When to take lessons

dillo2k10

Hi,
I am getting my learners permit in a few weeks.
My parents said that they will only pay for 10 lessons.
I have plenty of people that will be my accompanied driver when ever I want.
Since I cant take the test for 6 months am I better of taking the lessons first and then using accompanied drivers or first getting someone to accompany me and then doing the lessons closer to the end of the 6 months

spurious

I would take eight of the lessons early on, maybe two a week for the first couple of weeks. Practice, practice, practice with your accompanying driver.

If your mother or father is going shopping, you drive them. I find all those little short trips involving parking much more useful than long stints on main roads.

Keep the last two lessons for later. I would suggest one for maybe a week or so before your test date to check for bad habits developed and then the last a day or two before the test to tweak.

You'll know yourself if you need more lessons after the first eight and you're better off get an extra couple before the test than fail the test and figure you could have done with a couple more.

Good luck.

**Timbuk2**

^ I agree with all of the above!

Lessons on their own won't be enough, you need to practice as well. If you take one lesson, then practice a good bit before the next lesson, and so on after the next lesson, you will make the most progress.

10 lessons might not be enough - a lot of people take more than that. When I got my LP, I took two lessons, but then no more as I still had no insurance. Then I took 7 lessons gradually, about a week between them. I took my last 3 lessons in the run up to the test (the 10th one was two hours before my test). I failed that test, and I applied for a cancellation and took two more lessons with another instructor, and then I passed my next test 4 weeks later!

Mods: I'm sorry if I'm not allowed recommend this, but it sounds like the OP could benefit from the Aviva driving school deal. I did this and found it the cheapest for young drivers (I'm 18). You book a block of 10 lessons with Aviva Driving School, and after your first lesson you get 6 months free accompanied driving cover (but I could only use my two parents as my accompanied drivers - nobody else). A lot of my friends availed of this as well, as it is great for learning. (Aviva weren't so great when I was renewing my policy after that 6 months was up!)

But the main thing about insurance is to ring around as many insurance companies as you can! Often you can reduce the quoted premiums by telling insurance company x that you can get a cheaper quote with company y, etc. If you are a young male driver, some insurance companies will not want to insure you so they will just quote you a ridiculously high premium to put you off. One insurance company quoted me something like €5000, whereas others were happy to do it for around €1000 (and this was only named driver insurance!!).

Sorry for rambling on!

Mint Sauce

i took 14 or 15 lessons total, had 3 or 4 lessons with the instructer initialy, he then sent me away for a few months driving with my accompanying driver.

went back to my instucter took the lesson count upto about 10 or 11, these were more intensive, instucter expectimg more from me, etc. went away again for a couple of weeks.

took three more lessons before the test, two in the week before, one on the morning, failed that test by a few blues (possibly nerves).

went away for a 5/6 weeks with my accompanying driver, took a lesson with the instucter on the morning of my second test, for one, just to make sure was doing everthing right and to ask a couple of questions on things i was doubtfull about, and to readjust to his car (was using it for the test).

your instructer, if any good, will assess your driving and advise how to space your lessons over the 6 months depending on your skill level.

good advice on the shopping runs, i took every chance i could to drive the parents car, would also advise to try and get out at differnet times of day, my tests were just after the main rush hour, so roads were still quite busy, the school runs were on, more people on pavements, so more to be aware off when looking for hazards, more traffic when joining roundabouts, merging on to duel carriage ways (local one built to motorway standard, still classed as DC though).

+1 on the aviva lessons, when my 6 months were up, went back to aviva, got a reduction on my premium due to having the previous 6 months with them and taking into account the level i had reached with my instucture, do it over phone as well, phone quote was about €400 cheeper compared to online quote.

good luck OP.

**Timbuk2**

Also I would try and get used to getting the car moving before you do your first lesson. I just drove my car around the house, moving off in first gear, and reversing. You don't want to spend your first two lessons just driving around a car park learning about the pedals, and moving off in first gear etc.

dillo2k10

I forgot to mention that my uncle is also a driving instructer and he will also give me some free lessons.

Mint Sauce

dillo2k10 wrote: »

I forgot to mention that my uncle is also a driving instructer and he will also give me some free lessons.

your sorted

starlit

dillo2k10 wrote: »

I forgot to mention that my uncle is also a driving instructer and he will also give me some free lessons.

ah your grand so. lucky you!

still have some advice for you though and for anyone else in your position.

I would still recommend you start off learning the basics on your own outside your house or somewhere like a carpark but maybe have a accompany driver nearby. Consider doing a few lessons in that then go to an instructor and start from scratch going out on the road with an instructor and practice with your accompany driver in between the lessons if you can. I spent too long learning the basics like took me two months and then went on the road with an instructor. Iv only had 10 professional lessons and 40 plus driving lessons with my accompany driver and have been learning for 2 years and not making much progress! I’m considering changing instructors. Don’t know when i’d even be ready to do a test!My confidence, nerves, poor judgment and poor decision making has made learning to drive hard for me. Start the professional lessons as early as you can when you start learning to drive less likely to make mistakes and less likely to pick up bad habits, you’d probably learn quicker and it might come more naturally to you if you go that route!