Driving Lessons

mullrallyesport

mullrallyesport

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Ross Angus Williams
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I have just started having lessons and was wondering what other people did on their first couple of lessons?

My first lesson I was taken to a housing estate to practice junctions before trying out traffic lights then I had to drive back to my flat using the main road.

Had my second lesson today and started off driving away from the flat then onto the main road and going around a few roundabouts before using 5th gear and driving at about 60mph. After a few more roundabouts, I drove to the housing estate from the first lesson and had to do a turn in the road then drove about a bit more before driving back to my flat to end the lesson.
 
I had to drive down Erdington High Street (West Midlands) then round the block and do it again. I had to do that every lesson until I took my test..... which was guess where? Passed first time :lol:

That was back in 1965 when things were a lot slower.
 
My first driving instructor was an utter nutcase & took me to all of the busiest possible places with the most awkward roundabouts, he added to this by swearing & making obscene gestures at other motorists if they did not have endless patience for me (the learner driver). He was a drummer too though so that makes him ok in my book :lol: (I did learn to drive very quickly though to his credit)

My lessons with him came to an end when he retired & I got my full motorbike licence instead - I've recently started taking my lessons again in preparation for next year, great fun :thumbs:
 
I spent 1/2 of my first lesson filling in the application for a test date.

The rest of it was spent talking about other people I worked with who'd passed their tests with this particular instructor.
 
I had my first lesson on tuesday and we went up to a big ring road and he just sort of left me to it, and watched me really. i think the first lesson is always a sort of assesment of your knowledge!

Jay
 
My first lesson was on a snowy country lane, just toddled through a village round a few tricky corners out of a busy t junction then down a fast country lane back to where I lived. Was fun. My driving instructor had interesting road rage and some lovely racist views.
 
Driving lessons :gag: I feel sick just thinking about them. My first lesson was down a country lane, learning how to keep the car straight :lol: and how the gears worked then I drove back to the street I lived. My family didn't have a car so I'd only used public transport up to that point - no experience of cars at all.
 
My first lesson had 1 inch of snow on the ground, was for 1 hour around some quiet streets.
 
Starting to learn to drive in the dark on my first few lessons so don't mind night time driving at all!

First few lessons were spent going around a road called Circle Gardens which was appropriately named!

Either driving lessons have moved on since my days(!) as you would have been slaughtered by the instructor for going over 30mph never mind 60!
 
My first lesson 15 years ago went through all the controls of the car followed by 2 runs up a half mile road just to get used to driving straight, changing gears using mirrors.

Mind you I had no experience of driving at all before.

Sounds to me like the instructor believes you have had past experience letting you drive at 60 on your 2nd lesson. Do you honestly think as a new driver you are safe doing that speed and understand everything that may be a potential problem.
 
Northstreet1 said:
Starting to learn to drive in the dark on my first few lessons so don't mind night time driving at all!

First few lessons were spent going around a road called Circle Gardens which was appropriately named!

Either driving lessons have moved on since my days(!) as you would have been slaughtered by the instructor for going over 30mph never mind 60!
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Never said I was going over 60 just said thats roughly the speed i was doing as its national speed limit.
 
My instructor was a complete arse. He just sat back and let me do whatever, he booked me in for my test and I had only had 15 hours of lessons. I think he wanted me to fail so I would pay for more lessons..... He was gutted when I passed it first go! :lol:
 
my first lesson was from my dad, we went to a big industrial estate in the evening with no other vehicles about and spent a couple of hours practicing clutch control, gear changes and slow speed junctions. Probably didnt get above 25mph

driving instructors are fine (I did use one as well as my dad, I think you can reach a limit of exasperation and inability to communicate without physical violence when its family!) BUT they basically teach you to pass a test. Driving is something else. Looks like the modern test is getting better in that hazard awareness is now a significant part of it. But car control is not just about pointing the wheel and the car following the tyres. Best aid to learning to drive is something like a Morris Minor on crossplies.
 
I jest not: My first few lessons, aged 16, included hand brake turns, driving backwards at speed, J turns and power slides :D Oh and parallel parking between combined harvesters!

I was taught by the then head of Leicestershire constabulary pursuit training on Bruntingthorpe aerodrome. The point being that once on the road I would know what the car, and more importantly, what I was capable of. I had 5 lessons of that, 4 more on the road and passed first time, 12 days after my 17th birthday :D

The thing to remember with driver training is that a driving license is just an indication of basic ability, you'll learn FAR more through experience as your confidence builds. My way of doing it started with the confidence so in a sense it was just a case of learning "road craft" thereafter. I don't suppose my way is possible these days but I'd definately recommend a track day as part of your "training" if you can afford it!
 
NathanJT said:
I jest not: My first few lessons, aged 16, included hand brake turns, driving backwards at speed, J turns and power slides :D Oh and parallel parking between combined harvesters!
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yeeehhaaa


when the wife was learning to drive she had lesssons from a driving instructor and her dad, but I threw her the keys to my car and told her to nail it around a gravel carpark, and I kept on pulling the handbrake on mid turn until she got the idea of sliding. It didn't take long and she was power sliding, hand brake turning and reverse flicking. When she took her test there was 4 inches of snow and the test centre carpark was sheet ice. She reckons she passed her test before she left the carpark :lol:
 
I learnt to drive my dads Subaru pickup truck on the farm at the age of 11. I was driving tractors when I was 12 and combine harvesters by the time I was 14. I had two 1hr lessons on the road and then took my test, passed with 2 minor faults (both for speeding lol)
 
mullrallyesport said:
How many driving lessons roughly should you have before going for your test?

I have the goal of having passed my test by the summer 2008 so would like to know if you think it is possible.
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I all depends upon your ability, I had 17 lessons and thought I was over ready for my test. I sarted learning end of december and passed in april.
 
my first lesson covered just about everything. but i was 19 before i drove a car on the road. i,d had my bike licence two years and had been driving tractors and an old vaxhall ha van round the farm since i was about 14. think i had 8 lessons.my first car was a £165 allegro with a bonnet so rusty the front edge looked like nottingham lace.lasted six months till i bought awhite viva E for £500.
in 1982 , the roads wer A LOT quieter.
 
I thought lesson one was how to drive like a **** round a housing estate (at 2 am) in a white Vauxhall Nova 1.2 after having fitted the obligatory baked bean can to the exhaust.

Correct me if I am wrong, but is lesson two anything to do with clothing and 'posture'?

:)


Edit:

Oh yeah, lesson 3, that'd be how to pick a race on a motorway (in your Nova) with a car that has 2 more cylinders, two more liters and triple the HP and then get totally embarrassed when said vehicle disappears in to the distance at relative light speed, and then to announce to your accompanying 'crew' that you 'didn't want a race anyway' :)

Hahahahhaha, u monkeys.
 
Had 3rd lesson tonight and what a boost to my confidence it was.

Had to drive to the nearby town of Bo'ness in the dark and with frost on the ground making the roads slippy in places.

Got a 3 week break untill my next lesson so the real test will be if I can keep up the same level of confidence after the break or go back to square 1.
 
I found when learning I didnt really go backwards, every time you got in you felt more confident and went better than you did the last time.

My biggest issue was concentration, I started off fine but my concentration would slip after a while and my driving would go to pot and get a bit more erratic. Eventually we got my concentation up to last about an hour and a half which meant I was easily able to concentrate for the length of the test which I passed first time.
 
mullrallyesport said:
How many driving lessons roughly should you have before going for your test?

I have the goal of having passed my test by the summer 2008 so would like to know if you think it is possible.
Click to expand...



I found it much easier when I had a string of lessons close together, so I wasn't having to relearn anything after a time gap. If you've had a few lessons and are gaining confidence quickly, then a more intense period of lessons, should help you no end. The summer is an easily acheivable target so go for it :thumbs:
 
mullrallyesport said:
I have just started having lessons and was wondering what other people did on their first couple of lessons?

My first lesson I was taken to a housing estate to practice junctions before trying out traffic lights then I had to drive back to my flat using the main road.

Had my second lesson today and started off driving away from the flat then onto the main road and going around a few roundabouts before using 5th gear and driving at about 60mph. After a few more roundabouts, I drove to the housing estate from the first lesson and had to do a turn in the road then drove about a bit more before driving back to my flat to end the lesson.
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Hope you are enjoying the lessons. I only passed my test 6 months ago, I had my brand new car to pick up the date of my first test and I failed :'( (On the flip side, I was probably the only driver ever to have an Elise with L plates :) ) Next time round I scraped a pass. I am a very nervious person in tense situations which made my examinations pretty tough.

Good luck with progress. Have you a timescale in mind as to when you would like to have passed? Reason I ask, there can be a 2 month wait for tests. Also get your theory out the way, it was a constant worry for me and when I passed I felt so much weight being lifted.

Good luck and enjoy!!!

Gary.
EDIT:
Sorry just read the full thread, you will have passed well before the end of summer 08!!!
 
mullrallyesport said:
Had 3rd lesson tonight and what a boost to my confidence it was.

Had to drive to the nearby town of Bo'ness in the dark and with frost on the ground making the roads slippy in places.

Got a 3 week break untill my next lesson so the real test will be if I can keep up the same level of confidence after the break or go back to square 1.
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Have you family or friends who will let you drive once or twice a week with supervision? Will help you hugely.
 
EdinburghGary said:
Hope you are enjoying the lessons. I only passed my test 6 months ago, I had my brand new car to pick up the date of my first test and I failed :'( (On the flip side, I was probably the only driver ever to have an Elise with L plates :) ) Next time round I scraped a pass. I am a very nervious person in tense situations which made my examinations pretty tough.

Good luck with progress. Have you a timescale in mind as to when you would like to have passed? Reason I ask, there can be a 2 month wait for tests. Also get your theory out the way, it was a constant worry for me and when I passed I felt so much weight being lifted.

Good luck and enjoy!!!

Gary.
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I plan on passing my test before I return to Mull for the summer next year (2008) and I am putting in for my theory after christmas.

Lucky you having a Lotus Elise, would love to own one of them some day.

I am also like you, I get nervous in situations like this and my first lesson was very hard but now I am gaining in confidence with every lesson.
 
mullrallyesport said:
I plan on passing my test before I return to Mull for the summer next year (2008) and I am putting in for my theory after christmas.

Lucky you having a Lotus Elise, would love to own one of them some day.

I am also like you, I get nervous in situations like this and my first lesson was very hard but now I am gaining in confidence with every lesson.
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Looking at your name, are you planning on taking part in the Rally at some point? Very very scary sport, I have been stupid in the Elise on some twisty roads (I know not a rally car), and I have since chilled out until I have a few years experience.

If you are nervous, get youy theory out the way and tell your instructor. Don't bottle it, talk as you will soon chill out and enjoy yourself.

Gary.
 
mullrallyesport said:
Aye you have got it right, I plan on doing having a go at rallying once funds allow for it.

I am planning on taking my test back home on the Island of Mull where it is quiter than here in Grangemouth and hopefully it will be easier doing it up there.
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Mull is lovely and roads superb fun. I had the Elise there the week I failed!! :)

I stopped at the tribute to a young female who had died on the Rally. Can't recall many details, but what a view from the memorial spot. A very nice poem and photo of the girl, she clearly died doing what she loved. I hope you are going to take it easy until you have enough experience under your belt!!!

Gary.
 
EdinburghGary said:
Mull is lovely and roads superb fun. I had the Elise there the week I failed!! :)

I stopped at the tribute to a young female who had died on the Rally. Can't recall many details, but what a view from the memorial spot. A very nice poem and photo of the girl, she clearly died doing what she loved. I hope you are going to take it easy until you have enough experience under your belt!!!

Gary.
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Yeah it is a lovely place and I plan on moving back there once I have the money to do so. The women was Susan Cameron and that night was a real down point in my life when the news came through, my dad was in the second car on the scene of the accident too which was horrible for him.

I have a great respect for the road as I have experienced so many accidents already due to the sport I follow.

Glad you liked your trip to Mull:D
 
you guys in car clubs? you dont need a road licence to compete, I think the lower age limit for navigator on road rallies is something like 14 and driver starts about the same for stuff like autotests and production car trials, and then you've got sprints/hillclimbs and grass track stuff too. I am out of touch with exactly what is going on in the last few years (i've got 3 young kids so havn't done much motorsport recently) but I'm sure there is plenty to have a go at without full car licence. Give the RACMSA or whatever they call themselves these days a bell. Rallying careers don't have to start in a forest, autotests and PCTs make a great training ground, going fast is about control, learn the control first before getting the speed.

And that lotus would be wicked on a sprint or hillclimb.
 
Wookie said:
you guys in car clubs? you dont need a road licence to compete, I think the lower age limit for navigator on road rallies is something like 14 and driver starts about the same for stuff like autotests and production car trials, and then you've got sprints/hillclimbs and grass track stuff too. I am out of touch with exactly what is going on in the last few years (i've got 3 young kids so havn't done much motorsport recently) but I'm sure there is plenty to have a go at without full car licence. Give the RACMSA or whatever they call themselves these days a bell. Rallying careers don't have to start in a forest, autotests and PCTs make a great training ground, going fast is about control, learn the control first before getting the speed.

And that lotus would be wicked on a sprint or hillclimb.
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Thanks for that information. I am a member of Mull Car Club and I know there is other motorsports I can do without a license but I am starting to save now so after a few years and I am in a job I can afford to do my local event on mull.

Might do a road rally before then though in the navigators seat, just need to wait untill driver has time of work.
 
you'll need a bit of experience before you can be anywhere near the pace on Mull (or elsewhere), its not solely the power of the car, its down to reliability, suspension and the driver & co-driver's abilities & teamwork. Start now! There's a LOT to learn, and the best way is in the hotseat.

And a driver that understands timing and navigation has an edge, get out and navigate on road rallies / co-drive on some stage events.

You need ooodles of money to go staging, but if you start small you'll learn what to spend the money on, & what preparation is needed, what backup you need, a lot of it is understanding what works and what setup you want, the feel you like and the handling you're comfortable with. You'll only learn that stuff by getting out there sooner rather than later. It is possible to go stage rallying by buying a ready prepared car and throwing lots & lots of money at it, but unless you've got the experience and understanding then you'll just be another expensive flop.

The other thing is that life can pass you by. College, career, women, kids, they'll all take up your time like you won't believe! I've got a rally car that has sat in the garage for 14 years now without any significant progress in its rebuild. Its now obsolete & would be uncompetitive, now my reactions are slowing, I've got bigger family commitments, my eyes are dodgy at night . . . .

Trust me, do it while you can.
Don't wait.
 
Wookie said:
you'll need a bit of experience before you can be anywhere near the pace on Mull (or elsewhere), its not solely the power of the car, its down to reliability, suspension and the driver & co-driver's abilities & teamwork. Start now! There's a LOT to learn, and the best way is in the hotseat.

And a driver that understands timing and navigation has an edge, get out and navigate on road rallies / co-drive on some stage events.

You need ooodles of money to go staging, but if you start small you'll learn what to spend the money on, & what preparation is needed, what backup you need, a lot of it is understanding what works and what setup you want, the feel you like and the handling you're comfortable with. You'll only learn that stuff by getting out there sooner rather than later. It is possible to go stage rallying by buying a ready prepared car and throwing lots & lots of money at it, but unless you've got the experience and understanding then you'll just be another expensive flop.

The other thing is that life can pass you by. College, career, women, kids, they'll all take up your time like you won't believe! I've got a rally car that has sat in the garage for 14 years now without any significant progress in its rebuild. Its now obsolete & would be uncompetitive, now my reactions are slowing, I've got bigger family commitments, my eyes are dodgy at night . . . .

Trust me, do it while you can.
Don't wait.
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Great advice there:D

Being a resident on mull helps with knowing the roads and my dad would be sitting beside me on the notes and he has been co-driving on mull and on mainland for about 25 years. As for a car my godfather has a talbot sunbeam sitting in his garage that needs a bit of work so once college and uni are out the way and i can get into employment then that maybe be getting finished.

Rallying has been my life since the day I entered this world so I know all about the costs etc. I am of the view I want to rally to enjoy myself not to push to the limit and risk never setting foot in a rally car again so I can asure you once I get rallying I will be trying to be around for a while instead of a one event flop.

I know when family comes along its no so easy thats why I plan to have done a rally or two before I am 25 which gives me just over 5 years.

But for now I will stick to photographying at rallies and enjoying the sport.
 
Mine was spent doing 145mph down the motorway in a Mondeo ST220 then zooming around Wales setting off all the speed cameras..... Oh sorry that was the Police Advanced course 1st day! Oh what fun ;)

I think I just drove round a housing estate practicing junctions and changing gear then drove home with a big smile on my face :woot:
 
talbot sunbeam . . . hey, we're back on thread !!!! my first driving lesson, my dad had the chrysler sunbeam 1.6LS, the same model but before it became the talbot sunbeam and then the front wheel drive talbot horizon.
As I recall (yep I smacked it into concrete wall on a roundabout) it had diabolically fast snap out on oversteer, BUT followed by humungously fast snap in on recovery (thats what did me, oversteered to the left on the exit after the powerslide tailout going round the roundabout . . . doh )

now, knowing what I know ( I got this degree fing in this engineering stuff), the polar moment of inertia was too SMALL ie. a car wth a small rear overhang and a happy tail is extremely hard to control 'cos it rotates FAST around its front wheels. Result is fast oversteer BUT recovery is so fast it flicks out t'other side and you cant get the lock back quick enough.

Best car for handling I've ever driven was the front wheel drive Fiat 128-3p, short wheelbase but lots of rear overhang, big polar moment of inertia, wooohooooooo . . . eat wotsit escort boys !
 
Seeing as we're back on topic.

My instructor drove me to old part of town where all the old terrace houses had been pulled down. After showing me the controls I drove around for half an hour before he got back in the drivers seat and took me home.

That was 37 yrs ago, but I can still remember the feeling of excitement I got when I first made the car move.
 
It's a shame you live so far away Ross,I would have took you out for extra driving practice!
 
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