Recommendations for "intense/guaranteed pass" lessons

[sunbeam alpine]

I have just discovered that my younger brother (40 yr old) doesn't have a driving licence!

Due to a combination of a lot of time spent overseas (both of us), and our time in the UK not overlapping much, I'd never noticed. His wife always drove whenever we saw them, but it never occurred to me that he didn't have a licence.

Unfortunately they've now split up and he's stuck on his own in a dingy flat. When we spoke on the phone I offered him one of our cars as soon as he mentioned that his ex had taken the car. That's when he said that he didn't have a licence. I'd like to pay for an intensive course for him, and wonder whether anyone on here has any personal recommendations.

Google throws up loads of (mostly crap-looking) websites. Preferred location would either be Swansea (where he is at the moment) or Oxford (he can stay at our house).

[ZOLLAR]

Never used them but are based in Swansea

http://www.survivingdriving.net/intensive-course.h...

[LuS1fer]

I doubt anyone will guarantee a pass. Some people are just not natural drivers, some suffer nerves and these days, anything can go wrong on the day.

He may be better off finding a good instructor and negotiating a block booking of lessons. Most of them use parts of the driving test course to ensure their pupils know the route.

[big_boz]

The only one i have any "personal" experience of is one in Blackpool that a friend of mine went on some years ago.

Not first hand experience, but she said that over the course of the week (5 days possibly maybe 3?) it was 3 learners and one instructor per car and there wasn't that much time actually spent driving, and the "guarantee" of passing at the end was not water tight by any means.

Personally I think you are better off paying a local instructor for 1.5hr to 2hr one on one lessons but out of peak driving hours so as not to get stuck in traffic.

Driving instruction seems to be quite cheap these days judging from the adverts i see on local outfits cars, IMO a better way to learn.

[djdestiny]

The only one I could recommend would be Wellingborough Driving Academy, who I believe were the first to ever offer 1 week courses and advertised them in the national press.
When I did mine with them in 1992, there were other people from all over the country on the course staying in a local hotel.
My mate did it a year before me with them and passed and everyone else Ive recommended to use them has also passed.
I think when I was there the pass rate was 90+%
I don't think they have a website, so you'd have to give them a call

Edit: just found their site, it does'nt look like they do them anymore
http://www.wellingboroughdrivingacademy.com

Edited by djdestiny on Wednesday 21st November 09:33

[Grenoble]

I'd be wary of any guaranteed pass. But there is a lot to be said for an intensive course - just driving, coaching and practice for a week.

Maybe a week of evening lessons and then a week long course?

You might want to move this thread to "Advanced Driving" or start a new one there - this feels like a question that the IoAM guys will have a good view on.

[sunbeam alpine]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the replies so far.

Maybe guaranteed pass was the wrong expression. My thinking is that it will be easier for him to take a week off work and get it done (hopefull) in one go, and preferably ASAP.

[big_boz]

sunbeam alpine said:

Hi guys,

Thanks for the replies so far.

Maybe guaranteed pass was the wrong expression. My thinking is that it will be easier for him to take a week off work and get it done (hopefull) in one go, and preferably ASAP.

Still go the local route fella. I could already "drive" at 17 having done a bit of grass racing in my youth and some other driving off the public highway, so clutch/brake etc, was all done prior to my first lesson.

The "easiest" way to pass is to learn on the actual test route, which most decent local instructors will teach you on. I had one 2 hr lesson on my 17th birthday and then passed a week later (on my second attempt). Was i ready to go on the public highway on my own, HELL NO, but my passable impression of a competent and safe driver which i displayed during my test was down to having repeatedly driven the test route numerous times over the course of my 2 hour lesson.

If your brother has a mind set for driving, and is comfortable with the act of controlling a car in a reasonably smooth fashion, if he learns the test route, he should pass relatively easily.