Driving lessons - instructor taking the rise?

Oh the joys of learning to drive I started learning to drive MANY moons ago with BSM I don’t suppose they exist now but they were excellent. I lived away from home got no practise and failed first time of course. Back home I was able to practise thanks to a good neighbour, and passed my test. I think it’s the amount of practise between lessons that count. Good luck to your Son he will get the hang of it and enjoy years of driving I am sure

I was a self employed driving instructor for 45 years and no two pupils were the same. I taught my two sons too. Both passed 1st time at 17. One had 12 lessons, the other needed at least 30. So it is a very individual thing.

Stupid suggestion, but is it that he's saying he's only done 'straight driving' meaning just driving (but covering all that you'd expect), & no car maintenance, teaching o f road signs etc.?

I have a couple of nephews who use the expression 'straight' to mean straight in this manner (a bit like straight talking).

In 1969 I took my test in a 3 wheeler! My boyfriend taught me to drive in it.
I passed. Before I sent off the pink slip I married and we went to Australia - £10 poms!
As I hadn’t sent off my slip my licence didn’t count so I had to take a test again, which I did and passed.
I returned to England suddenly after my husbands death and didn’t even think about getting an international licence, as I had 3 children and was pregnant at the time, so had to take my test again once I had sorted things out back here.
I failed the test!!!
So I took a couple of lessons and passed it.
I think I might be one of very few people who took their test 4 times and passes it three times! ?
And with very few lessons. ?

is parallel parking in the requirements?

Yes.

Until very recently, my daughter was a driving instructor and most of her pupils took between 25 and 30 hours of lessons in order to be ready for their test. She said it wasn't just a matter of teaching them how to pass the test, more importantly they have to learn how to drive correctly, thoughtfully, learn how to detect possible dangers and stay calm in all situations. She had an extremely high success rate, excellent feedback from pupils and a huge waiting list.
On another note. It may be worth only learning to drive an automatic anyway as in 9 years all new cars sold will be electric anyway i.e. automatics in all but name

It will take him longer to learn at 40 than 20 I’m afraid. If he wants to practice with you or anyone else in the car I can thoroughly recommend covered on demand learners insurance. You only pay for the days the learner actually use the car . you have a pin code and a monthly chart and you just put the days in that the learner is going to drive . We found it so useful for my son who had to keep his driving ticking over through the lockdown .

I learned to drive when I was 30 (moved out of the city to a small town so I had to) and needed a LOT more than 10 lessons. As someone-else has said, a rough guide is one lesson for every year of your age but it really depends on the individul person - some people are very nervous learners and need more, plus practice in between lessons = fewer lessons needed. I can't remember how long it took me to do more than straight driving - although parallel parking was a LONG way down the line and certainly not after 10 lessons. I wonder if your son really wants to learn to drive - as he's reached 40 without doing so? Does he want to continue? Certainly after 10 lessons I wouldn't expect a 40 year old to be ready for his test. Sorry.

Jo1960 & missdeke, I had that driving instructor too.....

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?

Am I missing something here by reading the replies…….. PinkCakes is saying her son has ONLY done STRAIGHT driving within the 10 paid lessons , there is more to learning to drive than to just drive straight that’s plainly obvious . There are many other manoeuvres that needs to be learnt , reversing , parking , three point turns , hill starts , ect , which when I’d learnt to drive was included in every hour that i were out on the road , just driving straight for the 10 lessons doesn’t seem right to me , unless the way pupils are taught have changed dramatically. I’d phone AA to enquire.

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.

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.

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 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.

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 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 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

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!

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.

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...

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.

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?

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

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.

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.