Haven't driven for years, need lessons. Can an instructor 'report me'?

Possibly a stupid question. I have a driving license, but passed my test years ago and haven’t driven since, and will need lessons before I get back on the road.

If I go to an instructor, is there any means/liklihood that I could be reported in some fashion as needing to re-sit my driving test?

I don’t believe that anyone can make you resit your test based on simply observing your driving behaviour.

Pretty sure once you have a passed the test and own a license, you are then licensed to drive – no matter if you have a driving hiatus.

(If you don’t have the full license, you will probably need to pass again to get one though)

No. None whatsoever. The fact that you see yourself as needing lessons already makes you one of the better drivers on the road.

Very well done you the responsible think to do

Ok that’s good news. Current plan is to do some quiet/town driving with Mrs Poppa before getting a few lessons to get motorway/major A-road experience.

I wonder if it’s like riding a bike, you never forget the basics – but it takes a lot of effort to be McAskill good.

Good idea to have some lessons – even if you just do the old pass plus typre lessons as a refresher.

The fact that you see yourself as needing lessons already makes you one of the better drivers on the road.

Get a grip.

My friend did exactly this. Passed her test and then didn’t get behind the wheel for 11 years.

There was no issue legally with her having lessons, she just explained her situation to the instructor. The sensible thing to do in this scenario imho.

I did what you’re proposing, only took one lesson to get back to a good standard, i.e. to a point where in the hours lesson I didn’t do anythig that would be considdered a fault on a test.

The fact that you see yourself as needing lessons already makes you one of the better drivers on the road.

Get a grip.

What? Get a grip? What ARE you drivelling on about? I’d agree with the senitment of the statement entirely. Have YOU ever taken any extra training, or are you just perfect?

I think a retest should be done every 10 years. It would get rid of a lot of traffic!

What? Get a grip? What ARE you drivelling on about?

Well, for me, I read SbZ’s post and thought ‘yep, that is a sensible comment’.

Then I thought about it – it doesn’t make them a better driver at all. All it does is mean they realise they need more training and good on the OP for realising that. No doubt that self-awareness *should* make them a more considerate driver when they ARE a better driver.

What? Get a grip? What ARE you drivelling on about? I’d agree with the senitment of the statement entirely. Have YOU ever taken any extra training, or are you just perfect?

It was a completely illogical statement, but its the kind of trite nonsense that goes down a storm on here.

Being worried about getting into the car until you have had a lesson does not make you one of the better drivers on the road, it makes you one of the worst.

Shandy – I think there was a certain ‘spirit’ attached to the statement rather than it being meant as an absolute. Of course, he/she won’t be one of the better drivers but will IMO be adopting a responsible attitude. No need to dismount from that high horse though – you carry on…

Being worried about getting into the car until you have had a lesson does not make you one of the better drivers on the road, it makes you one of the worst.

So, what does make you a better driver then, if it’s not responsibility and extra training?

He is quite clearly a terrible driver, currently, which is why the statement saying he was one of the better drivers on the road is complete drivel.

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

A BIGGER car, probably…

and decent ventilated leather driving gloves.

^^ Nice trolling 🙂

If I go to an instructor, is there any means/liklihood that I could be reported in some fashion as needing to re-sit my driving test?

NO!

Being worried about getting into the car until you have had a lesson does not make you one of the better drivers on the road, it makes you one of the worst

So the best driver would be someone with no concern about the quality of their driving who jumps into a car singing?

I think a retest should be done every 10 years. It would get rid of a lot of traffic!

I don’t know if this would help. I reckon we all pick up bad habits along the line, but under ‘exam’ conditions most people would know what to do to pass the test, after which you just revert back to the way you’ve always driven. Not sure it’ll do anything except create more jobs of examiners.

SAve the country by re testing every 10 years! More Jobs (testers/ instructors), Less accidents, cheaper car insurance, more money coming in from test fees etc, Les crap motorists would mean less cars so less pollution! more money spent on decent public transport and cycling!

Respect to Poppa for not taking the “I have a pink card and there fore am a driving god” attitude of most people, I’m always amazed at how sloppy my driving gets when it is re-assessed every year, and I’m supposed to be an advanced driver (and i’ve got an LGV license!). Everybody could do with sharpening their skills IMO!

So the best driver would be someone with no concern about the quality of their driving who jumps into a car singing?

What has that got to do with anything?

So, what does make you a better driver then, if it’s not responsibility and extra training?

Patience
Consideration for others
Confidence but not so much that it leads to recklessness

more money spent on decent public transport and cycling!

Like, yeah, right.

Better driver qualifications? Owning a 335d or V8 Defender will make you a simply awesome driver… 😉

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.

no pint posting that, the (less than) awesome one has long since going….

So the best driver would be someone with no concern about the quality of their driving who jumps into a car singing?
What has that got to do with anything?

Well if worrying about the quality of your driving makes you a bad driver then not worrying must make you a good driver…..surely.

So can I become a good driver simply by not worrying? Or is that BY worrying? I am getting lost now.

Fortunately driving is incredibly easy for anybody with half a brain

Wrong. If you think that you need to buck your ideas up.

He is quite clearly a terrible driver, currently, which is why the statement saying he was one of the better drivers on the road is complete drivel.

Rubbish. He’s neither a bad or good driver, becasue HE’S NOT CURRENTLY DRIVING A CAR!!!

I said I agreed with the sentiment of the comment (Go on, check) which is that he realises he’s not up to scratch and is willing to do something about it, hence showing responsibility and consideration before he’s even got into a car.

Patience
Consideration for others
Confidence but not so much that it leads to recklessness

Consideration vs Responisbility? That’s splitting hairs.

And it can be learned, if you’re willing to accept it.

And you’ll never be confident if you don’t know what you’re doing, will you? It’s a lot easier to be overconfident and think you’re OK, than lack confidence and do something about it, too.

What has that got to do with anything?

You tell us, you seem to be the expert.

If I go to an instructor, is there any means/liklihood that I could be reported in some fashion as needing to re-sit my driving test?

NO!

Though maybe they should be able to!

Surely the first step towards improving is identifying there’s a problem. *that*, I believe to the BBZ’s sentiment.

Conflating awareness with skill is causing an STW stylee rumpus.

[T]here are known knowns; there are things we know we know.
We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know.
But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don’t know we don’t know.

The unknown unknowns are the worst drivers. Those that dont know they’re shit.

That applies to arguments about political economic theory as much as it does driving btw 🙂

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

I know plenty of people with significantly more than half a brain that make it look incredibly difficult!

He really is a poor driver. There are millions out there and even the ones that passed their test last week are probably better than him.

If it was difficult there would be loads of crashes, but there isn’t. Its really easy. There are systems to avoid crashing into each other and everything.

I don’t believe that anyone can make you resit your test based on simply observing your driving behaviour.

The police?