Any private land round here that I can learn to drive on?
Discussion
Its only 4 and a bit months till I can drive 
and I'm fairly happy with knowing what to do on the road having ridden my bike around for what will be about a year by then.
Thing is, I'd like to get a bit of practice in before I get out onto the open road in a car, but there doesn't seem to be many disused air fields around Newcastle/the North East. The best place I've come up with so far is the car park at my mums office, but its about 20mx30m, so not much good for getting above about 2k revs in first, and so absolutely useless to try changing gear in!
I know theres a big strip of tarmac at Croft (drag strip?), does anyone know what thats used for? I only noticed it when it was pointed out to me (
yeh, I know, its pretty hard to miss...) when they said "shall we take the Aston down there and see how fast we can go?" 
. Anyway, will I get bollocked by the marshalls or Croft owner people if I was to drive on there?
Or does anyone know of somewhere else I could go (preferably for free
) to have a bit of a drive round?
Thanks
and I'm fairly happy with knowing what to do on the road having ridden my bike around for what will be about a year by then. Thing is, I'd like to get a bit of practice in before I get out onto the open road in a car, but there doesn't seem to be many disused air fields around Newcastle/the North East. The best place I've come up with so far is the car park at my mums office, but its about 20mx30m, so not much good for getting above about 2k revs in first, and so absolutely useless to try changing gear in!
I know theres a big strip of tarmac at Croft (drag strip?), does anyone know what thats used for? I only noticed it when it was pointed out to me (
yeh, I know, its pretty hard to miss...) when they said "shall we take the Aston down there and see how fast we can go?" . Anyway, will I get bollocked by the marshalls or Croft owner people if I was to drive on there? Or does anyone know of somewhere else I could go (preferably for free
) to have a bit of a drive round? Thanks
A quick bit of advice.
I'm making the assumption that what you really want is to pass your practical driving test as quickly as possible. If that's true then you need to know that learning to drive and learning to pass your practical driving test are very different things. It can be very difficult for your driving instructor to un-teach you the things you have taught yourself.
I'm making the assumption that what you really want is to pass your practical driving test as quickly as possible. If that's true then you need to know that learning to drive and learning to pass your practical driving test are very different things. It can be very difficult for your driving instructor to un-teach you the things you have taught yourself.
Yeh but its almost 5 months till I can drive. I can't wait that long 
And its not as if everyone doesn't have bad habits. I'm sure I've subconciously picked up a few riding a scooter round for 8 months so far.
I'm actually quite worried that it won't be all that its cracked up to be and I'll be disappointed
And its not as if everyone doesn't have bad habits. I'm sure I've subconciously picked up a few riding a scooter round for 8 months so far. I'm actually quite worried that it won't be all that its cracked up to be and I'll be disappointed
OK I'll try a bit harder.
There are four people in my family. All four passed their test first time and at the earliest opportunity. In today's terms that means booking up so that you can sit your theory & hazard perception tests on the morning of your birthday and passing them. That qualifies you to book your practical test, which you do before leaving the test centre. Getting 'proper' instruction in a timely manner so that you are at your peak at the time of your practical test.
Both of my sons did this and it works. My wife is a qualified instructor and she has had to deal with the poor peddle use and bad hand to steering wheel problems that cause so many young hopefuls to fail their practical. Believe me it is very easy to learn the wrong way and it is very hard to unlearn it. Set your goal for what you want to achieve and don't let your eagerness spoil things. Petrolheads pass first time, make sure you do.
There are four people in my family. All four passed their test first time and at the earliest opportunity. In today's terms that means booking up so that you can sit your theory & hazard perception tests on the morning of your birthday and passing them. That qualifies you to book your practical test, which you do before leaving the test centre. Getting 'proper' instruction in a timely manner so that you are at your peak at the time of your practical test.
Both of my sons did this and it works. My wife is a qualified instructor and she has had to deal with the poor peddle use and bad hand to steering wheel problems that cause so many young hopefuls to fail their practical. Believe me it is very easy to learn the wrong way and it is very hard to unlearn it. Set your goal for what you want to achieve and don't let your eagerness spoil things. Petrolheads pass first time, make sure you do.
there is a lot to be said for using your parents etc to learn how to control a clutch, change gear, steer etc, but as soon as you have that you should go to an instructor.
Don't be under any illusions, a driving test is not a test of how capable you are to drive, but how well you can perform there little role-playing game - something I'm sure Bob will agree with. In that light, you really need to get an instructor to show you what to do as in reality it bears little resemblance to "driving".
As for me, I did exactly this. On the morning of my birthday I was driving with my dad, and I continued to do so for a week or so and then had a lesson each week with a driving instructor. This continued for around 3 months, during which I put about 3000miles onto my dads car (one evening we drove to the Lakes for a run out). I past my test first time with 2 minors, both of which I told the test dude I was about to do I could have past much earlier, but in truth I enjoyed the chance to learn - my driving instructor was an ex rally driver
Don't be under any illusions, a driving test is not a test of how capable you are to drive, but how well you can perform there little role-playing game - something I'm sure Bob will agree with. In that light, you really need to get an instructor to show you what to do as in reality it bears little resemblance to "driving".
As for me, I did exactly this. On the morning of my birthday I was driving with my dad, and I continued to do so for a week or so and then had a lesson each week with a driving instructor. This continued for around 3 months, during which I put about 3000miles onto my dads car (one evening we drove to the Lakes for a run out). I past my test first time with 2 minors, both of which I told the test dude I was about to do
I could have past much earlier, but in truth I enjoyed the chance to learn - my driving instructor was an ex rally driver put it this way , you must have sat your gcses by now , how much of that information that you learnt to pass will you use again, not much? , you have not in most cases gained much knowledge just learnt the facts to get your grade and move on and up .
driving tests are like this , learn from an instructor what you need to learn to pass your test , the real learning part of driving comes when you have past and out n the road all by yourself .
driving tests are like this , learn from an instructor what you need to learn to pass your test , the real learning part of driving comes when you have past and out n the road all by yourself .
I found it quite amusing when my first driving instructor tried to tell me about changing gear, what the 'box was for and how it worked. I'd been helping my old man strip and rebuild them since I was 10, so I had a fair idea...
Mind you I was still crap at other things (ironically not the usual, like reversing, hill starts etc.) and failed twice....
Mind you I was still crap at other things (ironically not the usual, like reversing, hill starts etc.) and failed twice....
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