OK, so the time has come.
I've not yet learnt to drive as I really don't need to use a car that often (I ride to work and live near everything I need).
However, I feel the time has come to Man-the-whatever-up and get myself driving (there surely has to be a limit to how many lifts to riding spots I can scab off my mates).
So.... Intensive driving course.. are they worth it? Do they work for a complete novice who's barely sat in a driver's seat?
Can anyone recommend tuition near Sheffield?
ta
You will get very few people taking you for an intensive course now as they dont really work.
A far better and much more successful option is to go for the couple of hours a day, every day over a number of weeks.
Depends on the course.
I did a Police one (intensive but longer than a day) after doing the IAM course/test and found it very very useful. Unfortunately you can't just "buy" that sort of course.
I did a week and passed after 2 extra lessons (they said I wasn't ready at the end of the week), but this was before the 2 part tests.
To be honest it was knackering as I was driving for 5hrs a day, for 6 days, and when I finished I still wasn't ready. I did pass first time 2 weeks later, but don't think I had enough experience to be out and about on my own
I passed my CAT C license with work at the first go and I'd never been in a truck before. First lesson on monday morning and I'd passed by the friday. If you have the luxury of time take it.
I did. I was 17. 5 hours of lessons a day for 4 days, test on the 5th.
It was 27 years ago though. Maybe the test was easier then?
27 years! That makes me feel so old 🙁
Can't see why not, the majority of people seem to take between 20 and 40 hours to pass. Whether you do those hours in a week or over 6 months shouldn't make too much difference. Pretty much everyone who does the motorcycle test will be doing it on some kind of intensive course as most places book lessons by the day not the hour.
I don't think anyone really feels confident the first time they go out on their own after the test, I've been driving for about 12 months now (past test in 2004 and did f** all driving for the next 5 years) and still feel like I'm gettig better very time I got for a drive, although its an exponential thing, not like I'm actualy twice as good as a driver every time I drive into work!
If your used to the traffic and roads in sheffield and have the money I'd go for it, 90%+ of car driving is just anticipating what everyone else is doing and knowing how to get arround junctions. And most of it is common sense or has some simple logic behind it. I can't remember any of the theory of how to position a motorbike at a junction, but you get a couple of seconds while the indicators flashing to figure out which cars your trying to block from moving while you turn etc.
Dont listen to any of that up there apart from what I said.
In danger of blowing your cover there Obi 8)
I my day you just used to apply for the test as soon as you hit 17, then send that date back asking for a cancelation date, then jam whatever hours you could afford into the time availiable... the record out of my mates was 6 lessons in 10 days and pass, I got 13 lessons in but had longer to my test date from my birthday, another mate had about 3 million lessons and 3 fails, its all down to you and what your like...
Do they still have a humongous wait from application to test date?
i think so! Need to look into all this stuff . . '
Hey i did my intensive and passed first time after 4 x 4hr lessons mon-thur then test friday and passed. I did it in shef, my instructor was based in killamarsh can't remember the driving school tho.
I had already got my motorbike license by this point so that probably helped a bit.
Overall i reallyenjoyed it, good instructor and i am now the worlds best driver 8)
Like TINAS says, most bike lessons are done intensive, worked well for me. I found doing car lessons in sets of 2 roughly once a week was pretty efficient, but I did feel like sometimes I spent the first half hour just getting used to the car again rather than learning.
Did my bike test this way and it was fine...can't see why a cars any different?
Cramming it all in over a week or so isn't really a short cut - you're still doing the same amount of work and paying the same amount of (perhaps even a bit more) cash. Good if you're in a rush I suppose, but it does dominate your life for a week or so. Not good if you're busy with work/kids/random menagerie.
In danger of blowing your cover there Obi
Too late. 8)