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The Learner driver progression thread

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Reply 7840
Avatar for C274
C274
Pepperoni
Well, very pleased (and still in total disbelief) I passed my test this morning with no fewer than 4 minors!
I am completely over the moon, I honestly thought I'd failed. My examiner was female and very nice, she took me down the worst high street in the city. There was speedbumps and level crossing everywhere and cars were poking out and indicating from all directions, thought I'd made a huge mistake there but everything went smoothly. My RRC corner could have been better, skated dangerously close to the kerb but I managed to sort it, though I felt it was a bit dodgy. So I thought I'd failed after that but when we got back and told me I'd passed, it was the best feeling in the world :smile:
Thank you everybody for all the support! Best of luck passing! :woo:

Well done :biggrin:
Reply 7841
Avatar for Swayum
Swayum
18
kiss_me_now9
Question - What are the manoeuveres? I've done bay park, parrallel park, turn in the road... Is reverse around a corner one? My instructor said last week that I'd done them all, but I haven't done reverse around a corner yet :s-smilie:


I think it depends on your test centre. For example, my one doesn't do bay parking, but does parallel parking, turn in the road, reverse around a corner and emergency stop.
Reply 7842
Avatar for Zack
Zack
11
Pepperoni
Well, very pleased (and still in total disbelief) I passed my test this morning with no fewer than 4 minors!
I am completely over the moon, I honestly thought I'd failed. My examiner was female and very nice, she took me down the worst high street in the city. There was speedbumps and level crossing everywhere and cars were poking out and indicating from all directions, thought I'd made a huge mistake there but everything went smoothly. My RRC corner could have been better, skated dangerously close to the kerb but I managed to sort it, though I felt it was a bit dodgy. So I thought I'd failed after that but when we got back and told me I'd passed, it was the best feeling in the world :smile:
Thank you everybody for all the support! Best of luck passing! :woo:

Well done!! That's great! :smile:. What was the other manoeuvre you did?

Swayum
I think it depends on your test centre. For example, my one doesn't do bay parking, but does parallel parking, turn in the road, reverse around a corner and emergency stop.

Trust me to go to a centre that does the whole lot! :banghead: :p:
Got my Pass Plus certificate through the post, but seems they have spelt my surname wrong. Was wondering if anyone else has had a similar issue, and whether it's a void and insurance company will accept it..?
laurenmgbowden
]


ahhh thank you :smile: yep you managed to decode my question lol. It's difficult for me to explain it when I don't even really know what I'm doing myself!
I wasn't sure if I was meant to take my feet off everything and just let it roll round, because half the time I must have been braking too early and it ran out of momentum, leaving me to get the clutch down and needing to put on the gas a bit.
It's all very confusing-I don't know what's going on with my feet most of the time-I just somehow seem to do what my instructor wants me to do with pot luck!!

Did it take you long to really grasp it?


Probably a few lessons to be honest probably longer than most people, as I have my in hour blocks not the average of 2hrs which most people seem to have on here.
but now it's usually automatic sometimes need a hint from my instructor.:p:
Reply 7845
Avatar for C274
C274
Started turn in the road tonight. My first 2 turns were great. Then we tried a third one and I stalled 3 times! Then we did a 4th one and I stalled just the once. Aargh, I hate the clutch.
I'm much, much better at junctions now as a result of having to practise more clutch control though, so it's all good...
laurenmgbowden
]


ahhh thank you :smile: yep you managed to decode my question lol. It's difficult for me to explain it when I don't even really know what I'm doing myself!
I wasn't sure if I was meant to take my feet off everything and just let it roll round, because half the time I must have been braking too early and it ran out of momentum, leaving me to get the clutch down and needing to put on the gas a bit.
It's all very confusing-I don't know what's going on with my feet most of the time-I just somehow seem to do what my instructor wants me to do with pot luck!! :p:

Did it take you long to really grasp it?


Hey
I'm on my 22 hour (had 11 lessons, all 2 hours) and tbh for me it's only just clicking now. Don't use other people as examples because everyone is different and you'll put unnecessary pressure on yourself to meet their standard. Concentrate on your own driving :smile:

In regards to turning: you'll begin to fully understand 'clutch-control' when you begin maneuvres. If you're coming up to a closed junction (i.e. you can't see completely because of houses/trees etc) then you brake to lower your speed, go into first and then edge forward using your clutch to control your speed, turning towards the direction you want to go to. If you have to wait due to traffic or whatever, you just stop as you would normally (brake and clutch down) and put the handbrake on if it's more than 3 seconds. Then you just find the bite and release the handbrake when you've got a gap :smile:

In regards to open junctions/ turns that you can do without stopping, you brake (after the mirrors, signal etc), select 2nd, foot off the clutch and hold your brake until you've got the turning point. When you're ready to go, release your brake.

The no pedals thing usually happens on clear roads/roundabouts for me. It's when I've got enough momentum to go through without adding extra gas (i.e. adding gas would make you too fast for the turn). Although I remember no pedals was mostly during my first few lessons, and my instructor would say 'no pedals'

I've had similar problems with my pedals... don't be afraid to ask your instructor for help. I normally ask at the beginning when it's fresh in my mind.

Few things to remember:
1. clutch control is for very slow speeds. You will see this when you begin TIR/bay park/ parallel park and I assume RRC (the only one I haven't done)
2. brakes are held until you want to go. This can be either the footbrake (for example, a turn in 2nd gear) or the handbrake (if there's a flow of traffic making you wait)

Sorry if any of this is wrong, feel free to correct so that I can improve too :smile:

Enchanté


Yeah I use the clutch at juntions, brake and clutch and edge forward slowly, then put my handbrake on, gear in neutral then to first then find then bite then go which other way i'm turning.


I'm curious with the neutral thing. I hardly ever go into neutral unless I'm coming to a complete stop (i.e. parking). While edging forward to junctions, you'll be in first gear won't you? So when you come to a stop, you go from first gear, to neutral, back into first gear? Or do you mean you go via neutral to select first? Because if you're in second you won't need to go via neutral, you just go straight up (if that makes sense :P
Went out driving in my car with my dad today for about an hour. I was actually awful. Haven't driven my car many times before. I got so stressed out, stalled 3 times, once at these traffic lights that were red for sooooo long, then I stalled just when they were changing to green, then by the time I had restarted they were red again :O so had to wait like another couple of minutes. I just felt like crying and giving up. My test is in just under 3 weeks and I am now pretty unconfident. I have had 30 hours and I dont think I'm ever gonna be confident :'(
Gonna be doing TIR tomorrow. :biggrin: Is it hard to do?
Reply 7849
Avatar for Zack
Zack
11
Enchanté
Gonna be doing TIR tomorrow. :biggrin: Is it hard to do?

Physically doing it isn't too hard, it's the observation which is annoying and took me ages to do properly, but that comes naturally eventually.

If it's the first one you've done (it was for me) then getting the clutch control right so that you go slow enough will also come into it

Hope it goes well :smile:
Reply 7850
Avatar for CJN
CJN
17
Got my third lesson at around 8 - first two went good first we did clutch control went round a village doing junctions and stuff I managed to do it pretty well.

Second we did more clutch control as well as driving in the country, he made me overtake and at the end we did turns in the road (like 3 point ones).

Dunno what we are going to do this time, but I have a car now when do you think it would be safe to go out with my dad? I think I could now, I know how the road works have ridden a 50cc for a year and the car control is pretty much ok.
Reply 7851
Avatar for tom//
tom//
17
did my second lesson today :moon: three point turn :moon:

need to work on cornering, go in too fast :sigh:
tom//
did my second lesson today :moon: three point turn :moon:

need to work on cornering, go in too fast :sigh:


You're progressing well, I know some people who hadn't started a manouver in there tenth lesson!

Brake firmly before you reach the corner. Should drop it into second and be at about 10mph just before you turn in.
Reply 7853
Avatar for tom//
tom//
17
The Stig
You're progressing well, I know some people who hadn't started a manouver in there tenth lesson!

Brake firmly before you reach the corner. Should drop it into second and be at about 10mph just before you turn in.

thanks man :h:

yeah its just getting used to the brakes i think, he told me it was light on the accelerator and brakes on the first lesson so im just trying not to slap on, i should get used to it soon D:

thanks for the advice :love:
CJN


Dunno what we are going to do this time, but I have a car now when do you think it would be safe to go out with my dad? I think I could now, I know how the road works have ridden a 50cc for a year and the car control is pretty much ok.


I was out driving in my car with my Dad after my second lesson. It's fine. Aslong you're confident and know the basics and how to corner etc you should be fine.
Enchanté
Gonna be doing TIR tomorrow. :biggrin: Is it hard to do?

TIR is for me, easier than parallel but harder than bay. I find it harder cos test standard is on a fairly busy road and I feel like people are watching me.

The key is speed. Slow speed and fast hands make a good TIR. Busy eyes all round the car because of traffic and pedestrians. You'll get a lot of direction first/second (if you need it) so don't worry too much :smile:
Couldxbe
TIR is for me, easier than parallel but harder than bay. I find it harder cos test standard is on a fairly busy road and I feel like people are watching me.

The key is speed. Slow speed and fast hands make a good TIR. Busy eyes all round the car because of traffic and pedestrians. You'll get a lot of direction first/second (if you need it) so don't worry too much :smile:


Slow speed and fast hands is exactly what you want to be doing, it makes the whole process so much easier. The other main thing is watching out the mirrors/windows. That's basically it.
Reply 7857
Avatar for CJN
CJN
17
The Stig
I was out driving in my car with my Dad after my second lesson. It's fine. Aslong you're confident and know the basics and how to corner etc you should be fine.


Ok cheers well my lesson today was cancelled so just gonna go out with my dad tomorrow after two lessons - I can do everything fine, stalled once on my first lesson, instructor never has to use his pedals or interfere - I find controlling the can easy and the clutch and stuff fairly easy so I am just gonna go for it.
Reply 7858
Avatar for C274
C274
Enchanté
Gonna be doing TIR tomorrow. :biggrin: Is it hard to do?

It's alright if the road's quiet. I dunno how other instructors do it but mine gives me good reference points which helps me judge when I'm near enough to the kerb. The key points about TIR are clutch control and, as someone (think it was Rizzle?) mentioned: slow car, quick steering.
No offence to any of the learners here (of course I was in your position not so long ago), but reading through this thread makes me consider how much better of a driver I am now that a year has nearly passed. When I have to do maneuvers, I don't even think about any of the reference points, routines etc that I was taught, It's so instinctive for me that I could almost do them with my eyes closed. Also, having cars on the road, waiting or passing, does not faze me in the slightest now. Keep on trying, it's a shame you can't buy confidence! But I assure you one day it will just arrive lol.

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