Learner to Drive at a Snail's Pace
cosmo
Posts: 26,840 Forum Member
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Is it just me or do you find that learner drivers are driving much slower these days?
When I was learning 20+ years ago my instructor always told me to step it up a bit if I slacked on the pedal. Now it seems the vast majority of learner drivers I come across are pootling along at 7mph.
Surely this is a bad habit to teach.
When I was learning 20+ years ago my instructor always told me to step it up a bit if I slacked on the pedal. Now it seems the vast majority of learner drivers I come across are pootling along at 7mph.
Surely this is a bad habit to teach.
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Comments
Would you prefer them to make errors at speed?
We all had to start somewhere
Don't get me wrong - I fully appreciate that having driving lessons can be difficult, and I have patience with learners.
It's just the speed at which they seem to drive nowadays. I really think it's much slower than in the past.
They should not be on the road during rush hour imho
Seriously that is meant a bit tongue in cheek but learners and tractors do wind me up at rush hour.
A while back,on a straight road i saw this car veering straight over to my side of the road.As it got closer,i saw a young guy yank the steering wheel from his girlfriend to get them going straight again.:eek:
I get these here and there and I always make sure I'm going at exactly the right speed so Im not going too slowly.
Oh we all feel like that when we're learning...
Wait til you pass and you've got 5 minutes to be at work.
True
Its just so rude though imo to tailgate anyway let alone a learner!
Can't say I've noticed a difference in the 14 years since I passed.
Maybe you're just getting old and feel like you can't afford to waste the time anymore?
My first 2 lessons were in quiet side roads which are 30 zones but because there were so many parked cars to avoid I didn't end up doing more than about 20-25mph.
I like driving on wide, fast roads but sometimes get panicky on narrow, slow roads. The worst are fast narrow roads in the countryside though. Those roads are probably the only places I'd be in real 'danger' of holding people up!
Just come home and was stuck behind a learner in their parents car lol.
Driving out over the white line, indicated right at a 2 lane roundabout entrance, but stayed in left lane, then went straight on (there's no left turn) changing indicators to left just as she was half way across. Was doing 10mph all the way back on a busy road.
That's why parents shouldn't be allowed to teach kids from scratch..
Obviously someone who doesn't know which pedal is which yet is going to be going slower than someone who is doing their test the next day.
Personally I always give learners 'breathing room'. There's simply nothing to be gained from trying to drive up their exhaust pipe, and besides, watching their crazy antics normally cheers me up .
Mine makes me start breaking and into 1st when there's still about half a mile to go before approaching a roundabout and it feels ridiculously slow! He's always telling me to watch my speed, but I get paranoid that the people behind me are going to get p*ssed off!
Generally you should be using 2nd when approaching roundabouts...
Not in his opinion! Depending on the size of it.
I suggest you get a different instructor, you should only be in first when moving off if you've came to a complete stop.
Indeed. First gear is for moving off (including if you have to stop entirely or when you have slowed down to a crawl - like in traffic) and slow manoeuvres.
What I find far more annoying are idiotic women (sorry, it is ALWAYS women) driving stupid tanks, complete with the vacuity-giveaway "Baby On Board" stickers in place, who have absolutely no concept of yellow junction boxes or which lane they subsequently need to be in etc ad infinitum.
I agree, if you start changing down to first gear while the car is moving you will probably fail your test.
Yes of course it is.
The instructor should be monitoring and guiding the student throughout the lesson - including correct speed.