of me. Like an idiot, I didnt immeadiately book in and did not take any further lessons. Really looking to get back into it now.

 

If anyone knows of any good instructors around the Braunstone area, pm me?

[Stadt]

The waiting list for tests is ridiculous at the minute, about two months at a time.

[ScouseFox]

Hey thanks guys

 

just try (obviously can't always happen) to drive at a quieter time, put a good album on or a good couple of albums in a spotify playlist and chill, cruising above the speed limit like a g thang

[promised land]

15 lessons and passed the test 2nd time, wasn't a theory test when I passed, just had to identify a couple of road signs

I'm a bit in the dark at this theory thing, I started lessons in July, had passed by the end of November first time.

We're talking way back in 1990 though, one lesson a week and like you the examiner just flicked to a couple of road signs in the book.

No parallel parking back then either, just reverse around a corner, turn around in the road and emergency stop which you did for the first time on the lesson before the test. Wouldn't want to go through it now though.

[zak_lcfc]

Looking into taking lessons soon and was wondering if anybody could recommend an instructor in the city? I've googled but with things like this I prefer word of mouth

[Webbo]

Looking into taking lessons soon and was wondering if anybody could recommend an instructor in the city? I've googled but with things like this I prefer word of mouth

My daughter passed with Acclaim.

[The Blur]

it's ridiculous, if you press to early surely that makes you a better driver for spotting it quicker!?

 

 

I think it's because you are pre-empting the hazard as you're doing a hazard perception test and they want to make sure you click when you see the hazard developing, not just because the kid with the ball on the pavement MIGHT drop it into the road, but wait til it actually becomes hazardous?

 

 

But you should be pre-empting hazards, you  see some kids playing near the road you should adjust, ease up a little on the accelerator and give yourself a bit more time to react should anything happen.

 

Seems harsh to punish people for being overly cautious.

 

 

I think it is to prevent random clicking. 

 

Anyway, it took me four goes to pass the test but I passed theory with 50/50 on my first go. My advice would to drive regularly after you pass because I moved to London after I passed my test and only bought a car two years later. I was a nervous wreck and had to re-learn everything on my own without any instructors around this time. One year on and my parking is still shocking!

[Raw Dykes]

Ideally, you want a friend or relative to let you practice driving their car around an empty car park or somewhere else with no traffic/hazards - you'll save money learning the basics and becoming comfortable just conrolling the car before you start paying for lessons. My dad let me drive his car around the county council car park on Sundays when it was deserted.

 

I passed my theory first time and actual test second time. I got a major on my first test messing up a junction. Took my test in Loughborough, and we got to a t-junction with an island in the middle (with a tree on it, I think) and I was told to turn right. There was a very wide lane either side of the island, and no road markings. I had no idea whether it was meant to be one or two lanes on each side of the island, so I had to just guess which side of the island to go. I guessed wrong.

 

Someone told me recently that someone they know failed their test, and it turned out it was for the exact same reason at the exact same junction, so if you take your test in Loughborough, that island only has one lane either side of the island. I think I'd probably know if I saw it for the first time now, but when you're a new driver, it's tricky.

 

Re: motorways and dual-carriageways - you must always match the speed of the traffic to enter. Feels counterintuitive to speed up to a junction, but it's very dangerous to slow down. I've heard about someone who died because she stopped when trying to get on a dual-carriageway and a lorry ploughed into the back of her. Please remember this. Apart from that, motorways are piss easy. Biggest danger is falling asleep, because they are the most boring roads - if you feel tired, turn up the radio, open a window and stop for caffiene asap. Also watch out when entering the middle lane from either side - the middle lane may be empty, but there might be someone trying to enter it from the opposite lane.

[Samilktray]

Ideally, you want a friend or relative to let you practice driving their car around an empty car park or somewhere else with no traffic/hazards - you'll save money learning the basics and becoming comfortable just conrolling the car before you start paying for lessons. My dad let me drive his car around the county council car park on Sundays when it was deserted.

I passed my theory first time and actual test second time. I got a major on my first test messing up a junction. Took my test in Loughborough, and we got to a t-junction with an island in the middle (with a tree on it, I think) and I was told to turn right. There was a very wide lane either side of the island, and no road markings. I had no idea whether it was meant to be one or two lanes on each side of the island, so I had to just guess which side of the island to go. I guessed wrong.

Someone told me recently that someone they know failed their test, and it turned out it was for the exact same reason at the exact same junction, so if you take your test in Loughborough, that island only has one lane either side of the island. I think I'd probably know if I saw it for the first time now, but when you're a new driver, it's tricky.

Re: motorways and dual-carriageways - you must always match the speed of the traffic to enter. Feels counterintuitive to speed up to a junction, but it's very dangerous to slow down. I've heard about someone who died because she stopped when trying to get on a dual-carriageway and a lorry ploughed into the back of her. Please remember this. Apart from that, motorways are piss easy. Biggest danger is falling asleep, because they are the most boring roads - if you feel tired, turn up the radio, open a window and stop for caffiene asap. Also watch out when entering the middle lane from either side - the middle lane may be empty, but there might be someone trying to enter it from the opposite lane.

That island confused the fvcking life out of me

[Raw Dykes]

That island confused the fvcking life out of me

 

Yeah - a nightmare for a new driver. Can you remember whereabouts it is? I don't think I've seen it since.

[separator]

I'm a bit in the dark at this theory thing, I started lessons in July, had passed by the end of November first time.

We're talking way back in 1990 though, one lesson a week and like you the examiner just flicked to a couple of road signs in the book.

No parallel parking back then either, just reverse around a corner, turn around in the road and emergency stop which you did for the first time on the lesson before the test. Wouldn't want to go through it now though.

I learnt in 92, a couple of signs on a notepad after the half hour test, job done. The first test that I failed I drove through a red light after leaving the test centre, failed within a minute of starting. I learnt to drive in Melton with Acclaim in a Mazda 121, whole different ball game these days.

[Samilktray]

Yeah - a nightmare for a new driver. Can you remember whereabouts it is? I don't think I've seen it since.

No idea as I'm not from Loughborough and very rarely ever go there. Only reason I had my test there was because as Wookie says the waiting lists are ridiculous but I could get a test there within a month.

[DB11]

I'm well confused what this T junction with a tree on an island in the middle of it is. I can't even picture what that would look like

[Hollism]

I'm well confused what this T junction with a tree on an island in the middle of it is. I can't even picture what that would look like

Same

Seriously considering going up to Loughborough some point this week to try and find it just to satisfy my curiosity, unless someone gets back

[ozleicester]

Google maps?.. someone must be able to show us this "junction'

[kingcarr21]

A word of advice. When you book your driving test book it for when its rush hour. You could spend 10 minutes of your test at a really busy junction (like I did, with no way of getting out unless somebody stops). A lot of my test was spent in traffic so didn't even get to go around the whole route but I did nothing wrong so they passed me

[Sharpe's Fox]

A word of advice. When you book your driving test book it for when its rush hour. You could spend 10 minutes of your test at a really busy junction (like I did, with no way of getting out unless somebody stops). A lot of my test was spent in traffic so didn't even get to go around the whole route but I did nothing wrong so they passed me

 

Might be a good idea to get a couple of mates to just stop in the middle of the surrounding major junctions and flick their hazards on. Just completely fvck up the road network for 45 minutes

[Babylon]

Had about twenty lessons when I was 18, absolutely hated driving and failed my first test. Never really felt ready for it and didn't think my instructor was ironing out problems I had, in the end I just gave up... Started again 18 years later over a year ago and past after about 17 lessons.

 

Theory test was a piece of cake, just download the free apps for iphone and ipad and just keep doing it over and over.

 

For the hazard I downloaded a couple of apps for the iphone from AA which are mock tests, they really helped as it shows you where you're expected to click for hazards. Shows you how early or late you were etc and gives you tips on things to look out for. Considering the costs of learning to drive I think the extra £5 it costs is well worth it.

 

The biggest thing I thought that helped me was buying a car before my test. I had a month just going out in my car (I bought something similar to the test car) and it helped so much as you get used to not having someone with pedal there to help. Only having an hours lesson a week I never really felt like I got to know the car.... to control it properly I think a lot of it is about understanding what the car is telling you by how the engine sounds, how the car shudders, how the steering feels etc.  That never came across in my lessons.

 

You can also download the old test routes off the net. Some have been changed, but many are still the same and it can give you a really good idea of some of the places you might visit. You can then go out there in your lessons, or as I did... spend hours studying routes on google maps to look for junctions, roundabouts etc. Last thing you want is to rock up at a junction you don't know. I think they were only a fiver.