View Full Version : How many did you have?
I am currently taking driving lesson's and was wondering. How many driving lessons did you need to have, before you passed your test. Did you pass first time or did you need a few try's at it??
I had 15 lessons and drove everywhere in between.
telfordstar
27-Mar-08, 23:11
I have sent away for my first provisional just yesterday at 27 i thought i would give it a go. Does anyone have any reccomendations for instructors in the wick area.
I had Marion MacKay and couldn't fault her.
Whitewater
28-Mar-08, 00:19
It always helps if you can do some driving before you actually take lessons. I could drive before I got my provisional license (many years ago), but you need to finally go to an instructer so as to get trained up on the things that the examiner wants to see. You then only really learn to drive after you pass your test, and that can be the most difficult and dangerous time, you feel you know it all, but thats not true, you only learn enough to get you on the road with a reasonable amount of safety, it takes much longer to gain the confidence in both yourself and the vehicle.
I didn't take any lessons, or even sit the test. I've been driving now for over 30 years and never heard one bad word about my driving. I'm 36 now and work for the department of transport.
Margaret M.
28-Mar-08, 02:57
I took about 5 lessons in Thurso and passed my test the first time ........ in Canada. I didn't take the test in Scotland. The test on this side of the ocean is soooooooo much easier.
I had about 10 lessons I think...it was a long time ago :roll: and I passed first time,although I often wonder if I would pass it now if I had to :eek: x
I took 6 lessons and passed first time (old style test) My son took 6 and passed first time (new test). Wouldnt like to have done the new test:eek:
It always helps if you can do some driving before you actually take lessons. I could drive before I got my provisional license (many years ago), but you need to finally go to an instructer so as to get trained up on the things that the examiner wants to see. You then only really learn to drive after you pass your test, and that can be the most difficult and dangerous time, you feel you know it all, but thats not true, you only learn enough to get you on the road with a reasonable amount of safety, it takes much longer to gain the confidence in both yourself and the vehicle.
My OH took me out for a few lessons before i started taking proper lesson's, im on my 5th one with the driving instructor now and there is loads of little things i havent been doing right when driving with my OH. OH still takes me out in between lesson's, it is great getting that extra bit of practice.
I didn't take any lessons, or even sit the test. I've been driving now for over 30 years and never heard one bad word about my driving. I'm 36 now and work for the department of transport.
Why did'nt you need to take lesson's or sit a test??
I had about 10 lessons I think...it was a long time ago :roll: and I passed first time,although I often wonder if I would pass it now if I had to :eek: x
A lot of people say that my OH says the same, i think once you pass and relax in the car not having someone beside you telling you your doing it wrong you get in to your own way of driving.
northener
28-Mar-08, 11:32
I didn't take any lessons, or even sit the test. I've been driving now for over 30 years and never heard one bad word about my driving. I'm 36 now and work for the department of transport.
:eek:....eh?
Dook I seen that bike pictured somewhere else you know :lol: T595 perhaps ?
northener
28-Mar-08, 11:42
Floyed,
It takes as long as it takes. The national average for tuition wth a professional instructor is around 46 hours.
These figures can fluctuate wildly, so don't be too disheartened by that statement!:D Proceed at a pace you feel comfortable with and listen to your ADI at all times - as opposed to well-meaning but misinformed members of the public.
Private practice is good, providing the co-driver is willing to accept that their way of doing things may not match up to what is required. It sounds as if your OH is willing to accept this, so keep up the practice and good luck!
N.
PS If your OH is doing things occasionally differently to what is required by the DSA, it doesn't make them a bad driver. It's just not what the DSA Examiners will be looking for.
.
Had my first car at 14. Passed my test, first time, as soon as I was old enough, I don't think I had a great deal of lessons.
coppertop 1958
28-Mar-08, 13:58
i was about 15 driving lesson's did not have a car at the time away back in 1976 if i think right it was about 3 pounds a lesson for 1 Hr and it was in a Triumph Dolomite.....and i pass 3rd time .....was as happy as it was my 1st .....
scotty_mags
28-Mar-08, 14:31
I had been driving for about 3years then had 6 lessopns and passed 1st time ...Monday 13th Feb 9am.....mind you that was 19 yrs ago !!!! no theory test then...just 4 questions.....so much easier......
Dook I seen that bike pictured somewhere else you know :lol: T595 perhaps ?
Solus
I prefer Italian rubbish hence the Ducati 996 (not Trumph!!!). At least you have one famous follower. I believe Moses was a keen biker. "And the roar of his Triumph was heard throughout the land". Must be true, Bible said it......
Why did'nt you need to take lesson's or sit a test??
Cos everyone knows you don't need one if your left handed. Honestly.......
northener
28-Mar-08, 16:05
Ok, Dook. I bit..........:D
me an floyed are in 'e same boat......eh car...?? :lol:
im on ma 5th lesson asweel but i da hev any practice in between, an we da hev 'e same instructor.
wur howp'n til pass aboot 'e same time, only problem then is, we'l be fightin oer whos car til take.....when we go til farr beach, an a whole lot o' cool places.....
we'v got it all planned oot....cana wait.....:cool:
i was about 15 driving lesson's did not have a car at the time away back in 1976 if i think right it was about 3 pounds a lesson for 1 Hr and it was in a Triumph Dolomite.....and i pass 3rd time .....was as happy as it was my 1st .....
Pity it still is'nt £3 a lesson i could have a lesson every day:):)
Ok, Dook. I bit..........:D
Apologies, I do like my little joke. I'm not even left handed!!!!
Apologies, I do like my little joke. I'm not even left handed!!!!
i bet yer name isna even really dook :Razz
Loch not Lock
28-Mar-08, 20:07
Never had any lessons and passed first time. I was driving in the fields on the croft in the 1950's when I was eight. Drove in London every day for about 25 years before I took my test to be on the safe side. My wife had a full licence so the car was taxed and insured.
i bet yer name isna even really dook :Razz
Named after my non-Triumph Ducati no less.....
percy toboggan
28-Mar-08, 20:13
about ten one hour lessons with 'Goodfellows' in Chorlton-cum-Hardy in a 'G' reg 1968Triumph Herald - failed!
A further five or six hours with my Dad in his old Austin A40 reg 45 RTC - nope, it wasn't a personalised plate - the very thought - passed in Sale.
May 18th 1969 a date etched in my memory. Freedom road.
If the average driver needs '46 hours' then I think some people are being ripped off - big time.
northener
28-Mar-08, 20:22
.......If the average driver needs '46 hours' then I think some people are being ripped off - big time.
Sorry Percy, but the test and standard required have changed beyond all recognition now. I know that there is a very large percentage of 'experienced' drivers on the road today who would fail the test miserably if they went for it tomorrow.
It doesn't mean they are bad drivers, it's just that the goalposts aren't even on the same playing field now, never mind being moved a bit!
We've got one of the toughest physical driving tests in the world at the moment. The national first-time pass rate is below 50% - that should tell you a lot about how rigorous the test is these days.
.
me an floyed are in 'e same boat......eh car...??
im on ma 5th lesson asweel but i da hev any practice in between, an we da hev 'e same instructor.
wur howp'n til pass aboot 'e same time, only problem then is, we'l be fightin oer whos car til take.....when we go til farr beach, an a whole lot o' cool places.....
we'v got it all planned oot....cana wait.....
I hope we pass round about the same time, hopefully before the summer so we can take that drive to Inverness we have planned;)
It will be interesting to see how it all pans out with different Instructor's, one having extra lesson's and one not. Im sure Trix and Floyed will keep you all updated on our progress:D Thanks for everyone and there advice:-)
northener
28-Mar-08, 22:11
I hope we pass round about the same time, hopefully before the summer so we can take that drive to Inverness we have planned
It will be interesting to see how it all pans out with different Instructor's, one having extra lesson's and one not. Im sure Trix and Floyed will keep you all updated on our progressThanks for everyone and there advice:-)
A bit of healthy competition is OK, but watch you don't take it too seriously. If one of you struggles with any aspect of the training it's going to be very frustrating if you continue to measure yourself against your friend.
Good luck!:Razz
A bit of healthy competition is OK, but watch you don't take it too seriously. If one of you struggles with any aspect of the training it's going to be very frustrating if you continue to measure yourself against your friend.
Good luck!:Razz
No i dont think we will be competitive with each other if one passes and the other does'nt its no big deal. It would be nice if we passed near to each other tho as we have planned a trip to Inverness one driving one way an the other driving home. A girly Road Trip:D
Cedric Farthsbottom III
29-Mar-08, 01:00
I have had no lessons and no tests.Believe me its better for the Caithness population.:lol:
Lolabelle
29-Mar-08, 11:35
I am currently taking driving lesson's and was wondering. How many driving lessons did you need to have, before you passed your test. Did you pass first time or did you need a few try's at it??
We lived on a farm, so we learnt to drive as kids, so I drove every where we went on my "L's", but also had 2 proper lessons. And got my license first go. :D
percy toboggan
29-Mar-08, 14:11
We've got one of the toughest physical driving tests in the world at the moment. The national first-time pass rate is below 50% - that should tell you a lot about how rigorous the test is these days.
.
Driving is much the same as it was forty or even fifty years ago...apart from busier roads. Cars are faster, but they stop a whole lot quicker too. The pass rate has always hovered around the fifty per cent rate I'd guess...especially at first test.Once the mastery of making the thing move at the rightspeed in the right gear has been attained then it's all about safety , anticipation and observation....it was the same back then but there was less to observe, that I'll grant thee.
If you're in the 'game' Northener (instructing) I don't blame you for trying to make a science out of what for some is a relatively easily acquired skill. Common sense and caution are essential allies to innate ability.
Personally I'd like to see the age limit increased and the test made a whole lot tougher...only when the pass rate is down to about 25% will the right people be getting access to our overcrowded roads. Those who persist will make it one day...the whole business of driving is a not a right...it is a privilege...if some people take an inordinately long time to get the hang of it maybe they shouldn't bother.
Had seven lessons and passed first time. Reckon I benefited by being taught by a friend on an old airfield so that I was already well practiced when I came to the lessons.
northener
29-Mar-08, 18:31
Driving is much the same as it was forty or even fifty years ago...apart from busier roads. Cars are faster, but they stop a whole lot quicker too. The pass rate has always hovered around the fifty per cent rate I'd guess...especially at first test.Once the mastery of making the thing move at the rightspeed in the right gear has been attained then it's all about safety , anticipation and observation....it was the same back then but there was less to observe, that I'll grant thee.
If you're in the 'game' Northener (instructing) I don't blame you for trying to make a science out of what for some is a relatively easily acquired skill. Common sense and caution are essential allies to innate ability.
Personally I'd like to see the age limit increased and the test made a whole lot tougher...only when the pass rate is down to about 25% will the right people be getting access to our overcrowded roads. Those who persist will make it one day...the whole business of driving is a not a right...it is a privilege...if some people take an inordinately long time to get the hang of it maybe they shouldn't bother.
Absolutely right on most points, Percy. Don't forget that there is also 2 more manouvers to learn ( parallel park and bay park) and, as you pointed out, there is a more attention paid to the hazard perception and assessment side of driving these days.
I've had more than a few so called 'good' drivers who have been told to re-sit their test who wouldn't stand a snowballs on the re-test day driving how they were taught 20 years ago.
As for making a science out of something that many people find easy, well, there's plenty of people who have passed first time with only some tidying up by the instructor - but there are an equal - if not greater amount who find the whole thing a big challenge and take some coaxing along to get their confidence and skill levels up. Thats why i said 'average' for hours of tuition. BTW those are the DSA's figures - not mine.
To those of you who may be of the belief that learning to drive is a doddle for everybody or that professional instruction is either un necessary or deliberately made difficult: Come out with me for an hour. I'll bring my clipboard and test sheet, you bring your best driving head and we'll see just how good you really are when the pressures turned up a couple of notches..... (Cackles of evil laughter):Razz
.
lady penelope
29-Mar-08, 22:36
More lessons than I care to remember, 5 tests, maybe £2000 over the years!
But I got over my nervousness and passed!:D Eventually!
On my 3rd test, my instructor and all my family and friends thought I was joking when I told them I'd failed.:roll:
anneoctober
29-Mar-08, 23:49
What a nightmare, it's all flooding back to me...... the coaxing, the sympathy, the blackmail and jocular teasing all culmanating in veiled threats from my other half, every Tuesday morning at 10am before he shoved me oot the car for my dreaded driving lesson...:eek: Passed on second attempt, can't remember how many flaming lessons TOO many. Passed the second time because I realised that the Examiner was better than my instructor to sit beside!! [lol]
I took about 5 lessons in Thurso and passed my test the first time ........ in Canada. I didn't take the test in Scotland. The test on this side of the ocean is soooooooo much easier.
I have taken both tests and they are much the same.
More lessons than I care to remember, 5 tests, maybe £2000 over the years!
But I got over my nervousness and passed!:D Eventually!
On my 3rd test, my instructor and all my family and friends thought I was joking when I told them I'd failed.
O my! i hope it doesn't take me that many try's, dont mind if it takes a couple tho. I think i would of gave up on number 3, good on you for keeping at it:D
hi floyed, aye i agree.
3 failed tests wid be soul destroyin.
hope ye realise that everyone is gona be askin how wur getin on wi'ed now :eek:
i promise til tell ye when am up.....if ye promise no til tell anyone else....:lol:
hi floyed, aye i agree.
3 failed tests wid be soul destroyin.
hope ye realise that everyone is gona be askin how wur getin on wi'ed now
i promise til tell ye when am up.....if ye promise no til tell anyone else....:lol:
It goes without saying you will be the only one i will be telling:D
It goes without saying you will be the only one i will be telling:D
mind, i ca keep ma mooth shut [lol]
percy toboggan
30-Mar-08, 15:45
To those of you who may be of the belief that learning to drive is a doddle for everybody or that professional instruction is either un necessary or deliberately made difficult: Come out with me for an hour. I'll bring my clipboard and test sheet, you bring your best driving head and we'll see just how good you really are when the pressures turned up a couple of notches..... (Cackles of evil laughter):Razz
.
The next time I'm up there I would enjoy taking you up on that Northener.
Followed by a coupla beers it might be an afternoon well spent for both of us.:)
The next time I'm up there I would enjoy taking you up on that Northener.
Followed by a coupla beers it might be an afternoon well spent for both of us.:)
aww, 'e bies are bondin......:lol:
northener
30-Mar-08, 15:52
The next time I'm up there I would enjoy taking you up on that Northener.
Followed by a coupla beers it might be an afternoon well spent for both of us.:)
Beer? Sombody mentioned beer!
Deal done, Percy!
Trouble is Percy, you're a truck driver and they are normally amongst some of the best drivers on the road.
So let's skip the driving and go straight onto the beer part.:)
mind, i ca keep ma mooth shut [lol]
Well maybe i will wait till i have done it then tell you lol:D
Beer? Sombody mentioned beer!
Deal done, Percy!
Trouble is Percy, you're a truck driver and they are normally amongst some of the best drivers on the road.
So let's skip the driving and go straight onto the beer part.
aw, can ye feel the love??? :lol:
ma cheil choost past his....eh*..........heavy goods vehicles?.....or some sorta beeg truck drivin test theory thing....aday. good on him eh? it wis lek a refresher course.....or something??**
*note to onesel...must pay more attention when given inmportant information aboot stuff......
**see * above...:lol:
Well maybe i will wait till i have done it then tell you lol
probly better aye...but il still tell ye tho.....ye can keep secrets ;)
at least i ken ma own weaknesses eh? [lol]
aw, can ye feel the love??? :lol:
ma cheil choost past his....eh*..........heavy goods vehicles?.....or some sorta beeg truck drivin test theory thing....aday. good on him eh? it wis lek a refresher course.....or something??**
*note to onesel...must pay more attention when given inmportant information aboot stuff......
**see * above...
Well done to your cheil:D
percy toboggan
30-Mar-08, 16:38
Keep up the dialect trix...it's almost impenetrable and makes we work...gotta love it.
Deal done Northener...Hope we do it one day.
Hm... Think a hed ovr 40!!:roll:
Keep up the dialect trix...it's almost impenetrable and makes we work...gotta love it.
cheers ma friend ;)
No i dont think we will be competitive with each other if one passes and the other does'nt its no big deal.
who are ye kiddin?? ye pass before me an il kick yer ass :Razz
percy toboggan
30-Mar-08, 16:52
I don't really think it matters gemma...did you pass first time?
Something I've rarely been able to do. Despite being a very relaxed pupil....remarkably so according to one bloke...I have only ever passed one test first time. Nerves I think.
Car test...failed 1st.time 1968
HGV Class Three...failed 1st.time.. 1972
Motorbikes..failed 1st.time..1993
HGV Class One--was the exception...in '98...but I was still terribly nervous...moreso about the money riding on it..although at the time I was doing it for 'fun' summat to do etc. (out of trucking, driving a Transit in the print game at the time)
I managed all of the first time failures at the second attempt, and of all of those the motorbike test was the biggest disaster....I wrote about it somewhere if anyones interested.
I wish you many miles of safe motoring gemma....and everyone...my motto is 'never stop learning' I wish I knew what that was in Latin....anyone?
who are ye kiddin?? ye pass before me an il kick yer ass :Razz[/quote]
LOL:lol:
lady penelope
30-Mar-08, 18:38
Passing tests are never easy. When doing your driving exam all you need to think about is demonstrating good, competent, safe driving, not think 'test, test, test!'
My final driving instructor taught me that important lesson, I took a block booking with BSM and passed only using the 10 lessons. He told me there was nothing wrong with my driving!:)
Good luck possibly has nothing to do with driving but I send some out to those of you who need it.;)
Passing tests are never easy.
I passed my test after about 6 lessons in 1969 in my 59 Wolseley. Then I drove (a lot) abroad until 1989 on foreign licenses. By this time I'd misplaced my little red book GB licence and was told I had to re-sit my test - DMV said they'd no records as I'd passed "before they went on computer". Sat it in Thurso in 1989 and failed it bigtime even though I thought I was a truly fantastic driver. Eventually passed test in Wick in the mid-90's after many lessons, tears and humiliation. The minute I drove successfully away from that test centre I forgot every single thing I'd learned and went back to crossing my hands on the wheel or whatever just like I'd been doing since 1969. Passing that final test was probably one of the most difficult things I've done.
However, I still receive driving instruction and handy driving tips on a daily basis when OH is in passenger seat.
I had 10 lessons all in all and tried to drive as much as I could in between. Passed first time. I would say you learn to pass the test first then you learn to drive as driving after you pass your test is completely different. I have a friend who is learning to drive just now and was told it would take her over a year to learn not sure if she was just told this so the instructor would get more money as she drives fine with me. Needles to say she is now with another instructor. Good luck when you sit yours.
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