This must be a topic ripe for true life stories.
Have you ever had a disobedient or dangerous learner in your car?
I taught my girlfriend to drive in my clapped out Montego (we survived this and more: just coming up to our 8th wedding anniversary, for the record...)
I once asked her to stop at a roundabout on the A31 in Dorset. She didn't like to stop (or slow down, or change gear, or basically do anything I ever so patiently requested...) so carried on blithely.
Why did I want her to stop? Because we were going to turn right and an (oncoming) enormous load with police escort was going to cross our path. By going straight on we had nowhere to turn back for 2 miles and ended up going to Weymouth instead of Dorchester.
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I remember telling SWMBO that the steering wheel HAS TO GO BACK after going round a corner!
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I once gave a 17 year old girl a few lessons in my old Sierra. It was terrifying and left me with a new respect for people who do this for a living. From then on I left instructing others to the professionals.
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Mrs H-to-be bought a neighbour's car before taking her first driving test. I was advised to have nothing to do with Mrs H-to-be's lessons if I wanted to nurture the relationship. She reported that she'd failed her first test because the examiner had asked her to do things she'd never done before like a turning in the road, an emergency stop, and reverse round a corner. Fresh from taking my IAM test, I suggested helping out. The relationship survived, she passed her test the second time and the instructor ceased his instructing business.
I've taken three of our children to an old airfield to teach them basic car handling stuff before letting them buy lessons. I don't think there's any point in paying an instructor to teach them clutch control or how to put on the handbrake. But preparing for the test itself; that needs a professional. My son had some sort of a block about reverse parking so we went to some waste ground nearby and practised a bit. I demonstrated how I reverse parked and asked if he could relate that to what his instructor was telling him. Something evidently clicked. After passing the test, two children have gone out with me for a couple of hours for a motorway familiarisation session covering things like foreign truck visibility, assertiveness by drivers in certain makes of cars and what to do if the car breaks down.
Edited by Hawkeye {P} on 07/01/2008 at 09:59
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I have just helped my 17 year old daughter through her test.
We started out on a quiet industrial estate on a Sunday afternoon mastering the basics, which she picked up surprisingly easily having previously displayed no sign of any co-ordination or control of machinery.
She went with an instructor for one lesson a week and most evenings through the summer we would go out for half an hour or so to practice.
It was a little dicey at first as she was a typical teenager who thinks that dad knows nothing, but I must say it has improved our relationship enormously and we miss the time we spent together, having the opportunity to chat. Now she has passed her test we don't see her at all of course but do appreciate having another driver to pick us up from the pub !
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Psychologists say that you should never attempt teaching driving to your wife.
If you do, there is very high probability of a divorce soon afterwards ;)
Supervising anyone else is fine though.
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Will follow this thread with interest. Oldest child turns 17 at the end of the month!
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>I remember telling SWMBO that the steering wheel HAS TO GO BACK after going round a corner!
I supervised my younger sister once, she forgot to do this coming out of a T junction so the car duly climbed up the kerb. Dad's 1.8 Marina Coupe, all 3 kids learned in that.
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I was wondering whether it's possible to still teach a 17 year old to drive without professional help. Both myself and my older brother were taught by our father with no other lessons but that was 30 years ago in my case. We both passed first time and neither of us have had much in the way of accidents.
We had the benefit of a place called Cardrome in Hornchurch, Essex. Basically some private roads where you could learn the basics of car control. Also you didn't need to be 17, so could hit the ground running, so to speak.
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I once taught a family friend to drive in a Morris Minor Traveller, a very good car to learn in. She, the student, was a wife and mother, and although an excellent household and child manager, had slow reflexes.
One day she and SWMBO decided to put her in for the test and swank off the pass certificate that evening. She failed due the excessive caution. She and SWMBO visited a third friend for comfort and moral support. As the student was explaining she started to cry, which set off SWMBO rapidly followed by third friend.
The next set of lessons were racing up to corners, change down and slide round. You could do that in Mufulira in those days.
The last time I met her she was driving a Ford 100 bakkie in Rhodesia.
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Taught my next door neighbour (43 yrs ago) I was 18yrs - he repaid it by reversing into the side of my brand new car 12 mths later.
Taught my elder brother - everything was OK
Took out my next door neighbour for 1 hour (after she fell out with husband/son & daughter) - never again.
Taught or rather tried with my eldest - we fell out - he walked home (passed 1st time with aid of SWMBO). The twins were easy - both passed within a few months of their 17th Birthday.
NO more - I will be too old when my grandchildren are 17+yrs old.
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At various points over the years. I err of course on the side of impatience and am a seriously carp teacher mainly for that reason. Much given to bellowing 'Oh for goodness' sake stop pussyfooting around and try to get within shouters of the pink fluffy dicing speed limit already you carphound (or carphoundette depending)'.
I note though that in my late sixties I have improved. Lately I have been accompanying my old and dear friend in her Mk 1 Golf GTI inherited from her husband, late alas not long ago and my friend for these fifty years odd. She's an American lady and a bit law-abiding, but of course you have to be that in spades until you've passed the test. Still, as she is over sixty we sometimes have trouble hearing each other. My right ear is certainly my bad one and I suppose her bad one is on the left, sod's law innit? When we are both in muttering mode we can spend quite a time trying to decipher the last few mutters.
She's never seriously frightened me or done anything worse to the car than a bit of learner's clutch abuse, smiled on by the modern instructor and no doubt less harmful in a less serious and old-fashioned sort of car. Damn heavy steering, no kidding.
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"I was wondering whether it's possible to still teach a 17 year old to drive without professional help."
I did with SWMBO after failing her test 5 times and costing £1,500 in lessons, several instructors dropped her too. That was 15 years ago and she`s a great driver now.
Key to success was buying her an (old) car of her own as a `carrot`as she was about to give up. We did all the driving in that and even went to the Isle Of Wight, with her doing all of the non motorway driving.
I was self taught and failed my first test due to an `advanced` technique of easing the brake right at the moment of coming to a standstill so as not to throw the old bloke (examiner) against the windscreen.
Got the same miserable wizened chap next time and tried to slam him straight through the screen in the micro second he dropped his hand;)
Almost had him too ;) passed, but moaned at "on balance" ect about other (self taught) stuff.
Bottom line is, you may well make him a better driver teaching yourself, but can you grit your teeth to teach some of the `modern` techniques such as not using the gearbox for braking and enhanced clutch/release bearing wear, as `car control` on junctions.
I had to re teach SWMBO after her successful test but she`s very easy on the brakes and clutch now.
Its telling who`s had lessons as opposed to Dads `save the car` techniques if you ever follow a car down a really steep hill, solid brake lights all the way down, while I just need to touch them occasionally even though we are at the same speed.
Of course I would fail my test now ;) or maybe not?
Regards
Edited by oilrag on 07/01/2008 at 21:37
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My only experience was with my two offspring.
I negotiated a deal with them as especially my son was wanting to get at it as early as possible.
Work hard, wait until the years studies have finished and then I will invest what ever is required. This way they would have lessons in better weather, with no homework and driving in daylight.
They kept their part of the deal.
So it was specifically driving school lessons ( how to pass the test).
Then listen to what they had been told, bite my lip and get them to practice these skills.
So NO supervising the basic teaching. ( I had been warned by a good friend, a driving instructor that it was fraught with risks).
So that was that. I payed for lessons and as my only vehicle was not best for learning on I bought an ancient UNO for them to practice on.
I spent hours in a very sub standard UNO supervising but not teaching. Their biggest challenge was that it obviously had a totally different feel (clutch, gearbox, steering etc.) to a new Fiesta.
They passed OK but then the added unexpected downside was that I was "encouraged" to keep the UNO and maintained it until a few years later it failed yet another Mot. It really was a dog (everything was faster than it, including all trucks on any incline) but they loved it and it did save me some taxi trips.
I know this approach may be unusual. I had the funds and the time to go out with them. I did not want them distracted from studies by a part time job and the practice sessions were quite fun. I certainly had no worries about a £200 UNO getting scratched.
The education payed off and they both have newer cars than me and are both happy drivers.
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Teaching someone to drive is an act of faith. Firstly, you must believe in their ability to become excellent drivers. Secondly, you must believe that your driving skills and knowledge are good and that you can impart these to another person. Therefore, teaching a close family member, someone you know very well, will work if you have that faith in that person. Without that faith you will be panicky and irritable, this will quickly be transferred to your learner and the whole thing will fall apart in minutes.
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Most recently, step son stalled at a T junction but kept rolling forward over a major road with no steering lock on.
STOP STOP STOP from me worked just before we hit the grass bank on the other side.
He decided that I was too upsetting to instruct him after that.
Phew.
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