Learning to drive.

[BettyCrockerr]

I have three lessons next week before my test and my sister has taken me out twice. Still don’t even feel in the ball park of prepared.

If I don’t pass this time my theory expires- should I sell my car and give up or hope I can renew my theory at some point?

Don’t give up!!!!!!

stop viewing the test as “the test” - it’s just another trip out in the car. You’ve done it before. You can drive that car, you can follow instructions and you can follow the road signs when required. Take your time, breathe, do your manoeuvres when asked - you’ve done them all before, you know how to do them.
Just dial it all down a notch. It’s not the end of the world ok? I promise.
I stalled the car twice on my test - twice and in the middle of a roundabout- I wanted to cry/get out of the car! But I didn’t- I sat for a second, then got the car going again and carried on. I was told to watch my speed twice as I was speeding..... I thought I’d completely fucked it, thought I’d failed but no I had passed and he said to me the reason I passed was that when I stalled the car, I didn’t loose control- I did what you do to correct it and got on with it.
just drive the car - that’s all. Don’t put any other pressure on yourself. If you pass that’s awesome but if you don’t pass, the world will still turn, just book another test!!!!

 

[megsmagoo]

The test is only 40 minutes as well and it flyyysss by so quickly!

I thought I had failed because my instructor neglected to tell me that they’d ask me to pull up on the left first time they said it my stomach sank and I was waiting to be told I’d failed lol. He asked me to do it twice more so figured out it must be a part of it

 

[under the ivy]

Got my first automatic lesson today, nervous

I know I can drive, I’ve driven a manual car before and overtook a bus on one of my lessons. I’m with a new instructor so I just hope everything goes well!

 

[Magee]

Got my first automatic lesson today, nervous

I know I can drive, I’ve driven a manual car before and overtook a bus on one of my lessons. I’m with a new instructor so I just hope everything goes well!

You’ve got this I promise you that you’ll find it so much easier! You can concentrate on the road because you’re not overthinking about bite points, which gear to be in!

 

[Prefrontalmedialcortex]

Got my first automatic lesson today, nervous

I know I can drive, I’ve driven a manual car before and overtook a bus on one of my lessons. I’m with a new instructor so I just hope everything goes well!

All the best for your first automatic lesson today! You’ll be absolutely fine as you’ve already got experience of driving a car. You’ll do great.

 

[alwayslurkin]

I have just returned to driving after a break and feel very new driver so here is my two cents for what it is worth - don't want to offend anyone, just how I feel

Gears/clutch control are not the problem when driving. That does come naturally (and this comes from someone who took months to "get it")

The tricky bit with driving is other drivers. Merging on a slip road onto a fast road - are they letting you out? Are you quick enough? Hell, slow enough?
Judging when to turn right on a busy junction
Realising you are in the wrong lane and needing to switch

I'm not trying to frighten anyone, but I'd question if going full auto would actually help, to be honest.

With driving it is all experience and personally I found I learned how to drive more after my test, than before! As I was on my own

 

[BettyCrockerr]

I have just returned to driving after a break and feel very new driver so here is my two cents for what it is worth - don't want to offend anyone, just how I feel

Gears/clutch control are not the problem when driving. That does come naturally (and this comes from someone who took months to "get it")

The tricky bit with driving is other drivers. Merging on a slip road onto a fast road - are they letting you out? Are you quick enough? Hell, slow enough?
Judging when to turn right on a busy junction
Realising you are in the wrong lane and needing to switch

I'm not trying to frighten anyone, but I'd question if going full auto would actually help, to be honest.

With driving it is all experience and personally I found I learned how to drive more after my test, than before! As I was on my own

Yeah absolutely agree. The skill of driving a car is like anything else it’s just practise and after a while physically making the vehicle move becomes natural and seamless. Far too much weight is placed on “gears” - using a clutch and changing gears is not the biggest obstacle when driving. You only learn to drive after you have passed your test and are out on the road on your own, when you have no choice but to make your own decisions and when it’s only you that can make that car do what you want it to do!!!! Getting into the correct lanes, signalling to come off roundabouts correctly, matching your speed to the road & conditions, looking out for hazards, reacting appropriately to other (idiot) drivers and road users (cyclists!) etc - that is all far more involved than changing gear.

 

[alwayslurkin]

Yeah absolutely agree. The skill of driving a car is like anything else it’s just practise and after a while physically making the vehicle move becomes natural and seamless. Far too much weight is placed on “gears” - using a clutch and changing gears is not the biggest obstacle when driving. You only learn to drive after you have passed your test and are out on the road on your own, when you have no choice but to make your own decisions and when it’s only you that can make that car do what you want it to do!!!! Getting into the correct lanes, signalling to come off roundabouts correctly, matching your speed to the road & conditions, looking out for hazards, reacting appropriately to other (idiot) drivers and road users (cyclists!) etc - that is all far more involved than changing gear.

Exactly this! I was worried no one would agree lol personally I reckon everyone should learn on a manual, then do what you want when you get a car. At that point though be used to gears and clutch

 

[megsmagoo]

For me it was more about everything else you need to do and then having to think about gears. Found it overwhelming how much you have to think to drive safely and the safety of others and it made me feel more anxious so why not do the ‘easier’ way. Im
happy! Appreciate that gears are second nature to people but I learned when I was older and wanted to pass quickly too

 

[under the ivy]

I’m naturally an anxious person and I’m not refusing to do gears! I had 20 hours of manual lessons nearly, I got the gears and clutch but I was never fully concentrating on the road and made loads of dangerous errors! I have personal reasons why I want to pass quickly and I think automatic best suits me

 

[Belulah]

How’d it go @under the ivy ? I’ve had three lessons this week!

 

[megsmagoo]

I’m naturally an anxious person and I’m not refusing to do gears! I had 20 hours of manual lessons nearly, I got the gears and clutch but I was never fully concentrating on the road and made loads of dangerous errors! I have personal reasons why I want to pass quickly and I think automatic best suits me

I did about 12 hours I think of manual so I feel like I gave it a good shot!

 

[under the ivy]

How’d it go @under the ivy ? I’ve had three lessons this week!

Really good! She got me driving down dual carriageways! I’m so happy Hope your lessons went well x

 

[Kim Mild]

I have just returned to driving after a break and feel very new driver so here is my two cents for what it is worth - don't want to offend anyone, just how I feel

Gears/clutch control are not the problem when driving. That does come naturally (and this comes from someone who took months to "get it")

The tricky bit with driving is other drivers. Merging on a slip road onto a fast road - are they letting you out? Are you quick enough? Hell, slow enough?
Judging when to turn right on a busy junction
Realising you are in the wrong lane and needing to switch

I'm not trying to frighten anyone, but I'd question if going full auto would actually help, to be honest.

With driving it is all experience and personally I found I learned how to drive more after my test, than before! As I was on my own

They say the things that are the most common things to fail on happen whether I'm a manual 0r auto , it's usually down to observation.

 

[Thank(space)you]

Got my first lesson following lockdown 3 tomorrow. I'm terrified feel like I'm getting nowhere, as soon as I get some confidence we lock down again

 

[BettyCrockerr]

Got my first lesson following lockdown 3 tomorrow. I'm terrified feel like I'm getting nowhere, as soon as I get some confidence we lock down again

It took me years to learn to drive - no lockdowns, just lots of stopping and starting over a period of years. Try not to let that derail you; you won’t have forgotten anything so just get out there and allow yourself to enjoy the drive

 

[bolimepipi]

It took me years to learn to drive - no lockdowns, just lots of stopping and starting over a period of years. Try not to let that derail you; you won’t have forgotten anything so just get out there and allow yourself to enjoy the drive

sorry jumping in randomly but this actually made me feel better! i got my licence 5 years ago and i'm still terrified of driving

 

[BettyCrockerr]

sorry jumping in randomly but this actually made me feel better! i got my licence 5 years ago and i'm still terrified of driving

How often do you drive? What is it that particularly bothers you?

 

[bolimepipi]

How often do you drive? What is it that particularly bothers you?

i never do! when i passed my exam i drove a few times with my dad and it didn't go so well let's just say he's the worst teacher ever with no patience at all very quickly after that i moved to a country where people drive on the opposite side of the road from me and just never had the chance to drive there. moved back home feeling terrified of driving. tbh everything about it scares me gear shifting is the most difficult part for me, and being aware of everything in my surroundings, all sides! seems like so much!

 

[BettyCrockerr]

i never do! when i passed my exam i drove a few times with my dad and it didn't go so well let's just say he's the worst teacher ever with no patience at all very quickly after that i moved to a country where people drive on the opposite side of the road from me and just never had the chance to drive there. moved back home feeling terrified of driving. tbh everything about it scares me gear shifting is the most difficult part for me, and being aware of everything in my surroundings, all sides! seems like so much!

You need to drive to get over your fear. Do you have a car? Or access to a car? You should try taking a few refresher lessons to get you back into the swing off it and then honestly it’s just something you have to do to improve on. Get a really cheap little car if you don’t already have one and just take it out around where you live to begin with - literally just go up the road turn and come back. Start small. Then try going slightly further - like to a shop or supermarket. And just build it up like that, get comfortable with the car and you’ll soon get it.