WHEN CAN I USE MY OWN CAR
The main reason people fail their test is a
lack of experience so getting more experience is great and well recommended,
however, more often people get into problems because they have not planned or
structured their learning to drive. Whoever is taking you out must
1 Exciting and dangerous to start with but a
bit of fun
2 Getting into problems
3 Shouting at each other and tears
4 Not going out any more
5 Giving up in frustration
There are two ways of doing it.
Have the instructor TEACH you how to drive
properly and safely. THEN WHEN YOU HAVE
Your accompanying driver “tries”
to TEACH YOU TO DRIVE and your instructor sees you periodically to oversee how
you are learning. This doesn't work so well as your
"accompanying driver" is not an instructor and if you practise bad
habits then you become very good at them! Just like your instructor they should
go through each item in the syllabus with you and help you gain experience of
situations so you can deal with them safely on your own but it doesn't work
that way because they're not an instructor!
This is the main reason why so many people
give up with learning with friends and family, but if there are no dual control
and if (as most admit) they could not pass the Theory test much less today's
practical test then it's obvious why problems occur
HOW TO
The successful ones are those that work with
their instructor and follow their advise of when to go
out in their own car and what to do. They use their own car learning time as
extra experience gained in between their normal ongoing driving lessons. Our
first 3 successful candidates this year passed their test first time by doing
exactly that. It's a winning formula..... Learn the correct way to do things in
safety with your instructor FIRST. THEN try them in your own car. Obvious isn't
it!
HOW IT SO OFTEN HAPPENS
Unfortunately, some (like this one) are taken
out in their own car too early and, with no dual controls, it's very dangerous.
You must regard going out in your own car as
a bonus to your normal driving lessons.
Others drop off their driving lessons when
they start going out in their own car, then they get into problems, their
"accompanying tutor" gets frightened/bored and things just frizzle
out. You need to keep the momentum going! For success, you want the shortest
possible time between starting to drive and taking your test.
So, by all means get used to a car's controls
in an off road open space (with no rivers and tress etc nearby before taking up
driving lessons but then leave it alone!
Learn how to do things properly with your
instructor FIRST and WAIT until your instructor tells you when and what to do
in your own car. Then you can learn quickly and safely. That's what you wanted
to do right!