Sticky situation

Hi guys, learner driver over here.

First off let me say that i love driving and i am a very confident (some would say overconfident) driver.

I started learning to drive around 1 and a half years ago. When i first started learning i was a natural. I had the obvious new driver mistakes (stalling, gears,etc) but after they just went and after around 20 lessons i was ready for my test. However, i really struggled with the theory and it took me just under a year to pass it (****ing hazard perception lol).

So after I passed it i booked a few lessons to fresh my memory. I can drive properly and have nice control of the car (never stall, good with clutch and gears). So driving wise I'm fine, but i just make silly mistakes when I'm with my instructor and i can tell he gets frustrated.

The mistakes i make are that sometimes when i stop at a red light i forget to put it into 1st gear (most of tine i remember). And when i do my maneuverers my instructor tells me when to turn, stop, etc (even though o don't want him to. I also go too wide when i turn into a side road.

I didn't make these mistakes a year ago!! What happened to me?! I got my practical on Friday!


Posted from TSR Mobile

Hi guys, learner driver over here.

First off let me say that i love driving and i am a very confident (some would say overconfident) driver.

I started learning to drive around 1 and a half years ago. When i first started learning i was a natural. I had the obvious new driver mistakes (stalling, gears,etc) but after they just went and after around 20 lessons i was ready for my test. However, i really struggled with the theory and it took me just under a year to pass it (****ing hazard perception lol).

So after I passed it i booked a few lessons to fresh my memory. I can drive properly and have nice control of the car (never stall, good with clutch and gears). So driving wise I'm fine, but i just make silly mistakes when I'm with my instructor and i can tell he gets frustrated.

The mistakes i make are that sometimes when i stop at a red light i forget to put it into 1st gear (most of tine i remember). And when i do my maneuverers my instructor tells me when to turn, stop, etc (even though o don't want him to. I also go too wide when i turn into a side road.

I didn't make these mistakes a year ago!! What happened to me?! I got my practical on Friday!

I'm going to try to answer you as best I can. When you arrive at a red light you should already be thinking about what you are going to do next so you should arrive ready to go i.e., in first gear. It sounds like you are driving in blocks rather than with a continuous flow. It doesn't mean that you don't stop at the red light but it does mean that your brain has already moved on to the next process.

You should have told your instructor ages ago not to prompt you on your manoeuvres. Of course it is very possible that he doesn't think you are going to turn so steps in. Maybe you are leaving it too late?

When you are turning in to a side road and going wide (I'm assuming a left turn) it's because you are turning too late.

Spot the common theme? All three situations you may be reacting too late, which suggests you need to speed up your thought processes and think ahead. Incidentally, problems with hazard perception could be down to the same thing.

Your instructor, rather than getting frustrated with you should actually be trying to help perhaps by identifying that you need to think earlier.

Of course, you are now committed to your test on Friday (it's too late to cancel it ) so good luck. If you aren't successful, consider...would you want to meet you going wide on a corner?