when you feel confident enough to drive on your own why not put P plates on the car for a while then others may be a little more sympathetic/wary if you take a while to manoeuvre. the missus had the same problem ..passed her test 10 yrs ago and never driven since. Don’t know whether it’s legal but I just put L plates on when re training her and as mentioned now have P plates on permanently …makes her feel better!

others may be a little more sympathetic/wary if you take a while to manoeuvre

😆 😆 😆

Is that a flying pig?

Having been in that situation about a year ago I can tell you they do bugger all! I used my mum’s car for a while after I passed my test, on the condition I put the plates on. The idea being it would make drivers more sympathetic so I wouldn’t panic if things started to go wrong and I started holding someone up. On several occasions I forgot to put them on, I notice NO change in attitude from other drivers. Hell even when I had the plates on there were people honking horns and flashing lights at me because I was doing the speed limit and they wanted to go faster. 👿 Ok, I’m not the best driver in the world, but I do have consideration for others, don’t break the speed limits (even if they’re silly) and always drive to the conditions.

If they make your Mrs feel more confident then fair enough, but they don’t make any real difference to how others treat you.

I vaguely remember a TV programme called “Britain’s Worst Driver”. AFAIK no one on that show had to resit their test and they demonstrated some of the worst driving I’ve ever seen.

Reckon you’re safe, an instructor who reports people who recognise a weakness and wish to improve should have no position teaching anyone.

The single most important factor in being a good driver is that realisation that you need to take responsibility for your actions. Very very few people do this hence my original comment.

Driving on the public roads is not a competition about who has the best car skills or who can get there quicker. Until people realise that every driver makes mistakes now and then and that when they do make a mistake that it is not meant as a personal death threat they can only be considered a poor driver.

Totally agree SBZ, your original statement that the OP was probably a better driver for realising his own limitations is also spot on.

The single most important factor in being a good driver is that realisation that you need to take responsibility for your actions

Provided you have the basic skills to go with it. If you don’t have the basic skills then no amount of “correct attitude” is going to help.

Or are you suggesting that somebody who’s never driven before but has the right attitude is the best driver in the world?

The single most important factor in being a good driver is that realisation that you need to take responsibility for your actions

Provided you have the basic skills to go with it. If you don’t have the basic skills then no amount of “correct attitude” is going to help.
Or are you suggesting that somebody who’s never driven before but has the right attitude is the best driver in the world?
To be a good driver, first you need to be a driver. And to be a driver you need to have a license.

What he said sounds fair enough to me. 🙄

I think a 10yr retest would be good, I doubt most people on here could go into a driving test and pass without at least a couple of refresher lessons to fix the bad habits you slip into within weeks of passing.

To Poppa, you’d probably be best looking for an instructor that does pass plus, this includes motorway driving and I believe driving after dark. Its still designed for those with little experience, I did mine with the same examiner that I passed with, but was given a lot more information on just driving safely rather than how to drive to pass your test compared to normal lessons. Also a normal instructor who doesn’t do pass plus will never teach on motorways.

Let’s not split hairs.

He meant that the op was POTENTIALLY the best driver.

Thanks for the replies, some useful stuff there. Glad to have promoted a healthy discourse on the subject 🙂

I love how defensive people get at even the merest hint that their driving may not be perfect. Reminds me of many days at work when I had to let people into the secret that their status as a driving god was a figment of their imagination and they were indeed dangerous.

Fortunately driving is incredibly easy for anybody with half a brain, so he will probably find it very easy to learn.

either most people on the roads are halfwits or this is just not true.

only an ignorant person believes they have nothing to learn.

I’d go with most people on the roads being halfwits to be honest. That’s maybe being generous though.

buzz-lightyear – Member
Or since you have a licence already, you could try the Institute of Advanced Motoring. Instruction is free and you will eventually achieve quite a high standard of driving. That you are back at novice level presently, should not be a problem.

Agree entirely with SBZ, being a good driver is 90% attitude, 10% skill.

The IAM would be pleased to have you. Cost is £139 (incl Book) and membership. As many hours free advice on the road as you need to help build your confidence and improve your driving. No obligation to take the test at the end if you don’t want to. (Although passing will qualify you for preferential insurance terms).

http://www.iam.org.uk/vmchk/car_driver_membership_programmes/car_skill_for_life_for_drivers/flypage.tpl.html

SBZ sanctimonious drivel.

Muddy_bum – clean your arse will you.

Its not hard folks, my Granda is an excellent driver and he can hardly walk without his rollater.

being a good driver is 90% attitude, 10% skill.

So a driver with a 10% worse attitude is better than one with half the skill level? Rubbish. Observing properly is a skill. Anticipating is a skill. Being able to select an appropriate speed is a skill. Being able to handle a car under emergency braking is a skill. All directly related to driving well and safely – skill isn’t just about being able to drive fast around corners.

Meanwhile attitude isn’t just about knowing your limitations. Driving within your ability. Not getting angry at other drivers. Not being aggressive. None of which are related to knowing that you need training – I mean some of those people don’t actually desperately need any training at all to be good, safe drivers. Being self-aware does actually also allow you to be correct when you think you’re doing things right. Hence why Trolling’s first post is BS.

Cant let the driving instructor be correct about driving now can we. Trouble with driving is that everyone thinks they’re an expert after a tiny wee bit of basic training.

So can I check I’ve got this right, you’re an expert on every aspect of driving, Trolling? No point anybody else even contributing to a thread about driving – when you’ve said your piece the thread is over?

Correct.

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

aracer – Member

being a good driver is 90% attitude, 10% skill.

So a driver with a 10% worse attitude is better than one with half the skill level? Rubbish. Observing properly is a skill. Anticipating is a skill. Being able to select an appropriate speed is a skill. Being able to handle a car under emergency braking is a skill. All directly related to driving well and safely – skill isn’t just about being able to drive fast around corners.

Meanwhile attitude isn’t just about knowing your limitations. Driving within your ability. Not getting angry at other drivers. Not being aggressive. None of which are related to knowing that you need training – I mean some of those people don’t actually desperately need any training at all to be good, safe drivers. Being self-aware does actually also allow you to be correct when you think you’re doing things right. Hence why Trolling’s first post is BS.

Attitude = State of mind. All those things you’ve listed (obs, anticipation, speed etc) as ‘skills’ start with state of mind (attitude)

Read this (And Shandy):