Passing a test in Caithness

[porshiepoo]

I've wondered for a while now, if a person pases their driving test in Caithness how do they cope when they take a long journey out to say Inverness and come across major roads and loads of vehicles?

My daughters will soon be taking driving tests and I must admit I've always been a tad worried that passing a test up here may not give them the experience they need to cope with biger cities and roundabouts.
Passing a test may give them the confidence to assume they can cope but will they really?

[lindsaymcc]

I cant really answer your question, but I think it works both ways! I learnt to drive in a large town (that I was familiar with) with lots of traffic and main roads and roundabouts, and yet, I hate the country roads here! Im a real dual carriageway/motorway driver! On the other hand, my husband loves country roads and the lack of traffic here.

My mum learnt to drive in Thurso in the days before traffic lights were in the town, and although she spent most of her adult life in a larger town, she wasnt what I would call a confident driver - she loved coming "home" to drive the roads she knew!

[Dadie]

I hate driving in a big place...not because of all the cars..traffic lanes...roundabouts (inc double roundabouts)thats all ok... but because I lack even basic direction sense!
I need to have my hubby or another person sitting next to me telling me where to go....I dont trust the sat nav too much!

[EDDIE]

Even if your daughter did learn and pass a test in a city if she is not driving in that environment all the time her experience in that environment will get rusty

[billmoseley]

i have often wondered this my self. when you get to some of the larger cities your sometime have 5 lanes of fast moving traffic a lot of impatient drivers it must be terrifying for some drivers. but what is the answer they have passed their test and are deemed competent to drive

[teddybear1873]

The quicker she drives in a big town, the more confidence she will get. I remember when I drove in London, I was a tad worried, but it went good. Later I went to Birmingham and thought this is going to be easy as I previously drove in London, I was wrong. Birmingham was a nightmare.

My advice is be a passenger in the car and take a trip to Inverness. Roundabouts are easy, if your not sure what lane to be in, stick to the middle one, then it's easier to get to either the left or right side.

Mirror...........Signal..........Manoeuvre

[Tilly Teckel]

I know there's a Pass Plus course which can be taken. My instructor has the pupil drive to Inverness, around the city for a while then back. I think it costs £120 but there's some scheme where you can claim back £100 of the cost. Not 100% sure of these details but instructors up here are in the know.

[changilass]

You could always arrange a couple of hours instruction with a school in Inverness, once she has passed.

I know when I passed my test in Leeds (many moons ago) they offered you motorway driving if you wanted it at a later date.

I got past this by setting off an hour after my test and driving all the way up to Thurso.

[northener]

There's a number of ways to get round this - as listed above.

Pass Plus is one option - or just book a day with your ADI down to Inversnecky.

I re-brief on overtaking before leaving Caithness, then we pull over and have a chat about multi-lane roads and roundabouts before going out to play on them. Lotsa heavy traffic work around Inverness, a bite to eat, a coffee break and then home.

Or book a couple of hours with a decent ADI in Inverness.

It can be challenging for new drivers on their first 'big trip', but stay calm, have plenty of breaks and make sure you understand what you are meant to be doing BEFORE getting involved with it!

[Dadie]

Ahh...but what can I do with my lack of direction sense??
I can and have done...gone the wrong way when exiting the Skiach..ending up back the way I came

[orkneycadian]

Ahh...but what can I do with my lack of direction sense??

Take the bus?

[Kodiak]

Ahh...but what can I do with my lack of direction sense??

Go and buy a Good Sat-Nav, then you only have to follow the instructions given, Simples.

[htwood]

You could go with them the first few times. I was a passenger when my daughters first drove on the motorways, and I kept with it until I felt they were confident. They are better drivers than me now!

[Phill]

There's a bit of psychology going on as well, if you start thinking it's a 'big city' or 'busy roads' and 'lots of traffic' you could be stressing yourself out before you start.

The roads are the same, the rules are the same. You've passed your test so you must be capable.

(Motorways excepted of course*)

We're all different in our confidence levels but if you are really not sure, as stated already, book some pass plus lessons.


*Can't go wrong on motorways, as teddybear says Mirror, Signal, Manouevre.
Pay attention, stay alert and use ALL the lanes appropriately.

[Hoida]

When our son passed in Thurso he then did the Pass plus course in Thurso. When it cam eto him getting insurance in his own name the insurance company took in to consideration his Pass Plus certificate and got a good deal.

[EDDIE]

The quicker she drives in a big town, the more confidence she will get. I remember when I drove in London, I was a tad worried, but it went good. Later I went to Birmingham and thought this is going to be easy as I previously drove in London, I was wrong. Birmingham was a nightmare.

My advice is be a passenger in the car and take a trip to Inverness. Roundabouts are easy, if your not sure what lane to be in, stick to the middle one, then it's easier to get to either the left or right side.

Mirror...........Signal..........Manoeuvre

Teddddy honestly thats the worst advice i have heard on how to go through a round about

[northener]

When our son passed in Thurso he then did the Pass plus course in Thurso. When it cam eto him getting insurance in his own name the insurance company took in to consideration his Pass Plus certificate and got a good deal.

I feel I ought to point out that the Pass Plus course is only available for under 25's. To be honest, the discounts offered by insurance companies for PP are getting scarcer. And the takeup by students is abysmally low. I honestly can't see the scheme lasting much longer with any insurance discounts in place.

It can be a real problem for new drivers up here to get experience of busier roads, slip roads, overtaking etc. It frightens me that some people can have passed their test without ever having driven in the dark, overtaken a car or (if you've taken your test in Thurso), even used a mini roundabout.
But at least they understand passing places, pedestrian crossings, appropriate speed, sensible parking and rural driving a damn sight better than many.

I find that plenty of students say they are interested in post-test training...until they have passed their test, that is.

[northener]

......

Roundabouts are easy, if your not sure what lane to be in, stick to the middle one, then it's easier to get to either the left or right side.

Mirror...........Signal..........Manoeuvre

Perhaps reading the signs on approach may avoid this problem, T.

[pottheed]

I learnt to drive with brian and he showed me diagrams on how to do roundabouts, I watched a few video's on youtube, and I was fine. That was 2 years ago I have driven round the EU on autobahns etc, and not crashed at all

Was a bit nervous about first roundabout tho!

[ducati]

My advice to less confident drivers is to drive really slowly with your face as close to the windscreen as possible, every time you feel particularly nervous, just dab the brakes a few times and you'll be fine.

I've watched youtchoube videos too, and now I can drive like a bat out of hell