At what point does the instructor force you to drive on a main road?

Bishmilla · 16-03-2012 10:16PM #1

I was just wondering when usually should you start to drive on a main road?

I have just started learning and have had a bit of a panicky start. Was driving along a small byroad this evening and within about two minutes there was a huge lorry right behind me, a car approaching in front and a bend in the road. I was completely terrified and in a panic whilst my parents were pissing themselves laughing. I pulled over beside a house at the first opportunity and almost drove into the wall, and then got shouted at for nearly crashing the car.

I have now decided that I need to take lessons from an instructor but I am more nervous than ever and am dreading going on busy roads. When usually do they make you do this?

Also when do you take off the handbrake? I am getting conflicting advice and am really confused!

Is it you put the car in first, take off the handbrake, release the clutch and then accelerate? Or put the car in first, release the clutch slowly, accelerate a bit and then release the handbrake?

Hogzy · 16-03-2012 10:19PM

The sooner you go on a busy road the better. I remember my first lesson from a professional. He picked me up from my house and brought me out of my estate. Onto the main road, pulled over and put me in the driving seat. I was bricking it but throwing me into the deep end was a brilliant decision.

You need to conquer your fear. And that is all it is fear. There is nothing hazardous about driving on a busy road. Its learning to control your mind is key. The sooner you become accustomed to busy roads the better.

Alanstrainor · 16-03-2012 10:19PM

Getting lessons is a great decision, you'll be in a dual controlled car with someone trained on how to give lessons. I wouldn't be afraid, the instructor has control and will guide you through it. They'll judge what pace to take things at based on your first lesson.

**Timbuk2** · 16-03-2012 10:36PM

Yes, definitely get professional lessons - the difference between a calm, helpful, encouraging instructor and parents is quite significant!

You won't be thrown in the deep-end on your lessons, the instructor may take you around a carpark initially to get you used to car controls (e.g. moving off without stalling, changing to second). They will get an idea from this how soon you can progress - you may end up on a public road in your first lesson, you may not - it's all up to your instructor!

As for the handbrake, your instructor will tell you this anyway, but it is the last thing you do before you move off and the first thing you do when you stop.

So usually, you'll put it into first gear.
Do your observations, starting with your mirrors, then signal.
Just before you move off, make sure to check any blindspots, then take the handbrake off and move off.

When you go to stop, use the brake pedal initially, and just before you come to a stop, depress the clutch pedal to stop the engine from labouring. Once you come to a complete stop, apply the handbrake.

It's much better to do lessons from an early point - stops you from inadvertently learning bad habits!

Captain Havoc · 16-03-2012 10:39PM

Learning to drive with my mum was grand, learning to drive with my dad was a nightmare. Driving instructor FTW.

arleitiss · 16-03-2012 10:45PM

Same, on my first lesson with EDT we drove to small street with no cars, I got to move off like 20 metres. On second lesson I got to drive much more actually around area.
From 3rd up to 5th I got to drive onto main roads, on 6th lesson I got to drive home. On 7th lesson I got to drive from home and back to home. Now my next lesson is lesson 8, which means I am coming close to last 3 lessons which are pretty much extreme (high speeds, city centre and night driving) and I am so glad my instructor did everything this way. I am even surprised how I learned in 2 months to drive with no problem on busy roads (where you are in traffic for 20 min

)

MascotDec85 · 17-03-2012 01:39AM

Hogzy wrote: »

The sooner you go on a busy road the better. I remember my first lesson from a professional. He picked me up from my house and brought me out of my estate. Onto the main road, pulled over and put me in the driving seat. I was bricking it but throwing me into the deep end was a brilliant decision.

You need to conquer your fear. And that is all it is fear. There is nothing hazardous about driving on a busy road. Its learning to control your mind is key. The sooner you become accustomed to busy roads the better.

Really?

Hogzy · 17-03-2012 08:53AM

MascotDec85 wrote: »

Really?

Yes. The odds of you having an accident are quite low. Most people drive daily and on average only have a handful of accidents per year. (which are usually just fender benders anyway)

MascotDec85 · 17-03-2012 12:12PM

Hogzy wrote: »

Yes. The odds of you having an accident are quite low. Most people drive daily and on average only have a handful of accidents per year. (which are usually just fender benders anyway)

There are loads of hazards present on a busy road and as such it is hazardous.

Possibly you have now passed your test and now feel more confident however, all the hazards remain present. The more experienced you become the better equipped you are to deal with them.

I have to disagree with your comment.

Lon Dubh · 17-03-2012 01:12PM

Your parents screwed up there and not you. Lessons with a proper instructor will be very different from trying to get lessons with your parents. I think you might be better off doing at least a few lessons with your instructor before getting into the car again with one of your parents (having both parents in the car sounds like a bad idea as well).

The instructor will be better at teaching, and better at knowing where you are at with the driving, and at knowing how far to push you and when.The intructor has a break as well so they can hit the break if necessary which is an extra comfort. You could talk to the intructor about what happened as well so they understand that you are nervous.

You can get a registered instructor on http://www.rsa.ie/en/RSA/Learner-Drivers/Finding-an-instructor/Find-an-instructor/ (Just put your area into the box on the top left-hand side of the page).

I was extremely nervous when I started lessons, and am still a bit nervous but much better now. I know if my parents had been teaching me I would be a total nervous wreck and I would probably have given up. I did have to change intructor however as I was not getting on well enough with one I had, so if you don't like the style of your instructor you can move.

If you use the instructor as your main teacher, and maybe just one of your parents at a time as your accompanied driver to practice between lessons that might work for you. You can decide what you need to practice between lessons as well, based on what the instructor recommends, rather than your parents. That might make you feel a bit more in control.

Personally I decided to go with an automatic car (though there were a few reasons for me to do this) and have just done all the learning through lessons. It is expensive doing it this way though, and automatics are more expensive to buy and run as well.

Good luck with it all.

johnayo · 17-03-2012 01:29PM

Hogzy wrote: »

Yes. The odds of you having an accident are quite low. Most people drive daily and on average only have a handful of accidents per year. (which are usually just fender benders anyway)

I would say that the majority of drivers don't have any accidents per year, fender benders or otherwise.

Hogzy · 17-03-2012 01:32PM

johnayo wrote: »

I would say that the majority of drivers don't have any accidents per year, fender benders or otherwise.

I meant to say lifetime. Not year

starlit · 17-03-2012 01:43PM

When an instructor thinks you are ready. The sooner the better to get over the nerves and gain experience and confidence while driving on the main road. You get use to it after a while. If he has dual control in the car then you shouldn't feel too worried. You concentrate on the driving and learning and once you have learnt you can take over totally and he only need to take over when needed and come a time when you do all the driving!

If he thinks you might not react on time or stop on time then he will stop the car for you but if its your own car then you will have to learn to stop in an emergency and learn to react and make decisions on time.

Quick thinking and being safe and all that. Planning ahead and anticipation is just as important as observation. It all come together for you after a while. Just have to keep at it, build up your confidence and keep practising no matter how nervous you are. Be calm and totally relaxed and collected before setting off, clear your mind, if you get worried about it, it stress you out more and may you not be confident or perform.

If you have mastered the basics with the clutch and getting to biting point then you are on your way to learning. Takes practise, time and patience. The more experience you gain on the road the better no matter how busy or quiet it is, you need to be able to deal with everything.

Best thing is to go to a professional instructor to help you with your learning its the only way to learn to drive properly and safely. They will go at your pace so you learn. You have to do the compulsory 12 EDT lessons if your 1st learner's permit is valid from the 4th of April 2011 onwards. If you learn the basics without leaving the house you can just learn the gears and the clutch, moving and stopping, reversing, turning most of the main manoeuvres anyway and practise them it will build up your confidence and practise. Your parents are only there to offer you advice not really to teach you unless you can pick stuff up from them ok the basics is fine to get you use to the car and driving and the basics but to be honest they really are only there as a guide and help you practise rather than learn from them like you would from a professional ADI driving instructor.

Go for professional lessons and practise in between with your parents that is the best way about it when learning. You learn more, gain more experience, practise on a regular basis, become more confident and the nerves will go gradually. You kind of have to face these things like dealing with a main road and hazards, hill starts and so on, if you don't face them you won't be able to conquer your fear of them. Just bite the bullet and do it and face it head on. That's all you got to do, you be so proud of yourself if you do. The more you the do the better you get, practise makes perfect! Best of luck with it op.

wellboytoo · 20-03-2012 10:15PM

Depends on if he's armed or not

ProudDUB · 20-03-2012 11:57PM

Lon Dubh wrote: »

Your parents screwed up there and not you. Lessons with a proper instructor will be very different from trying to get lessons with your parents. I think you might be better off doing at least a few lessons with your instructor before getting into the car again with one of your parents (having both parents in the car sounds like a bad idea as well).

Agree 100%. The people teaching you how to drive, (or accompany you as you practice) should be offering you instruction and advice in an considerate and educational manner. They certainly shouldn't be laughing at you, and making you feel more nervous than you already are. They should be praising your progress and pointing out your mistakes to you in a manner that you can learn from, without being made to feel like a twit.

If your parents can't do that, is there someone else you can turn too? Your parents may have the best of intentions, but not everyone is cut out for the job of driving instructor. It is hard enough to expect one of them to take off their mom/dad hat (and all the baggage that comes with it) let alone two of them.

challengemaster · 21-03-2012 03:41PM

An instructor won't force you to drive on the main road, but they will let you know when they think you're ready, and if you still don't feel comfortable with it you should voice that opinion with them and then they can help.

In the first lesson my instructor felt I was ready to start driving through athlone centre, but he wasn't pushy about it at all

At what point does the instructor force you to drive on a main road?

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