Bare minimum time to get a car license

[Hagar]

[quote]Goodness, Oulton Park is just down the road.

Nice one

[machineman9]

Yeah... For the cost and what you actually get, it seems like you are only guaranteed half a lesson when you are paying for the price of more like 2 or 3 lessons atleast.

What about land just to simply take your own car along to and practise there? Would places such as Oulton park still allow this? So, being in a parent's car, driving on their property and learning that way. Or are there places just like that I could use?

[Craig.]

As far as tracks go, you'd be looking at a track day which A: is even more expensive and B: you need to be a license holder.
If you know anyone who is fairly high up on an military airbase that has no movements, you can get away with driving around the perimeter roads. It happend a lot at Middle Wallop.
Otherwise its things like Farm land, large estates and so on.
If its a public road your not legally allowed.

[Hagar]

To be honest I think you're being a tad hasty. Are there any special reasons why you're in such a hurry or is it just the impatience of the young? Have you thought about what happens when you pass the test? Can you afford to own & run a car?

[machineman9]

CVs are around the place at the moment and I have some funding set aside.

I only think it would be cheaper for lessons to gain some experience beforehand... If I already know some of the skills then it isn't so much learning them as improving them. I'd also like to get on the road sooner, ensuring those CVs get me a job, and be driving soon after my 17th. I've got a few dates lined up a few weeks after my birthday which I'd like to drive to myself.

I don't really care for the whole 'pass the test as quick as you can and then go and whizz around in cars' approach as it is stupid and dangerous. I prefer the 'get it done, be experienced, be safe' approach. I think that having extra hours experience (which will not cost me, or at the very least just fuel) is worthwhile.

I know my mother has already said I can use her car when the instructor says I am capable enough to do so on the roads as a learner, but that is during tuition and I'd like some experience before lessons start at all. I know full well that the instructor's words should be followed at all times, but it might help progression if I can start up, not stall and get around a bit on my own steam. Anticipating the power of brakes, gear changing, etc, would just be more experience and I think it would help the learning side of things go better, faster and cheaper.

[Craig.]

I'll tell you where then.
Car parks. I take a friend of mine out on a sunday evening to a local industrial park car park after the stores are all shut. The place is wide open and empty. It's the best chance you'll have I think, but your just driving round in circles. But It's in my case gotten their confidence up a lot and ready to take lessons.

[machineman9]

Would car parks only be acceptable for people with a provisional and all that jazz, or do they properly count as off the road and legal?

White lines are certainly better for practising 3 point turns than in an area with lamp posts and people.

[Craig.]

the person I was letting drive didn't have a license, I specifically made sure there were no cars about, no people and that they didn't drive stupidly. It was all done by the book. If a car did come into the carpark, I made sure we were pulled right over to the side and stopped so nothing could happen, and we didn't move off again until the other car was gone.
Do they count as properly off the road? Yes, these car parks are privately owned. Legal? Not so much, if you have an accident and your not insured on the vehicle your driving, then you just have to hope there are no cameras or people around to see what happend. If you just do what we did, and drive around at slow speeds, no faster than 25mph, and stay well clear of the buildings and so on, you'd be fine. Lots of people do it. The key is finding the right car park that will be empty thats all.

[Mictheslik]

I thought I'd get a licence really quickly when I was 17 and start driving myself to airshows.....then life got in the way.....I got out quite a bit with my mum to car parks and local roads but haven't had many proper lessons and I'm nearly 18. I have so much other stuff going on that driving just isn't a priority at the moment....I'll happily take the bus or train (you can fall asleep....and look out the window....and watch videos on your iPod )

I'd slow down and see what happens....I'm determined to pass before Uni, but there's a massive summer holiday for that next year

.mic (just got in from the opening night of a play I'm directing and crewing )

[Hagar]

Please be careful. According to BSM, supermarket car parks are classed as public roads. I assume this applies to any car park on a trading estate. http://www.bsm.co.uk/learner-drivers/getting-started/essentials

[Craig.]

Please be careful. According to BSM, supermarket car parks are classed as public roads. I assume this applies to any car park on a trading estate. http://www.bsm.co.uk/learner-drivers/getting-started/essentials

See thats interesting, and creates several legal questions.
for instance my works car park has signs up saying it is private property and claims as such they can ticket cars using it for too long using their own companies and such. :-?

[Hagar]

Please be careful. According to BSM, supermarket car parks are classed as public roads. I assume this applies to any car park on a trading estate. http://www.bsm.co.uk/learner-drivers/getting-started/essentials

See thats interesting, and creates several legal questions.
for instance my works car park has signs up saying it is private property and claims as such they can ticket cars using it for too long using their own companies and such. :-?

Quite but that doesn't help if you have an accident or hit someone. I'm not sure of the legal position on this but if it's private land then it would be wise to get official permission before using it. That might be difficult with the constant fear of being sued over the tiniest little thing.

We used to have big problems with boy racers tearing around a trading estate near me all night. Since then I think supermarkets do all they can to deter people from using their car parks when they're closed.

[machineman9]

So BSM say it must be gated. I am guessing it pretty much means on the land your house is on, or as close as this as possible. And using someone elses land of course requires their permission.

I shall have to think about that one then. Very few people I know have a gate of any kind, even fewer have a gate and anything larger than a drive way to park their cars on.

[eno]

Even driving on private property it is wise to be insured as any accidents could be potentially costly. Of course anyone driving a car without a provisional licence would not be covered by insurance ...... anyone driving a car with a provisional licence even if the car is insured needs to be named on the insurance.
Craig ... you will find your insurance is not valid with your unlicenced friend driving, even on the carparks you are using.

[Craig.]

I am fully aware of it. They are licensed with a provisional now, but I'm still more than aware of the naughtyness of it.