Starting driving

crapmanjoe

After dodging the bullet as long as possible, im finally being forced to learn how to drive

Basically i havent a clue - not an idea on how to drive

Need help on what is best way to start

I know getting lessons seems like the obvious start but to date ive been to embarrassed to book anyway because I can start a car and thats about it
- Wouldnt have a clue on how to put it into gear
- actually move the thing without stalling
- Steer the bloody thing :eek:
- Have images of me running over half the country - with the only thing making that funny is that i cant even move the car

Is there a minimum level of driving exp your suppoused to have before you get lessons or do they start from the begining?
ie Put the key in the door, turn it, sit in car, put key in ignition, turn it, etc etc

Or should i annoy one of my mates into teaching me the basic

Help!

Fiach Dubh

Don't worry about not knowing anything, just let the instructor know you are starting from scratch and they'll take it from there.

Feelgood

Its a learning curve, if everyone knew how to drive straight away we wouldn't have driving lessons!!.Just relax and enjoy it...think about the freedom you will have when you finish the learning process...

Don't worry about what all the other mulps on the road think about your driving either, just take your time and relax....:)

Gregor Samsa

crapmanjoe wrote: »

Is there a minimum level of driving exp your suppoused to have before you get lessons or do they start from the begining?

A driving instructor will quite happily start from the beginning. They'll drive you to somewhere very quiet (a car park or barely used road) and start with the basics.

You're probably better off doing this than getting a mate to teach you the basics. It's too easy to give up when things aren't going well and you're not paying for it:D

There's no shame in it - I don't know of anyone who was born knowing how to drive, so we all had to start from nothing.

Wishbone Ash

crapmanjoe wrote: »

but to date ive been to embarrassed to book anyway because I can start a car and thats about it

A driving instructor will be delighted to teach you from scratch as you will not have developed any bad habits. Often they are required to deal with motorists who have been on the roads for a long time without any formal training and who have developed many bad habits.

Good luck with it and let us know how you get on.:)

cantdecide

I think it would be worthwhile to ask a friend/ family member to show you the controls. Before you ever drive, a good walkround of the car and general explanation of engine/ transmission/ clutch I think works wonders by helping you drive by understanding instead of driving by instruction. Save a few bob too.

But please start as you mean to continue because there are many who have an 'i don't have to be michael schumacher' attitude. Learning to drive properly takes a long time after the steep initial learning curve and a willingness to analyze and re-analze is key, rather than reaching a level and deciding that's enough.

LuckyStar

Learn from an instructor, otherwise you will be picking up some one else's bad habits.

You don't have to know anything before going to a lesson, if you already knew everything there wouldn't be much point in you having lessons in the first place!

L1011

LuckyStar wrote: »

Learn from an instructor, otherwise you will be picking up some one else's bad habits.

This makes a dreadful assumption that an instructor isn't going to have, and pass on, bad habits...

LuckyStar

An instructor is more likely to be in the loop as regards what will make you pass or fail a test, road legislation etc. For example if I had asked my dad to teach me to drive, I would never indicate at roundabouts. My father never bothers.

L1011

Thats what pre-test lessons are for, arguably; or just reading the rules of the road and your driver theory test book - you're made do that test for a reason!

And I'm not recommending it as a course of action, but I never had a "professional" lesson in my entire time driving. Learnt basic car control on private land, used dead time (5am Sunday mornings in summer time) on public roads to get used to that bit of it, and then started driving to school (it was some distance, like...). Just because someones an instructor it doesn't necessacerily mean they're actually any good; or that they're better than family members/your partner/whatever would be at it.

Stark

By the time you come to do pre-test lessons, many bad habits will be ingrained and difficult to shift. By starting off with professional lessons under you, you start with a clean slate.

Not everyone has private land or is willing to get up at 5am in the mornings to go driving. Taking to the roads for the first time in a car without dual controls is risky both for oneself and other road users.

The piece of advice about someone not necessarily being good just because they call themselves an instructor is sound. You need to make sure you shop around properly for a good instructor.

Wishbone Ash

MYOB wrote: »

I never had a "professional" lesson in my entire time driving. Learnt basic car control on private land, used dead time (5am Sunday mornings in summer time) on public roads to get used to that bit of it, and then started driving to school

But you could be a crap driver without knowing it! The driving standards here are quite poor yet most motorists consider themselves to be "good drivers".

LuckyStar wrote:

For example if I had asked my dad to teach me to drive, I would never indicate at roundabouts.

When you applied for a Provisional Licence/Learner Permit you would have signed a declaration that you have "a satisfactory knowledge of the Rules of the Road".

5uspect

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

But you could be a crap driver without knowing it! The driving standards here are quite poor yet most motorists consider themselves to be "good drivers".

QFT. Our fragile bodies didn't evolve to be propelled at speed in metal boxes.
Some muppets seem to think they're born able to drive unfortunately.

I was in a position similar to the OP (okay, I knew how to drive but not properly on a road). Proper lessons with a qualified instructor is essential. A good instructor will take you from first principles to test. This is much better because you won't pick up as many bad habits.

LuckyStar

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

But you could be a crap driver without knowing it! The driving standards here are quite poor yet most motorists consider themselves to be "good drivers".

When you applied for a Provisional Licence/Learner Permit you would have signed a declaration that you have "a satisfactory knowledge of the Rules of the Road".

That is true, I would have known indicating at roundabouts is neccessary, but my father would not have shown me and would possibly have told me not to mind it. The same way an amber light means "stop unless its safe", many if not most people speed up when they see one, no matter if they were far away enough to stop. Whereas when my instructor is teaching me he always gets me to stop. He teaches me by the book whereas a friend or relative may be more "I do this all the time and it's grand".

L1011

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

But you could be a crap driver without knowing it! The driving standards here are quite poor yet most motorists consider themselves to be "good drivers".

Never said I wasn't

RSA, however, seem to have agreed I meet their standards, at the first attempt; and I've 80k of driving on a clean licence... so I'm less crap than some, anyway.

timmywex

to to an instructor, my dad is a garda pursuit dirver and has the certs for cars vans bikes etc, he is probably a better driver than most instructors but when it comes to teaching he passes on the habits, such as looking up to see the severity of corners etc because he gets mixed up betwenn normal and pursuit driving,

an instructor knows exactly what the tester is looking for so he can point you in the right direction, its money well spent