Driving Simulator Lessons?

pandamoanium

Has anyone tried the Driving Simulator lessons like the ones with Sim2Learn?

I've been putting off getting driving lessons for ages now and I'd like to make a start in the New Year.

I've been thinking of perhaps trying out the Driving Simulator ones first before going on to "real" lessons.

Good/bad idea?

Anyone any experience of it?

Is it actually beneficial before taking a real car out on the road or a bit of a gimmick?

Cheers guys

Alanstrainor

Now, i have never had any experience with "learning to Drive simulators", but to me it sounds like it's a bit of a gimmick. Nothing will prepare you for the road better than driving lessons in a dual control car.
I always think being thrown in the deep end is the best way to learn, you will be in a dual control car and under the watchful eye of an instructor, so with their guidance and support very little can go wrong. I remember my first driving lesson, i sat in the car had about 10 minutes instruction on the basics of steering, how the clutch works, gears etc. And after that he said, "Right, let's go for a drive" and out i went out on the road.
Looking back, it was the best way to learn, i learnt more in that first lesson than i would have sitting in a simulator, or taking things very slowly.
I know that might not work for all, but for me i found it the best, be either way, pay for lessons with an instructor rather than for a simulator.
Do you know how much a session in the simulator costs? Can't imagine it's cheap!

Wishbone Ash

pandamoanium wrote: »

I've been putting off getting driving lessons for ages now

For some reason I thought you were a bus driver/operator!

pandamoanium

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

For some reason I thought you were a bus driver/operator!

Haha, lord no! I daren't ask why..!

I'm a wee girlie!

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Now, i have never had any experience with "learning to Drive simulators", but to me it sounds like it's a bit of a gimmick. Nothing will prepare you for the road better than driving lessons in a dual control car.
I always think being thrown in the deep end is the best way to learn, you will be in a dual control car and under the watchful eye of an instructor, so with their guidance and support very little can go wrong. I remember my first driving lesson, i sat in the car had about 10 minutes instruction on the basics of steering, how the clutch works, gears etc. And after that he said, "Right, let's go for a drive" and out i went out on the road.
Looking back, it was the best way to learn, i learnt more in that first lesson than i would have sitting in a simulator, or taking things very slowly.
I know that might not work for all, but for me i found it the best, be either way, pay for lessons with an instructor rather than for a simulator.
Do you know how much a session in the simulator costs? Can't imagine it's cheap!

Yeah, I was thinking along the lines of it being a bit of a gimmick aswell..

It's my Dad that keeps mentioning it to me that I should do a few of those first before getting "proper" lessons.

Initially I was going to get him to teach me the basics but neither of us seem to have the time to do them at a day/time that suits us both, so that was a non-starter.

In the past I've only driven a bit around empty car parks, got on grand at that, admittedly it's a long time though, I'd need to go over the basics again.

My initial feeling to the driving simulator lessons is I could just as good playing Gran Turismo on a playstation! lol

What you said about starting out into the deep end so to speak makes sense, I think I might be a bit nervous going out onto a road with actual traffic for my very first lesson, but as you said, with dual controls etc.. you're in safe hands.

I'd feel a bit of a fool if I was conking out the engine, going slowly holding up people etc.. in public for my first lesson or two.

Is that the standard first lesson, take you out on the roads straight away? I always imagined they'd bring you round an enclosed yard or some wide open space first to let you get a feel for it before totalling someones car! lol Then again, never having been to a lesson before I don't know what to expect..

Re: Price, well the minimum you can book is a set of 6 one hour sessions on the simulator @ a cost of E175, so that works out about E14.50 per hour, not sure if that's bad or good when you consider a "proper" lesson with a real person is circa E30 per hour or thereabouts..

Alanstrainor

I wouldn't say it's standard practice to take you out on the roads on the first lesson, just the instructor i had decided to take me out. I wouldn't worry about conking out and making mistakes, mistakes are there to be made, learn from them and move on, and dont worry if people start beeping, at the end of the day we've all been in the same position when learning to drive. Even at the cheaper rate, i'd still be getting proper lessons. And it'd be better to start learning with an instructor before heading out with parents, friends etc, as often bad habits can be taught and there's nothing worse than having to "unlearn" something!

Wishbone Ash

pandamoanium wrote: »

Haha, lord no! I daren't ask why..!

I'm a wee girlie!

Perhaps I'm confusing you with another poster but didn't you get involved in 'robust' arguments over in the Commuting and Transport Forum?

And being a 'wee girlie' wouldn't prohibit you from being a bus driver/operator!

Good luck with the lessons and tell your Dad that it's a car that you hope to drive, not the space shuttle!

Wishbone Ash

Problem solved - I was confusing you with 'Panda Moanium'.

Permabear

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Cuddlesworth

donegalfella wrote: »

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I really don't think that's a comparable analogy.

The factors of cost, difficulty and a intensely steep learning curve lead to the introduction of simulators in flight training.

galwaytt

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

I really don't think that's a comparable analogy.

The factors of cost, difficulty and a intensely steep learning curve lead to the introduction of simulators in flight training.

I think it is - a life is, after all, a life.

Simulators can also hone other skills than that afforded by car lessons alone - learning/improving the techniques of observation, etc.

Cuddlesworth

galwaytt wrote: »

I think it is - a life is, after all, a life.

Simulators can also hone other skills than that afforded by car lessons alone - learning/improving the techniques of observation, etc.

You are clearly delusional if you think its likely that lessons in a driving instructors car are going end up with a death. If that was the case do you really think that each one of them would still opt for the "throw them in the deep end" method of driving.

Flight simulators are a necessity because as I said before, the cost of the plane is well above the value of the pilot, the likely hood of death with a unsure pilot is quite high and without autopilot flying a plane is incredibly difficult, more than a car could ever be. The throw them in the deep end approach is simply unrealistic.

You will learn more about driving on the road by driving on the road than you will ever learn from a simulator. There are better methods in this country for teaching observation, defensive driving and advanced car handling which are much better alternatives than a simulator.


@pandamoanium , don't waste your money on something you don't need. Suck it up, get in that car and start your first few hours terrified. Its going to be the same either way, your just delaying it otherwise.

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bigpinkelephant

donegalfella wrote: »

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In my day you got in the car with your parents and headed for the local car park... Better yet was a field (no laws against under-17s driving on the family's own private property!)

NukaCola

bigpinkelephant wrote: »

In my day you got in the car with your parents and headed for the local car park... Better yet was a field (no laws against under-17s driving on the family's own private property!)

Not everyones parents drive or have friends that drive that can bring them to carparks or live in house that has land to drive around on, either these days or your days.
The driving simulator seems like a good idea, but i would think that nothing is better than getting a good qualified instructor and getting plenty of lessons on a real road with real traffic and real driving situations

Permabear

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NukaCola

donegalfella wrote: »

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I'm just saying it wouldnt help me, it might be good for others just not me, i had a good instructor that helped me to be a careful and good driver not to just pass a driving test, i dont understand why you would talk about a driving test issues vs driving simulation to be honest, your surely not suggesting that driving on a motorway in a simulator is the same as actually driving on the motorway are you? Or at night? Nothing prepares you better for driving than actually driving a real car, you must surely have to agree with that.

tba

Just get in a real car, there is no substitute for mental road users.

the_syco

They're good for the rules of the road, but not much use for "actual" learning.

jaffa20

How much is this as i don't see any prices on their website. I'd like to use this to gain more confidence before i enter a car.

pandamoanium

Hey Ger 2000, thanks for the info, tbh I went off the idea in the end, however now hearing from you I think that perhaps a lesson or two may not go astray..!

Jaffa20, have you taken any lessons in a real car yet? If you haven't and you're nervous I think that the simulator could definitely be a big help in boosting your confidence!

From when I enquired about them before (Just a few weeks ago so I presume the price is the same)

Basic Safe Drive – 12 hours – simulator & theory – 175 euro

Standard Safe Drive – 18 hours – simulator, theory and six hours driving lessons on the road with a qualified driving instructor – 350 euro

Advanced Safe Drive – 8 hours – simulator & on the road driving lessons with a qualified driving instructor – 200 euro

Best of luck with whatever you do and keep us posted!

jaffa20

pandamoanium wrote: »

Jaffa20, have you taken any lessons in a real car yet? If you haven't and you're nervous I think that the simulator could definitely be a big help in boosting your confidence!


Standard Safe Drive – 18 hours – simulator, theory and six hours driving lessons on the road with a qualified driving instructor – 350 euro

Advanced Safe Drive – 8 hours – simulator & on the road driving lessons with a qualified driving instructor – 200 euro

Best of luck with whatever you do and keep us posted!

Jesus, those prices are fairly reasonable and it's something i'd like as you get to know the rules of the road and practice with the stimulator. Then you get six hours on the road with an instructor all for 350euro. Most lessons are 40euro per hour as it is.

I had my first lesson today and wasn't impressed to be honest. I was really nervous so that might explain it but the instructor didn't teach me the basics. He just took me straight out on the road and i was making mistakes all the time. I would rather if he had stopped the car and told me.

I need more confidence too so must enquire about that package for 350euro.

Cheers pandamonium

pandamoanium

Hey again Jaffa!

Don't wanna sound like a party pooper or anything, but since I last posted I was reading up on another learner driver forum about these Simulator Lessons.. I'm afraid that the consensus was that they're a waste of time and money.

People who had done them in the UK said that they were very plasticy and that the graphics were very unrealistic, the pedals/controls weren't at all life life, you couldn't brake properly, get a feel for the biting point etc..

On the whole they said that if you wanted a "simulator" you'd be better off with Ridge Racer or Gran Turismo on a Playstation and to save your money for real life lessons.

Sorry for bringing this up, just thought I'd mention it to give you both sides of the story so you can make an informed decision before handing over a wadful of cash!

Maybe try a trial lesson first to see if it's for you or not before comitting yourself to a full package?

On saying all of the above however, in theory it sounds like a great idea, somewhere safe where you can't get hurt and injure yourself, a great way to build up confidence in a nervous learner before they get on the road for real.

Anyways you know what's best for you yourself!

Re: your lesson, I've only had one lesson so far too, and mine was kinda like yours, I felt that I wasn't given enough instruction beforehand and as a result was stalling etc..

However I've since been practising with my parents, tonight even I was on main roads and went through 4 busy, city roundabouts! Could hardly believe it myself as I've been dreading roundabouts all along.. eeek!

So, basically what I'm saying is, don't worry, it'll all click together for you, I notice in myself every time I get in the car it all comes so much easier, the first time or two I really had to think about where my feet were, how much pressure to apply, when to ease back, concentrate on changing gears.. now though it's all coming very naturally, I'm doing it in my stride without even thinking about it.

It's all practice, practice, practice and lots of it!

And at the end of the day, remember, if you're not happy with your instructor, it's not "one size fits all" - there's plenty more out there!

Permabear

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narr

pandamoanium wrote: »

Has anyone tried the Driving Simulator lessons like the ones with Sim2Learn?

I've been putting off getting driving lessons for ages now and I'd like to make a start in the New Year.

I've been thinking of perhaps trying out the Driving Simulator ones first before going on to "real" lessons.

Good/bad idea?

Anyone any experience of it?

Is it actually beneficial before taking a real car out on the road or a bit of a gimmick?

Cheers guys

Sorry lads, wasn't promoting intentionally. Just replyin to the above which mentioned the name.

Aside from that are the road safety crowd banning learners from the road at night? Heard about this but how can they do that if ppl have to leave before 8am to get to work on time to keep our ever decreasing jobs!!!