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37 replies
Extrahotchilli · 22/02/2023 18:21
DS1 and DS2 are both having driving lessons (£37 per hour here in London!). They do NOT have access to a car outside of lessons to practice in (ours is automatic and too high spec to insure them on). So how many driving lessons do people think they will each need? DS2 (17) is having 2 hours a week at the mo and DS1 (19) is only having lessons in uni vacations (but 4 hours a week in those).
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Extrahotchilli · 22/02/2023 18:23
I should add that we will buy a cheap manual car when they pass so they can share it. But whether the car should be in one of their names or in mine I don’t know?
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FT123456 · 22/02/2023 18:24
It will vary greatly from person to person I believe I had around 30hrs of paid lessons (no access to any other car either)
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brainexplorer · 22/02/2023 18:32
It varies wildly. I drove all sorts of cars as a learner for 3 years and could not pass the test. When I completely stopped driving with friends and family and did 10 hours with an instructor (with no in-between driving) I passed. Obviously I could already 'work' a car, but I needed really hyper focused rules about performing for the test.
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JesPrinee · 22/02/2023 18:41
When I learnt the rule of thumb was 24hrs but that was eons ago. These days with kids growing up with computers/gaming, they might pick it up faster. The mechanics isn't really hard, it's learning to read the road/reaction times and gap sizes that take the learning. I learnt the Highway code from a dedicated computer game.
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SpringRumba · 22/02/2023 18:49
Advice now is a bonkers 42 hours of lessons PLUS 25 hours of practice outside of that. My kids have been having weekly lessons for 8 months and instructor says no where near ready for their test. We've taken an executive decision to take a punt at a test before A levels but it'll have to be in my car as instructor won't take them (due to thinking they will fail) and I'm making them practice in my car for 3-4 hours a week until the test.
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DrMadelineMaxwell · 22/02/2023 19:01
40 lessons of an hour and a half here. No additional practice time here as DH's car is auto and mine is a much bigger car than the instructor's car.
Passed 2nd test.
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CrapBucket · 22/02/2023 19:03
If you're going to buy them a manual anyway, it might be cheaper to buy it now and for them to have lots of practice in it (if you have the time to spare). The more hours they spend in it the less £37 hours they will need...
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Youcancallmeirrelevant · 22/02/2023 19:06
I had 10 hours of lessons but already had my car and would drive myself anf my mum to school every day nd she would drive the car home anf vice versa.
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TheChosenTwo · 22/02/2023 19:10
Dd just passed with 40 hours under her belt, that was 20 weeks of 2 hour lessons @40 per hour so £80 a week. She was going out with us a bit too. Breathed a sigh of relief until 3 months later dd2 has just started learning 😂
We bought a little car for them to share, don’t know how it will work out practically but it’s handy for them to have a bit of extra practise in and build their confidence and when dd1 is home from uni she loves the independence.
Dds can’t get a test booked for love nor money, there was a cancellation for something like the 2nd March but we thought too soon. Her instructor said it might be possible with many more lessons crammed in but we decided to just let her keep learning at the pace she’s going at.
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Dinoboymama · 22/02/2023 19:11
The test is stricter now than years ago, the Average recommendation is 40ish hours of driving.
The pass rate for first time tries is also not great.
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Dinoboymama · 22/02/2023 19:14
Another cheaper option for between lessons is Arnold Clarks learning fleet cars they have controls on the passenger side. They were about £12 and hour when I learnt 4 years ago. I practiced in my husbands car but had looked at them.
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2crossedout1 · 22/02/2023 19:17
If you're planning to buy a car anyway, can't you buy it now for them to practise in rather than waiting till they have passed?
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NotMeNoNo · 22/02/2023 19:17
My son has just passed, not the quickest learner but I have just depressingly totted up he had 80 hours of lessons. He will need to be able to drive for work so I suppose it will be an investment! It took a lot of attempts to pass theory that might have slowed things down.
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SBAM · 22/02/2023 19:18
About 40 hours for me, 2 hrs a week for around 4 months,
no other practicing.
That was when I was 30, I had done about 10 lessons when I was younger but the instructor scared me and I hated paying for being stressed out and crying so I quit.
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WeCome1 · 22/02/2023 19:20
YY to the buying a car sooner. You’ll save hundreds. They used to say 1 1/2 times your age in lessons, but that would be with practice.
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secretskillrelationships · 22/02/2023 19:21
£38 is a bargain, instructor put his fees up this year from £40 to £45 an hour (Hampshire) but also overbooked so couldn’t take my son out! His dad also failed to step up so, against my better instincts, ended up taking him out 3-4 times a week for the last month (8-10h a week) and he passed first time (15h of instruction). So I’m taking the credit!! But he’s mechanically minded and picked it up quickly and I feel he tends to underestimate himself so I feel comfortable about him being on the road.
I’m spite of my reservations, I enjoyed spending the time with him and miss it now! I know he appreciated me making the time to take him out and we often stopped for tea/cake on the way. I’ve offered to go out to help him with his motorway confidence as that’s still not great.
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StillWantingADog · 22/02/2023 19:22
i had 88😨 and loads of extra practice too.
passed first time though and 25 years on consider myself a good driver
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StiggyZardust · 22/02/2023 19:24
DS had 10 hours of formal lessons. He bought himself a car and any time we needed to go anywhere, he drove. He passed 1st time.
He was very determined to pass.
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50change · 22/02/2023 19:25
Extrahotchilli · 22/02/2023 18:23
I should add that we will buy a cheap manual car when they pass so they can share it. But whether the car should be in one of their names or in mine I don’t know?
I don’t understand why parents wait to buy a car if they intend to buy them one anyway. Practising in their own car helps reduce the hours needed.
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DrMadelineMaxwell · 22/02/2023 19:25
I remember fondly learning to drive! Ten lessons, failed my first test, 2 more lessons then passed my second.
DD2 had 3 tests and failed all, then ran out of time before uni and is picking it up again now she's home again.
The test centre here advertises that their pass rate is 40%.
What was well worth it, was signing up for an app that searched for cancellations when dd failed her first test and her instructor said she was def ready and she should just rebook. Her 2nd test that we could book was April, 4 months away, but a cancellation was found within 4 weeks, saving a lot of money in additional lessons.
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Rainbowqueeen · 22/02/2023 19:29
I live overseas and learners are required to log their hours and do 80 hours (including 15 at night) and have had their learners permit for a year before sitting their test. Professional lessons of one hour count as 2 hours for the logbook. So based on that I’d say 40 hours and I’d consider buying the car now and practicing in that.
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Phos · 22/02/2023 19:31
Without access to a car for practice in between, I'd say realistically 40 hours to be test ready and I'd recommend having lessons twice a week if they can manage to.
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MadisonAvenue · 22/02/2023 19:35
I’ve had my 50th lesson today, I’ve been learning since July 2021 but the instructor hasn’t always been able to fit me in weekly hence why I’ve only had 50 lessons in 19 months.
I’m a competent driver, my husband happily sits next to me when I practice in my own car, but my instructor has advised me not to book a test yet which is really frustrating with the long waiting time. I know I could take the test in my own car but I’d rather not piss him off as I’ve contacted other instructors with a view to changing but they’ve either not replied or have long waiting lists.
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Findyourneutralspace · 22/02/2023 19:40
There’s a chart which shows averages for ages (attached)
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LilacLemur · 22/02/2023 19:41
@MadisonAvenue But you wouldn't have to tell your instructor. Just take in in your own car.
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