I was wondering how many driving lesson people normally have...

Ben Davis

Active member
I've had 8 driving lessons so far and the driving instructor seems impressed with my progress. I was wondering how many driving lessons people normally have?

Also, what is the funniest/scariest thing to happen to you while learning to drive, or actually driving?
 
Where I'm from, you start a driver's education course when you're 14 years and 9 months old. After you pass the course, you have a learner's permit where you're allowed to drive with an adult in the vehicle. You have to log so many hours of driving with an adult before you can get your license when you're 16. Then you're done.

Scariest thing...hmmm...probably the time I needed to stop, but couldn't move my foot over to the brake because the loop of my shoelace wrapped around the gas pedal. Luckily, I was able to remove it...but that was pretty fecking scary.
 
I think I had about 15 instructor lessons with plenty of other time in the car with my Dad.

The funniest thing to happen to me was on the test - I pulled up behind a stationary line of traffic then after a while realised it wasn't traffic it was a line of cars parked along the side of the road. Luckily the instructor just thought I was being overly cautious in waiting!! And the rear window steamed up and no-one had thought to tell me where the demist button was. The instructor said if I cannot clear the screen I'd be failed. Pressure situation - guessed the button correctly :)
 
I've had 8 driving lessons so far and the driving instructor seems impressed with my progress. I was wondering how many driving lessons people normally have?

Also, what is the funniest/scariest thing to happen to you while learning to drive, or actually driving?
I'm amused by how little everyone else have noted. These days, in England at least, you're looking at 25-35 as a general rule, but as many as you need until you feel confident, really. And I mean, really confident because the test itself is more unnerving than you anticipate.
 
I did one lesson a week for about 3 months, but I was also doing double lessons so that is about 34hours (if did maths right)... should point out I did first take my test after 2months, but failed on some really simple things would have done it straight away again if I could but there wan't another spot for a month that is why I continued for the extra month by which time I flew though the test :)
 
It was 10 years ago for me, I can't remember how many lessons I had just that my instructor was damn fit.

I passed within 2 months.
 
I've done 8 hour and a half lessons so that'll be 12 hours so far. I feel fairly confident behind the wheel, but the instructor has a knack for unnerving me which can bug me because then I make a mistake and he bollocks me for it. I haven't had any other driving time with my family. I managed to reverse successfully round a bend today and that was my first time doing reversing, which the driving instructor was impressed with because apparently a lot of people struggle with reversing.

My scariest moment so far is when I made a mistake on a roundabout and nearly ended up with a lorry in the side of the car. The instructor ended up apologising for his outburst after the lesson lol.
 
I've had about 13 lessons, and I've already passed my driving practical test. However, I did spend a lot of time driving outside of lessons, and learning new skills.
 
Due to a miss-spent youth spent throwing cars around abandoned airfields I was able to pass my test first time after having around 10 lessons to gain some road sense.

Funny and scary stories? On my test a driver of a parked car threw her door open and I had to execute a successful emergency stop. On the same test a learner driver with instructor reversed out of a side road into my path and again I had to do an emergency stop. A mile up the road I encountered a mounted policeman who appeared to have lost control of his horse. Emergency stop number three. At this point my examiner turned to me and said 'Bu**ger this, that's good enough, you've passed your test' :)

What Mitchell says above seems about right to me, 25-35 lessons should give you enough confidence and experience to pass a test.
 
I don't really have any funny stories to tell.

I do remember when the examiner said to me I'd passed the test I asked him if he was sure.
 
Getting time in a car in addition to your driving lessons is the key.
I only had 6 lessons but was able to drive a friend's car in between the lessons which helped immensely.

That was almost 25 years ago now though :eek:
 
I agree with Brogan.

I bought my first car on my 17th birthday so I could drive around in between lessons.

I did find driving with dad I was more nervous than with my instructor. Same with my HGV license.
 
Wow. When I first started driving back *%&$^(*& years ago, you had to take a drivers ed course in high school. With that certificate, you then had to register and take a 6-week driving course, and if you pass, you then have to take both written and driving tests - all just to get a learners permit, which you had to be 16 yrs old to get. You couldn't get your drivers license til you were 18.

IMO they make it way too easy for kids to get drivers licenses nowadays.
 
When I learned to drive, there was no actual requirement to take lessons.
I could have just registered for the test, turned up and taken it all on my own.

At least these days there is a written "exam" (for what it's worth) and as far as I am aware, there is some sort of probationary period which means no motorways.

When I passed my test I drove home on my own on the motorway, which is frankly ridiculous as even when you're learning and taking official lessons, you can't use the motorway.
So it goes from no motorway experience at all to being able to drive on it completely unsupervised the first time you do.
 
No lessons, no training, when 16 drove (yes drove) to the State Licensing department, then took a written test. Got a paper license and a plastic one was mailed to me.

That was a long time ago though.
 
Hi

Motorcylcle - No lessons, passed first time
Car - No lessons, passed first time
Semi truck - One week course, failed first time on "Failure to make progress" (driving too slow :rolleyes:), passed second time.

Regards

Dereck
 
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