Teen learning to drive - crash course?!

[rix]

So my 16 year old turns 17 next year (obvs?!) and starting to think about driving lessons etc. it's been many a year since my lessons and (minor fault free!) test, tho I did do one of the first iterations of the theory test. Things change, it's now presumably much tougher, and after all my years of driving wouldn't dream of attempting to teach!

The wait for practical tests seems to be typically 6-9 months after the theory (and can't book practical until theory is passed and can't take theory until 17th birthday) but have heard that crash course suppliers can get the jump on those timescales.

Has anyone experienced such courses with their offspring recently? Recommended? Or do we just accept that it will be a weekly lesson at circa £90 per week for a 9 month period preceding the typical organic routeway?

Not sure what to do for the best...

[CG2020UK]

Only advice I can give is when my wife (girlfriend at the time) was learning I took her out to the industrial estate at the harbour late in the evening when it was dead and she just practiced driving in my car.

You aren’t teaching them to drive on the road merely getting them comfortable with steering, clutch, controls etc so that when the instructor actually teaches them how to drive on the road they can focus on that.

My best mate done the same thing for me at the local rugby club.

Just get time in the car behind the wheel to speed things up.

[Panamax]

rix said:

have heard that crash course suppliers can get the jump on those timescales.

There's been controversy around long waiting lists linked with driving instructors booking slots and re-selling them at inflated prices. The government ran a consultation on the subject which has now ended. I've not heard of any actual action/changes though.
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/improv...

[Panamax]

Here's an extract,

"From the limited responses [no surprise there] we received from these re-selling businesses, the call for evidence showed that:

almost half of respondents said they use driving instructor registration details to access the booking system
almost two-thirds of respondents said they use learner driver details to book tests for reselling
most respondents said they charge extra fees on top of the standard test fee
these reported fees are often much higher than the standard fee
some respondents said they use automated tools to constantly search for available test slots
This evidence shows that while most people who responded say they use the system as it was intended, test reselling is considerable with learners often paying double the standard fee for earlier test dates."

[Chubbyross]

I don't see a problem with waiting and having weekly lessons, as well as going out with you in between. I alway think crash courses teach you to pass the test, rather than teach you to drive. My daughter's instructor was great (we live in central London) and taught her, on a weekly basis, to drive in all types of traffic conditions - rush hour, back roads, busy high streets, as well as taking her out of town and teaching her to drive at the NSL on A and B roads. It takes time and many weeks to get used to all sorts of conditions. A crash course will teach you the fundamentals and how to get through a test. I know I'm grateful that my daughter was taught to be safe in as many conditions as possible, over a longer period, rather than cram all the basics into as short a time as possible.

[rix]

Thanks for the above... The 'urgency' is re her need to get about between parents and 6th form etc. there is public transport / lifts but getting independence would be a big bonus. Friend of mine's daughter is doing the traditional route and has been learning for the past month, and has recently booked her test. Living in Essex, she has just had to book a Liverpool test centre for February! Seems crazy but also fairly typical. Happy for her to learn to pass a test, rather than learning to drive, and to carry on with any additional tuition needed for confidence etc after passing.