driving needs alot of concertration.

we had to be very careful

Don't be afraid to back off if you don't feel like you're ready to drive. I was the very last of all my friends (I was in college) to learn. Not surprizingly I've not been involved in any traffic accidents or gotten any tickets/warnings. Be smart!

I have had 8 driving lessons now and I have gone out to practice for an hour or two with two people and I still dont feel confident changing gears and stopping at roundabouts. Im beginning to give up. Any ideas?

June, 8 lessons is not much, especially if you have not driven much previously. Here's a hint based on experience - as much as possible, master changing gears before getting engaged in traffic situations. If you have to think about the gears and shifting everything else will be really difficult. Learnign to drive is like building a house. You must build the foundations well and have confidence in them.

Check out our article on gearshift driving at http://www.drivers.com/article/909/

I've never taken any lessons. One night, at around 2am, i decided to take my dads car out (this is not legal so dont do it)... and i felt confident enough to drive in the highway at speed of about 100 km/h...

and that day i took my dads car to school. surprisingly, i was able to parallel park.

and about 2 months ago when i went driving with my dad, i was too nervous and didnt know if i can drive over 20km/h.

my point is, when ur ready to drive, ull know it. it'll just hit u one day. all u need is the confidence to drive, and ofcourse to learn to drive defensively

Zed learned to drive the way our grandparents did, just get in and do it. It works. I believe most people can learn to drive on their own in less than an hour. b

But that's just learning to start, steer, stop. the hardest thing about driving is not learning the rules or how to control the car. It's learning how to behave in all the different situations and building habits.

That last one is the real toughie. A good driving instructor (if you are lucky enough to find one) will help a lot but really it's up to you and the people who are in the car with you the most.

BTW - there's one driving school you should avoid as much as possible -- the "school of hard knocks."

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if you really struggling learning to drive, all you need to do is practice,practice,practice..i found out that you can't just depend on the driving instructor. you have to practice every day!

Practice makes perfect is true because if you don't it is going to cost you a lot of money.

Hi, im 17 yrs old, i want to learn driving ,my course is AUTOMOTIVE Driving 2yrs,i dont have any idea about driving..is that ok to learn driving atm...

I have a dumb question. I went driving for the first time tonight, and it was a total of 5 minutes before the person i was driving with had had enough. Is that normal, or do I just suck at driving? I mean it was 1 in the morning, and i'm in someone else's car and we were in a parking lot, but it wasn't an empty one.

I just don't want to give up on driving period, but how am i supposed to understand what to do when it takes less than five minutes for me to almost-crash...Any ideas?

this is my second lesson out of eight , i am learning to keep the vehicle straight and learning to turn i am having problem turning and when i go more 20 mph i get nervous and lose control of the car is that normal.

I had my first class today, and it was very interesting. The driver drove to a less busy road and instructed me on how to start the car. I did and drove from there on for two and a half hours. l drove for a quarter of an hour on the busy road. Ofcourse l was scared each time a car was coming in the opposite direction, but he keep encouraging me to have courage. It was so funny when l look up and saw a hill infront of him and asked him who was going to climb it because l was afriad. l did not realize when l climbed it. lt was only after l was asking him where was the hill that l realized l had done it. l need to go on learning and l need tips to. CHAWO

I HAVE FAILED MY LICENCE TWICE BEFORE IN MY HOME COUNTRY,NOW IM IN THE USA AND I HAVE TO START DRIVING,I"M SO PARINOID ABOUT THE BUSY STREETS ASWELL AS DRIVING ON THE OPPPSITE SIDE OF THE ROAD,WHAT CAN I DO?

I haven't yet learned how to drive myself but a friend of mine's told me that in order to learn the basics of drving, meaning that you learn how get from one place to another in normal road conditions, it'll take about two weeks. However, in order to get used to highway/expressway driving, and to get to the point whre driving becomes second nature, it could take you around two months.
The best way to go is to practice driving in all sorts of conditions. If you live in area subject to extreme weather, then it's a good idea to get used to driving in snow, sleet, rain, and etc.

I used a really cool website to help me practice to get my G1 in Ontario...but I think they have may other provinces as well...I would highly recommend www.learnersprep.com

It really helped my confidence when I took the test.

I get really nervous if my dad i in the car.So nervous that I am aware he is nervous,and as a result make fatal mistakes.Hoewever when I drive alone I feel much better,and drive better.

Started learning about 4 months ago and must have had about 20 lessons now. My confidance has come on loads since my first 10 lessons and I feel alot more in control. The main problems im having at the moment are roundabouts or when there is traffic and busy junctions. I occassionally release the clutch too quickly as well. Remember everyone is differant and there alot of skills you need to master to learn to drive - I have seen problems people have posted on here that I have never had problems with yet I bet theres things I still struggle with that some of you will master very quickly It still feels like ive got a long way to go but when I think of how I progressed since I started im more than ever determined to get there and sure I will. To anyone who has just started just hang in there! It does get easier and alot of it comes with confidance and when you stop feeling afraid in certain sitchuations.

i feel ashamed have not started driving and am scared to start

i'm learning driving for the last eight months.i'm driving ok but still i'm feeling nervous in changing lanes.
i'm learning from my husband,we always drive with kids coz no one is here to look after.what should i do.

Nina, that will come with confidance. I was having the same problem with roundabouts but im fine now. You know what to do but dont trust yourself to act on decisions. Once you have the confidance and trust yourself you will be fine. Comes with time and and practice :-)

My advice to everyone reading these articles and posts is, as a driving instructor and a fellow human being, do not short change yourself by not taking some formal training with a reputable driving school in your area, so that you gain proper understanding of rules of the road, learn how to properly and confidently operate a motor vehicle and become more competent in whatever traffic situation you may come upon. There are many ways of learning anything, however, there are proper ways and bad ways. It is your pick, I guess.

I am really nervous about driving when I drive my left leg starst to shake. I fell like I will never get the hang of it. The thing that I worry about the most is hitting other cars.

Kelly,are you driving a manual shift. That can cause this problem. Sometimes the tension in muscles is great in the beginning and the muscles get fatigued. Later they will grow into the job and become fine tuned.

If you're very tense when you're learning it means you're attempting something you haven't been prepared for. A good driving instructor won't let it go that far.

every i start the learning process i drop out, this year is my resolution beside i have no choice , i moved to georgia where u could'nt have a life without driving i feel like prisonnier in my own home, i'm gonna take only 8 lessons because i spend too much money already....any good advise.

I found that you really only need around six lessons to pass the driving test as long as you can do the basics you will do fine such as stoppin,turning,and speed control,also parellel parking. So the first to lesson should work on turning down hill up hill and the rest will have to do with thing to get you ready for the test.

I had my first driving lesson the other day and we did a lot with turning and he had me use the hand over hand method and I find that hard to do especially when making right turns .

Does the hand over hand method really work?

Im 17 and so far i have had around 30 hours of lessons, i really struggled at first , but the last 5 lessons or so i have really got the hang of it, so if anyone feels thay are struggling at first just stick with it, i also find that having 2 hour lessons really helps cause after an hour you are just starting to get into it.

I finally took the road test after getting seven lessons and passed once you get it you have it!

im learning to drive in Germany and im finding it quite difficult.The Germany theory test is so much more intense than the UK one and i feel as though im never going to do it. Someone said to me that (on average) the amount of driving lessons they'd need is their age plus 10. Anyone else heard that?

i want learn how to drive

Today was my fifth driving lesson the first day i did ok with the turns however now i suck i cannot keep the car straight i am truely ready to give up and say to hell with driving

i have just started driving lessons i am 42yrs old and never really wanted to drive before, but i need a licence because i want to go for a new job, but i dont know how i am going to get through the test because i get so nervous i tremble and i stutter when i get so nervous, anybody got any suggestions.

If you have a good instructor you will not be nervous because you will master driving one bit at a time ... e.g. learning to get the car moving away smoothly, and then learning to stop smoothly. When you are comfortable with that you move on to something else such as checking traffic, signalling, checking mirrors and then moving away smoothly.

A little bit nervous is OK but anytime you get veyr nervous its because your instructor screwed up.

i started driving couple months ago, was doin great, had couple of lessons and instructor said i was good but for some reason now im just too nervous to drive, husband bought me a car and now it just sits outside! have 3 kids and just wish i could get the nerve to get back into the car and go, would be great just to bring kids away 4 the day, but im afraid il get too nervous and make mistakes. any advice?

I was the same way you have to have confidence in yourself once start to doubt yourself that's when mistakes happen. If your instructor said you were good then what is the problem? I think you are afraid of something happening if you feel this way you don't need to be driving especaily with kids. Once you get over this you will become a better driver. I was the same way but I was 16 when I started to drive now I am 18 and I am a good driver you could be too.

Joy is right if you think you will make a mistake you will relax. If your tense ur muscles will be and that can cause u to make mistakes. Maybe you need a couple more lesson and tell you instructor how you feel he or she should be working on your confidence.

I am 50-something and do not have a drivers license yet.I have driven to a small degree but no expressway experience or such.I have scheduled to take the road test many times. Ifailed twice for 1 rolling stop. But the reason I have not returned is becuase of the instructors. In pa, they read you the riot act about what they can and cannot do and say to you.Also I hate having someone sitting next to me making faces and marking things down,this puts me in a different state of mind . What do I do?

All of Pa instructors are not like that I'm 18 and I have had my lisence for awhile. My instructor was friendly he just sat back and enjoyed the ride. You shouldn't be worrying about the instructor while your taking your road test you should be focused on what your doing. I don't know what part of PA you live in but if you live in the Pittsburgh area you should try taking your road test in Penn Hills it is really easy. I also know someone who was 45 when recived their liscence and they are a wonderful driver.

AS an instructor I used to give students a test in which I would write as they drove. They usually thought I was writing down mistakes and got distracted and unnerved. It was good preparation for the test because examiners have to write. They need to get their paperwork done and note points about the test. It would sometimes cause good drivers to fail for psychological reasons to testing people this way helped with the test.

Hello, i have been trying to learn how to drive and im having trouble with turning left and right. Does anyone have any advice i could use?

I'm really nervous about driving, nervous aboutthe cars coming the apposite of me. My hands get really sweaty, my heart starts beating real fast. And its my first time in awhile driving. I have my drivers permint, a year and a half ago, but I'm still terrified of driving and I'm 22yrs old. I know that I have to drive to get to work but whay should I do?

Sheena, concentrate on what you want to do, not the problems. Be aware of them but not to the point of distraction.

Sheena I use to be that way to but then I had driving lessons and it gave me a lot of confidence. I learned to focous on what I was doing but at the same time allowing myself to beaware of what is going on around me. You think your closer to other cars but your really not. The more you practice the better you become the more comfortable you'll become.

Maybe you need a new insturctor because they shouldn't be getting mad at you it is there job to help you. I had seven lessons before I passed the road test. What you need to do is practice in between lessons ask someone to take you out driving so you can work on what u learned. The more practice you have the better you'll become the more comfortable you well feel behind the wheel.

Anna writes:
I have just had my tenth lesson and i feel things should start to be clicking into place now but they just aren't. i find my instructor getting a bit frustrated because she is constantly repeating herself so i am starting to dread my lessons. i panic mainly when it comes to stopping the car and reducing the gears. does anybody else feel this way or is it just me?

Im on my 6th lesson now and i am getting better every lesson and my instructor said ill pass in no time atall. my first two lessons i was very nervous before my lessons but as soon as i step in the car and was driving it all went away. i am determined to pass because i have twins! and find it hard to get around. every one should go at your own pase it will take some longer than others and practice is the key to learning any new skill.

I am on lesson 26 and I am scared stiff ,I cannot relax and I am about to give up.
I can drive the car but in traffic I get nervous sweat and go scarlet.
I don't know what to do ,I don't want to give up at 35yrs old I think If I don't do it now I never will.
I drive great for a while make a mistake and panic.
Is it just me should I persevere or give up.
I have made progress but it might take me loads more lessons only to find it's a waste of time.

I am 46 and just got my lerners permit. Driving has always terrified me and I dont think I can do it well. Today was my first driving lesson with my boyfriend. Im having problems with turning and keeping the gas pedal from going up & down. I almost went through a stop sign until my boyfriend told me to stop. It scared me and now I dont want to drive because Im not paying attention. My daughter tells me I need to get out in traffic and learn, I am so terrified to do that. I keep telling her Im not ready. What should I do? I just want to give up..

For Alice and Linda -

In 20 years as an instructor I never let anyone give up unless there was some definite physical or psychological liability. Eventually, everyone learned.

If you are nervous it's probably because you have not prepared thoroughly for what you are trying to do. For example, if you feel uncomfortable about using the gas pedal you should NEVER be in traffic. Driving is learned a little bit at a time, so you master each part before going on to the next. Lot's of instructors don't know how to do that so they get frustrated as well.

Linda, you should find a large parking lot and set up pylons. Then really put the car through its paces before you go on the street again.

Alice, the panicking is a real problem. You need to practice quick reactions with the accelerator, brake and steering before getting into too much traffic

Many beginners get into trouble because they go into traffic before really mastering the coordination of hands and feet -- try some braking-while-steering exercises.

Walter H. thank you for the tips on driving. I havent tried using the pylons only because I have none. But I have been practicing as much as I can. Been driving around the neighborhoods and back roads. Im still scared to drive in traffic. I drove home from work one day and it freaked me out I was in tears. I had to cross over 4 lanes then turn at the light. I cant bring myself to drive home again. Should I try it again or give myself more time? How long is it going to take me before I feel comfortable driving? I still have to practice my turns. How do I get over the fear to drive in low traffic driving through an intersection. I can deal with back roads to the store except in the parking lots where theres people or parked cars. But going through intersections reall terrify me. What should I do?

Linda, it looks like your trying to drive but you haven't really properly learned any of the different things that go to make up driving. For example, if you are properly trained in changing lanes then it doesn't matter if there's 1 lane or 4, or whether its on a back road or a freeway.
But if you're on a freeway, there's other skills you should have learned before going out there

ive had roughly about 40 lessons i thought i was getting the hang of it my driving instructor kept saying if this next lessons good ill let u book ur test saing its all about consistancy but then hed say i never done as well as he hoped an i needed more lessons ive since left my driving instructor an had 2 lessons with a different 1 but i carnt get the hang of his car his is petrol an im used to diesel but i carnt get the hang of it i wanna drive as i have 3 kids anthings would be so must easier but on the hand i wanna give up as my confidence has been knocked so many times im insured on my boyfriends car but carnt face driving again an just feel like giving up what should i do? i've drove in all kinds of conditions but just feel like a failure

I haven't given up and have a lesson in a couple of minutes with a new instructor.

Good Luck alice

I had a two hour lesson on Monday and my instructor threw me in at the deep end driving in the busiest traffic I have ever been in ,with loads or roundabouts,pedestrian crossings and pedestrians under the influence,in an area I have no previous experience of. I survived,didn't feel too nervous and definitly not the sheer panic I have previously felt.
That said I am not too sure about the instructor,who seemed overtly laid back and chated so much I don't think he was paying enough attention,I am not sure if I got flashed for speeding,Instructor told me to get my speed up and then told me "oh you are going too fast,I was too busy chatting"(him not me)someone got flashed by a camera,I am a bit concerned as he said "I wonder who got flashed".
I have another lesson on Monday.
Thank you Walter H for your comments,even if it doesn't work out with this instructor ,I intend to keep going.

Hi Alice, I felt like you as well. I couldn't seem to relax. The lessons always started well in the beginning but then I'd make a mistake and it all went down hill from there. I began to dread my driving lessons and was more interested in when the lesson was over than the actual lesson itself. I had problems with changing gears, stopping and turning at junctions. I always came out of my lessons feeling like a idiot and a failure. Then my driving told me something along the lines of, at least I could get a chauffeur, real confidence boost!! So I gave up on driving. Now a year and a half later I'm about to have my first lesson since I stopped and I'm panicing just thinking about it.

Hello Nel,A new instructor might be the fresh start you need,I feel totally different and so much more relaxed with my new instructor.
I am not sure I am going to stay with him (for various reasons)but for the moment I am a lot more relaxed and haven't felt blind panic like I did with my previous instructor.
He kept dwelling on my mistakes,I knew I had made a mistake and didn't need a ten minute lecture on them.
It might take you longer to learn but that doesn't mean you won't learn to drive.
Everyone is different and It may well be a steep learning curve,don't be disheartened,it was very upsetting when my previous instructor lost faith in me and compared me to other students,I decided to leave him and I was extremely upset as I thought I would never learn to drive,a few days feeling devestated later I decided to find another instructor and continue,giving myself a couple of weeks break.
I had a 1 1/2 hr lesson tonight in the rush hour and it didn't feel that bad,my progress is slow but it's still progress.
I used to go scarlet in the face pour of sweat and clench the steering wheel in absolute fear,With my new instructor I have had three 1.5hr lessons in heavy traffic ,roundabouts ect and not felt like that once.
Good luck with your new instructor,let us know how you get on.

My high school driver's ed teacher was horribly mean and condescending. He screamed at me for the most silly things (seriously!) Once screamed at me for not slowing down for a yellow light that was 2 blocks away. No joke. Yet he allowed the male student to speed, run stop signs, etc. while they chatted about football. Nice, huh?
Scared me out of driving. I never got my license! I am now 28 and feel ready to drive so I just started taking lessons.
I think the biggest thing to remember is that don't drive unless your feel comfortable and ready. Don't force yourself to just because everyone else seems to do it... there are a lot more people that don't drive than you'd think!

im doing a 2o hour intensive driving course,ive just had my first 2 hour lesson,i felt quite nervous at the start but later i really got into it,im looking forward to my lesson on monday,i have realised that im in charge of the car not the other way around,its all about feeling confident and making the right decisions on the road. sometimes its better just to get stuck in rather than worrying about it. i am lovig the tips on this page they have helped me loads and it makes you realise everyone has their issues about driving not just me.good luck everyone

I crashed the car on my second lesson into a wall,no one was hurt and the car just had scratches. my instructor just said he wasnt sure if he should of grabbed the wheel or pressed the break, and so did neither :( I carried on having lessons with this instructor, but felt i was getting knowhere,plus lost confidence in him,also i was just so nervous about even starting the car in case i crashed again. ive since changed instructors, but im still really nervous, my firs lesson with my new instructor went well and i went out on the road for the first time on my second lesson with him, ive just had my 3rd lesson with him today after a 2 week break and ive forgotten everything, i stalled the car about 3 times and once at a junction, then i started to panic about starting the car. i just dont know if i should carry on driving

I've had 15 lessons, and i still cant remember the controls, when i get to a junction i go blank. should i give up?

Lisa and Jenny DON'T GIVE UP.
It may take you a while but,some people take a long time to learn.
Don't compare yourself with the people you may know or have heard about learning really quickly with no problems. Many people do take time to learn,you don't hear much about the ones that struggle.
I am on about lesson 33 and I know I am going to need a lot more.
I found the driving discs for the computer helped build my confidence and I haven't given up (though my last lesson was awful).
It will eventually sink in it's all about confidence,and you have to build it up,you have to belive you can drive,once you feel you can you will be more relaxed and make fewer mistakes ,if you are nervous it makes your mind go blank.
GOOD LUCK

I am 42 years old. 13 years ago, I took 30 hours of driving lessons. It was sheer hell! I was always very nervous to the point of being terrified. I sweated profusely in the air-conditioned car! I could not change gears smoothly. I could not remember the routes I needed to learn for the test. My driving instructor kept getting furious at my 'repeated mistakes'. He even ordered me to pull over just to give me a proper shelling!

I gave up and didn't drive since. Last year, I learnt that I am 'dyslexic'. It simply means that I have difficulty concentrating. (That would explain why I have been fluncking exams all my life)! I leant driving again on a very small, automatic tranmission car. It was much easier to drive. It helped a lot because I only needed to concentrate on the steering, gas and brakes. I also learnt the test routes by counting traffic lights (eg. Route 1: at the first traffic light, turn left, then right, right, left , right, right, etc)!

Eventually, I was so confident of driving that I began driving a bigger, manual transmission car. After getting used to it, I took my test and passed on my first attempt!

Today I feel like the king of the road!