Drive simulators

flo8s967qjh0nd

I posted this in another forum but it makes much more sense to repost it here.

I'm a total beginner (though older then most beginners) and am looking at my options to learn. I've had a look at a place that does simulated learning (http://www.dpcsims.com/).

Has anybody tried anything like this?
Are they any good?

I fully understand that they are not equivalent to road lessons, but I think they might be a decent starting point.

fiona-f

Katelyn Magnificent Grave wrote: »

I posted this in another forum but it makes much more sense to repost it here.

I'm a total beginner (though older then most beginners) and am looking at my options to learn. I've had a look at a place that does simulated learning (http://www.dpcsims.com/).

Has anybody tried anything like this?
Are they any good?

I fully understand that they are not equivalent to road lessons, but I think they might be a decent starting point.

I can't see how they could be more beneficial than getting a lesson in a real car. If you're nervous, don't be - for the first few lessons you'll be well away from the crowds in car parks or deserted industrial estates as your instructor goes through the basics. Plus the instructor will have the dual control car with his/her own set of brakes and so on, so even if you make a mistake, he/she can correct it for you. Personally, I'd save my money for a good set of lessons with an instructor who is used to taking complete beginners (rather than one who specialises in the final few lessons just before the test).

There was a thread on here not so long ago about people learning to drive in their twenties, thirties, forties, etc, with some posters mentioning people who learned to drive in their seventies having never sat in the driver's seat before. So being a bit older than what you perceive to be the average is definitely not any kind of a disadvantage.

Alanstrainor

I'd most definitely recommend a real car over a simulator. At the end of the day you'll be in a real car, with an experienced instructor, with dual controls, very little can go wrong. I believe being thrown in the deep end in these situations is much better, granted you may be nervous before your first lesson, but that's a good thing. You'll remember what you're told and you'll learn a hell of a lot more than if you were just in a simulator.

SteQ

Having worked for a company that used simulators i can say they are far removed from real driving. Having taken pupils who had used the simulator before coming to me they were no more advanced than a pupil who was starting from the beginning. My advice is skip the simulator go straight on the road, instructors tend to start pupils in quiet areas and will not take anyone onto a major road untill they feel comfortable, you do not mention your age however the last 2 ladies i taught were close friends they were 52 when the started and still 52 when they both passed so go for it.:)

Alanstrainor

SteQ wrote: »

Having worked for a company that used simulators i can say they are far removed from real driving. Having taken pupils who had used the simulator before coming to me they were no more advanced than a pupil who was starting from the beginning. My advice is skip the simulator go straight on the road, instructors tend to start pupils in quiet areas and will not take anyone onto a major road untill they feel comfortable, you do not mention your age however the last 2 ladies i taught were close friends they were 52 when the started and still 52 when they both passed so go for it.:)

Thanks for the info SteQ, nice to hear someone with some experience of pupils with some simulator time!