Driving lessons - instructor taking the rise?

grannyactivist isn’t that odd, I learned to drive in my mid twenties and I can still hear my instructors voice in my head too. Especially if I do something stupid, I can still hear him say ‘oops are you really going to overtake that Police car? ‘ oh dear I didn’t really notice it, I was so terrified to be on a dual carriageway !

I stand corrected Pinkarolina. I suppose I was thinking back 60 years! My Dad took me out in his much bigger car and I eventually passed my test in my instructor's Morris Minor. Dad was remarkably tolerant, even when I mistook the accelerator pedal for the brake. At least I never made that error again.

PinkCakes

For my son's 40th birthday, I paid for 10 driving lessons, with AA school of motoring, at a cost of £285. He's been having 2 hours, once a week, and has now taken all 10 lessons.

He tells me that he's only done straight driving, so no reversing, parallel parking, etc.

I think the instructor is taking the whatsit. What do you think?

I wouldn't even expect a teenager to be able to pass their test after just 10 lessons, even if they were 2 hours.

I passed my test after 10. One hour lessons. They included reversing ,parking and in 1963 hand signals. No motorways though.

I hate to pour cold water - but some people just aren’t cut out to be drivers - does OP’s son actually want to learn? My friend’s son (41 this year) just can’t master it at all and it’s cost her thousands over the years. My FIL was another, despite numerous lessons, he gave up trying. I’ve 2 older female relatives who both learned to drive in the 70’s, passed their tests and never got behind the wheel again. Having driven my DDs 20+ miles to School for 15 years, they were very ‘traffic aware’ and later asked questions about the roads - both passed first time, although dyslexic DD2 struggled with the theory test, but passed the practical only days after her 17th birthday - she was allowed to learn at 16 - that’s 21 years ago and her lessons were £38 each - a fortune in those days.

I passed my driving test first time at the age of 30 with only 6 hours of leassons. My instructor was a creepy 'hand on the knee to help with the clutch' type. I swear that's why I passed, so I didn't have to go back to him.

Yes I think it’s a bit of a loss leader eg £28 an hour is cheap therefore they make sure the lessons are extended. So what looked like a good deal was a bit of a hook. Depends how well your son got on with instructor before you invest another packet… perhaps get him to ask what would be covered in the next ten. Some instructors can disable you some can empower you. I tried many big and small finally passed with the most apparently unlikely one ex army no bullshit. Straight in there. Good luck. It’s a brilliant gift and well worth it.

I'm surprised reversing round a corner is no longer part of the test- it Should still be included in the 'learning' though, shouldn't it
because if they ever have to do it, and its now considered 'unsafe' they could be in a right pickle if they haven't been taught how?

A younger person would probably have done better during that time and I think that's what average learning to drive times are based on (late teenagers).

I thought it was well known that, on average, older people take longer. I suspect that's all that's happening.

Has your son ever driven (had lessons) before, PC? Has he been a cyclist? I ask because that helps with general road sense.

PS When I need a sugar fix (e.g. when driving a long way), Greggs coffee and the pink-iced doughnut are my goto pickmeup. #pinkcakes

Calendargirl

Just as a PS, my own children learned to drive at 17, back in 1991 and 1993.

They were each given £250 for their 17th birthdays, for lessons, and they both managed to pass first time, the money was enough for all lessons and test.

Of course, no theory test back then, and they knew that when the cash ran out, they would be paying the rest themselves out of their Saturday job wages.

Hope that spurred them on.

And yes, I realise I am talking about a long time ago.

I learnt in 1976 and it was £3 a lesson and £6 for the test! I was earning less than £1 an hour, so everything is relative.

As others have said, generally the younger you are, the quicker it is to learn to drive. Unless the OP's son has had previous lessons, he has left it late and will take more time to progress than if he were 17. Your son should talk to the instructor about why he has only been driving forward. If he is struggling more than expected with the basics, perhaps he may do better in an automatic; although the lessons will be more expensive.

Different people learn to drive at different rates I passed my test first time at 19 years old after 8 lessons my husband took 3 driving test and had 20 lessons at age 23, yet he is a better driver than me he is trained for blue light ambulance driving and always drives when we are in the car.

I was 26 when I did my lessons a few years ago lol but I had 7 hours of driving lessons and passed 1st time ! Has your son got someone who could take him out driving to get practice

PinkCakes

For my son's 40th birthday, I paid for 10 driving lessons, with AA school of motoring, at a cost of £285. He's been having 2 hours, once a week, and has now taken all 10 lessons.

He tells me that he's only done straight driving, so no reversing, parallel parking, etc.

I think the instructor is taking the whatsit. What do you think?

except he hasn't only done straight driving. He has learned to operate the car, to observe other drivers, to read road conditions, to navigate through traffic and obey road signs and lights, to use roundabouts correctly, to react to the unexpected and the million and one other things that drivers need to do...hill starts? proper use of gears? overtaking (and being overtaken)
is parallel parking in the requirements?

Has he not reversed at all Op? Has the instructor not even showed him at all? Has he been at traffic lights? Round a roundabout? No turning into junctions? I expect he might have done more than he thinks as it is difficult to do straight driving without doing those things above. If he’s had just 10 hrs of driving, he will need more to perfect manoeuvres and things like reverse parking etc, I would think.

missdeke

I passed my driving test first time at the age of 30 with only 6 hours of leassons. My instructor was a creepy 'hand on the knee to help with the clutch' type. I swear that's why I passed, so I didn't have to go back to him.

I think you had my instructor! I was 26 when I took my test after 6 hour lessons (including the test hour) though I had lots of practice before having formal lessons. My creepy old instructor said he had his hand on my leg to stop me riding the clutch. A likely story as I never ever did it!

In hindsight I should have told him what to do in no uncertain terms. He was cheap, but bragged that all his "girls" passed within 12 hours instruction...

My husband was a driving instructor. This is not right he says, your son should have had a go at all the basics by now regardless. I’d make a complaint to be honest.

I was always told that you should have a driving lesson for each year of your life so by that way of thinking, your son needs more.
I am absolutely astounded that anyone can be up to a decent standard of driving after just 20 hours - going by those currently out on the road, it needs to be a lot more than many have had!
Also it depends on just what your son has been taught and how confident he is in doing the procedures and also depends on whether or not the instructor is teaching them to pass the test or actually drive. There is a difference!

I think it depends on his progress 10 lessons isn’t really a lot , I would be asking how many lessons he would need to actually pass that would give him a rough idea how he’s actually getting on and how much the cost would be

My daughter was given driving lessons for her 17th birthday. She was with her first instructor for a year, who told her she still wasn't ready for the test. I was a tad concerned, so I asked around and found a different instructor. I don't know what went on, but she passed first time within two months and has never been involved in an accident 10 years later. I always feel very safe when she drives.

Maybe ask around for recommendations on a local Facebook page or from friends with (grand)children who have recently had lessons.

I have vague recollection of needing one lesson for every year of life. Seems the older you are the more difficult it is to learn.

My first driving instructor who I booked for 2 hours a lession used to pick me up and for the first 45mins used to sit and chat about her family got rid of her after having a car go into us which did my nerves no good at all. In the end I just learned automatic and passed 3rd time on my 50th birthday.

My son is learning at 33. He’s spent so many years on the left of the car, he finds road positioning really tricky. I think it definitely gets harder as you get older.

My DF learnt to drive a car at the age of around 40, he had had motorbikes & a 3 wheeler (you could drive those on a motorbike licence) from being old enough to have a licence. His driving instructor told him the problem was he could drive but not pass his test, he had to learn how to pass his test. Took him 3 attempts to pass his test. I went with the same instructor a year or two later , aged 17, passed 1st time

Has your son considered learning to drive in an automatic car? I know this limits his choice of car but sometimes learner drivers can't cope with the gear changes.

I had lessons backed up by my Dad taking me to practise in his car and, on a caravan holiday, letting me manoeuvre it between hay ricks in the field - which remained standing! Each of my sons, on his 17th birthday, woke me up, pleading to be taken out to practise driving in the empty streets of a trading estate and they also had lessons; my DGD had the same help from her Dad and stepmum, also backed up by lessons.