driving lessons?

[V8XTasy]

a mate recently told me there are no driving lessons as such to learn to drive in Australia, you learn from parents etc and the test is just a theory test, no practical examination. Is this true? How about for motor cycles?

[cs123]

No, not true.
You have a theory and prac test. There are driving instructors too.

[davenl5l]

not true lessons available but not compulsery in sa and you have to do 75 hours supervised day and night driving over 12 months then do a practical driving exam.

[V8XTasy]

thanks, because I hear a lot of people blaming the lack of proper lessons for the poor driving and crashes. If youngsters are being taught by parents instead of proper instructors, surely the parents just pass on bad habits. How difficult is the practical test itself?
Back in the UK 20 years ago, I had just 9 x 1 hour lessons and passed my test, but my first car was a 1.3 auto, so it took a while to get up to speed! I think if I took the test again now, I'd fail as you pick up bad habits. It's a bit more difficult now with a theory test too, people seem to take an average of 20-25 hours of lessons.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by V8XTasy

thanks, because I hear a lot of people blaming the lack of proper lessons for the poor driving and crashes. If youngsters are being taught by parents instead of proper instructors, surely the parents just pass on bad habits. How difficult is the practical test itself?
Back in the UK 20 years ago, I had just 9 x 1 hour lessons and passed my test, but my first car was a 1.3 auto, so it took a while to get up to speed! I think if I took the test again now, I'd fail as you pick up bad habits. It's a bit more difficult now with a theory test too, people seem to take an average of 20-25 hours of lessons.

No actually the problem is that young people are being taught how to pass a driving test not how to drive.

For example.

The answer to the question:
Under what circumstances is it safe to exceed the speed limit is.......NONE.
Any other answer will mean instant failure of the test.

Of course if you are overtaking a truck with a vehicle behind you and suddenly an oncoming vehicle appears increasing speed to get in is less safe than a head on crash.
Or it is safer to let a snake bitten child die than speed to the hospital.

Or any number of scenerios that are perfectly legal (criminal code overrides traffic laws) but there is an agenda from govco and we are wearing the consequences.

[Ford_The_Win]

Originally Posted by flappist

No actually the problem is that young people are being taught how to pass a driving test not how to drive.

I wouldn't say that's entirely true, when I was on my L's a few years back my driving instructor taught me a lot of important stuff, it wasn't purely about passing the licence test. Well that was my experience anyway.

[cs123]

Originally Posted by Ford_The_Win

I wouldn't say that's entirely true, when I was on my L's a few years back my driving instructor taught me a lot of important stuff, it wasn't purely about passing the licence test. Well that was my experience anyway.

That would vary depending on who is teaching you. I would say a lot of instructors would be teaching to pass a test.

[lockieoc]

cs123, i must agree with you. how often do you see someone on there P's and wonder how they got their licence? Simple, they can reverse parallel, drive around the block without crashing and perform a three point turn.
I was lucky enough to have a decent instructor as well as my old man teaching me all the other important skills.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by Ford_The_Win

I wouldn't say that's entirely true, when I was on my L's a few years back my driving instructor taught me a lot of important stuff, it wasn't purely about passing the licence test. Well that was my experience anyway.

How much night driving, bad weather driving, emergency situation avoidance and recovery, highway driving, dirt road driving etc. did you do?

[lockieoc]

Originally Posted by flappist

How much night driving, bad weather driving, emergency situation avoidance and recovery, highway driving, dirt road driving etc. did you do?

Spot on. My old man taught me what to do when the wheels lock in the wet, how to merge onto the freeway (using the right pedal, unlike some morons), what happens when you stick your boot into a powerful car, did plenty of trips up and down Old Pac, how hard you can work the brakes also spent plenty of time under the car understanding the mechanics of a car particularly in handling and suspension.

[deesun]

So this is how it goes in NSW, generally anyhow.
1. Front up to RTA etc get a book of rules, study said book, return to RTA etc, pay a fee and pass a theory test to get Learners licence.
2. Get mum or dad or brother or aunty or uncle or second cousin (licenced driver) to supervise you for up to 120 hours in varying conditions. This could also be a Driving Instructor who's hours calculate at a higher rate than mum and dads etc.
3. Return to RTA and pay more fees and do a practical driving test for about 20-40 mins at which time if they decide you can reverse park you can get a Provisional Drivers licence P1 or red P's. This allows you to drive unsupervised for a period of twelve months usually at a restricted speed 90kph depending on state.
4. Return to RTA and PAY MORE FEES and pass another theory exam to then be given P2 licence or green P's when you are allowed to drive up to 100kph for a period of 2 years at which time, you guessed it 5. Return to RTA and PAY MORE FEES and get your unrestricted licence upon passing another THEORY test, apparently they don't care if you can drive properly or not so long as you can use a computer and answer A,B,C or D.
Of course different states have different rules and this is only a general rundown except for the fact you will have to PAY MORE FEES. Drive safely now, that is if anything you have been taught has anything to do with safety.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by V8XTasy

a mate recently told me there are no driving lessons as such to learn to drive in Australia, you learn from parents etc and the test is just a theory test, no practical examination. Is this true? How about for motor cycles?

Perhaps you should ask your 'mate' if this is the case then why are there so many people driving around with "xxxx driving school" on their cars !

[V8XTasy]

yeah, I've seen some driving school cars around Melbourne, but not many.

Sounds like the whole process is much more difficult than in the UK. I think there as well, you're only really taught to pass the test, the rest comes with experience.
Maybe it's the higher powered cars that 'help' new drivers get into difficulties.

[geckoGT]

You are always going to be taught to pass a test, that is what instruction is about. If the test does not cover the skills required for the task, that is not a fault of the instruction but is a fault of the test.

[ray38l]

The hardest part of teaching an l plater is the stupid 80kmh speed limit they have. My girlfriend is on her l's and has done over 400 logged hours in all conditions.
Recently we went away to the gold coast for the long weekend. We left home at about 7pm and the plan was for her to do the majority of the driving. After 2 hours of driving i had to take over. The amount of morons that almost crashed into us because they couldnt handle being behind an l plater who was doing her legal speed Limit was to much to handle. So many bad drivers out there. They would sit behind her when there was an overtaking lane and as soon as they saw the "left lane ends merge right" sign about 20 cars would try take over at 120 while we were trying to merge. Its not an easy thing to do when everyone is 40k's faster then you and you have to merge because you are running out of road.
On the return trip i took the l plates off and let her drive. we had no problems at all then.
A learner should be able to do the highest legal speed limit, other wise most parents/friends won't teach them how to drive on a highway because it is just flat out dangerous. Alot of so called experienced drivers need to wake up to themselves as well.
Off rant.

[IDT]

Originally Posted by ray38l

The amount of morons that almost crashed into us because they couldnt handle being behind an l plater who was doing her legal speed Limit was to much to handle.

Could not agree more except unfortunately its the plates that turn ^&%* Heads into even bigger ^&%* Heads. The amount of people I see go out of thier way to make life hard for learners is beyond me. That is at any speed. We have a lot of cars using our street for learner drivers and my neighbours and I all agree they have to learn somewhere so we have no problem with it at all. The worst part is the people who give them a hard time are usually young themselves.

[asdf1234]

Have some sympathy. Give the L plater some space, everyone starts somewhere

[lucas2]

In Vic learners and p platers have no speed restrictions like they do in nsw...its more dangerous to do 80kmh in a 100 zone than it is to do 100kmh and ruining the flow of traffic.

[creative]

I too am teaching my girlfriend to drive.

I personally think it is absolutely ridiculous that a learner has the ability to get their license without taking an actual lesson. Personally I feel that the only people that should be able to book tests are qualified teachers.

I made it clear from the outset I wanted her to get professional lessons as I don't want to be teaching her bad habits.

The reduced speed limit is a joke and dangerous. On a few occasions I have told her to speed up as it was dangerous to be doing the speed she was doing. Not allowed, no. Safer, yes.

Combine this with people that really should know better, for example, beeping at a learner when they don't feel confident diving into a gap at a roundabout that even I wouldn't go for... I nearly got out of the car on that one! The idiots that have nearly sideswiped her as they don't know how to merge... I could go on!

I only had 6 lessons when I learnt to drive in the UK. I Passed my test the first time and all my lessons were through an instructor. I didn't need to do a ridiculous number of hours but I did do a theory test.. (35/35 ;) ). My instructor thought I was ready for my test... he was right.

[Full Noise]

Originally Posted by V8XTasy

a mate recently told me there are no driving lessons as such to learn to drive in Australia, you learn from parents etc and the test is just a theory test, no practical examination. Is this true? How about for motor cycles?

Originally Posted by GasOLane

Perhaps you should ask your 'mate' if this is the case then why are there so many people driving around with "xxxx driving school" on their cars !

I don’t like the idea of the XXXX driving schools. I wouldn’t trust any instructor who drinks that stuff.

[GreenR]

It still amazes me how NSW thinks speed restrictions on L and P platers is a good way to learn driving