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Old 3 Mar 2008, 20:04 (Ref:2143545)   #1
Knowlesy
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Driving courses.

Has anyone ever done one of those intensive driving courses where you stump up a large sum of cash and basically speed learn everything to do with driving?

It is something I'm considering once I've started work again as it is about time I got a car and, quite frankly, I am not keen on the conventional weekly lessons as it will take forever and it probably works out more expensive anyways.

It would also be nice to have a week away from my area while I'm at it.

So to those who have done them, would you recommend them? Did you feel adequately prepared to go onto the road afterwards?

Or was it a steaming pile of excrement and you got involved in an almighty shunt days later?

I'm quite confident about the prospect of driving and I've had a few goes in people's cars, it would just be a case of developing road awareness and knowledge of the signs and rules and everything really. And I believe you probably learn more when you are properly driving than when you are doing lessons anyways. It certainly holds no major fears, bar the obvious little foibles that most people have I suppose.

So, I'm thinking, why not go for it? Dissuade/persuade away!
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Old 3 Mar 2008, 20:46 (Ref:2143575)   #2
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Speaking from an outsiders perspective, personally I don't feel they're a good idea.
There's no substitute for experience, and lessons are ideally supplemented with sitting in the car alongside your friend and relative who's experienced enough to supervise you. You have to be mindful in these situations that your 'supervisor' will unlikely have taken the test to the same criteria as nowadays; and will probably try to teach you outdated techniques - so 'proper' lessons are essential. But the longer you spend on the road before your test, the more confident you will feel, and (as a general rule of thumb only) the more likely you are to test.
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Old 4 Mar 2008, 11:46 (Ref:2144057)   #3
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I agree with Asp.....I didn't do one, did contemplate it, but whilst you'll learn how to pass the test I personally think experience is really important. I learnt with twice weekly lessons [in the instructor's car] as well as driving every day in my car and the driving every day bit really did prove invaluable I think. It opened my eyes to different situations I didn't come across when driving with my instructor and just more time driving was a good thing. The only negative was the first couple of times swapping from a brand new car to mine [now 14 years old] but after a couple of weeks got used to that very quickly!
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Old 4 Mar 2008, 12:34 (Ref:2144106)   #4
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Is there not now some kind of limnit on you doing a 'crash' course? Not sure of the details, but something aong the lines of having had a provisional licence for so long before being able to take a test.

There's no substitute for the weekly lessons and hours in a car in between. However, if you have no access to a car and a willing & qualified passenger, you may aswell do the intensive course!
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Old 4 Mar 2008, 12:54 (Ref:2144120)   #5
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I'm not sure you need a provisional licence for so long, the courses tend to adjust accoding to your experience.

For someone of my limited experience in cars I think it would recommend six or seven days.

It's a hard decision really, because I am a sensible chap (as well as a quick learner) and don't envisage having problems with the basic things. The only unknowns are things like motorway driving and these aren't covered (yet) in driving lessons. I don't claim to know everything about driving as I don't, but I am confident it'd be OK if I approach it sensibly and you can only learn properly through proper experience after all.

But if the main opinion here is that lessons would be better I will probably go that way. May as well do what is most recommended.
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Old 4 Mar 2008, 14:18 (Ref:2144160)   #6
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You could do the pass plus or whatever it's called afterwards anyway if you wanted to cover motorway driving as well. My instructor got me to do as much as possible when I learnt, eg night driving as well, which in hindsight was probably a good thing.

I know there was talk of bringing in a "minimum learning term" for lessons but not sure they have brought it in yet.....?
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Old 4 Mar 2008, 15:25 (Ref:2144203)   #7
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Rockmunky should be qualifying in the top 10 on the gridRockmunky should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Don't do them.. yes you get alot of driving experience... but..

My mate, who is super rich, often likes to rub it in etc did one of those because he could.

He failed.

Oh, and he failed again...

And again.

Anyway, just try and get as much driving in as possible... and make sure you have money! I'm running out... I will beat you Knowlesy... I must.
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Old 4 Mar 2008, 16:43 (Ref:2144261)   #8
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Anyway, just try and get as much driving in as possible... and make sure you have money!
For sure, it sucks you dry plenty.

I'm not keen on asking for a payrise to fund it though

But yeah, I'd advocate proper lessons over an intensive course, had I passed my theory ~2 months before I did - and I could've, I just never got round to it - I probably would've passed my test by now with regular lessons - having started in November - it doesn't take *that* long really.

Also, going out driving for an hour with an instructor is good fun if the instructor is good, which mine is.....although Munky gets a Merc (only an A Class though, not sure if they count ) to learn in, so he wins a bit over the Fiesta my instructor has!

As it is, the test is a number of weeks away now, and so another small pile of money away - but the cost of actually running a car will probably be pretty similar to paying for a lesson a week anyway (excluding buying car/insurance obviously).
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Old 4 Mar 2008, 17:12 (Ref:2144284)   #9
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My instructor is a laugh too... i was gonna try and seducing her, but then i saw her.. i thought not...
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Old 4 Mar 2008, 18:55 (Ref:2144363)   #10
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someone i knows mate did an intensive course and there driving was apparently so attrotious(sp). They refused to get in a car with them.

Im learning with my neighbour, he is a good laugh, and the pug 207 diesel has a fair amount of go to.

My main problem is the differences between that and myn


Myn - Petrol - 14 yrs old - really solid accelerator - keep fit steering - brakes that kick in when the pedals over 1/2 way down - Really small(its a corsa)

DI's - Diesel - a yr old - fairly easy accelerator - Power Steering - brakes that kick in really high on the pedal

and then the other car im insured on

Mum's and my 2nd car ? - Petrol - 5 yrs old - really sensitive accelerator, brakes and steering(power) - Fiat punto
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Old 5 Mar 2008, 16:06 (Ref:2144996)   #11
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For someone of my limited experience in cars I think it would recommend six or seven days.
Six or seven days. I can't imagine feeling ready to drive on the roads after that! When I was learning I had 2 lessons a week (3 hours in total) without any additional practice (boyfriend wouldn't - and still won't - let me get insured to drive his car ) and it only took me 3 months to pass my test because I picked everything up quickly.

I'd definitely recommend the pass plus course afterwards - I did my pass plus last month and it was really good to get out on the roads and do some longer journeys on more difficult roads. I'd covered most of the syllabus while I was learning (everything except motorways), but I still think that from the extra experience I got from doing pass plus I'm better equipped for driving on the roads than I was after I passed my test.
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Old 5 Mar 2008, 16:17 (Ref:2145004)   #12
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Seven days sounds not much, but I guess it depends how long you are in the car. I imagine the hours are equivalent to what you'd get conventionally.

However, that said, I guess that as it is more condensed you are going to have a less broad number of experiences.

I'm defintiely erring towards conventional learning now, but then maybe the two could be combined somehow. That depends how quickly the testing moves along though, it may be I could get it done as quick as Ralf's Girl. If they're gonna screw me for money for six months I don't know.
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Old 5 Mar 2008, 16:22 (Ref:2145007)   #13
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It's probably worth looking early to see how long a test date will take in your area....you could always pick up an earlier date though, if someone cancels, is what I did. My old instructor did his own "intensive course" meaning more hours per week and a bit of a discount on the hourly rate for booking in advance, might be worth looking into that too....
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Old 5 Mar 2008, 16:34 (Ref:2145015)   #14
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Generally speaking, from friends who have passed, they all took ages. And all are very good drivers.

My best mate was learning for nine months and was failed on his final test for something so laughably trivial. He had to wait another three months for a test, hence the nine months.

If it took me nine months I think I'd consider suicide.
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Old 5 Mar 2008, 16:48 (Ref:2145028)   #15
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it took me 3 months to be ready for the test but due to cancellations, long lazy summer holidays in the wrong country and an embarassing failure upon my return it took 7 months in total from first lesson to passing the practical test. there was a couple of months worth of waiting list though :/

if you can get on someone's insurance and they're willing to be driven around by you, drive every day. lessons really only need to be an hour or two every week. the more you practice, the more you learn to look further up the road and the more you aren't surprised when you have to negotiate a bin lorry on a blind corner during your test...
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Old 5 Mar 2008, 16:59 (Ref:2145034)   #16
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3 months from never having driven to passing my test - that was with 1 or 2 lessons a week and then at least a couple of trips out at weekends with a press ganged parent alongside me. As bella says the more practice you can get in the better - lessons are good for learning to pass the test but just going out for a drive with someone sat beside you is beneficial too - if nothing else you'll just be more confident in your use of the car and better at reading the road and traffic conditions.

Since my test I've done a few "defensive driver training" courses at work with ex-Police instructors - those have taught me loads.
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Old 5 Mar 2008, 17:01 (Ref:2145038)   #17
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Definitely check how long the waiting list is for a test date - I think my test centre was about a 6-8 week wait so I booked in September for a November test, which I could have postponed if I hadn't felt ready to take it. If you pick things up quickly and have the option to practice outside of lessons, it really shouldn't take you too long to pass your test. I was worried it was going to take me as long as it took my sister to pass hers - nearly 12 months (she failed twice) - which would have been depressing. I had to say in October that if I hadn't passed by Christmas I'd give up so that I could afford to pay my rent.
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Old 5 Mar 2008, 17:12 (Ref:2145046)   #18
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Oh OK, so you have control over when your test is to some degree?

I always thought you were at the mercy of your instructor.
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Old 5 Mar 2008, 17:27 (Ref:2145056)   #19
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Your instructor will be in a position to recommend when you should take your test, but as far as I'm aware it's ultimately up to you - my instructor suggested aiming for a window of about 3 weeks in November for my test, and then I phoned the driving school to book a date and time.
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Old 5 Mar 2008, 18:09 (Ref:2145082)   #20
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Interesting! Oh well, that puts an entirely new complexion on things!
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Old 6 Mar 2008, 04:57 (Ref:2145379)   #21
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It sounds like you have a similar system over there to what we have – it varies state by state but in Victoria you can get a Learner’s Permit (theory test) at age 16, and can drive accompanied by a fully-licenced driver. At age 18 you can get a Provisional Licence, you must have had your L’s for at least 12 mths and also I think logbooked a certain number of hours practice (introduced since I did it). After 3 years the provisional licence becomes a full licence, unless you lose it for some reason before then.

I did a course straight after getting my learner’s, although I had driven a bit on farms including a 14 ton truck. I think it is a good idea, it introduced you to just about everything (in an off-road training centre, one of the benefits of being in a country area) and then do lots of practice. I drove at every opportunity (ie whenever I was going anywhere), and when approaching my 18th I had a couple of lessons to brush up on finer points and make sure I was doing the right thing for the test.
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