How many driving lessons did you take?

[Steve Maund]

Reported in the Sunday papers today that it now takes on average 42 lessons for a learner driver to pass their test, I know things have changed over the last 20 years with the theory test being added, but 40+ lessons, the driving instructors must be making a fortune.

I passed my test in 1986, took 16 lessons (mostly at night) and I passed on the 2nd attempt. How many lessons did it take to pass your test?

Answers on a postcard please?

Steve

[boobles]

I had approx 20 lessons 18 years ago & passed first time.

[T33JOB]

I had four, two hour lessons

Passed in 18 days with 1 minor

[Lord Pikey]

10 lessons and passed first time in 1999.

[markmullen]

One.

My dad taught me to drive when I was 8 or so, off road. When I was ready to drive on the road we did miles and miles, of an evening we'd do 50 or 60 miles, all sorts of roads.

I booked a test and then booked a lesson to see if the tutor could teach me the test routes, we had time to cover 5 of the 6 routes used in York at the time. Guess which one I got on test?!

Still, I passed first time in a 2 litre Vectra with just 2 minor faults, one of which I contested.

Strangely having been taught to drive by my dad more recently I taught him to pass his Advanced driving test, a weird reversal.

Edited by markmullen on Sunday 12th December 10:35

[Fort Jefferson]

Nobody taught me to drive, they just taught me how to pass my test.

[Ben Hughes]

21 lessons, passed second time round in February.

[6potdave]

10 lessons, quite a bit of practising in my mums Fiesta and a couple of years experience on a small motorbike before hand. All helped, but this was 10 years ago I know things are quite different now.

[Mr Obertshaw]

I only had 6 lessons, however I used to drive all the time as my dad only had a motorbike so if we needed to go somewhere we would go in my car and just avoid motorways. I clocked up about 3000 miles before taking my test.

[y282]

was obsessed with driving from a very, very early age. the only thing stopping me passing on my 17th birthday was that it fell on a sunday.

• shakes fist at god.

Edited by y282 on Sunday 12th December 10:38

[550Hep]

3 lessons before I was put in for my test, 2 more on the run up as I had a 3 week wait.

[edo]

Lots of driving with my folks (and learning to drive in the field long before that), 5 "proper" lessons, and pass first time. IAM taken and passed a year later.

[thetwistys]

15ish lessons + a couple of thousand miles driving round with me da'. Passed 1st time, 8 minors, last september. Makes a huge difference being able to get on the roads for a few months in the 'real' world. Practice is all...

[Bhuvsta]

I had 24 hours of tuition (I was in Germany took a wrong turn, and ended up following some noisy sports cars for some time ) and passed first time with 3 minors.

Edited by Bhuvsta on Sunday 12th December 10:49

[McSam]

Fort Jefferson said:

Nobody taught me to drive, they just taught me how to pass my test.

This. I find it absolutely incredible that parents today will pay someone £20+ an hour to teach their child what a clutch pedal is and how not to destroy the parts it's attached to. Plenty of friends had two or three lessons before actually driving the car on the road, which astonishes me.

Compared to some guys on here, I didn't really get an early start, but I learnt at 14 or 15, and had driven more than a dozen cars by my 17th birthday. Eight lessons to deal with traffic and what the test wanted from me.

[bga]

I had 12 hours of tuition and many more hours driving my mum and dad around. Fortunately for me they both had jobs that required a fair bit of travel within the county so lots of opportunity to drive them.

[daveparry]

thetwistys said:

15ish lessons + a couple of thousand miles driving round with me da'. Passed 1st time, 8 minors, last september. Makes a huge difference being able to get on the roads for a few months in the 'real' world. Practice is all...

8 minors and you still passed!! my god standards have dropped, no offence meant though it is the DSA that are wrong!

Edited to add.....I taught myself and had 2 lessons failed first time for being too slow then passed no faults!

Edited by daveparry on Sunday 12th December 10:55

[12gauge]

Think it was 20 lessons. Failed for going too slow, then took another 4 and passed.

[Jimbo_vx]

10 hours (including the test), passed first time in 2000

[xr287]

Fort Jefferson said:

Nobody taught me to drive, they just taught me how to pass my test.

This unfortunately! Realised about a year after I had got my licence that I hadn't really had a clue until now.

Think I took around 14 lessons and passed first time.

The one thing I really disliked about driving lessons is having to feed the wheel, who actually drives like that? It's uncomfartable, unnatural, feels innaccurate and I'm pretty sure it's the reason many ppl shoot off in to the hedge at the hint of any oversteer because they feed wildly then have no way to quickly get back to straight or even see what straight ahead would be so happily crash off in the other direction.

10 and 2 for me thank you and I don't need to reposition my hands for anything other than more than a 90 degree corner.