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Advice on driving instructor - am I being taken for a ride? (pun intended)

Hi, just wanted a bit of advice.

Have been having driving lessons for over a year, average lessons are around 2 hours long and have had around 50 hours in total. I had a lot of gaps in between due to studying and all my lessons have been at nighttime.

I've been paying for block lessons of around £125 for 5 hours. I feel like I'm stuck and not progressing, even though my instructor keeps telling me I am. He has told me his prices have gone up and they have gone up so far three in the past year I've been seeing him.

Haven't done maneuvers such as reversing, parallel parking, bay parking etc.Any advice welcome.

Reply 1

rwhitaker1

You haven't done reversing after over a year?! Yikes.
I've paused learning to drive to focus on A Levels, but I was probably on under 25 hours before I stopped and had progressed to reversing and was starting on parallel parking. I wouldn't know about prices as I was being taught by a family friend, but it's definitely extortionate if you're on 50 hours and haven't even tried reversing.
Wait and see what others say, but I'd suggest dropping that instructor and trying with another. Even if it doesn't make much of a difference, a fresh start and a new perspective might help you to progress.

Reply 2

bones-mccoy

I've had just about a year of lessons but have covered everything and am just trying to get more consistent before booking in for my test. Obviously not everyone progresses at the same rate but to not have even done manoeuvres yet is worrying, you should have at least been taught them even if you're not 100% doing them well yet.

My instructor just raised the price of his lessons by a pound but that's to offset inflation every year, the same reason why minimum wage raises every year too. Three price rises in a year seems a bit extreme.

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 3

Don L Gates

You say you have had a lot gaps due to studying... now ask yourself how your studying would go if you had a lot of gaps from that? Learning to drive is no different to learning anything else, you need to spend plenty of time doing it and to keep up the practise.Under normal circumstances, you should certainly have covered all the manoeuvres by the time you reach 50 hours of tuition. Considering the gaps you have had, this would hold up your progress but I am VERY surprised that you have covered none by this stage.

Reply 4

StriderHort

Yeah that doesn't sound right, what have you spent the 50 hours actually doing?

I was doing all maneuvers at 5-10 hours in, and i've no reason to think i was particularly quick or skilled.

Reply 5

Admit-One

Universities Forum Helper

I was not a quick learner by any stretch but similar to StriderHort I was at least starting on manoeuvres by 5-10hrs in. Even with gaps in learning I would've thought manoeuvres would be a nice change in a 2hr lesson.

Try another instructor.