From Green to Pink (Learning to Drive)

Member Name: Kezz360

Product:	Learning to Drive
Date:	31/07/07 (541 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A great skill to have, enjoyable and useful!

Disadvantages: Abit pricey and not everyone likes learner drivers.

Waking up on your 17th birthday and knowing that you can now legally learn to drive is a good feeling. As good as waking up on your 16th birthday and knowing you can go to the shop and buy a lottery ticket! Yes, miss saddo here did just that.

I already had my provisional license before my 17th birthday. You can apply for your provisional when you are 16. I already had my lessons booked with a well known driving school in my area and I was so excited about getting out there on the road.

So, a couple of days after my 17th birthday, my driving instructor came to pick me up, and I had my photo card license and my paper license ready to show him. Butterflies were going crazy in my stomach but I managed to hide the fact I was slightly nervous by wearing a huge smile.

Below is a review on learning to drive, including costs of tests, opinions on driving schools and independant instructors, and anything else related to learning to drive. Please note that the questions and answers relate to learning to drive a car, not a lorry, bus or minivan.

HOW MUCH DOES A PROVISIONAL LICENCE COST AND HOW DO I GET ONE?
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Currently it costs £45.00 for a provisional licence. You can get hold of one of these green 'L' cards easily enough from the DVLA. You can get your 'D1' form from the post office or the DVLA form ordering service, or apply online at http://www.direct.gov.uk/ .

Whichever way you get your form, you will be required to send a piece of original documentation confirming your identity (usually a passport or birth certificate), a passport style colour photograph and of course the fee of £45.00.

You will usually receive your photocard and paper license about 3 weeks after requesting them.

WHAT IS A THEORY TEST, HOW MUCH IS IT AND WHEN CAN I TAKE IT?
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The theory test is basically the written part of learning to drive, even though you don't actually write anything down. There are two parts of the test, a Q&A style test and a hazard perception test. The Q&A test is pretty self explanatory, just answer the questions...revision material is available from all good book retailers. The hazard perception test involves you being in a kind of 'simulation' driving seat. You will watch on the screen as somebody drives around a city or a village or the country, and with your mouse, ou will click whenever you see something 'hazardous' on the road, or at the side of the road. Hazardous things include things like, children playing by the side of the road, or cars double parked, or any blind corners etc etc. The quicker you identify the harzard, the more points you will receive...however, a word of warning, do not just click continuously as you will fail the test. You will be warned about this on the day.

You can take your theory test anytime after receiving your provisional license. Of course, you will need to take it before you take your practical test.

The theory test costs £21.50 but after September 2007, it will go up to £28.50. You will be expected to bring with you both parts of your licence. If you fail to bring these, you will not be eligible to take the test, so save yourself the embarrasment and bring your licence!

If you pass your theory test, you will be told on the day. You will receive a piece of paper telling you your scores, and a certificate which expires 2 years from when you passed your test. Basically, in those 2 years, you can take and pass your practical test, but if your theory certificate expires, and you have yet to pass your practical, you will be required to take your theory test again.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST FOR THE PRACTICAL TEST?
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It currently costs £48.50 if you are taking the test on a weekday. However, if you are taking the test on a weekday evening or a weekend, it costs £58.00. I booked the day off work and went on a weekday to avoid paying £58.00.

On the day of your test, you are also charged by your instructor. You are charged for 2 lessons. Why 2? Well, you have a 1 hour lesson before the test is due to start. Then of course, you have to pay to use the car for the test, and the test is usually about an hour long. So if your lessons are £20 per hour...make sure you have £40 on the day of your test to give to your instructor to use their car.

HOW MUCH DOES A FULL LICENSE COST AND WHEN DO I GET IT?
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My full licence didn't cost me anything. There are different rates on this website http://www.direct.gov.uk/

When I passed my test, my examiner said that I didn't have to pay for my full licence...he simply took my provisional off me as I didn't need it anymore, and provided me with a temporary official certificate that should be carried around with you if you are driving without your licence...it just means that if you are stopped for any reason, and you are asked to produce your license, you instead give them this temporary certificate that says you have passed your test, but don't have your licence yet as it's currently being issued to you in the post.

You can usually expect to wait about 2-3 weeks before receiving your pink full GB licence.

HOW MUCH DO LESSONS COST?
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Well, this varies depending on who you use. When I was 17, which was only 2 and half years ago, the most common price was £20 per hour. However, there were the odd few that charged £21 - £23 per hour.

If you book block lessons (meaning if you book 10 at once) it will not amount to £200 if your lessons are £20 per hour. Instead, most instructors will discount you for buying in bulk.

WHAT AM I BEST USING? INDEPENDANT INSTRUCTORS OR DRIVING SCHOOLS?
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Well, this of course is entirely up to the individual. It all depends on what you feel comfortable with. I started out with a well known driving school in my area, and I had about 10 lessons with him, before thinking "actually, i don't feel like i'm getting anywhere with you", so i swapped to another popular driving school in my area, they were slightly more expensive, but highly regarded. I had explained to him that I had already taken 10 lessons with my previous instructor, but he treated me like a....pardon the expression...a noob. I was quite annoyed because I didn't want to start from scratch as I knew what I was doing, but he carried on, and i didn't actually go onto the road until my 4th lesson...bearing in mind I had already been into town and dual carriageways with my old instructor...I felt this guy was ripping me off, and he was pretty arrogant.

I started to look for other driving schools but just happened to come across an independant instructor who lived around the corner from me. I gave her a ring, and booked a lesson with her...she was quite fully booked so I had to wait a week to see her, but the time flew by and before I knew it, I was sat in her silver 6 speed mini waiting to set off. She put her trust in me and let me on the road on my first lesson with her. I was immediately more comfortable with her, and she didn't patronise me, or shout at me, or panic if i did something wrong.

We pulled over and she said I was very good and she would continue to let me drive. I loved the car! When she was explaning things to me, I took it all in, she explained things so simple but so useful that I could take it in and remember it, which is very important. Needless to say I continue to use her, and I passed my test with only 3 minors.

DOESN'T EVERYBODY HATE LATE LEARNER DRIVERS WHEN THEY ARE OUT ON THE ROAD?
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Well, unfortunately, there are alot of people out there who cannot stand being stuck behind a learner driver...the main reason being is because they driver slower than your average.

I used to hate going out when I was learning sometimes, especially when it was a lunch time rush. People would tail gate me, which even now I find highly annoying and very rude. There are people who will over-take you because you are sticking to the 30mph speed limit and they want to do 50mph.

There are of course, people who will give way to a learner driver and keep their distance. But to be honest with you, in my experience, this was quite rare.

You are always told by your instructor to just ignore the people behind you and to just think that they were once a learner driver themselves.

One time I was in the car with a friend who had been a GB full licence holder for 6 months. We were on our way to the cinema when we got stuck behind a learner driver. He tail-gated them for miles and kept cursing them, "bloody learner drivers! move!"...I turned to him and said "i can't believe you...you were in there position 6 months ago, let them drive and stop tail-gating!", he just sniggered and said "i always tail-gate" so i replied "well more fool you because if somebody slams their brakes on, you'll be at fault for hitting them".

HOW MUCH DOES CAR INSURANCE COST FOR A YOUNG DRIVER WHO HAS JUST PASSED THEIR TEST?
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This is where young drivers are penalised even before they have sat in the front seat of a car. Unfortunately for most responsible young drivers, we are penalised because of the likes of boy racers and idiotic driving. I am 19 and started driving at 17. I will admit I am a safe driver and i'm cautious of everything around me. However, most drivers my age, and even older, drive like there are on a race track, and then they wonder why their Citroen Saxo 1.6 thats sat on the floor with a huge spoiler and a loud exhaust ends up wrapped around a tree.

My insurance was very cheap considering i was 17 at the time of being insured. It was under £1,000, and after enquiring to about 25 different insurance companies, including the ones especially for women, under £1,000 was very cheap.

Apparently young male drivers pay more than young female drivers. But, please be aware that no matter what your gender is...young drivers will pay over the odds on insurance.

SO WHATS YOUR OPINION ON LEARNER DRIVERS?
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I have respect for people learning to drive. I was in their shoes once, and it's not really a nice experience, especially when you know that the person behind you is most likely cursing you.

I keep my distance from them when I drive, especially at a set of traffics lights, because if they stall it, I don't wanna run into the back of them. I don't tail-gate as this is very off-putting and can sometimes make you lose your cool.

I like the fact that they are out there, learning to do something. Okay, so, most of them will turn out to be nutters on the road, but sooner or later they will get caught.

WHAT WERE YOUR EXPERIENCES WHEN YOU WERE LEARNING TO DRIVE?
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Well, I did come across alot of idiots who bombed it past me with their 'go faster' stripes on their car and those people who sit behind you with their hand on their head just hoping that i was going to go in a different direction them.

However, saying that, I did really enjoy learning to drive...it's quite eye opening actually, and it does require alot of concentration, you have to be constantly aware of everybody on the road. I said before that i felt i was a safe driver, but i still i have to be cautious of everyone else, as not everybody is as safe as me, and people will drive like a complete idiot, just to get to the front of the traffic lights.

I remember panicking afew times...especially when I had stalled at a set of traffic lights on a hill. It was my first hill start, and my instructor had said that this route wasn't used very much as it was abit out of the way, so I couold comfortably do a hill start without having anybody behind me...but sods law, I had 3 people behind me at the lights, and I stalled it when the lights went to green. The lights didn't stay on green for more than 5 seconds...and this was how long it took me to get my car going again, and just as i was about to take my handbrake off...the lights went back to red. I was pretty embarrasment and i could feel my cheeks getting hot and i felt so bad on the people stuck behind me. Luckily, I set off alright the next time.

Learning to drive is a good experience and once you've gone through the whole learning process with the tests and the fees, you can then go out and buy a car, get insured, get taxed and you're free to roam the country!

SHOULD THE LEGAL AGE LIMIT FOR PASSING YOUR DRIVING TEST BE INCREASED?
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This is a very recent issue at the moment in the UK. Currently you can pass your test from the age of 17. Alot of people blame this system for the amount of car crashes and deaths on the roads these days. Yes, young drivers are to blame most of the time, but fully grown adults who are 25 or even 35 still drink and drive, so should the legal age limit be 35?? I don't think so, because this is not good for businesses or public transport!

A suggestion has been made that maybe you shouldn't be able to take your test unless you've had a years worth of lessons. This is very costly for starters, and even people who earn a decent wage, will struggle to fund this, especially if they have bills to pay for. In total, it cost me £600 to pass my test. I paid for it all myself as I work full time, but for students who don't work full time will struggle to pay this without any help.

In my opinion, it should be entirely up to the instructor you have as to whether or not you are okay to take your test. My instructor had a great way of knowing this...she told me that the way she can tell if somebody is ready to drive on their own is if she can feel comfortable to put her 6 year old son in the back of the car with them. Obviously, your instructor is not responsible for what you do after you have passed your test, but perhaps there should just be stricter rules on young drivers once they have passed.

A rumour going around is that young drivers aren't aloud their friends in the car with them after 9pm. Another rumour is that you can't have a drop of alcohol if you are young and going to drive.

Raising the age limit is not going to help much. If people end up being 20 when they pass their test for the first time, they will STILL drive like idiots because they get a buzz out of driving the way they want without having anybody in the car telling them what to do...it is a novelty, that will hopefully wear off.

OVERALL
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Learning to drive is a great experience and I am so glad that I can drive. It's such a useful thing to have. It is costly to learn, and it's also costly to run a car, but when you think about what a car can do for you, it all pays off in the end.

If the age limit is to be raised, then fair play...the only way we can see if it's going to work, is if it is enforced. If it doesn't work, then perhaps they should try another method.

Once you have your full pink driving licence, you will have such a great feeling of achievement.

Summary: A great skill to have