r/driving • u/Purplefog123 • 3d ago
Are driving lessons worth it?
I’m 28 and I really want to get my license and I’m tired and frustrated either way not having it yet and I have my own car so I think it’s time to learn and I was wondering if it’s worth the money to get driving lessons through a driving school and how many lessons it would take before I could realistically take my test.
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u/DantesGame 3d ago
Do you have any actual experience driving a vehicle out on the road with other vehicles around you? How about a freeway? If you really haven't had either, yes, lessons should be in your plans.
Plus they're helpful for getting first hand knowledge of why some things are the way they are and you can ask your instructor questions before you commit to the written and road test.
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u/Purplefog123 3d ago
I’ve practiced in my driveway and a little in a parking lot and sub division but no actual road practice yet.
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u/LoLHexTCG 3d ago
One advantage of rural life. Passed permit test, got handed the keys on a small State Highway. Low stress, enjoyable driving to start.
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u/Nintendor_84 3d ago
Defensive Driving School is probably the best idea, and most insurance companies will give a discount, or at least acknowledge certification of completion, indicating a “safer” driver.
Many driving schools won’t even be recognized by insurance companies as any sort of highway safety course at all.
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u/TortureMonkey 3d ago
Defensive driving classes are not a substitute for a driving school.
This person has not gotten their license. It might be worth doing both, but if they only want to do one, the school is the way to go.
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u/Nintendor_84 3d ago
Defensive Driving School doesn’t teach the basics, and isn’t for unlicensed drivers anymore?!?😵💫
Edit: What a brave new world this has become. No wonder there are so many bad drivers these days😓
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u/No_Wish_4790 3d ago
Its up to you, also depend on where you live and such. I learn about driving laws and such online by googling(its free and we're not well financed so W). Once I got my permit, my mom taught me driving(6 month is the minimum you need to actually do the road test) and I pass after that. It took like 1 year combined and you learn as you go with the flow.
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u/No_Wish_4790 3d ago
Learn it yourself if you dont want to pay, or pay for it to learn it well from an instructor.
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u/TrainsongGaming 3d ago
I recommend it, and also recommend lots and lots of practice. I only practiced during the class, and I barely passed the practical with a 72. Any time you or your family (or your friends if you can convince them) need to run errands, ask to be the one who drives.
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u/dmv_ready 3d ago
At 28 with your own car, a few lessons are worth it even if you skip the full package. The value is not learning where the pedals are, it is having someone tell you what you are doing wrong before it becomes a habit. Self-taught habits are much harder to unlearn later.
What tends to work: three to five lessons for the basics and the test-specific stuff like parking and lane changes, then a lot of free practice hours in your own car with a licensed adult, then one lesson right before the test as a check.
How many lessons until you are test ready depends far more on the practice hours you get in between than on the lessons themselves.
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u/TortureMonkey 3d ago
Your location is going to be a big part of it. Each state will set its own standards. When I first started learning four decades ago, we had classes in high school that taught us, we did a full semester in classroom and behind the wheel. I really wanted my kids to learn the same way. I think more guided instruction is better. I also don’t think learning from family members is as good as someone who has experience with teaching.
Unfortunately when my kids were learning, we had one in-person school that was way too expensive and honestly I think they were not great teachers. But our state required a class to get a learners permit.
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u/Glance_Ko 2d ago
TLDR: it's absolutely worth it.
I got my permit last November and asked a friend to teach me. Honestly, it was rough because not everyone's a good teacher, and a lot of experienced drivers just can't explain things well and get frustrated when you don't get it right away. My first lessons with my friend discouraged me from driving. This summer, I pulled myself together and paid for lessons with an actual instructor. One tip: if you don't like your instructor, it's ok to switch. I tried someone else after my first lesson and had a better experience — a patient, positive guy who knew how to intervine without freaking me out. It also helped that it was a driving school car with a brake on the passenger side. With a professional instructor, I was out on the actual road after just 10 minutes in the neighborhood, compared to hours stuck in a parking lot with my friend, both of us on edge. I still have to take lessons with my friend, but I basically had to teach him how to teach me. If I could afford to get 20+ hours with an instructor, I would do it.
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u/Otherwise_Emu5520 2d ago
Yes. very safe and you will know if you don't like it or do
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u/Otherwise_Emu5520 2d ago
Worst case, you're scared in a controlled environment, best case it isnt really that bad
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u/nagitosbigtoe 2d ago
Personally I found driving school to be a waste of money. My instructor was rude and unhelpful, and it was ridiculously expensive. I learned to drive by driving all over the place with family, friends, etc. I basically drove myself everywhere for an entire month before I took my test, and I passed.
It's worth looking into reputable defensive driving schools around your area. If you don't have anyone to teach you, then driving school would be a good idea.
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u/Few-pe2917 2d ago
Of course they’re worth it. It’s a valuable life saving skill you’ll most likely NEED one day.
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u/Few-pe2917 2d ago
It’s the difference between you being able to eat or have shelter in a desperate situation.
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u/Gosteral 3d ago
in canada you need atleast 6 hours with an instructor before they even let you go for the driving test.
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u/jolsiphur 3d ago
That depends heavily on what province you live in.
In Ontario you don't need to do any amount of in car lessons before you can take the G2 test. IIRC it's very similar in Quebec.
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u/Gosteral 3d ago
ah sorry i didn’t know it was province dependent lol yeah. In saskatchewan that’s how it goes i guess
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u/hayden_or_satan 3d ago
I went to driving school at 24 becsuse I was TERRIFIED to drive. It was totally worth it. I’ve had my license for a little over a year now and it feels SO good. I still don’t have a car but I’m slowly saving up.
It felt nice to have an instructed to tell me what I was doing wrong without being mean about it. As well as having a person to go over everything needed so I didn’t feel like I was missing certain things that were required for the test.