Need a large carpark in SCD to practice driving

mydiscworld

I'm looking for a quiet, large car park to learn how to drive.

I had thought about shopping centre car parks but think many close their gates in evenings after closing time.

Living in Stillorgan area, so any suggestions in South County Dublin would be welcome.

Thanks in advance for all ideas

MascotDec85

The retail park at Carrickmines

delta_bravo

Definitely ucd. The car parks near fosters avenue are very empty this time of year

Del2005

Any industrial estate after 6pm should be quite and you'll have the added benefit of having proper roads/markings.

ProudDUB

I agree about going to an industrial estate. They'll be deserted after 6pm & you'll have it all to your self apart from the odd fellow learner, and security patrol cars. My niece goes to one near her house, and she thinks its great for learning in & building up her confidence. As another poster said, it will have proper signage, and some of the real road conditions that you won't get in a car park. You can get lots of practice in approaching STOP signs and what not, but as it is so deserted, you can stall at them for as long as you want, without getting honked at from behind.

KillerShamrock

Just out of interest have you done any lessons with an instructor? Is there a reason why you want to learn in a car park/industrial estate?

Vorsprung

UCD is going to be quiet enough over the summer, that's where I learnt and it did the job.

mydiscworld

Del2005 wrote: »

Any industrial estate after 6pm should be quite and you'll have the added benefit of having proper roads/markings.

Any particular one you could recommend in SCD?

Del2005

mydiscworld wrote: »

Any particular one you could recommend in SCD?

Sandyford, it's huge so finding quite places shouldn't be an issue. I've not done lessons on the South side in ages but did all my bus and truck lessons in the Dublin Industrial estate in Glasnevin, which isn't too far from SCD on the M50 if Sandyford is too busy.

Avoid weekends, after 6pm on a Mon-Wed night would be quietest

HurtLocker

Richie6904 wrote: »

Just out of interest have you done any lessons with an instructor? Is there a reason why you want to learn in a car park/industrial estate?

Cant speak for the OP but before i turned 17 last year I learnt the clutch,stopping and starting stuff in a car park. As for what i did after that to learn further.. well thats history.:P

Only thing Ill say OP is to get used to your blind spots and mirrors from the start.

highly1111

Nutgrove shopping centre has no gates / barriers and would be a great spot. I practised a fair bit in there years and years ago.

Del2005

HurtLocker wrote: »

Cant speak for the OP but before i turned 17 last year I learnt the clutch,stopping and starting stuff in a car park. As for what i did after that to learn further.. well thats history.:P

I taught my Sister to drive, I made sure she learnt her clutch and braking in a school car. Didn't want her messing up my car as she was starting and having the dual controls is safer at the start.

J_R

Del2005 wrote: »

I taught my Sister to drive, I made sure she learnt her clutch and braking in a school car. Didn't want her messing up my car as she was starting and having the dual controls is safer at the start.

+1

Hi,

Sure, burn out the school car clutch instead,

plus

when I was an instructor I found, on average, that a pupil who had no prior driving experience whatsoever reached a certain level on the fourth lesson. (drive through town to a industrial estate, totally master the hill start and turnabout, completely master rough reverses into a driveway then finish the one hour lesson by driving back through town again).

However a pupil who had messed around in a car park prior to coming for lessons did not reach the same standard until at least lesson five.

Whoever wrote the EDT syllabus never had to undo the bad habits picked up in carparks. (EDT says practice three or four hours before taking the first lesson with an ADI)

Take proper lessons first and if he is a good instructor he will not start you off in a car park.