Learning to drive.
 

Ok so after years of hating the idea of learning to drive, i finally want to learn. But most of the people i know took around 2 years and a hell of a lot of money to actully learn.

So im wondering for thoes of you that can drive, how long did it take you to learn?

I don't drive but my brother does. He started when he turned 17 and he passed his test (on the 4th time) just before he was 18, so I'll say 6-12 months on my brother's behalf

I'd say about 6-12 months of practised driving before I got my licence, I really cannot remember though.

It took me a year or two but I did have a baby half way through so it kind of put an end to the lessons for a while lol.

I think it all comes down to how many lessons you have, how good your instructor is and such xx

It took my sisters two years but they were scared to take the test.

I was looking at less than 12 months and was on track for that until i couldn't afford lessons.

So i would say it depends on the person and who is teaching you.

It took me 8 months, and it's the best thing I've ever done. I honestly could not live without my car. On top of the freedom it gave me, learninng gave me loads of confidence. It is a big financial investment but it is worth it!

It took me ages because i was so nervous!
I had a couple of lessons when i turned 17 and hated it. Then when i was 18 i had a few more but didn't like the woman then eventually i found a really nice/good instructor and was with her for about a year before i passed, 2nd time.

It doesn't matter how long it takes and remember to change your instructor if you aren't comfortable or doing as well with the first one you have. (Although having some money saved already or the spare money each week will help!)

Also i'd say try and go for an hour and a half lessons. At first i had hour lessons then with my 3rd instructor i had 2 hour lessons but i sometimes found it a bit much, but i think an hour isn't long enough.

It took me 3months after i was 17 to take and pass my theory.
Then.. i took my first test after 9Months, Failed. 2nd is this month.

think it does take most people about a year.

It has cost loads tho. im nearly into 4 figures :S...

Alll worth it in the end.

well i have my test today at 14.50
i have been doing an intensive course for 3weeks. its cost was £220
then the hire of the car for the test £80
the actual fee for the test centre was £45.50

trust me though...that will all be worth it in the end.

plus you odnt have to pay it all at once. my instructor is lovely and has set up a payment plan for me to pay what i can afford every week which is great as it doesnt feel like such a lot of money then.

Good luck with your test.

Im getting kinda excited now about learning, although i do need to look around for a good price and also get my provisional.

it took me roughly 6-12 months, i changed instructors half way through, passed 1st time though :D

It took me a year. Think I was a bit slow picking things up though! Everyone's different.

I was worried but decided to go for it and loved it so much so that I'm training to be a driving instructor. And it definately is worth it in the end, I have so much more freedom now.

But have you thought about after you pass though? Because it is quite expensive running a car too even if you can afford the lessons.

Because I am so panicky and unsure with my driving, it has already taken me a year to learn basics and I am now just practicing everything I have learnt for my test. So it'll be probably nearly 2 years before I pass x

I know it can be expensive running a car, but i think if it takes me awhile with lessons that i can save up for a car, of course it would be a second hand one because i couldnt afford a brand new one.

It took me about 3 months, passed 2nd time. That was with about 30 hours of lessons and driving the family about everywhere to get in some practice!

I took about 8months but everyone is different anyway so it doesn't matter how long it takes you.

I'm too young to drive. :plain:

i don't drive yet but 3 of my friends passed their tests at around 6months x

I don't think I ever will learn to drive.
I can barely keep decent control of my feet, let alone a car! xD

Good luck if you do!

IF I pass in September, it will have taken me a year. Which I think is about average. But remember, everyone is different =]
Oh and I agree, after the first few lessons, try and get hour and a half lessons!

Took me 14 months I think, but I did fail 2 tests. I blame that on first thing in the morning in Cambridge, pretty hectic :S so yeah, when it comes to it, I'd reccomend early afternoon tests.

I passed my test (third time), five days shy of my 18th birthday. So took me almost exactly a year.

Remember it's absolutely ok not to pass first time, and it doesn't mean you're any worse a driver - everyone's got to be as good when they pass (eventually!)

I started learning when I was 14 and a half, and I didn't have much trouble at all, I like driving. I'm not sure how long to say that it took me, but definitely just a matter of months. But because of money stuff, I didn't get my license until I was almost 18. It's nothing to worry about really :)

EDIT: It did take me a 2nd try to pass the test though lol.

its taken me over a year to even consider doing my theroy test, buts thats because i went into hospital for a while and then i was too nervous about me purposly crashing the car to go back to it. im planning on booking it in a few weeks though. eeek..nervous

All the people I know who have been in crashes (caused by them, not another person) passed first time :P probably just coinsidence. Not saying if you pass first time you crash, but I do wonder if failing one or two tests can make you a better driver.

It took me 6 months, with a 2 hour lesson every week

It took me not long - my Tester was a brother officer in the Army. But that doesn't mean that I was just waved through; his integrity wouldn't have allowed that and I'd worked very hard to qualify for a test (later drove 10 ton Matadors, 16 ton load carriers, tanks and lots more.)

When you do pass, welcome to the ranks of the seriously ripped-off! The Government demonises the motorist as a polluter and as some sort of menace while Ministers get driven to their offices by official cars (many of them armoured) which do barely 5 mpg on a good day in London traffic!

They then have the nerve to lecture us about Global Warming before jetting off (at our expense) to the next overseas jolly they're signed up for!

Next time you're sitting in a traffic queue, consider that the Government, at the last declared count, derived £42 billion per year from the motorist and spent just £6 billion on roads. Yet you'll be bombarded with stuff about how dangerous/irresponsible the motoring community is. But all the figures show that road deaths (all of course deplorable) are hugely lower on Motorways or dual-carriageway A-class roads. The Government has it in its power to reduce road deaths by improving roads. It chooses not to do so and to spend the revenue derived from the motorist on other things. But, because road deaths would be lower on better roads, the Government is actually responsible for a significant number of road deaths - though they'd never admit it.

Welcome to the motoring world, in which you'll be a mere pawn! And don't even start me on Speed Cameras!

Tony.

About a year because my first instructor was just in it for the money and didn't teach me anything for ages.

I turned 17 in May, and two weeks before my 19th birthday I passed my test - so technically, it was almost two years. But in that time, I also took four months off when I'd started university, so all-in-all, it took me twenty months.

I wanted to be ready for the test, though - I could've taken a test beforehand, but I was absolutely determined to feel safe and secure in the car, rather than try to rush it and not be ok.

Took me about 15 lessons with an instructor. Changed instructors half way through after I gave the first one a puncture and was too embarrassed to go back :)
Passed my test first attempt, 3 months before I turned 18 and my parents got me a car for my birthday :-)
I'm 24 now and only 2 years ago learned to parallel park! Didn't have to do it for my test and had never had the need to until I moved to a city 2 years ago and had to do it!

Took me about 4 - 5 months with a few random breaks for illness etc, and i passed first time. You just have to find the right instructor. If you dont think the one you get is working, don't be afriad to get a new one. I bought my own car, paid for my own insurance, and I think this means i'm a lot more careful with my driving than some of the people at my school (they're parents paid for everything - including the personalised number-plates).

Before your test, tell yourself it doesnt matter if you dont pass first time. It's not like it's a school/university exam that decides you future, and it's not the end of the world if you don't pass first time, you can take the test as many times as you want.

I can't parallel park! Well i probably can, but i tried it once in my car when i was learning and completely messed it up so i'm too scared to try again! Also we have a drive and i've never needed to do it! I passed a year ago.

I've had lessons for like 10 months or something now, and I still can't drive. I guess it'll take me like 100 years :pinch:
No seriously, I'm surely a bad driver, but my teacher is an a******! I told him that I'm gonna take a break for private reasons - the same reasons I'm here for - and now my whole driving school hates me. They are absolutely not understanding enough, all they do is call me and tell me how stupid I am and bitch about me with the other students.
I seriously think about changing the driving school now, at least the teacher. But right now, I'm not allowed to drive anyways (medicine).

I started learning at the end of April and apparently if I buckle down and actually book and pass my theory I am expected to pass hopefully September, October time.

So 6-7 months, but I highly doubt I'll pass even the theory, so I'm probably looking at a couple of years... Lol.

well i passed my test yesterdy after an intensive 3week driving course
it did take me 5times though due to nerves whch cost a bomb x

Took me 3 years but I had major gaps between. And I HATED driving. Now I miss it and can't wait to my my car on the road!!

Dicky!

I took lessons for a bit, then stopped, and since have just been out driving when I can with my dad and my boyfriend, I'm hoping I won't need many lessons when I start them up again!

It took me seven months of lessons, and I passed first time.

One thing I regret is not doing it sooner! LOL I did it while my daughter was a baby. When you have a baby transport becomes a lot more important.

I wish I'd started lessons when I was 19, when my mum said she'd pay for my birthday. She still paid, but it was a few years later!

I've been driving just over a year now, and I feel like I'm getting my confidence now. I drove to Wales and back recently on my own, which I was particularly proud of (I live on the south coast). I still can't park properly though...

^ I'm driving to Wales Saturday from Southend, i'm a bit scared!

It took me about 11 months. I took a test after 10 months and failed, took another one a month later and passed :) But it all depends on how confident you feel and how well you are taught :) x

I am 3-4 months in. I do one 2 hour lesson a week.
I learnt all my manovers and I am currently going round the test routes, practicing and generally improving skills and confidence.
My aim is to pass before Christmas so after 7-8 months of lessons.

I am glad I started now (at 21) as I am also hunting for a better job and I have found driving will really increase my options.

For me it would have taken just under a year if I hadn't of been lazy and not got around to doing my theory test and also the fact I quit doing them at Christmas '07 so I could afford pressies etc.

Now I'm back to doing them my instructor says I should be passed altogether by the end of August to the beginning of September. So if I count how many months I've been doing lessons...

So far 11 months. ;)