New Learner - My Online Diary

For discussion of topics relating to the Driving Standards Agency Learner Test (DSA L Test) and contribution by ADI's (Approved Driving Instructors)

Postby driving2day » Fri Jan 14, 2011 5:51 pm


I don't know why I am doing this but I want to share my driving experience and then look back at it as time goes by.

I am 19 and should have ideaslly started learning whilst I was at college, but I wanted to pay for the lessons entirely myself so I waited longer.

I want to get a job which will require commuting by public transport, which I don't want to go on for the hours I am given so I want to learn how to drive as soon as possible. I don't mind if it takes longer than I expected but the idea is, I have an instructor (independent) who many people I know have learnt with - and passed first time. Yes, they took about one lesson a week, around 35 lessons (she will only let you take the test once she knows you are ready) but I don't really want to spend 35 weeks learning, as I want to be able to drive as soon as possible (even if it means I don't have the test as soon as possible). Reason is because I may be moving cities too, so I don't want to miss out on the chance of learning under a good instructor, so at least if I have the basics sorted I will be happy.

Anyway, so I decided I will take as many lessons I can at the beginning so I feel confident. Yesterday I had my first lesson and discussed the options with my instructor. She told me that she used to do intensive classes and it worked out fairly well for some students, whereas for others she didn't recommend it due to concentration levels being low. My own opinion is if I have a lesson, and then wait a week, I will feel uncalm waiting for the next lesson. So my instructor has 37 years of experience and I had my first lesson yesterday.

When put behind the wheel, I was absolutely nervous. I kept thinking I was going to hit a car etc. and when I got home, I looked back at how silly that was as the instructor can stop that from happening. Her instructions for driving which she kept on repeating were continuously on my mind, which must be a good thing. I wanted to knock the nervousness and get behind the wheel again, which was okay as I had another lesson the next day (one hour each).

Today I once again got behind the wheel, this time not nervous but fairly confident. At the beginning I really felt I could drive on the roads alone if I did at a not so fast pace, lol. But as the lesson progressed I was feeling frustrated. This is in regards to the cluth and gas pedals. When changing gears and easing of cluth, but also pressing on the gas, I can never guess how much I need to do each so that really frustrated me. I kept saying in the lesson that I cannot estimate how much I need to press or let go of any of the pedals (sorry for calling it pedals, you can tell me the correct word) including the break. She did say press slowly on the break but she presses more than that when she helped. Lol there was only one time I stalled but it was in the middle of the road and I was frustrated at how I can't estimate how much I need to press or ease of the clutch or the other pedals that I felt like staying put and not moving.

I don't know if I am being hard on myself but I was really frustrated over that. I feel like instead of going on the roads, I should only go in a big open space and drive forward, change gears, and get used to how much I need to press or ease off the medals, then do turns, then go onto the main roads. But I am not the instructor so I don't want to direct the lessons and end up not learning fast enough. I feel I want to have control of the car and understand why I have to do something a certain way.

Anyway, I know it depends in the person, but how long till I will get used to the pedals?

Sorry for the long post.
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Postby martine » Fri Jan 14, 2011 6:21 pm


Hi there and welcome!

Great idea to put your thoughts and progress down on a thread here. It will allow some to relate to what you're going through and remind others what it was like perhaps many years ago for them.

I reckon writing up each lesson will be good for your learning as well.

There are a few ADIs here but mostly we are people with an interest in advanced driving at all levels. If you have any questions or are unsure of a technique you can ask here and I'm sure you'll get a good response. Don't worry about asking what you may thing is a 'simple' question - we are a polite bunch (apart form TripleS :wink: ).

I think a lesson every few days is a perfect compromise...intensive full time courses seem wrong to me but equally 1 lesson per week, especially if you can't do private practive with someone else in between, seems to big a gap to me. As you progress you might consider 2 hour lessons - you can get so much more done.
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Postby driving2day » Fri Jan 14, 2011 6:47 pm


Thank you for your reply!

I booked a few lessons with my instructor but with the intention of changing them around when I can as I wasn't too sure.

So far I have had one lesson on Thursday and Friday.

The AA are also giving out one free lesson which I booked for tomorrow. I'm not sure if it is a good idea but I wanted practise driving the car and having control.

I then have a lesson with my normal instructor on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Today's focus was probably left turns.
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Postby ROG » Fri Jan 14, 2011 8:28 pm


WELCOME

I notice that you put a lot of emphasis on passing the test and there does not seem to be any mention of becoming a good driver

Perhaps it's me...........
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Postby driving2day » Fri Jan 14, 2011 8:38 pm


I actually tried to avoid emphasis on passing (perhaps I didn't review my paragraphs well enough).

Truth is, I want to pass as soon as possible as I may be moving, and don't want to miss out on a good instructor, but I don't mind not passing soon enough as long as I am good at at least the basics.

Of course I want to be a good driver, which takes time and practise.

I'd never want to drive crazily on the roads. Being a good driver is my primary aim which is why I get frustrated at not getting the basics sorted quick enough (which is probably my impatience) so that I can drive around carefully without the instructor having to help.
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Postby ROG » Fri Jan 14, 2011 9:03 pm


driving2day wrote:Being a good driver is my primary aim

Cannot argue with that :D :D
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Postby waremark » Sat Jan 15, 2011 1:16 am


driving2day wrote:I don't know if I am being hard on myself but I was really frustrated over that. I feel like instead of going on the roads, I should only go in a big open space and drive forward, change gears, and get used to how much I need to press or ease off the medals,

I think you are being hard on yourself. Most people find learning to drive really difficult, and co-ordination of the clutch, accelerator and handbrake is certainly one of the difficult bits.

When I was playing ? GT2 on Playstation with one of my children and I was hopeless, he said 'Dad, you have just got no subtlety of control in your thumbs'. Not long after I was teaching him to do hill starts, and I got my own back, saying 'Son, you have just got no subtlety of control in your feet'! But of course like every other new driver he got it, and as you probably know it becomes something drivers don't have to think about at all once they have got used to it.

You are right that it can be a big help starting, stopping and changing gear, and ideally also hill starts, in a location where you don't have to worry about traffic. Are you able to practice with family members, and is there anywhere you could do this?

Best wishes, don't let it get you down if learning seems more difficult than you expected, and tell us how it goes.
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Postby driving2day » Sat Jan 15, 2011 11:42 am


Right now I am in a quiet area, where most people start to learn how to drive. Some of the roads are wide and quiet, but you do get cars coming around. I also have to go uphill and downhill which we started since the first lesson. Normally there are no cars about on the hilly roads.

I think I wll be more patient but also more hopeful about how long it will take to get used to it.

Does it normally take 5-6 lessons? I want to get a rough idea of the average learner driver.

As for practising with family members, probably not. They have nice cars and I don't want to be the cause of damaging them. :) But my dad did say after my 6th lesson (Saturday in a week) he will let me drive the car.
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Postby TripleS » Sat Jan 15, 2011 3:06 pm


martine wrote:Don't worry about asking what you may thing is a 'simple' question - we are a polite bunch (apart form TripleS :wink: )


OK, I'm working on it. 8)

A warm welcome to d2d anyhow. :) Actually, learning to drive - a process I started a while back - was a most enjoyable period for me: so much so that I've tried to maintain that feeling ever since. Progress still feels very slow at times though, and I blame it on some of the stuff I read on forums. Nothing's ever my fault, see! :P

Best wishes all,
Dave.
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Postby TripleS » Sat Jan 15, 2011 3:14 pm


I just wonder about the merits of the free lesson with the AA, in relation to the sequence of lessons from the ADI. My concern is the risk of receiving different advice and guidance, such that it might cause uncertainty in the new pupil's mind. My fears may be groundless, but it could cause a little setback in confidence if that were to happen. Hopefully it will not, and I wish d2d every success, and hope she will enjoy the lessons and the delight of passing the test before too long.

Best wishes all,
Dave.
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Postby fungus » Sat Jan 15, 2011 11:32 pm


Hi driving2day, and welcome to the forum.

I can reiterate what martine said. Intensive courses do not suit many. They require an imense amount of concentration, and in my oppinion, regular lessons backed up with as much private practice as possible is the best way.

Your concerns are only natural. Many learners find co-ordination of the clutch and gas pedal a problem at first. Most are not fortunate in that they have access to an area where they can practice off road with plenty of space to make mistakes in safety. One excercise that I use with learners that helps with clutch control is, when doing a hill start, I get them to find the biting point, release the handbrake, and then squeeze the clutch down gently so the car rolls back, then gently bring the clutch up enough to stop the roll back. This may not do the clutch a lot of good, but my last car had 97500 miles on the clock when I sold it, and it still had the original clutch.

Another problem that some encounter, is steering. Many are frightened to look WELL ahead, fearing that they will miss something in the forground. This is not a problem as your vision will pick up objects in the foreground. Peripheral vision will not pick up detail, but it will pick up movement. To prove this point, fix your vision on an object in the distance. Hold your hand up at eye level behind your ears. Move your hand slowly forward. You will notice the movement as your hand approaches a right angle to your eye.
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Postby driving2day » Sun Jan 16, 2011 2:02 pm


TripleS wrote:I just wonder about the merits of the free lesson with the AA, in relation to the sequence of lessons from the ADI. My concern is the risk of receiving different advice and guidance, such that it might cause uncertainty in the new pupil's mind. My fears may be groundless, but it could cause a little setback in confidence if that were to happen. Hopefully it will not, and I wish d2d every success, and hope she will enjoy the lessons and the delight of passing the test before too long.

Best wishes all,
Dave.


Thank you.

I had the lesson with the AA yesterday and it was a lady who I felt I could really talk to. I told her about my frustration with the pedals and not understanding how much and why, so she sat down with me and explained from beginning to end, which someone like me appreciates, rather than driving and not understanding.

She didn't take me to another area, and kept me on the local roads.

I didn't realise your foot should be positioned between the break and gas. I tend to hover over the gas then move to the break, which probably isn't a good idea, so I fiddled with my foot to see where half way was and realised if I went to move my foot to the break, only the side of my foot would be touching it. As soon as I thought that, she mentioned it to me, which was good. I then had to move my foot (half of it) from the gas to the break, the break to the gas and so forth as she said it, so I have practise. I think that boosted my footwork to a great extent.

Then she made me practise getting the biting pointing many times. She told me the old school of learning is that you teach a learner driver to use gas and the clutch, but that is too confusing for a new learner as the foot s only used to doing one thing at a time, so now she only focuses on the clutch at the beginning. So I only worked wth the clutch to get the biting point, and as the car moved off, put my foot on the gas. This did help, and I think I will now know when to use the gas whilst releasing the clutch, better. She made me find the biting point, first slowly, then quickly and slowly towards the end, which made me realise when I was driving that t is needed expecially when changing gears, turning corners and moving off agan.

Anyway, so it was a free lesson and well worth it as the instructor was explaining the way I need it to be explained. I am still carrying on lessons with my current instructor (next lesson is on Wednesday). I paid for ten lessons and she has good reviews, whereas with the AA instructor, although I felt comfortable, I don't know what it is like till the end of learning.

I haven't been on the man roads yet. The AA instructor said if I had had a 2 hour lesson, I would have easily gone on the main road.
Perhaps it's my confidence which makes them think not to take me yet, but all I know is that in my next lesson with my normal instructor I will be dong right turns.

I did want to pass sooner, but it doesn't seem as easy as I thought it would be. If prices were lower (like they are in the countryside), I'd easily have booked many lessons together to get as much practise, but the learning continues...
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Postby driving2day » Sun Jan 16, 2011 2:07 pm


fungus wrote:Hi driving2day, and welcome to the forum.

I can reiterate what martine said. Intensive courses do not suit many. They require an imense amount of concentration, and in my oppinion, regular lessons backed up with as much private practice as possible is the best way.

Your concerns are only natural. Many learners find co-ordination of the clutch and gas pedal a problem at first. Most are not fortunate in that they have access to an area where they can practice off road with plenty of space to make mistakes in safety. One excercise that I use with learners that helps with clutch control is, when doing a hill start, I get them to find the biting point, release the handbrake, and then squeeze the clutch down gently so the car rolls back, then gently bring the clutch up enough to stop the roll back. This may not do the clutch a lot of good, but my last car had 97500 miles on the clock when I sold it, and it still had the original clutch.

Another problem that some encounter, is steering. Many are frightened to look WELL ahead, fearing that they will miss something in the forground. This is not a problem as your vision will pick up objects in the foreground. Peripheral vision will not pick up detail, but it will pick up movement. To prove this point, fix your vision on an object in the distance. Hold your hand up at eye level behind your ears. Move your hand slowly forward. You will notice the movement as your hand approaches a right angle to your eye.


Thank you for your comment.

After the free lesson I feel much better about the clutch. I'm not sure if I will be as good in the next lesson, as the AA lesson used a Ford Focus, a new car which had probably not been used by many people before. With my normal instructor, the car is smaller, the pedals feel easier to click, which means I may press on the gas too much, but also my legs don't feel as comfortable.

I think from the free lesson I also learnt better how to adjust my seat, so I am going to try and apply all of this to the other car, hopefully so I can see a difference.

In your opinion, how long does it take on average for a student to go on the main roads?
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Postby driving2day » Sun Jan 16, 2011 8:25 pm


chriskay wrote:Hi, and may I wish you well in your learning process.
However, if I were you, I'd try not to think about averages, or how you compare with others. It's a very individual thing & what may take you some time to master, someone else may find quite easy, and vice versa.
If you actually knew what the average was, it really wouldn't help you at all, since if knew you were taking longer than "average", it would probably just make you nervous and therefore not in the best frame of mind to learn.


Thank you for your advice.

I was feeling a little wary as both instructors mentioned not taking me to the main road yet whch made me feel like I was behind, but I will try not to think about that now.
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Postby daz6215 » Mon Jan 17, 2011 6:02 pm


It's really important to learn at your own pace and get the basics correct, if you rush out onto the road and dont have a firm grasp on basic car control you will find life much more difficult which in the longterm will set you back with the whole learning process, so keep plugging away and it will fall into place, you must build upon solid foundations before you move forward, get the basics correct and the rest will follow! And I would also echo what has already been said, be careful about changing instructors on a regular basis because everyone has their own style and method of teaching.
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