Learning to drive without knowing anyone with car to let you practice.

November 4, 2014 4:27 AM

My friend is learning to drive. All he needs now, his instructor says, is actual practice. He does not have anybody with a car who can let him practice. How would you work around this?

Usually it's the parents taking you to the countryside to practice and it seems acceptable though it isn't technically legal - correct? If it weren't illegal I'd already have hired a car (I have a license) and let my friend practice. Would it make sense to contact driving schools to see if any instructors offer practice at a reduced fee? My friend's failed his first attempt at the driving test yesterday. I know people can need many attempts anyway, but I'm sure with some practice it'd go better...! This is in the UK. Thank you for your help!

posted by yoHighness to Grab Bag (18 answers total)

It's not illegal to teach someone to drive. You just put some 'L' plates on the car, and off you go (with 'instructor' in the passenger seat). The person teaching you must be over 21, and have had a licence for 3 years. But I strongly doubt that a car hire company would allow you to hire the car and let it be driven by someone with a provisional licence. You'd need your own car, plus insurance for the learner (which can be quite expensive). Don't drive without insurance.

When I was younger, parents used to take their kids to a local disused airfield.

I doubt you'd get a driving instructor to give a reduced rate for 'practice'. They're going to have to sit there and correct mistakes and offer advice anyway. Why should they offer a reduction?

My experience was that a good instructor (or one who suits you) makes a heck of a difference. My first instructor intervened at every mistake, and basically directed my every move; as a result, when I took the test (twice), I failed because nobody was telling me what to do. Later on, I found a different instructor who basically just let me drive, and just occasionally asked my why I was doing X or Y. This worked a hundred times better, and I passed the test with ease.
posted by pipeski at 4:37 AM on November 4, 2014

The instructor is right, practice and practice and practice make all the difference to a learner driver.

I would forget the idea of hiring a car. There are too many obstacles for a learner.

A driving school amy not give a reduced rate for simply practice, but some do discounts for block bookings, or when you book multi hour sessions (2 or 3 hrs sittings). It's common to do this when you are close to a test date.

So a couple of them would be beneficial I'd say
posted by MarvinJ at 4:53 AM on November 4, 2014

Is your friend in a position to get a cheap car off of Gumtree? There would be a bit of initial outlay (figure £500 for a car that runs with some time left on the MOT, £150 or so for the tax, and probably £700-800 for insurance, depending on his age). However, at that price point they'd likely get most of the purchase price back when/if they sold the car, along with pro-rated refunds on tax and insurance - which would likely be cheaper per hour than time with an instructor.
posted by penguinicity at 5:25 AM on November 4, 2014

Here is the US my kids needed 45 hours minimum practice time before qualifying to take a driving test. And really, 45 hours makes you barely competent. I can't image that much rental time is affordable, and that seems unreasonable for borrowing a car from a friend. I think he's going to have to have personal access to a vehicle whenever he wants (owned, borrowed from parents for 3 months, whatever) if he's really going to get in enough practice time to be safe on the roads.
posted by COD at 5:37 AM on November 4, 2014

I and at least 3 friends/acquaintances passed our UK driving tests without any private practice. We just kept taking lessons until we passed.

I'm not sure there is any way around it, sorry.
posted by peanut butter milkshake at 6:18 AM on November 4, 2014

Take more lessons with someone who knows the test. The UK driving test is notoriously picky: I think it is still 15 minor faults and you fail? And one major is enough to fail you. Before taking mine, I took loads of lessons, and my instructor really helped me make sure I was doing all of the little things that get noticed on the test (Mirror-signal-maneoveur!)

Practice driving is great, but unless you focus on making sure you get all the little parts right, it is easy to get many minor faults. This is why I found it worth sticking with an instructor - they help you get into good habits. Plus, the cost of lessons was still probably less than buying a cheap car and getting insurance. UK car insurance can be very expensive, and there is no way around it.

Before your friend retakes the test, it may also be worth asking around where to take it. My instructor guided me to a test center that was a bit further away, but the local roads were easier for the test taking environment: plus, we drove around the area a bit before. And, the area didn't have any spots for backing into a parking space, so there were only three maneuvers I had to really feel super comfortable with (left hand reverse, three point turn, and emergency stop).

(I passed my test first time, had 6 minors. This was after many, many lessons).
posted by troytroy at 6:23 AM on November 4, 2014

Practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect. Find the right instructor and pay for lessons. Lessons are practice time.
posted by 724A at 6:32 AM on November 4, 2014

I'd also recommend a driving lesson right before the test as that way your friend will be able to warm up for the test and it'll be easier for them to pass.
posted by I-baLL at 6:53 AM on November 4, 2014

I'm in my 30s and paying for lessons for the same reason--I don't have regular access to a friend's or family member's car. I put off getting a license for years because of this, but now I'm glad I'm doing it.

One piece of advice is that, although I'm going through a driving school and paying their price right now, I have a strong feeling that if I need additional practice before the test, I could just give my same teacher some cash and have a few private lessons from him off the books. That would be a lot cheaper than the school's rate.
posted by Beardman at 7:03 AM on November 4, 2014

Here's your answer: dual control car hire.
posted by ambrosen at 7:11 AM on November 4, 2014

I passed my test (second time) just from lessons alone. It was pricey, but cheaper than paying for the insurance on my parents' car.
posted by katrielalex at 7:30 AM on November 4, 2014

I learned to drive as an adult in New York City. Here is what I did:

1. Took just a couple lessons with friends, in parking lots, and one lesson with a paid instructor, on the road.

2. Found a test site that was on a parking lot, not a live road. Passed with flying colors because it would be pretty difficult not to drive well around a parking lot!

3. Got myself a short-term gig out of the city so that I would be forced to drive to and from work.

4. Rented a car and drove super early and super late to catch reduced traffic.

It was nerve racking - I quite literally drove white-knuckled for the first week - but after about a month, I could sorta get myself from place to place.
posted by rada at 8:10 AM on November 4, 2014

Pay for a driving school.

I was in a similar situation, I had no one who would let me use their car to practice driving for my driving test. I finally bit the bullet and paid for driving school. 6 hours on the road for $300 and the school let me use their car for the road test. Best money I ever spent on driving.
posted by Rob Rockets at 8:39 AM on November 4, 2014

I would also suggest looking for actual driving schools. Both of my kids went through one of the local driving schools and it seemed to work for them.

I got involved in the process when it came to teaching them specifics about cars we had...specifically, how to drive a manual. That, and how to drive in snow.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:17 AM on November 4, 2014

My parents let me practice using their car when I was a teenager and getting my licence but then they still hired my driving instructor privately for extra lessons before my test. In essence what Beardman suggests doing.

I passed first go.
posted by biggreenplant at 10:37 AM on November 4, 2014

So your friend books more lessons to practice with an instructor. I got my licence in Germany where the only practice you can legally do is with your instructor during lessons, or at least that was the case nearly 20 years ago, when I got my license.
posted by koahiatamadl at 11:46 AM on November 4, 2014

Driving practice with friends/family is certainly cheaper but, depending on who you're in the car with, sometimes it isn't *good* practice if they are passing on bad habits.
posted by Julanna at 3:14 PM on November 4, 2014

Thank you everyone for your helpful answers! While my friend's plan is to keep taking lessons, the suggestions of looking into dual control cars, and buying a car were something we hadn't thought of.
posted by yoHighness at 11:32 AM on November 6, 2014