Better to learn young?

kearney13

I learned how to drive when I was a young teen in an old toyota dyna pick up on the bog.

I had a few old cars and the odd bike in fields and the bog since I learned to drive just for messing about in. It is the best craic ya can have but I'm not promoting that type of driving on the public roads unless ya have a death wish or very stupid.

I think it helped my out alot when I was starting to drive on the road, I had alot of bad habbits but I felt confident behind the wheel because the experience I had messing about didn't have a clue about the rules but wasn't long learning them. I got my full first time around after doing about 5 or 6 lessons.

I honestly do think messing about in the cars thought me a good bit. I never got nervous once behind the wheel, I'm not a cocky driver either, I just think learning how to drive in rural areas is much easier and better.

Would anyone agree or just think its stupid???

Mister Jingles

Depends when you did all of this. Lots of people wouldn't have the luxury of being able to practice on private land.

Driving tests are becoming a lot harder to pass these days tbh which is why most people around here and the motors forum will recommend getting lessons with a ADI which is compulsory now but speaking from the perspective of someone who has their permit before April. This way there less chance of picking up bad habits and being taught how to drive as oppose to being shown.

Del2005

kearney13 wrote: »

I learned how to drive when I was a young teen in an old toyota dyna pick up on the bog.

I had a few old cars and the odd bike in fields and the bog since I learned to drive just for messing about in. It is the best craic ya can have but I'm not promoting that type of driving on the public roads unless ya have a death wish or very stupid.

I think it helped my out alot when I was starting to drive on the road, I had alot of bad habbits but I felt confident behind the wheel because the experience I had messing about didn't have a clue about the rules but wasn't long learning them. I got my full first time around after doing about 5 or 6 lessons.

I honestly do think messing about in the cars thought me a good bit. I never got nervous once behind the wheel, I'm not a cocky driver either, I just think learning how to drive in rural areas is much easier and better.

Would anyone agree or just think its stupid???

It's handy to pick up the gears and controls off road at 1st and I think there should be compulsory off road training for everyone not just motorcyclists.

You need to be taught how to drive correctly on the road and messing about in fields doesn't help this, but it sure is fun.

Seems silly to me that the most vulnerable have to jump through hoops to ride, yet when once you turn 17 and pass a relatively simple theory test you can legally drive a supercar once someone with a licence for 2 years will sit beside you and you can afford the insurance.

Permabear

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Mister Jingles

Permabear wrote: »

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+1

You could drive from Dublin to Galway and when you arrive you will think to yourself that was easy but try driving from once side of Dublin to another during rush hour, that's where skill is required.

kearney13

Thats true I never had any hazards to face apart from maybe a dip in the field or the odd rabbit, I'm happy with my driving now i was always told bad drivers react to hazards and good drivers react to potential hazards, so I always have that in my mind driving thru builts up areas but I generally drive on country roads for work and visiting friends

stevenmu

Permabear wrote: »

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This is very true, but IMO this is why it's an advantage to be able to learn basic car control off road first where possible. IMO the biggest problem learners have is trying to learn the controls of a car while also learning the roadcraft of driving. I think it'd be a big help to be able to manage the pedals/gears etc without too much concentration, and then use an ADI to learn how to do it on roads.

cruizer101

Completely agree with stevemu, there is a huge number of things you have to learn when starting to drive and it really is dangerous to be out on busy roads while you are still figuring out the clutch. I think there is a lot to be said for being able to drive around a field or that and just get a feeling for how a car works and that, without having to worry about other drivers or people at all.

Also it seems such a waste if getting lessons to have to waste the first few getting used to the car controls when at the end of the day it is just something that takes a bit of time to get the hang of and while some instruction is helpful you kinda just need to figure out for yourself.

I wish I had of had a field to drive about in my teen years.

kearney13

I had plenty of experience of how to control the car before I was on the road and I think it was much easier when I did go on the roads. I never had trouble with any of the controls either. I think I would have some way of taking back control of a car if it was too spin out on the roads all depending on the speed of course, then again tarmac is alot different to grass so I wouldn't know but I would to able to keep calm to some degree

As I said I got 5 or 6 lessons (3 weeks before the test) and passed the test 1st time around so it did help me alot.

No matter how old you are get a car to mess about in because it is the best craic ya can have at a relatively cheap cost if ya know a good scrapyard and ya may get plenty of spare wheels and handbrake cables :P

Oh_Noes

Tbh I think a lot of the people on the roads drive like robots from the Driving Test Handbook and would be well served by driving a banger around in a field for while to give them the feel of controlling the car. You really don't get that by driving around in urban areas and the control you get from driving out in the sticks could help you a lot in unexpected scenarios, especially really bad weather conditions.

I think a mix of both like the OP is ideal.

starlit

I definitly agree, learn to drive when young once you are at and have passed the legal age to drive. Think late teens early 20's are best time to learn in particular in the teens. You process and learn things much quicker, more likely to absorb things as you learn the praticalities of driving. Just the other things mightn't come to you till you have more experience driving. I started at 23 and feel that was too old to start, I'm now 26 and still learning and think the older I get the harder it be for me to keep learning as a learner driver. I want to get to that stage of being competent and being able to do the test which I have yet to achieve. Just not been ready. Its an ultimate goal I have to do a test whether I pass or fail first go. I think there is no restriction with the theory test, say if you did it at 15 or 16 you can start driving by 17.

Bottems up...hope to be zoom and be vroom vrooming on my own asap! I hope otherwise I be stuck in a rut and never be able to drive properly...:(

Dutchess

I would think learning when young somewhere trafficless is good for learning controls my parents dont own a car and i spent about four lessons on basic controls. I could have spent that 120 euro differently:)

Permabear

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kearney13

Dutchess wrote: »

I could have spent that 120 euro differently:)

You could of got a grand aul banger for that

I feel like I had great control over the car by the time I was 16 or 17 and the confidence to drive on the public roads. Sure there is plenty of risks to take on the roads but I'm never out to prove I'm a good driver to my friends or anyone else. I just tip along everywhere 40-50 mph max. I was in two crashes in my life (both on the ice and not me driving) and learned from them. What really pisses me off is that every single young male driver is considered a danger on the road, like if I wanted to act the bollox in a car I would go to private land and do it there and if I couldn't do that I would go go-karting for the day to get it out of my system. I know some are stupid eejits on the road but why do we all get the blame its really unfair but that's life I suppose.

I had my permit a few weeks after my 17th birthday, applied for the test February this year had the test in May took 6 lessons 3 weeks before the test passed no problem. So to the RSA I'm a safe driver. I have experience to drive and know the risks not to take but still I'm considered a danger because I'm a young male driver, no one in this country is the best driver out there driving is a life learning experience, you learn something new from it everyday