Driving and learning to drive

[Soar Fox]

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

I rang up every morning for about 4 days to try & get a cancellation and I did. So probably worth trying that.

I passed 2nd time after about 20 lessons started in January passed in May. First time I did the same as DB11 positioned myself on the left when turning right out of a one way street. I only had 1 minor & at the end genuinely thought I'd passed.

When I did pass I had about 8 minors and thought I'd failed as I'd had a rubbish drive. I got both manoeuvres I didn't want parallel parking & reversing round a corner.

I did the pass plus with my driving instructor after I passed saved £450 on my car insurance. We did one lesson driving down the motorway and he just signed me off without doing anything else.

[Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo]

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

Is it up Forest Road? I had a mate who lived up there and seem to remember a junction matching this description, was about 8 years since I last drove up that way so might not still be there

Re: test, when I did mine I took it in Melton as (at the time) it was guaranteed you wouldn't be tested on bay parking. My instructor didn't tell me however that to make up for it you have to do a reverse round a corner on just about the steepest hill in the world

[DB11]

Is it up Forest Road? I had a mate who lived up there and seem to remember a junction matching this description, was about 8 years since I last drove up that way so might not still be there[

Outside Toby Carvery?

[Sharpe's Fox]

tried to post an image but it wouldn't let me but you're right

[RonnieTodger]

I did a few lessons when I was 17, but didn't have a proper job so I packed it in. Started again when I was 21 and found that I was a lot calmer, being older. That said, my instructor really picked up on every tiny mistake, he was a real perfectionist. His standards made me think I had a mare on my test and I passed first time  

 

The theory, is easy if you revise enough. With hazard perception, it's best to just make sure everything is clearly visible rather than trying to be too clever and clicking as soon as you see something. 

 

As for motorways, I only did that like 6 months after I passed, but found the massive roundabouts at junctions were far more intimidating than being on the m1.

[Wymsey]

Passed first time in theory and third time in practical.

 

Decided to do an advanced driving lessons/test with the AA, to drive the insurance down.

[Hollism]

First time I went on a motorway was when I'd just passed and had to drive to Daventry. It was ridiculously windy and the crosswinds after going past a Lordy nearly pushed you into the next lane. Love driving on them now though. It's so rewarding overtaking some **** in an Audi R8 in your 15 year old Ford Focus

[DB11]

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

That island confused the fvcking life out of me

 

 

 

 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.

 

 

It's got to be this

 

[Hollism]

Bravo. Can definitely see why that'd be horrible on a test.

[Raw Dykes]

It's got to be this

 

junction (800x450).jpg

 

Yeah - I think that's the bastard. Was it Forest rd.?

[Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo]

It's got to be this

 

junction (800x450).jpg

 

 

 

Bingo! Forest Road/Holt Drive. My memory's a lot better than I thought!

[DB11]

Yeah - I think that's the bastard. Was it Forest rd.?

 

It's Holt Drive turning onto Forest Road

[Countryfox]

I had six lessons and passed first time. But I went out EVERY night with my Mum or Dad to learn as soon as I got my provisional licence. I was the youngest in my school year so the last to pass my test and remember how frustrating it was seeing my mates drive when I couldn't. We also used to visit my Gran in Morecambe as a youth and my Dad taught me the basics as I drove on the beach aged 14-16 in his old Cortina - not sure if that's allowed now!! Took my test in Hinkley around the estates and there wasn't much traffic so got lucky I think.

I was just the same Muzzett .... Youngest in class and practiced in my dads old Cortina. Unfortunately that's where the similarities end as I passed on the second attempt ( although the examiner hated my instructor which may have had a bit to do with it ).

After passing id be grabbing the Cortina keys whenever I could but came unstuck when thrashing it down the motorway one day when dad was on holiday and the engine blew up. Went to a place off Duncan rd in Aylestone where the chap sold old secondhand cortina engines from his little garage at the back of the house. Asked him what the cheapest one was but it was still too much for me ... "What about that one I said pointing to one in the corner" ... Oh I use that to power the lights he said. £30 later it was fitted in the car and my dad never did find out about it.

[Guest Mee-9]

Took me 4 attempts to do the practical, just one with the theory.

My brother did like 8 hours, passed first time with no minors.

That's the benefit of taking your test in Melton Mowbray as opposed to Gipsy Lane.

[Babylon]

Can't see what the sign on the bollard is in the middle... I presume looking from this angle it's left lane is the exit and the right light is the entrance to that road. You just look at it like the island is a line down the road?

[ozleicester]

Thanks DB brilliant.. so how does one drive through this intersection?

[DB11]

Can't see what the sign on the bollard is in the middle... I presume looking from this angle it's left lane is the exit and the right light is the entrance to that road. You just look at it like the island is a line down the road?

 

It's a keep left sign so yeah you treat it as a line down the road

[Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo]

The tree just divides the two lanes - I don't think it's a Y junction, so you just treat the junction as if the tree weren't there. However don't hit the tree, it'll damage your vehicle

[Babylon]

Thanks DB brilliant.. so how does one drive through this intersection?

Going up that road you stay left and exit that road using the left lane, the right hand side is for traffic entering that road only.

 

Obviously if you're leaving the main road ahead to come down that road, you go through the right hand part. On google maps you can see the little keep left bollard a lot clearer.

[Guest LCFC_World]

Practising the hazard perception and it's kicking me off saying my clicking is 'unaceptable'. I got told that when you see the hazard click 2-3 times to make sure you get it in the section that gives you points.. Any other tips?

[Babylon]

Practising the hazard perception and it's kicking me off saying my clicking is 'unaceptable'. I got told that when you see the hazard click 2-3 times to make sure you get it in the section that gives you points.. Any other tips?

You can over click and you probably are.

 

If you haven't got them seriously get the AA hazard apps. I thought they helped a lot and they are very similar to the test.

[DB11]

Practising the hazard perception and it's kicking me off saying my clicking is 'unaceptable'. I got told that when you see the hazard click 2-3 times to make sure you get it in the section that gives you points.. Any other tips?

 

Not in quick succession, and not with any repetitiveness. This is why you simply need to do mock hazard perceptions beforehand

[The Quick Brown Fox]

Passed theory on the 3rd try, but practical I passed 1st and 2nd time, needed the 2nd test due to getting more than 6 points in my first two years of having a licence.

[The Quick Brown Fox]

Practising the hazard perception and it's kicking me off saying my clicking is 'unaceptable'. I got told that when you see the hazard click 2-3 times to make sure you get it in the section that gives you points.. Any other tips?

When taking this for my bike test my instructor told me to press the button 4 times 1 every second after you see the hazard. This way you should get when the points scoring starts (if you see the hazard early).

[shasse]

With hazard perception click twice as soon as you spot the hazard, one after the other. Don't leave it a second. There are a maximum of around ten clicks allowable so count aloud as you click and hold back if you are running out. There are two hazards in two of the clips.