Does it EVER get easier?

username84

At this stage I think I am just going to be a terrible driver!

I have had 6 lessons, and about an hour or so outside this - and I just don't think I am improving

Please tell me a moment of clarity just comes along and makes it all easier, cause damn, it's not the easiest!

Alanstrainor

Of course it does. It just takes time:)

Any things in particular that we can help you with? I think you probably need more practise in between lessons tbh, one hour in between is not much at all.

Davy

Of course it gets easier, some people just need more time to practice.

What things are you finding difficult?

username84

Everything!

Ah no, it's just I am so freaking nervous! I know what I should be doing but don't necessarily know how to put it into action? Making silly mistakes. Still not getting the feel for the width of the car.

Also - downshifting without letting the car shudder. Damn but I never get it right!

greenbicycle

Totally feel the same as you op, I hate driving and feel like I will never like it.... Feel like I'm gettin old now though and while I don't really need a car at all, it's embarrassing not having the skill of driving.... Suppose we just gotta stick at it and hopefully it will just click..... God I hate it right now though......

Wilberto

You just need to build up your confidence, and that's what it's all about.

Driving is a skill, and like any other skill you need to learn and practice it in order to improve.



I know that, when I was starting out, I was always worrying and thinking "what if I'm never gonna be able to drive?". TBH, I think this affected me even more because I was really desperate to get on the road and get my own independance.

That was about 7 years ago, and about two years later I got my full licence.



So yeah, it's all about confidence and practicing, and it seems that, the more desperate you are to get on the road, the more worried you will be that something will stop you.

username84

greenbicycle wrote: »

Totally feel the same as you op, I hate driving and feel like I will never like it.... Feel like I'm gettin old now though and while I don't really need a car at all, it's embarrassing not having the skill of driving.... Suppose we just gotta stick at it and hopefully it will just click..... God I hate it right now though......

YES!

Also, I have an uncle who hates driving - he has been driving for years, but hates it. I do NOT want to be like that! But then I get on the road and think maybe this is not for me!

hmmm

Practice makes it easier eventually. Your first few lessons you're trying to remember mechanical actions, e.g. press clutch & gears, how to stop at lights without stalling etc. It takes a lot of learning to remember the actions and the sequence and you'll spend most of your time trying to remember them. After a bit of practice, your body will naturally remember these actions and you can concentrate more on "driving".

For me there was no "click" moment, it was more like learning to ride a bike - a lot of frustration at start, a few "I'll never get the hang of this" and then after a while I was just riding a bike. Driving is also like riding a bike, it's a skill you develop and once you've got the hang of it you'll wonder why it was so hard at the start.

greenbicycle

I just force myself to go out and practice in between lessons, even if it's just for half an hour, still not getting any nicer, might be getting a bit better at driving but I just dread going out, it's the worst bit of my day!

I just look at all the other drivers though and think if all these people can do it and don't mind it too much there has to be hope for me, some people look like they shouldn't even be in a car! So there has to be hope for us!

A girl I know said doing the test was the best think that happened to her, she just knuckled down and liked it after that, specially after she passed!

foxinsox

It does get easy peasy.. takes a while but you will get there...

I used to sweat buckets before a driving lesson and hated every minute of it and was always trying to cancel..

Things I was told that helped:

Walk around your car, step it out (the distance one foot after another, toe to heel), sounds stupid but it can help your head get an idea of the size of your car.

Drive in a field (flat one preferably) get used to the car somewhere where there is no chance of hitting anything or anyone.

If you don't have a field sometimes industrial estates can be good.

I did see in some ancient book about setting up cardboard boxes in field/car park to practice driving, pretend carboard boxes are gateways etc.

Practice clutch control...practice practice.

It is confidence most of all and it will come to you.

I'm driving 23 years now and would drive anything with no fear, but whenever I see a learner driver I do feel for them as I remember how terrified I was learning.

Best of luck.

deelite

I think everyone may have felt like that when they were learning to drive - it's a horrible feeling, but like most things it will click there's no time limit of when things will click. Take it easy, relax and enjoy, I've been driving for a couple of years now and can tell you after my fifth lesson I was ready to throw in the towel but thankfully I didn't.

the_syco

username84 wrote: »

I have had 6 lessons, and about an hour or so outside this - and I just don't think I am improving

Change your instructor; when you find one that teaches you well, you'll find driving fun and not a chore.

ADIDriving

Give it a chance. Six hours is not all that much. Sometimes I have students that I tell them something once and they do it perfectly and almost forever after. They come along once a year. Sometimes there are people who do take a lot of lessons even though they know what they are supposed to do they still find it difficult. These are not too common either. The other couple a hundred people a year fall in the middle ground, where it takes time. But they all get there in the end. Again six lessons is not that much.
Think where you drove in the first hour. Have you driven on more difficult roads since?
Another thing to consider is did it take more then 6 hours to learn other things in you life: Walking, talking, foreign language, musical instrument, etc?

username84

the_syco wrote: »

Change your instructor; when you find one that teaches you well, you'll find driving fun and not a chore.

He's about the only thing I like out of the whole process!! It's not about the instruction

ADIDriving wrote: »

Another thing to consider is did it take more then 6 hours to learn other things in you life: Walking, talking, foreign language, musical instrument, etc?

That makes SO much sense!!!!

P_1

Practice makes pefect OP.

As others have suggested, try to practice in a quiet spot where it is just yourself ( a field, beach or industrial estate are perfect for this).

It might sound harsh but doing so many lessons without having the practice time in between is a bit like píssing your money away. Practice time is where you can make your mistakes and work on building up your confidence. This 'should' make your lessons easier for you.

Jimbob 83

A bad instructor can make you more nervous/prone to mistakes especially if they have a sharp tongue.

WallyGUFC

Foxinsox hit the old nail on the head there really. When I was first getting lessons I used to brick it, even though the instructor had the 2nd set of pedals! But you definitely need more practice; I did literally hours in an industrial estate in the evenings, had hills and all so it was perfect. Passed the test, got a car, and the first time I drove on my own was my last day of my job. Coming home, half 11 of a Sunday evening, lashing rain, wind howling, almost bricked it, but got home and love driving ever since. Been driving less than a year :P On the downshifting thing, release the clutch VERY slowly and smoothly, should lead to less jumpiness.

Lon Dubh

username84 wrote: »

Also, I have an uncle who hates driving - he has been driving for years, but hates it. I do NOT want to be like that! But then I get on the road and think maybe this is not for me!

Hi OP, I could have written your posts a few months ago. I was so nervous when I started. I couldn't visualise ever driving on my own and doing it on a regular basis. I felt like giving up a few times, as I felt it was pointless doing lessons if I was going to be too nervous to drive on my own. But I'm glad I stuck at it as I feel I am getting there now.

I did end up changing to automatic as I felt this would make me less nervous as I could focus on keeping an eye on the road and pedestrians, and not worry about gear changes (though this was also partly as I have a disability so an automatic would be easier physically on me).

As other people have said it is very early days for you. I think you should try to stick at it, and try to stick at a manual car if you can as they are cheaper to buy and run - though it would be better to switch to an autmomatic car than give up alltogether.

I found it very hard initially to tell where I was on the road in relation to other traffic. I hated when anything came near me and pretty much everything made me nervous (e.g. I would be convinced pedestrians would run out in front of me all the time, and that I wouldn't break in time. Of course sometimes they do stuff like this, but the odd time I had to break suddenly I did do it in plenty of time. I realised that I could sometimes anticipate when someone was going to do something dangerous, which reduced the risk of a potential accident).

Even though I got 40/40 in the theory test, and had basically learn the rules of the road off by heart, I felt when I was out on the road some of that knowledge seemed to escape me. I would sort of forget things, or not be able to recall them in the moment I needed them. Now I think a lot of that was pure nervousness as it doesn't really happen now. To give one example of what I mean, at busy junctions I would panic a bit and worry who had the right of way, and I was sort of behaving like everyone should have right of way over me as they were "proper drivers" and not learner drivers like me.

Like you even though I knew what I should be doing I would still do things wrong, or only remember what I should have done after the mistake. And I tended to make some of the same mistakes over and over again (I honestly don't know how anyone has the patience to be an instructor).

I did switch instructor as I wasn't getting on with the one I had and it made a huge difference. The good one was much better at talking me through things. He also had a better understanding about why I was making certain mistakes (a lot of it was a sort of nervous reaction to certain situations) so it was easier to try to iron the errors out.

Now I feel much calmer when out driving and I feel I can do it. I still have the odd bad day, and days when I wonder what on earth I have let myself in for, but mostly I feel I will pass the test and be able to drive. I've applied for my test and hope to do it soon. I did quite well in my last pre-test. I am hoping to buy a car in the next week or two. I've even started spotting mistakes other drivers are making when I'm a passenger.

I think learning to drive is a lot about learning some proper technique off the instructor, and repetition of manouvres until they come more naturally, and just getting used to being out on the road. I think it is a bit like learning a musical instrument. At the beginning it can sound like squealing horrible ear-splitting noise, but eventually if you learn certain techniques, and learn a proper piece of music, it sounds nice. Basically good instruction and practice and you should get there eventually.

username84

Lon Dubh wrote: »

Hi OP, I could have written your posts a few months ago. I was so nervous when I started. I couldn't visualise ever driving on my own and doing it on a regular basis. I felt like giving up a few times, as I felt it was pointless doing lessons if I was going to be too nervous to drive on my own. But I'm glad I stuck at it as I feel I am getting there now.

I did end up changing to automatic as I felt this would make me less nervous as I could focus on keeping an eye on the road and pedestrians, and not worry about gear changes (though this was also partly as I have a disability so an automatic would be easier physically on me).

As other people have said it is very early days for you. I think you should try to stick at it, and try to stick at a manual car if you can as they are cheaper to buy and run - though it would be better to switch to an autmomatic car than give up alltogether.

I found it very hard initially to tell where I was on the road in relation to other traffic. I hated when anything came near me and pretty much everything made me nervous (e.g. I would be convinced pedestrians would run out in front of me all the time, and that I wouldn't break in time. Of course sometimes they do stuff like this, but the odd time I had to break suddenly I did do it in plenty of time. I realised that I could sometimes anticipate when someone was going to do something dangerous, which reduced the risk of a potential accident).

Even though I got 40/40 in the theory test, and had basically learn the rules of the road off by heart, I felt when I was out on the road some of that knowledge seemed to escape me. I would sort of forget things, or not be able to recall them in the moment I needed them. Now I think a lot of that was pure nervousness as it doesn't really happen now. To give one example of what I mean, at busy junctions I would panic a bit and worry who had the right of way, and I was sort of behaving like everyone should have right of way over me as they were "proper drivers" and not learner drivers like me.

Like you even though I knew what I should be doing I would still do things wrong, or only remember what I should have done after the mistake. And I tended to make some of the same mistakes over and over again (I honestly don't know how anyone has the patience to be an instructor).

I did switch instructor as I wasn't getting on with the one I had and it made a huge difference. The good one was much better at talking me through things. He also had a better understanding about why I was making certain mistakes (a lot of it was a sort of nervous reaction to certain situations) so it was easier to try to iron the errors out.

Now I feel much calmer when out driving and I feel I can do it. I still have the odd bad day, and days when I wonder what on earth I have let myself in for, but mostly I feel I will pass the test and be able to drive. I've applied for my test and hope to do it soon. I did quite well in my last pre-test. I am hoping to buy a car in the next week or two. I've even started spotting mistakes other drivers are making when I'm a passenger.

I think learning to drive is a lot about learning some proper technique off the instructor, and repetition of manouvres until they come more naturally, and just getting used to being out on the road. I think it is a bit like learning a musical instrument. At the beginning it can sound like squealing horrible ear-splitting noise, but eventually if you learn certain techniques, and learn a proper piece of music, it sounds nice. Basically good instruction and practice and you should get there eventually.

Thank you!!!!

Just a case of practice !!!

starlit

It takes time and practise OP. You learn in stages and build up experience and practise it will all come together at some point. If you learnt the basics from the start everything else will fall into place.

I'd suggest change your instructor if you feel you aren't learning from them. I have had to change to three different instructors. It's only with the one I am with now do I feel that I have learnt my stuff from and have been able to actually drive never thought I get to this point of the possibility of completing the test at all.

It does get easier. I started out not having a clue eventually once I cracked the basics everything else fell into place from what I learnt and put it all into practise. I am driving nearly every day which helps a lot. Have a few things to tweak yet but I am getting there. I've been learning over four years but really only properly learnt the past year.

You will feel great once you have got to grips with it all, you'll feel like you have accomplished something great. Feel proud you have gone out there and tried to learn. Keep positive, there is light at the end of tunnel from all your hard work from learning, keep at the lessons, don't ever give up even if you feel like you do, keep going its the only way to overcome it. If I told you how many lessons I have got to get to the stage of driving I am at now then you be shocked its more than 20+! So have faith and believe in yourself, everyone is different and go at difference paces when learning especially when learning to drive. Its a skill. It takes time, practise, patience, endurance and experience to get it right.

Stick it out you'll thank yourself for it that you gain the independence of being able to drive anywhere and everywhere! Its a great feeling!

Keep practising and build up your driving experience, driving in various situations, roads and conditions. Its the only way to learn is to practise! Tackle each thing separately at a time and bring all what you learnt previously to what you learn new together. It will become part of a routine. Its like learning to ride a bike but obviously different to driving a car but the method of learning is similar brain-eye-foot-motor co-ordination!

I think to get over the nerves is to keep dealing with the same situation over and over again until you can overcome it with ease like hill starts for instance. Building up your confidence will help with the nerves and building up experience too that its not a crisis if you stall when pulling out in traffic say.

I definitely agree with this statement by Lon Dubh:

I think learning to drive is a lot about learning some proper technique off the instructor, and repetition of manouvres until they come more naturally, and just getting used to being out on the road. I think it is a bit like learning a musical instrument. At the beginning it can sound like squealing horrible ear-splitting noise, but eventually if you learn certain techniques, and learn a proper piece of music, it sounds nice. Basically good instruction and practice and you should get there eventually.

I kind of treat it like I am learning maths or if I were to sit the leaving again.

You will make mistakes, I still do but you learn from them but you do need to learn to correct them yourself and try not to get into bad habits like coasting.

I got full marks in my theory test but forgotten it all myself have to keep reviewing the theory stuff myself to keep it fresh in my mind which helps with the driving and knowing the rules of the road, read up on the rules of the road helps too when learning to drive.

The whole downshifting, gears isn't just about letting it shudder though or stall, its down to clutch control a lot of the time and when dealing with the pedals/handbrake. All that comes hand in hand. Timing and clutch control are the key things here. Being in the correct gear for speed. If you in too high a gear at low speed it will shudder too low a gear at high speed it will stall. For example if you pulled out in 2nd gear it could either shudder or stall depending on how much gas you give it.

Being smooth with the clutch and using handbrake can be crucial at times here and getting to biting point at the right time aswell is important.

For driving purposes you always pull out/move off in 1st gear unless you are coming up to a roundabout/yield sign depending on circumstances or if in slow moving traffic you could be in either 1st or 2nd gear. Approaching a roundabout you be in 2nd gear, stop in 2nd, pull out at 1st at the yield, or continue on at 2nd if you don't have to yield, go around roundabout in 2nd. Say at a junction/turn/at lights you generally stop in 2nd maybe 1st and pull out in 1st. For me when I go to park I either be in 2nd if in town or 1st if going into a car park space its easier to get the position correct and not go on the line.

Maybe start observing other peoples driving maybe and see if you can learn from them? Sometimes can be good or bad idea but you might learn more from it and help you with your driving. I find I observe and learn more from friends and siblings and instructor rather than a parent.

Start off small in blocks and build up your driving experience I think is one way of tackling the whole driving thing.

Keep practising and try your best is all you can do! Best of luck OP

username84

doovdela wrote: »

For driving purposes you always pull out/move off in 1st gear unless you are coming up to a roundabout/yield sign depending on circumstances or if in slow moving traffic you could be in either 1st or 2nd gear. Approaching a roundabout you be in 2nd gear, stop in 2nd, pull out at 1st at the yield, or continue on at 2nd if you don't have to yield, go around roundabout in 2nd. Say at a junction/turn/at lights you generally stop in 2nd maybe 1st and pull out in 1st. For me when I go to park I either be in 2nd if in town or 1st if going into a car park space its easier to get the position correct and not go on the line.

Now we're talking! I like having things written down get it right in my head than bring that out on the road!

Garabagion

You could get the new theory test on android and iphone - use it on the jacks or whenever you have a spare minute.

It's based on (but not officially) the RSA question database for 2012 (5th edition)

Android and Iphone users can stay fresh whenever they get a spare minute.

ANDROID - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=t4t.projct.theorytest
IPHONE - http://tunes.apple.com/us/app/unofficial-irish-driver-theory/id519641693?mt=8

Enjoy!