Driving lessons - instructor taking the rise?

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

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.

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?

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

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 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.

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 !

Sounds about right to me I’m afraid, both the number of lessons and the charge per hour.

I was nearly 40 when I had driving lessons and my instructor told me he could teach me to pass the test (fewer lessons), or he could teach me to drive. I chose the latter and until the day I stopped driving I heard his voice in my ear whenever I came across a tricky situation on the road.

PinkCakes - just wondering if you son is happy with his instructor?
If so, I'd suggest he just finds out how many lessons he (realistically) thinks he'd need to pass. It would at least give you an idea about time frames and cost.

Thanks for all your replies. I am obviously expecting too much. He's not able to practice in my car, as when I tried to get him put on my insurance, the company (Saga) said it would be £250 and that my no-claims bonus of many years would go down to one year.

I suppose, annodomini we don't know how good the OP's son is at driving forward and handling the gears, lanes, indicators etc, yet.

Annodomini, reversing round a corner isn’t a safe manoeuvre and is no longer part of the driving test. It would have been better for you to have allowed her to practice parking.

I took my 18-year-old GD out for a few sessions. She already was a motor-bike rider and knew about road-craft, but I also made her reverse round a corner and do quite an awkward hill start. Straight driving is all very well, but a learner should be encouraged to take on a few challenges as well. She's still waiting for a test.

My DGD recently passed her driving test. We lost count of how many professional lessons she had, (plus practice in a little "run-about car with her parents).
Paying £300. every 5 weeks, (2 hours at a time x 5 = 10 hours)
The price actually went up during this time, but the (independent) instructor kept hers at the same rate.

This was between September 2019 & June2021.
Of coarse with CV & the lockdowns there were several gaps!
Her theory test was passed (1st time) late December 2019.
The practical was booked-cancelled-re-booked several times due to the pandemic.
I'm guessing the cost ran well into thousands.... paid for by parents, us, plus money earned by the DGD herself, all whilst studying for her A levels.

Well worth it in the end, we live in a rural district & really need to be mobile.

Good luck to your DS ( &all others learning to drive)

It took me ages btw. I think I had about 50 lessons!

Can't he pay for some more lessons himself?

10 hours isn't a lot. My son recently (as in the last 5 years) learnt to drive and he had lessons once or twice a week from February to June, passed in the June. The lessons were 2 hourly and £60 a pop! I also took him out too, it was terrifying. A lot of instructors seemed really against intensive driving courses and rushing the learning because of safety. He did his test in your daughter's town Monica

Blossoming
I thought I’d followed up with a whoops post, but obviously not ?

Not sure what that has to do with PinkCakes DS driving lessons MerylStreep. Have I missed something?

Just looked on the AA website - they state (proudly):

75% of pupils passed with 40 hours of lessons or fewer

Driving instructors come with different skill levels (you can ask them what level/grade they are). I called several when looking for lessons for my "children" and booked an introductory lesson with the most experienced one available.

Before I knew about grades, my son went for a lesson with one instructor and said "I'll never learn with her!". He changed teacher and passed with only 12 hours in the end (with someone else). But, one of my girls had 22 hours and gave up - living in London it wasn't essential and she just wasn't a natural driver...

It sounds like your son has only had 10 hours. £28 an hour is not a lot these days. He maybe should try a different instructor or should ask how many more this one thinks he needs.

Here’s another feel good story for the fun sponges.
Read and weep.

www.sportbible.com/football/community-take-a-bow-news-school-encourages-kids-to-enjoy-england-vs-italy-on-sunday-night-20210708

How much practise is your son getting between lessons? The more driving you do on top of lessons, usually the better progress you make.

When I was learning, DH suggested I drove whenever we went on family journeys and there was nothing to beat a 2 hour drive to visit parents and PiL to develop road skills as well as driving performance.