My Filipina wife would like to learn to drive

[mickcant]

Hi all,
Hopefully, if all goes well my wife will soon be here with me in the UK, she has said that she would like me to teach her to drive!
Can she have a provisional driving licence when she is here, or does she have to wait a while?
I have had a full clean licence for around 35 years, and did teach my first wife to drive 30 years ago.
If she can have a provisional licence, how have other Husbands found teaching their filipina wife to drive has gone?
She has never driven in the Philippines.
Thanks for any thoughts,
Mick Cant

[Sophie]

Hi all,
Hopefully, if all goes well my wife will soon be here with me in the UK, she has said that she would like me to teach her to drive!
Can she have a provisional driving licence when she is here, or does she have to wait a while?
I have had a full clean licence for around 35 years, and did teach my first wife to drive 30 years ago.
If she can have a provisional licence, how have other Husbands found teaching their filipina wife to drive has gone?
She has never driven in the Philippines.
Thanks for any thoughts,
Mick Cant

Same here, like your wife, i also want to try driving here. Although i know how to drive coz i drive back home, i wanna know how to drive the other side. I have to get used to the gear the other side, not to mention the roads I;ve been here a month and i still get confused with the road. I always look at the wrong side when i cross the street and many times get to the driver's side of the car by mistake
I got an international driver's license with me from the philippines, and its good for a year. I'm not sure if this will be enough though or will i still need provisional driver's license to get to drive here or should i get one only after my international license expires within a year. I guess if your wife still have a few time left in the philipppines, maybe she can enrol in a driving school there for the basics, so when she gets here, you only have to do just hands on and let her practice driving.

[Ann07]

Yes, she can apply for a provisional licence once she is here And study the highway code hehehe( disc or in the nintendo ds- which is very handy)

Try to search in here, sis kimmi had posted it here before.

Goodluck to your wife

[aposhark]

Hi Mick,

I have pondered this numerous times too.
My wife grew up on a very small island with no cars and no roads.

Still, she seems to get around Cebu City and crosses roads OK.

I think patience and empowerment will be the two main things.

I am quite looking forward to it, when my wife will have the courage to try.
I will take her to a big empty space first and go through the gear excercise very slowly.
It is scary for all of us at first, but when I drive artics around, the slow speed some learner drivers go at is amazing at times. I stay well back though, it's frightening enough for the experienced drivers to see.
I always stop to let them out if I can, the instructors always give me the "thumbs up".

I think anyone can pass the test given time and money for lessons.
Well maybe not everyone.
I wonder what she'd be like behind the wheel! :
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,488436,00.html

[Ann07]

Same here, like your wife, i also want to try driving here. Although i know how to drive coz i drive back home, i wanna know how to drive the other side. I have to get used to the gear the other side, not to mention the roads I;ve been here a month and i still get confused with the road. I always look at the wrong side when i cross the street and many times get to the driver's side of the car by mistake
I got an international driver's license with me from the philippines, and its good for a year. I'm not sure if this will be enough though or will i still need provisional driver's license to get to drive here or should i get one only after my international license expires within a year. I guess if your wife still have a few time left in the philipppines, maybe she can enrol in a driving school there for the basics, so when she gets here, you only have to do just hands on and let her practice driving.

Thats the only thing there. You are right we have to get used to it coz its different in the PI the driver's seat. As far as I know you can drive for a year if you are holding an international driving licence.

You can try this site

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Diol1/Mo...A0+Next%C2%A0+

Goodluck

[Ann07]

Hi Mick,

I have pondered this numerous times too.
My wife grew up on a very small island with no cars and no roads.

Still, she seems to get around Cebu City and crosses roads OK.

I think patience and empowerment will be the two main things.

I am quite looking forward to it, when my wife will have the courage to try.
I will take her to a big empty space first and go through the gear excercise very slowly.
It is scary for all of us at first, but when I drive artics around, the slow speed some learner drivers go at is amazing at times. I stay well back though, it's frightening enough for the experienced drivers to see.
I always stop to let them out if I can, the instructors always give me the "thumbs up".

I think anyone can pass the test given time and money for lessons.
Well maybe not everyone.
I wonder what she'd be like behind the wheel! :
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,488436,00.html

Very true Aposhark

[Sophie]

Thats the only thing there. You are right we have to get used to it coz its different in the PI the driver's seat. As far as I know you can drive for a year if you are holding an international driving licence.

You can try this site

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Diol1/Mo...A0+Next%C2%A0+

Goodluck

ok, copy that Thanks ann I will check this site you gave

[Ann07]

ok, copy that Thanks ann I will check this site you gave

My Pleasure

[quickwillow]

Hi Mick

Can’t really help you about how long you wife would need to wait if at all.
But I can tell you the driving test has changed so much since I passed our tests, apart from the obvious thing like the theory and hazard perception. The practical also, in this I mean the driving style.
3 yrs ago when took a PCV test and I remember having conversations about what the examiner wanted from me to pass my test, like looking over my shoulder before pulling away from kerbs, I thought that’s why I had mirrors. When I was taught the instructors wanted to see you using your gears to slow you down, now they don’t.
I know modern car brakes can cope with heavy usage and stop you quick, but not in the old ones I learnt in.
So my advice to you is sure give her lessons but use an instructor also and don’t be surprised when she tells you the instructor said to do it like this. It will probably be easier for her if she has never driven in the Philippines, no bad habits like us.
good luck Mark

[Ann07]

This is the link from kimmi , mick ( Thanks for that info sis)

http://filipinaroses.com/showthread....licence&page=2

Or she can apply personally to your nearest dvla since she has not been here for 2 years when applying for a provisional licence


Goodluck

[aposhark]

....
......I remember having conversations about what the examiner wanted from me to pass my test, like looking over my shoulder before pulling away from kerbs, I thought that’s why I had mirrors. good luck Mark

It's because the mirrors don't show the blind spot.
In a split second it's possible to hit someone who is in your blind spot.

[IainBusby]

Hi Mick,

I have pondered this numerous times too.
My wife grew up on a very small island with no cars and no roads.

Still, she seems to get around Cebu City and crosses roads OK.

I think patience and empowerment will be the two main things.

I am quite looking forward to it, when my wife will have the courage to try.
I will take her to a big empty space first and go through the gear excercise very slowly.
It is scary for all of us at first, but when I drive artics around, the slow speed some learner drivers go at is amazing at times. I stay well back though, it's frightening enough for the experienced drivers to see.
I always stop to let them out if I can, the instructors always give me the "thumbs up".

I think anyone can pass the test given time and money for lessons.
Well maybe not everyone.
I wonder what she'd be like behind the wheel! :
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,488436,00.html

That's what I did. We used to go to the Coventry City FC car park which at the time used to be left open and I just taught her to steer round and around in the car park and change up and down through the gears. I think that teaching the basics in a big open space can save a lot of money in the initial stages of the learning to drive process, but after that I left it to the experts and booked her up for driving lessons.
Iain.

Iain.

[quickwillow]

It's because the mirrors don't show the blind spot.
In a split second it's possible to hit someone who is in your blind spot.

Ok point taken but I was driving a coach do you think looking over my left shoulder will help me, I have a nice view of peoples legs if i do .. Blinds spots you drive a classic car too huh no modern mirrors?

[aposhark]

Ok point taken but I was driving a coach do you think looking over my left shoulder will help me, I have a nice view of peoples legs if i do .. Blinds spots you drive a classic car too huh no modern mirrors?

Hi quickwillow, your first blind spot is on your off side, this is where you have to look into your mirror then stretch your neck and make sure no-one is there when you pull off. You know we fail our test if we don't do this always.

The other blind spot is on the near side and this is the one that you have to look through your near side mirror. This is the blind spot that we must watch for a while whilst indicating to move over to the left as there could be something there.

Generally, if there is something there and they see us indicate, they will get out of the way sharpish.

Sadly, blind spots cause so many fatalities with trucks

[quickwillow]

Thanks for the driving lesson Aposhark,
maybe Mickcant should hire you to teach his wife I already have all groups now

[nigel]

Most people take about 20 lessons before they pass their test...it took me about 20 cars!

[Geraldine]

Hi!

I suggest while your wife is in Philippines to enroll her to some driving lessons...once she is here in Uk she will not find it hard to drive and just alittle adjust to UK driving and hopefully saves u both money on lessons.

In my case, I've been driving in Manila since college and when I came over here in UK I just took up some few lessons just to get used to UK roads and correct all those bad habits I got from driving in Manila...you know like speed limit, changing lanes, not giving way Of course it took me awhile to adjust from driving lefthand to righthand and those roundabouts as well. But she should be alright if she keeps on practicing. Good luck!

[beaubrummie]

I did try to teach my wife 14 years ago and failed sent her to trained instructers and found language a problem so waited about 6 months untill she got use to brummie accent and then back to experts she passed on the 4th attempt passed theory 1st time what I'msaying is let her settle first and then use a qualified teacher preferably with a smller car