New (un boy racerish) driver!
Discussion
Good afternoon PH! I'll start by saying happy new year,
I'm currently doing driving lessons and I was just wondering whether I could have any advice on passing the theory and keeping calm behind the wheel, I'm 17 but I know I want to be the best driver I can be.
Also if anyone has any advice on a car that would be best suited to driving my family around because my dad currently has a mobility car but his driving skills and awareness are dying rapidly, this means he doesnt want to renew his mobility contract and therefore will pay the insurance and some petrol for the car, so I'm looking for something along the lines of maybe a 1.4 focus?
All advice welcomed,
Cheers
Steve
I'm currently doing driving lessons and I was just wondering whether I could have any advice on passing the theory and keeping calm behind the wheel, I'm 17 but I know I want to be the best driver I can be.
Also if anyone has any advice on a car that would be best suited to driving my family around because my dad currently has a mobility car but his driving skills and awareness are dying rapidly, this means he doesnt want to renew his mobility contract and therefore will pay the insurance and some petrol for the car, so I'm looking for something along the lines of maybe a 1.4 focus?
All advice welcomed,
Cheers
Steve
Some thoughts:
The key thing at your stage is to choose a good driving instructor. Ask for recommendations, ask about first time pass rate, feel free to ask about Grade (qualified instructors are graded 4, 5 or 6, with 6 being the best grade). You really want the best instructor rather than the cheapest. Personally, I would look for an instructor who claims to teach advanced driving as well as teaching learners - he will be likely to teach pupils to drive well, rather than just to pass the test in the easiest way.
On choice of cars, you probably already know that insurance is going to be pretty expensive. You are going to have to choose a car based on what you can afford to insure. All the young people I know have found that Admiral is the cheapest. I suggest you look for a car in insurance groups 1, 2 or 3 (a Focus might be too high) and do online quotes. You have to pretend you already have the experience and age that you will have when you pass. If you are thinking of getting a car while you are still learning, so that you can practise with your Dad supervising you (a good idea), you should know that insurance goes up when you pass, so you may want to check the price both as a learner and after passing.
On preparing for the theory test, there are basically three ways to go. You can read the highway code, and possibly the other recommended books, you can use a book of the full set of published questions and correct answers, or you can use a DVD which includes all this info. In the opinion of an old fart like me, you should do all of these things. You need to use a DVD to practise the hazard perception part of the test, and the official one in the past has been better than unofficial ones. In my experience many young people pass first time just using the DVD, going on doing practise tests until they consistently get more than the pass mark.
You might find better forums that this for your stage of driving - two that I can suggest are the Advanced Driving section of PH, and Advanced Driving UK which has a learners' section.
The key thing at your stage is to choose a good driving instructor. Ask for recommendations, ask about first time pass rate, feel free to ask about Grade (qualified instructors are graded 4, 5 or 6, with 6 being the best grade). You really want the best instructor rather than the cheapest. Personally, I would look for an instructor who claims to teach advanced driving as well as teaching learners - he will be likely to teach pupils to drive well, rather than just to pass the test in the easiest way.
On choice of cars, you probably already know that insurance is going to be pretty expensive. You are going to have to choose a car based on what you can afford to insure. All the young people I know have found that Admiral is the cheapest. I suggest you look for a car in insurance groups 1, 2 or 3 (a Focus might be too high) and do online quotes. You have to pretend you already have the experience and age that you will have when you pass. If you are thinking of getting a car while you are still learning, so that you can practise with your Dad supervising you (a good idea), you should know that insurance goes up when you pass, so you may want to check the price both as a learner and after passing.
On preparing for the theory test, there are basically three ways to go. You can read the highway code, and possibly the other recommended books, you can use a book of the full set of published questions and correct answers, or you can use a DVD which includes all this info. In the opinion of an old fart like me, you should do all of these things. You need to use a DVD to practise the hazard perception part of the test, and the official one in the past has been better than unofficial ones. In my experience many young people pass first time just using the DVD, going on doing practise tests until they consistently get more than the pass mark.
You might find better forums that this for your stage of driving - two that I can suggest are the Advanced Driving section of PH, and Advanced Driving UK which has a learners' section.
Just wrote a big helpful post and then the damn Internet broke and I lost it! In summary: the Focus is a great choice and have a go at the theory test on the computer beforehand. Download a copy of the Highway Code and ask your instructor if they could lend you one of the mock theory test CDs. Oh, and welcome to PH. Your adult approach to motoring should fit in well here.Regarding the insurance, at the moment it is totally loopy. The prices seem to be swinging wildly, so a car showing as cheap now may not be when you've learnt and passed your test.
Best thing is to blitz the price comparison sites etc once you've passed and then make a decision from there. The likes of Focus, Astra etc in my experience have not been much more to insure then Corsas, Fiestas because the larger engine is offset by a better average owner demographic.
Best thing is to blitz the price comparison sites etc once you've passed and then make a decision from there. The likes of Focus, Astra etc in my experience have not been much more to insure then Corsas, Fiestas because the larger engine is offset by a better average owner demographic.
Regarding Driver training:
Think of it as an ongoing process of development, rather than just a test to pass.
Try and get a Pass Plus Course, they're often tacked on to the basic driving instruction as an add on. It'll help with things like motorway Driving and driving in low light. Driving at Night is a huge risk for new/younger drivers so it's wise to get some additional tuition.
Then, after perhaps 6 months as your confidence builds see if there is a Institute of Advance Motorists group near you who can give you some additional guidance. It's the best value for money driver training there is.
Once you've completed those as a "foundation" you can consider spending some more money and you'll have a better idea what you enjoy and where your skills are, so you can try things like trackdays and skidpan/car limits days for car control and a good day out, or really push the boat out on "Performance Driving" tuition on road and track (£££'s!).
A huge part of it is your attitude and state of mind when you get behind the wheel. The feeling of achievement and freedom is immense when you first pass your test. Of course, many people let it go to their head and then next thing they've lost a fight with a tricky bend and a tree. It's avoiding that which will keep you safe and save you money in the long run as you build your skills!
As for first cars: Look around and see what takes your fancy, but be sure to run realistic insurance quotes before you commit to anything. Insurance cost will most likely be what decides if you can run a car or not. A 1.4 Focus is a good car (the bigger engine ones are great first cars! Dunno if you'd afford to insure one though!), but think outside the box. People sometimes get all manner of things insured. Things like big engined Volvos or Mondeos can be very cheap to insure despite being faster than the likes of a corsa/saxo. But all the youngun's crash saxos and corsas which pushes the premuims up!
Think of it as an ongoing process of development, rather than just a test to pass.
Try and get a Pass Plus Course, they're often tacked on to the basic driving instruction as an add on. It'll help with things like motorway Driving and driving in low light. Driving at Night is a huge risk for new/younger drivers so it's wise to get some additional tuition.
Then, after perhaps 6 months as your confidence builds see if there is a Institute of Advance Motorists group near you who can give you some additional guidance. It's the best value for money driver training there is.
Once you've completed those as a "foundation" you can consider spending some more money and you'll have a better idea what you enjoy and where your skills are, so you can try things like trackdays and skidpan/car limits days for car control and a good day out, or really push the boat out on "Performance Driving" tuition on road and track (£££'s!).
A huge part of it is your attitude and state of mind when you get behind the wheel. The feeling of achievement and freedom is immense when you first pass your test. Of course, many people let it go to their head and then next thing they've lost a fight with a tricky bend and a tree. It's avoiding that which will keep you safe and save you money in the long run as you build your skills!
As for first cars: Look around and see what takes your fancy, but be sure to run realistic insurance quotes before you commit to anything. Insurance cost will most likely be what decides if you can run a car or not. A 1.4 Focus is a good car (the bigger engine ones are great first cars! Dunno if you'd afford to insure one though!), but think outside the box. People sometimes get all manner of things insured. Things like big engined Volvos or Mondeos can be very cheap to insure despite being faster than the likes of a corsa/saxo. But all the youngun's crash saxos and corsas which pushes the premuims up!
http://www.motabilitycarscheme.co.uk/main.cfm?Type...
Says it should be fine. There may be a restriction on what car you can drive with them, but having a fully paid for car is much better than going it alone.
Says it should be fine. There may be a restriction on what car you can drive with them, but having a fully paid for car is much better than going it alone.
Oh god yeah. If you can in any way wangle a motability car, do it.
My mum traded in their 170,000 mile ford galaxy under scrappage and got a brand new 2.0 diesel galaxy for ferrying my father and kit about. She pays nothing for it - the Mobility allowance coveres it all.
You could be rolling about in a brand new car and paying nothing to insure/run it bar the fuel.
My mum traded in their 170,000 mile ford galaxy under scrappage and got a brand new 2.0 diesel galaxy for ferrying my father and kit about. She pays nothing for it - the Mobility allowance coveres it all.
You could be rolling about in a brand new car and paying nothing to insure/run it bar the fuel.
steeveeboy said:
I was under the impression that you had to be 25, cheers for the advice though.
Steve
It says "Some Restrictions" which will probably limit you to the lower end of the power scale. I should think you'll get into something focus sized though, especially if your dad's mobility is limited. Steve
-edit-
A bit more searching, and I found on page 8 of this document
http://www.motabilitycarscheme.co.uk/documents/web...
That you'll be limited to group 18 on the insurance(on the new out of 50 scale, so about group 10 on the old out of 20 scale). Which as luck would have it is exactly where the Ford Focus is.
Edited by davepoth on Monday 3rd January 00:57
Former work colleague did this ... she was on a Mobility Astra 1.6 cabrio at 19, previously a Focus 1.6 Zetec.
I think the limit is Insurance Group 8 (out of 20) for under 21/25s.
ETA
I’d like to add my grandson as a nominated driver, is there anything I need to know about adding a young driver?
A. There are certain restrictions on which vehicles drivers under 25 can be insured on (up to Car Group 18 of the ABI 1–50 scale) and there are also higher insurance excesses applied. If you are planning on adding a driver aged under 25 to your lease, visit the ABI website at ww.thatcham.org/abigrouprating to find suitable models and carefully check any models
you are considering with your dealer. Motability also offers PASS PLUS, an additional driver training course delivered by the AA. The 6-hour course, free to Motability drivers aged between 16 and 24 years old, has been specifically designed to teach young drivers to drive more safely and will reduce the insurance excess applied once the course is successfully completed. Your dealer can arrange the course for you when you apply for your new car.
I think the limit is Insurance Group 8 (out of 20) for under 21/25s.
ETA
I’d like to add my grandson as a nominated driver, is there anything I need to know about adding a young driver?
A. There are certain restrictions on which vehicles drivers under 25 can be insured on (up to Car Group 18 of the ABI 1–50 scale) and there are also higher insurance excesses applied. If you are planning on adding a driver aged under 25 to your lease, visit the ABI website at ww.thatcham.org/abigrouprating to find suitable models and carefully check any models
you are considering with your dealer. Motability also offers PASS PLUS, an additional driver training course delivered by the AA. The 6-hour course, free to Motability drivers aged between 16 and 24 years old, has been specifically designed to teach young drivers to drive more safely and will reduce the insurance excess applied once the course is successfully completed. Your dealer can arrange the course for you when you apply for your new car.
Edited by DavidHM on Tuesday 4th January 14:41
I thoroughly recomend you crash a car, itll calm you down lots very quickly. You just dont think about anything like that until it happens. I honestly think part of the driving test should be crashing an old banger, just so you can experience the arse clentching terror, and learn from it.
As for a car, find something obscure, should help keep down the insurance.
As for a car, find something obscure, should help keep down the insurance.
steeveeboy said:
Cheers dave,
My computer wont display the page and im guessing its a .pdf file,
Would you be able to put a printscreen up of the page that says you dont have to be 25 because my dad wont quite believe it.
Cheers
Steve
Try this link so you use the Google viewer, you may require a google account (gmail) but shouldn't take 5 minutes to set up if you don't have one: https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.mota...My computer wont display the page and im guessing its a .pdf file,
Would you be able to put a printscreen up of the page that says you dont have to be 25 because my dad wont quite believe it.
Cheers
Steve
Getting a car through motorbillity is a total no brainer in your case.
The most important thing about your first car is how it reacts in an accident. Regardless of being a boy racer or not your anticipation isn't going to be up to the same standard as other road users and you're not only more likely to be involved in an accident, you're more likely to have a much bigger one too.
The next bit is fuel. I can remember picking up my first car (306 Rallye) then driving round and shoving £40s worth of fuel in and feeling shocked. When it all went in 300 miles I nearly cried. Same car would be £70 now and that's just an insane amount to have to hand over at the pumps when you're 17. Therefor get something cheapo on fuel
If I were the one shopping I'd be on the m'bility site looking at Golfs/sciroccos personally, or perhaps a Polo
The most important thing about your first car is how it reacts in an accident. Regardless of being a boy racer or not your anticipation isn't going to be up to the same standard as other road users and you're not only more likely to be involved in an accident, you're more likely to have a much bigger one too.
The next bit is fuel. I can remember picking up my first car (306 Rallye) then driving round and shoving £40s worth of fuel in and feeling shocked. When it all went in 300 miles I nearly cried. Same car would be £70 now and that's just an insane amount to have to hand over at the pumps when you're 17. Therefor get something cheapo on fuel
If I were the one shopping I'd be on the m'bility site looking at Golfs/sciroccos personally, or perhaps a Polo
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