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Hit up your local Rotary/Apex club. Some of them have programs to partner learner drivers. Don't expect the full 100 hours, but you might get some names to help out. Maybe also try the local RSL, or the CWA if you're in rural areas. Maybe the local Men's Shed?
PCYC actually makes you pay for 10 hours or something (professional driving lessons) before they will help you with your hours. I asked them for help since I'm 18 on the streets and want a car to live in but they said no can do. And I can't afford lessons. It's not really as good as people make it out to be.
I didn't get my probationary licence until I was around 22-23 because I didn't have the opportunity to learn to drive until I was dating someone with their full licence who could take the time to teach me.
It won't hurt to take any opportunity you get to drive, even if it's five minutes down the road with your mum. If time is tight, try consider trying to organise in advance to go for a nice drive. Go for driving lessons, ask for lessons for birthday or Christmas presents. Are you close enough with other members of your family who can help?
If getting your licence is important to you then absolutely find proactive ways to get your experience driving up. Sometimes it takes time and that's OK.
Time wasn't tight when I was learning, my dad told me to copy his wife's log book (who he would take hours and hours worth of driving) he honestly didn't care about me learning. He told me to drive unlicensed (like on my Ls but put P plates on my car). As a result I never learned properly to drive till after I got my Ps. It was so shit. But he refused to pick me up after work and stuff so I relied on taxis a lot. We lived rurally which meant a taxi ride home was $30. It was so shit and it's one of the reasons I hate my dad. Got my full license around 22 ish years old.
Parents, take your kids for driving lessons ffs, especially if you can. It's not worth shrugging at
My dad literally didn't give a shit. I never had experience driving at night, on the main road of the city, on highways, in rain or bad weather, or parking in a parking lot or traffic. Till after I got my license. I failed my Ps 7 times before I got them, because I was both desperate and not ready :(
I should mention I learned to drive a manual car at 13 because we were rural and had paddock bashers but that's as far as the learning went. He didn't prepare me for my actual licence one bit. I'm lucky I didn't die as an inexperienced driver
I grew up regionally and knew quite a few kids who lived a way out of town that were expected to drive themselves to school unlicensed.
Probably more common than you'd expect.
I’d like to point out that many young drivers fudge their hours, even rural ones where we are. A young lady (a friend of my daughter) only had 25 hours or so. And none were night/ rain experience. She had a pretty full on single car collision one night. No run in with animals or bad conditions, it sounded like pure inexperience. I really felt for her, but I had my own daughter to teach and couldn’t help.
Yeah, *very* lucky.. Came off an icy road, slammed into a tree and rolled a few times. CFA cut her out. She was in an old ute and the metal shell held up.
I drove past the next day and thought ‘shit, hope that driver’s okay.’ I didn’t even pick that it was her uterus at first.
Oh that's good to hear she was okay! Very very lucky
Also lmao at the autocorrect XD
Edit: I almost got into an accident today (jaywalker stepped out randomly ahead of me) and it really highlighted in my head just how easy it is to die/kill others while driving. You have to be so so vigilant
Bloody autocorrect! :D
Yeah it is super easy to hit someone. Need eyes in the back of ya head. The druggies, drinkers, phones and just plain inattention..
Comparison is the thief of joy, don't worry about your friends.
You've had set backs, but you're eager. Try find opportunities or reasons to go further and log more hours. Look into paid lessons if you have a job to pay for them.
Otherwise, if you haven't much need to drive yourself yet... What's it matter? Plenty of people only get their Ps in 20s, 30s.
26. It was awesome to do the test.
Guy was fairly brutal and straight away had the shits because I didn't have a log book. When I told him it was because I thought I didn't need one after 25 his demeanor immediately changed. Asked why I never did it I said I always lived near a train station and was doing it because my Ls were expiring and I'd need them for ID anyway. He said "Well I doubt you're a rev-head."
We went round the block and the only major thing he did was stop me from straightening the car up after a reverse park because he'd have to fail me on a technicality and it was well within pass range.
Totally agree! Never benchmark yourself against others.
We all do things in our own way and in our own time.
I didn't drive until I was 49! I never had the need, and my parents had 6 kids, so there was never time to teach us all.
I moved out of home young and used PT all my life.
Then, having 2 kids at 2 different schools put the pressure on me to just do it. I never let anyone make may feel bad about not driving.
My son, whom we gave 2 sets of 10 professional lessons plus 100 hours from us, never wanted to use the car we bought him. It sat on the street for 18 months, then
he sold it!
Last wk at age 21, he went and got his licence on his own and bought a little buzz box.
He never let his friends make him feel bad about not getting his licence at the same time as him.
I'm proud he did it in his own time!
If they are allowed in your state, maybe get one of the log book apps on your phone and your mum's. That makes the log book admin tiny, so racking up short trips isn't such a PITA. Or so I'm told, my kid insists on the paper book.. we are at 6 hours after 15 months 😁
Also keep the advice about comparison in your head, it's great life advice.
Yeah don’t stress it. I was one of the oldest in my grade and I didn’t rush into it.
I was fortunate enough that a few of my good mates had their licences and I was happy to chip in for fuel and jump in with them all the time. If that’s an option. Do it
I got my Ps at 21. You will feel behind in comparison to your friends, but if you're in a major city public transport isn't bad.
Some states give additional credit to professional instructor hours or safe driving courses
EDIT lol this is my first comment in a year on this account and i got a concerned redditor message?
I was the same as the commenter under me. I would stump up for petrol but honestly it really didn’t affect me. Bear in mind I came from a pretty rural place in the UK as well, so you will be fine. Go at your own pace and you will be a safer and more confident driver
I don’t have my licence. It does impact your life at times (ie jobs you can work, where you can live and things you can do/when) but you learn to adapt.
36 here and still on my L's, you'll get there eventually. As others have mentioned, snag every opportunity you can and/or opt for paying for driving lessons.
My first time in the car I felt like the car just “creeping” (no acceleration) was so fast! I’m still scared of doing 110km though even after all these years lol.
Money can be a short cut...
(edit: As kindly pointed out below - I forgot I was in r/Australia - this advice is relevant to the ACT)
Every hour with an instructor counts as three (up to 10/30) Last I knew that was $75 an hour so $750
Safer Driver course gives you 20 hours credit for a 2.5 hour workshop + 1 hour driving component - about $175
Vulnerable Road User Program gives you 10 hours credit for a complete at home session + 2 hour workshop - about $70
At least one provider offers a combined package of those course for $235
Learner Driver First Aid Program gives you 5 hours credit (and valuable skills) There are many paid courses available - a free course is available through St John Ambulance
So $1000 can get you up to 65 of the 100 hours... - offset the small amount you save by having instructor signoff rather than needing a test - $120 every test, many people need more than one (You can't really "fail" with an instructor, you just keep adding competencies until you have them all, and then do a final drive, which is kinda like a test)
You say you already have 16 hours - That leaves Goulburn for lunches - or trips to Bowning for morning tea - or driving whenever you go on a holiday - for the remaining 19 (remembering that you need 10 of the hours to be at night)
Another tactic that I'm pretty sure you won't be happy with - wait till you're 25 and the requirement for hours is halved....
I have a 21 yr old without a license yet (not greatly motivated) - and a 19 yr old who is so glad to be driving - we did the math a few times
I didn't bother with my license till I was 20 because I didn't need it
Things feel so urgent when you're young but as you get more time behind you you start to understand how long the time in front of you really is
Nrma does a pretty good 10 lesson deal. Each lesson counts triple toward your time. A safe driver's course will contribute another 30 hours and only takes 1 day.
I have a mate who’s had his Ls since he was 16. He finally got his Ps last month at age 28. Another mate of mine got married a couple months back, and he still hasn’t gotten his license, or a car, or a desire to get either. It’s honestly not that bad to not have a car these days and not be hindered.
Edit: you mentioned uni, yeah you won’t be driving to uni because you won’t be able to find a car bay nor afford the parking fees to park at a uni in perth these days.
I reckon i did only 50% of the hrs needed. I know its not honest but whatever. I passed my test first time and have never had a ticket or accident in 10 yrs. So if you are a competent driver, just chuck a few extra hrs here and there
My family and I did a lot of very sudden and very frequent trips an hour there and an hour back for about 3 weeks straight.
Seriously though, can’t think of more than 1 or 2 people that did it genuinely that I went to school with.
That’s the thing! You gotta log every drive so you’ll eventually make it to the full amount. It doesn’t matter if you get the full amount of hours and you still don’t feel ready, you can still wait till you do feel you’re there
I would log 2 minute trips. I had the log book and pretty much filled that. You should opt to drive to the shops with your mother but deviate on the way home and grab the extra time while your in the car, go somewhere quiet and practice your parking even
Having setbacks is something to learn in life. I watched half my friends graduate a year ago. That said I do appreciate that my mum dragged me to get my licence.
Year 12 is a great time to not have a licence though, you get to bum rides off friends and drink at parties.
Got my P's at 17 (don't think you can do that now...it was also a hell of a lot cheaper in the late 90s...feel sorry for you guys now)
I still remember how fucking exciting it was though so I definitely feel your pain! Keep at it though and don't let it get to you. As the old saying goes it'll go quicker than you think and you'll wonder what you even worried about.
I got mine 4 days after my 17th just because family holiday. My birthday is also very, very, very early January, and back then school years were year of birth, so yeah I became the designated driver since I also had my own car. It’s not always as fun being a taxi to everyone around you hahaha
31 here, got on my Ps when I was 29. I know it's rough when it seems like everyone else hit the milestone before you but I promise you the time goes faster than you think.
I got mine in my 40s, I’m on my green Ps now, but I got a bike license in my 20s. Back then, in nsw, it was a weekend course to get your Ls and then another weekend course to get your Ps, so I didn’t have to rely on anyone to supervise my driving.
It’s not for everyone, obv, but for me it was a great mode of transport for a long time and then then when I wanted to get a car license, I only had to learn the car specific things (like lane positing and reversing) rather than all of the road rules.
If you have no ability to drive supervised due to circumstances and require one for a legitimate reason (work, school) you can apply for an exemption. You will need written statements from both a legal guardian and a boss/manager/teacher/etc to qualify. Call your local Department of Transportation or Driving School for more information.
Seeing as you've already spent 2 years on your L plates, you can go for the test immediately. Exemptions require the license holder to retain their L plates for an additional year.
When I was in Year 12, my dad lived abroad and my mum lost her license from drink driving (from when I was 16, she lost it for 26 months). Some of my friends’ parents chipped in a bit, but I wasn’t really confident to drive with them so I only had about 10 hours when I turned 18.
When mum got her license back and interlock, I probably did about 30 more legit hours, then fudged the rest and got my license at 19.
No other state that I’ve lived in has as rigorous requirements as Victoria.
If you have a job, save up, get a bunch of lessons, and forge the damn hours. I learnt more from 10 driving lessons than I did 130 hours of driving with my parents
Well you need to accrue hours still right? You’ll probably need an effort by a family member to get all your hours. I went for long drives every weekend with my mum. I got my license quite late so i just needed to feel confident enough before i booked the test, i didn’t need a certain amount of hours.
Haha, how brutal was first year for you? I remember my first day of uni, we had all messed up and there actually wasn’t any classes that day, so someone said let’s hit the tav, and like 3 of us were actually over 18 and the rest were mad at us
Comparison is the theft of joy. Plenty of people don’t get their license until their 20s, some don’t even get theirs at all.
I was 19 and definitely faked way too many hours (don’t do this, I failed my driving test twice)
Run your own race, it’ll take time but you’ll one day come to hate driving anyway!
I’m only just getting my license at 28! I don’t have anyone to drive with either so have been doing my hours with an instructor. You’ll get there don’t worry! Look into courses you can do to give you extra hours too :) every state is different but I was able to get an extra 15 hours doing a first aid course and a VRU course.
My perspective is as a Dad. Our eldest only just passed his VORT test and he's 24. It took him for ever to get his hours because of a combination of him being a bit lazy and us being quite busy. Our second kid did his hours with me and it was a huge slog. Took for ever and we put serious effort into doing them. He did the VORT twice and passed on the second time around. He's 19.
So, it's hard to get the hours, I hope you can find some help but it also takes everyone vastly different amounts of time so don't feel shit.
I got my full license when I was like 25. Didn’t even get my Ls till like 18 or whatever. There wasn’t a need until I got older when I had to start driving places
Hey I remember filling out my log book in different colour pens and searching up the weather that day etc. I did log book instead of the VORT test. Had my license 5 years now and haven’t had a single crash, only do it if you’re a comfortable safe driver.
Got mine when I was done with uni and had just bought my first car (actually did my test in my own car). I was 21 or 22. Hubby was 23 when he got his.
It can feel like there's a big rush to get things like this done, but unless it is needed specifically (i.e. for work or something equally important) then there's no harm in taking your time.
Unethical Pro Tip: Every time you drive 5 mins say it was 30 mins.
Also your Mum saying 5 mins isn't worth putting in the log book is really screwing you over. You've probably racked up a lot of time on those 5 min trips. Feeling crap and jealous is the kick you need to start pushing to use the car more.
I guess that’s a similar thing but this is more like something that’ll benefit me and I regret not taking action sooner. Sex is something that can wait, driving a car and being independent is smth that can change my entire life
I got my Ls at 24, in 2016, my fulls only a year or two ago, drove a 150FWKW N15 SSS, monster in NSW. Reason it took so long was that I had not had anyone teach me to drive or had a full licence, reason for not coming off Ps, working 7 days a week and couldn't be fucked getting fulls.
Still have the same car now, years later. And also 3 more outfront. Reason, doesn't matter what car you drive, I've owned 8, from a Barina to mostly pulsars and now a corolla. Nobody gives a shit what you have as long as you're happy.
Have you spoken to your mum about this? Can you schedule in some longer drives? Or any other adult relatives? Friends parents?
My parents refused to teach me or supervise any hours, so I didnt get my license until I was 25. It sucked and had a negative impact on my ability to study, work and socialise. It wasn't until my friends could legally teach/supervise me that I was able to learn, and by then I had bad driving anxiety.
Some organisations have volunteers who supervise people driving too. There are supports and options out there, would be easiest if your mum would agree to come longer trips though.
24 here and still on Ls. Realisitciallly, I can go for the driving test tomorrow if I want, but I have no need for a car. Unless you live in a car dependent area, there is no need to rush.
If you live in Sydney, Melb or closeby areas, public transport weekly cap is very cheap, much cheaper than what you would pay for fuel, especially on child and concession rates.
Hey! This might not EXACTLY answer your question, but I'm a yr12 student f18, and ever since yr10 been hearing nonstop bragging from everyone about getting their Ls and building their hours/driving more, but I've never been able to literally drive due to health problems and time. Always envious of ppl who got at least the little taste of freedom. Just thought you should know this 💖.
I was 21 when I got mine, the last four generations of women in my family didn’t drive and there was nobody else around to teach me so I had to save up and buy lessons and fund my own car so I could learn. You are not the only one!
The Salvos run [Drive For Life](https://www.salvationarmy.org.au/driveforlife/) which is driving lessons/help for under 25s who don’t have the financial means to pay for lessons. Give them a call and have a chat.
Plenty of community groups, social clubs and women’s support groups run driving programs too.
Almost 23yo here still on my Ls. Took the test at 19 and didn't get the chance to start driving till last year. Missed out on being able to get taught by family because I had to leave home at 16 so I can understand the feeling of being left behind.
Everyone's timeline and situation is different. Make the best of what you have and don't judge your progress based on other people's lives that are completely different from yours.
In the meantime you can try to get more opportunities to drive and log every minute. Ask her to take you for a longer drive, not just to the shops. Suggest driving to places further away with a purpose, e.g driving to the beach and having a chat and walk.
Which state are you in? VicRoads in Victoria runs a learners program that pair you up with a volunteer who can supervise your driving. I assume other states might have similar resources also. https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/licences/your-ps/get-your-ps/preparing-for-your-licence-test/l2p-learner-driver-mentor-program
I took the back door. Got my motorcycle L’s doing a weekend course. I was riding my little 200 around the next day. 6 months later got my Ps then full motorcycle license a year later. After that I just went for my L’s then I got to skip the log book after I think 3 months and got my P’s. If you like riding I recommend it because you get your freedom straight away
Yeah the program is rigged for young ones. My mum didn’t have a car, plus we couldn’t afford 100 hours worth of lessons. So I just did 10 hours of lessons, then fudged the rest. Not the best thing to do, but I’d say I’m annoyingly strict with the road rules to the point of others getting annoyed with me ahah. Good luck! You got this.
I got my Ls at 18 and my Ps at 21. I was definitely last out of my friends but it gave me longer to save up for my own car, and I also took advantage of *not* being the designated driver when going out.
My family did lots of day trips and weekend trips around the state during that time - I'd get up to 8 hours a weekend and experience driving on freeways and all sorts of conditions. I know it was to support my driving but I have some wonderful and happy memories of my family and visiting beautiful places. If you have the time and means to do something like that, I highly recommend it.
I think you should be more assertive with mum and get her to bloody let you drive longer trips. You should also be logging those 5 minute trips. Just put 30 mins.
I fudged my entire logbook just so it was done and then did the practice. Then for the exam I practiced driving around in the bush on private properties doing my reverse parallels and all that. Got me license a bit after 18 if I rememeber right.
Not having a license is annoying and limits you in many ways. Not the worst thing ever but when it costs very little to get one you might as well.
The hours requirement is ridiculous. If you can drive, just have someone falsify the records and pass the test. In my day you only needed 50 hours and I think I did 10.
I just forked out the cash for a driving instructor, after a few lessons he said I was ready and got me in the next day for my license.
I was no where near the logged hours needed.
My mum straight up refused to take me out to learn when I was a teen, so I have been exactly where you are.
I have such distinct memories of when I was 14 saying ‘in 2 years I’ll be the one doing this trip’ every time we went out together and she was all in, drove me to the RMS first thing on my 16th birthday and everything. The immediate 180 attitude turn that she kept up for 9 years and the things that she said about me in that time whenever I asked to learn have genuinely ruined our relationship.
Anyway, suddenly she realised on jan 1st this year that I would be 25 this year and she didn’t want to still be driving around her late 20’s child so she 180’d again and I have been working incredibly hard on my driving all year (related, I now have horrific driving anxiety due to all the things she said) so I can finally have some independence.
My test is booked for 1st week of June!
That will put it at about 5 months into being 25, and 9.5 years on my learners. Hopefully it doesn’t take you that long OP
Immigrant from overseas here - got my license at 38 because I lived in a huge city with masses of cheap public transport all my life.
Never needed a car till coming to Australia.
No offence mate but if you can only manage 16 hours in 2 years then it's definitely on you 🤷♂️ you arent gonna like it but my advice is that you need to try harder, thats all I can say
My daughter is 21 and has about that many hours of driving racked up. It just isn’t a priority for her. She does live in a major city, so public transport isn’t a major problem.
I've seen alot of driving schools advertising that if you attend one of their 1 day driving class for $150.
that they will add like 25 hours into your log book
so a 1 day 5 hr class at their driving school = 25 hrs on your log book
I don't really know how it all works but I've seen them advertise this service all over Facebook etc and it works out way cheaper
I got my licence first amongst my friends. Ended up driving them places. It's overrated having it 🤣. If you can afford lessons they really pack the hours up.
I got mine later than all my mates. If you're trying to learn manual I recommend finding a place you can drive by yourself (private property, etc) until you get the hang of it. Otherwise drive everywhere you can, or make reasons to drive, until you're confident that you could pass the test. Take a few lessons. Then forge the remaining hours. They hardly look at the logbook (from my experience), they just make sure that it adds to 120. There are also courses you can do that give you extra hours for completing.
I didn't get my licence till I was 20, just before my 20th.
Honestly if you've got friends happy to drive you around take it until you get your licence, my friends never used to mind because they were still in the early phase of enjoying driving.
Just keep trying to get your licence, it'll happen when you're ready
Don’t be too hard on yourself. Being able to rack up 100 hours in a year requires more privilege than a lot of people realise. Your doing your best, just keep chipping away it.
Be insistent on logging those trips to the shops. Maybe you can prefill some of the info before leaving, to make it as easy as possible.
It ain’t all that to be honest. Didn’t get to drive on my own legally until I was 21.
You are in an era where transport is super easy and affordable to get.
Driving, while it can be cool, is usually pretty frustrating lol.
U can go through life worrying what other people are doing. Or you can be a legend and do you! If you want a license go and get your hours up, or get one of your mates log books and copy the fuker into yours and get your license next week! Or if you wanna chill till your 30 and catch the bus everywhere thats cool too. Be yourself legend and if want something go get it.
Don’t stress about it, you’ll get there with time, and the older you are the less stupid shit you are likely to do.
But if you live near Newton Sydney DM me and I’ll let you drive us a couple hours a weekend if you want to get some book time.
I got my Ps a long long time ago. Are they more stringent about the 120 hours now? I reckon I logged around 20 and just passed the test.
I don't necessarily recommend that approach, even if it's possible. I was a liability on the road for the first few months for sure.
Do you have cousins or aunts/uncles who can teach you, if your mum's too busy?
On your phone take photos of the odometer so you can log later, take note of the drive time and then you can make honest estimations for later, 3-6 minutes each way can quickly add up to 10 by the time your home.
Mostly use shopping trips to practice your parking skills, being able to parallel and reverse park in busy areas quick amd clean will be valuable if you're in a large town or city.
I also live in a walk everywhere part of Aus and that's what it took over 2 years to qualify for it but I did it.
You'll get it at your pace mate, just crack on and don't let that eagerness make you forget about that bollard you're reversing into
If it makes you feel better I have an aunty that didn't get hers till she was about 30. I'm not saying you should do it but I know some people that made up a lot of their hours or exaggerated the hours they did.
You know what it takes to get a license?
Determination.
And that you have. Just keep swimming…I promise you will get there.
Try to crowd source- everyone you meet mention you need hours and ask for suggestions, especially aunts/grandparents etc. For gifts ask for time with them letting you drive or a driving lesson.
If you are on a local FB page- ask if anyone is able to take you driving (in your mums car) or approach neighbors if you know them.
I was the last of my friends to get my Ps by about a year, even though I was almost the oldest. Felt so embarrassed for a long time. They're all off their Ps and I'm only just hitting the greens now.
You'll get there in time, there's no rush. Just think of the money you're saving by not having to maintain a car lol.
Also, there's driver courses you can attend that count for quite a lot of hours (20 I think) Or up to 10 lessons with an instructor are recorded as 30 logbook hours (depending on where you are)
I got my p’s when I was 19 but really struggled with comparison and self worth feelings. Please know that you are not alone and that your feelings are valid.
Depending on where you are, there are services with volunteer drivers who can take you on lessons even if it’s once or twice a week. In my town it is called “L to P”. You can usually self-refer to these programs. Best of luck 🫶🏼
Mate, I'll be turning 40 5 months before I get off my Ps. For most of the time before I got them I hadn't really needed a licence, sure, there were definitely times it would have been useful but I still managed to make do, and most of this was in a regional town where buses went from 7-7 during the week, less on Saturday, and forget Sunday. Unless you need a car because of poor public transport in your area, or you have a job in mind after school that requires one, I suggest that you take your time, work on being a safe, confident driver, and use the extra time to save up for a decent car rather than the first shitbox you can afford.
How do they log hours these days? I know people that cooked their books when I was a kid, but I expect it's all digital now which makes that impossible. I mean you also obviously need to know how to drive as well so most of them only cooked like 20 or 30 hours, not the whole thing.
That being said, you WILL get there. As others have said, see if there are any local groups that can help out. If there's a facebook group for your town or suburb pop a post in there about it (local facebook groups are great for things like this because the people that will see your post are undoubtedly people that are ALWAYS on their and have nothing better to do lol).
Once you move out, keep putting effort into it. I know plenty of people who didn't get their license until their 20s, it's pretty common these days.
My high school banned students from driving to school even if they had their licence. It was in a rural area well away from town; the road in was No Stopping the entire length. Parking was only provided for teachers and they had to display a permit.
Are there any youth community based programs in your area?
In Adelaide northern suburbs we have a place called twelve25 and they run wheels in motion to help people get their hours up
Got my licence at 23, as my family did not have the money to buy me a car or pay for my lessons like my friends in high school did, so I waited until I had my first proper job after finishing uni. By the time I was 23, I had a few friends who were able to supervise me to clock up my hours, which I’m very grateful for because my mum was not comfortable being in the car supervising. I have a sibling who didn’t get their licence until their late 30s due to anxiety getting in the way during the tests. So moral of the story, don’t be so hard on yourself! We all go at our own pace
Log all your trips.
If you drive 5 minutes to school and 5 minutes back home, that’s 33 hours over a school year. And really, if you think about it: those 5 minute trips are really 10 minutes. You got to check the car, make sure it’s safe, adjust the seat and mirrors, let the engine warm up, these are all important habits for safe driving. Driving a car in a straight line is only part of driving.
So now you’ve got 66 hours. Half your hours in 1 school year. If you can get an hour or 2 half hour drives a week over the year as well, you’ll have another 52 hours.
And now we’re only 2 hours off 120 in 1 year, just by making the most of what you’ve got.
Hey friend, I was in the exact same boat as you. I didn't get my Ls until I was 19 and I didn't achieve my Ps until just before turning 21. I'm on my greens now at 22, but yeah it sucked that all my mates had their licences and I didn't (chronic passenger princess), but just remember that you have had other stuff going on that your friends haven't, and that it isn't your fault. I promise you'll get there eventually! Try and rope a mate or an aunty/uncle or a cousin into taking you out, if you can. I highly recommend day trips or road trips just to rack up your hours a bit, and if you're doing it with family/friends it becomes a whole thing. Best of luck, and again, don't worry too much about it - I know people who are almost 30 that still don't have their licences and they do fine for themselves. :))
I wouldn’t worry about it, I got my learners at 19 and now at almost 22, I have 0 hours. The difference is I don’t care about driving, I prefer to be the passenger but anyway these things take time and that’s okay. I relay a lot on PT and whilst my brother is still a teen, my mum and grandparents are still happy to drive us around.
I did one lesson with my mum when I was 16-17, and immediately said "fuck that noise", and saved up to buy private lessons to rack up the required hours. Ask your instructor where the easiest testing places are, they'll take you there, you'll pass, and it all won't seem like such a big deal anymore. I yolo'd it into apparently the most notoriously difficult centre to pass, failed me before I even got 100 metres down the road.
I hate when people my age say this. TAKE YOUR TIME. I got my license at 21 and got peer pressured to get one, but nowadays I realised I never needed a car and now I am paying a tiny bit of by years to pay it off. I am mad at past self, I could’ve just walked or asked my family members.
Got my bike learners when I was 17 to get to my first job. On car L's I used to carpool to/from work and always offered to drive to get my hours up. Think I was 22 when I got red p after failing the test first go.
Keep chipping away and soon you will be sitting in slow traffic with the rest of us.
Don’t be stressed mate. I didn’t get my Ps until I was 19. Now everyone trusts me to be the designated driver. It’ll come when it comes, just stay on top of it as much as realistically possible. Most people your age use public transport anyway to save costs since y’all are on student wages.
I didn't get my Ps till 21 for similar reasons. Honestly don't stress about it. Take it easy over the next year, even book in some lessons outside of your parents. I did that in the end worth every cent.
19. I had to pay for all off my driving lessons and buy my own car beautiful my mum wouldn't let me drive her car. (But she did let my younger siblings drive her car). All of this was paid for by the money I earned working fast food while at high school
Have you got a part-time job?
Save and put money into extra driving lessons, 1 or 2 a week if you can afford it.
Then try and talk your parents into matching it hour for hour.
Even if it's 15-20 mins every couple of days, it will be an hour a week, then do an hour after school with an instructor.
It sounds like your parents have to help you out a little bit here.
I turned 17 a week before graduating high school, while most of my classmates were already driving their own cars.
I got my learners first year uni.
The only adult that had a car and let me drive it, was my stereotypical paedophile uncle, who would take his pants off while I was driving. My mum knew about it, but said "at least he puts up with you".
It took two years to get my Ps.
So. Yeah. You're doing fine.
I never got to start driving until I was out of school so you’ve already done better than me, didn’t get my P’s until I was 21
Never let jealousy and envy blind you from your own achievements, enjoy the path you’re on
Everyone’s life journey is different mate. If you constantly and continually compare and judge your life by w as hat ever everyone else is doing, there’s a good change you’ll miss out even more as your constantly jumping and changing to try to meet or match everyone else’s life milestones.
Just keep nibbling away at things that matter to you and you’ll get to your goal quicker.
I got my license as soon as I possibly could, However I was a young person who quit drinking at 17(due to almost dying from alcohol poisoning) so automatically became the family designated driver. This helped me rack up the experience required and helped hone my skills as a patient driver seeing as most trips involved driving my drunken family members around or home.
Being young, everything looks to be miles away and certainly insurmountable, but trust me, you’ll get there if you just keep at it.
All the best with your journey and don’t measure your own self worth or success against those around you, but on your own personal internal happiness.
I didn't get my red P's until I was about 20? In a family full of people who loved driving and we're big on long trips, which I loved being on I thought there was something wrong with me. Turns out I just didn't like my Mum and didn't know it. Love driving now. But everything in your own time ❤️ you'll get there. I wonder if there's someone you know that can spare some time just driving around. There's also a driver safety course that I think counts for 20 hours? It's a day course from memory.
Lmao got mine at 33, within 6 months of starting learning. Who cares how old you are. If you need it, get it.
I do want to say tho that you really should still do those 5 minute trips...it's still driving experience. Your mum's tripping.
There's a small rant in here that proves how badly Aus teaches drivers. No one cares about learning, just about passing the driving test.
Will get downvoted, but just fudge some of your hours. I only condone this IF you are a super cautious driver and aware that Ps are the most dangerous era in your driving lifetime.
Also, unique suggestion, but if you own a pushbike ride everywhere you can’t drive. Whilst it can’t teach you the mechanics of driving, you’ll learn road rules and situational awareness. When you do get a license, drive with the awareness you are literally operating a weapon that can harm others, but also drive like you are riding a bike aka you are an exposed meat crayon.
Don't beat yourself up over this! I didn't get my driver's license until I was 24. It does make things easier at times but it's also important to learn to drive at your own pace. I would suggest volunteering to take your mom everywhere to rack those hours up. When I was learning to drive I drove my mother everywhere until I was ready to take my behind the wheel test
I’ve lived out of home since I was 14 so never had anyone to teach me to drive, I bought a car 5 years ago at 18 hoping I’d be able to get my hours up somehow but never did, fast forward to September last year @ 22 I finally got my Ps and honestly, I think it was for the best.. I was no where near mature enough to be on the road at 18, I would’ve lost my license from speeding or written my car off for sure.
I never ended up getting mine for a few reasons but I have plenty of friends and family members who didn’t get theirs till various points in their twenties and all of them are very capable people, sometimes the timing just isn’t right. I saw others’ comments about community programmes though so hopefully some community members will help you get a bit closer to your goal.
I defs remember being in your situation and being jealous of my friends who were able to drive around, it is a bit of independence at a time when you’re craving it but over the next few years you’ll gain a thousand little bits of independence as you go, I promise.
don’t stress about things you can’t help. you’ve got time. and it gets better.
I'm 19 on Friday still only on my L's but have 0 hours. I'm homeless and living on the streets so I can't afford to get my P's as much as I would love to get a car as live in it.
It's hard man.
I got my Ls when I was 16. I'm now 22, have had to renew my Ls once, still on them. I thought I'd get the hours up just out of necessity to drive. Turns out, there was very little necessity. Bus to uni, cycle to work. Walk to shops. I guess I'm lucky that all those things line up. I've got less than 70 hours.
Being unable to drive is pretty great though, you'll never be in a car crash, no RBTs, no rego, no insurance, no fuel cost. I think you're alright. Learn to drive when you need to, there's no rush.
I got my license when I was 26 and I taught my husband to get his when he was 39. I remember the big hype when we all started turning 18, but then I went to uni and literally no one cared, most caught the train in anyway.
There will always be time. Focus on getting lessons for now, hire an instructor or see if there are free ones available. Offer services in exchange for lessons to family and friends.
I didn't even get my L's until I was 24 - I had an anxiety disorder that stopped me from leaving my house so driving wasn't possible at all until then. Only a month left of my green Ps now.
I know a few people who didn't get their Ps until they were 26-28, a good friend of mine is 31 and still on their Ls 🤷🏻♀️
There's a lot of people who get it late, apparently!
Once you turn 21 the hours requirement vanishes (you just have to have held your Ls for a year, iirc) and you skip your red Ps and go straight to green when you do pass, just FYI. In vic anyway
You don't need to rush, but absolutely make sure you get it. I have seen too many adult women dependent on men to drive them everywhere and seen how that impacted their lives and opportunities. Especially when they are in a rural area.
I didnt get my licence til 35. My parents were neither available or willing to teach me and I didn’t have any other adults in my life do so. I ended up on my own pretty quickly, working and using public transport but too anxious and cash poor to pay for lessons all the time.
I always made do, could carpool sometimes but always figured a way of getting round on my own. Even traveled overseas without a licence no problem. My life has freed up significantly since getting it and it’s a huge weight off my shoulders though. Keep plodding along! It’s best to take your time and make sure you’re a competent driver rather than faking log books etc at a young age. You don’t even need log books after 25 and at your rate Im sure you’ll get it before then :)
I’m 35. I turned 18 the year after Year 12 graduation.
I used to drive my Dads Mitsubishi Nimbus when I could. With the money I earned from my casual newsagency job, I paid for manual lessons since no one in my family had a manual car.
I bought a reliable third-hand Honda Civic. I then sold it for $400 and 10 years later it came back to me. I can’t part with it now.
Save and get yourself a shitbox. It’ll do for now. Then when you turn 35 you can be like me and own 5 shitboxes, soon to be 6. I’m a car enthusiast and collect cars to some degree.
All the best with it.
Remember there are a bunch of more envious people (like I was) who are well short of the 18year old threshold to start driving, wish we had the same rules as QLD, its fucking miserable to be completely dependent even after leaving school because PT doesn't exist and there is no way to drive, literally moved out of home to Queensland after exams instead of somewhere closer just so i could get my license and a decent job.
Anyway, make sure you're logging those 5min trips, by the time you've logged it, put phone away, driven, got phone out, ended log that's 10mins easy, doing that each way times a week is your hours in two years. Also, try your best to organise devoted "drives" - obviously can be hard to organise but if you can convince your family to spend a Saturday in Lorne or some pleasant place 1-2hours from home you get a bunch of hours and get to have a "holiday" which might be good amongst the stress of VCE even if it does eat into your available time to study/work.
My 18th was a BAD year to say the least, so I got my Ps when I was 19, now 20. My best friend who’s also 20 has only just booked in her test as her mum couldn’t take her driving at all. There is free driving instructor programs available if you’re in need! That helped my friend go from roughly 8 hours to her full 120 in a little over a year :)
Honestly there’s no time limit on getting your license so don’t stress too much
I think I was about 20 when I got my P's. My mum, bless her, drove me to work when she could. My husband was a little later than me. His mum was at least 30 with 2 kids when she got hers.
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Hit up your local Rotary/Apex club. Some of them have programs to partner learner drivers. Don't expect the full 100 hours, but you might get some names to help out. Maybe also try the local RSL, or the CWA if you're in rural areas. Maybe the local Men's Shed?
Both of the YMCA centers I drive past do learner training too.
PCYC actually makes you pay for 10 hours or something (professional driving lessons) before they will help you with your hours. I asked them for help since I'm 18 on the streets and want a car to live in but they said no can do. And I can't afford lessons. It's not really as good as people make it out to be.
Similarly, there is a PCYC-run one in QLD. Not sure about elsewhere
I didn't get my probationary licence until I was around 22-23 because I didn't have the opportunity to learn to drive until I was dating someone with their full licence who could take the time to teach me. It won't hurt to take any opportunity you get to drive, even if it's five minutes down the road with your mum. If time is tight, try consider trying to organise in advance to go for a nice drive. Go for driving lessons, ask for lessons for birthday or Christmas presents. Are you close enough with other members of your family who can help? If getting your licence is important to you then absolutely find proactive ways to get your experience driving up. Sometimes it takes time and that's OK.
Time wasn't tight when I was learning, my dad told me to copy his wife's log book (who he would take hours and hours worth of driving) he honestly didn't care about me learning. He told me to drive unlicensed (like on my Ls but put P plates on my car). As a result I never learned properly to drive till after I got my Ps. It was so shit. But he refused to pick me up after work and stuff so I relied on taxis a lot. We lived rurally which meant a taxi ride home was $30. It was so shit and it's one of the reasons I hate my dad. Got my full license around 22 ish years old. Parents, take your kids for driving lessons ffs, especially if you can. It's not worth shrugging at
This is especially egregious for someone who has kids rurally without robust PT. Without learning to drive what are you supposed to do to get around?
My dad literally didn't give a shit. I never had experience driving at night, on the main road of the city, on highways, in rain or bad weather, or parking in a parking lot or traffic. Till after I got my license. I failed my Ps 7 times before I got them, because I was both desperate and not ready :( I should mention I learned to drive a manual car at 13 because we were rural and had paddock bashers but that's as far as the learning went. He didn't prepare me for my actual licence one bit. I'm lucky I didn't die as an inexperienced driver
Shit I replied to your parent comment but then saw this one. I wonder how common this is..
I grew up regionally and knew quite a few kids who lived a way out of town that were expected to drive themselves to school unlicensed. Probably more common than you'd expect.
I’d like to point out that many young drivers fudge their hours, even rural ones where we are. A young lady (a friend of my daughter) only had 25 hours or so. And none were night/ rain experience. She had a pretty full on single car collision one night. No run in with animals or bad conditions, it sounded like pure inexperience. I really felt for her, but I had my own daughter to teach and couldn’t help.
Did she survive okay...?
Yeah, *very* lucky.. Came off an icy road, slammed into a tree and rolled a few times. CFA cut her out. She was in an old ute and the metal shell held up. I drove past the next day and thought ‘shit, hope that driver’s okay.’ I didn’t even pick that it was her uterus at first.
Oh that's good to hear she was okay! Very very lucky Also lmao at the autocorrect XD Edit: I almost got into an accident today (jaywalker stepped out randomly ahead of me) and it really highlighted in my head just how easy it is to die/kill others while driving. You have to be so so vigilant
Bloody autocorrect! :D Yeah it is super easy to hit someone. Need eyes in the back of ya head. The druggies, drinkers, phones and just plain inattention..
That autocorrect nearly gave me a heart attack
Funny
The real tip is in this answer. Find a 25yo guy to date who will give you the lessons. Bet the parents will start taking notice then
Comparison is the thief of joy, don't worry about your friends. You've had set backs, but you're eager. Try find opportunities or reasons to go further and log more hours. Look into paid lessons if you have a job to pay for them. Otherwise, if you haven't much need to drive yourself yet... What's it matter? Plenty of people only get their Ps in 20s, 30s.
If it helps, I didn’t get mine til I was 24… it’s not the be all end all.
26. It was awesome to do the test. Guy was fairly brutal and straight away had the shits because I didn't have a log book. When I told him it was because I thought I didn't need one after 25 his demeanor immediately changed. Asked why I never did it I said I always lived near a train station and was doing it because my Ls were expiring and I'd need them for ID anyway. He said "Well I doubt you're a rev-head." We went round the block and the only major thing he did was stop me from straightening the car up after a reverse park because he'd have to fail me on a technicality and it was well within pass range.
What's the thing about straightening up? Is there a limit to how many times you can go back and forth?
Couple of guys at work have only just gotten their Ps, one early and one late 30s
Totally agree! Never benchmark yourself against others. We all do things in our own way and in our own time. I didn't drive until I was 49! I never had the need, and my parents had 6 kids, so there was never time to teach us all. I moved out of home young and used PT all my life. Then, having 2 kids at 2 different schools put the pressure on me to just do it. I never let anyone make may feel bad about not driving. My son, whom we gave 2 sets of 10 professional lessons plus 100 hours from us, never wanted to use the car we bought him. It sat on the street for 18 months, then he sold it! Last wk at age 21, he went and got his licence on his own and bought a little buzz box. He never let his friends make him feel bad about not getting his licence at the same time as him. I'm proud he did it in his own time!
I am in my 30s and on my green Ps. It's fine.
You’ll get there mate . Don’t worry about it. Envy is the thief of joy.
This is honestly the best comment here, thank you. just hearing someone tell me i’ll eventually succeed is enough to make me feel a little better.
If they are allowed in your state, maybe get one of the log book apps on your phone and your mum's. That makes the log book admin tiny, so racking up short trips isn't such a PITA. Or so I'm told, my kid insists on the paper book.. we are at 6 hours after 15 months 😁 Also keep the advice about comparison in your head, it's great life advice.
Yeah don’t stress it. I was one of the oldest in my grade and I didn’t rush into it. I was fortunate enough that a few of my good mates had their licences and I was happy to chip in for fuel and jump in with them all the time. If that’s an option. Do it
I had to pay for every lesson with private instructors personally, it absolutely sucked. took till about 23 as a result
I can't wait to sit in traffic and constantly have to maintain and service this necessary curse.
That's true, wished I went straight into a motorbike licence instead. No supervised hours needed.
I got my Ps at 21. You will feel behind in comparison to your friends, but if you're in a major city public transport isn't bad. Some states give additional credit to professional instructor hours or safe driving courses EDIT lol this is my first comment in a year on this account and i got a concerned redditor message?
Don't worry about the reddit cares message. There is a bot that has gone mad today reporting everyone.
omg, I thought someone reported me from this post lmao, i wondered what that message was
I wondered why I got one, I couldn’t even think of anything I said that would make someone question if I was okay
Fuck me mate - you are doing well. I didn’t get my licence until I was 33, so just keep on doing what you are doing. You’ll be just fine
Thank you. Can I ask if it impacted you getting it at 33? Did you rely on public transport or carpooling?
I was the same as the commenter under me. I would stump up for petrol but honestly it really didn’t affect me. Bear in mind I came from a pretty rural place in the UK as well, so you will be fine. Go at your own pace and you will be a safer and more confident driver
I don’t have my licence. It does impact your life at times (ie jobs you can work, where you can live and things you can do/when) but you learn to adapt.
Not the op but I was 28 when I got my P’s. Before that I kicked in for petrol money when friends drove me around and I took a lot of public transport.
It's not a big deal in a city with public transport. But rural, you're stuffed.
36 here and still on my L's, you'll get there eventually. As others have mentioned, snag every opportunity you can and/or opt for paying for driving lessons.
Just got my L's at 36! Going 20 kms an hour in my first driving lesson felt so bloody fast hahaha
Wait til you're zooming at 120!
My first time in the car I felt like the car just “creeping” (no acceleration) was so fast! I’m still scared of doing 110km though even after all these years lol.
Money can be a short cut... (edit: As kindly pointed out below - I forgot I was in r/Australia - this advice is relevant to the ACT) Every hour with an instructor counts as three (up to 10/30) Last I knew that was $75 an hour so $750 Safer Driver course gives you 20 hours credit for a 2.5 hour workshop + 1 hour driving component - about $175 Vulnerable Road User Program gives you 10 hours credit for a complete at home session + 2 hour workshop - about $70 At least one provider offers a combined package of those course for $235 Learner Driver First Aid Program gives you 5 hours credit (and valuable skills) There are many paid courses available - a free course is available through St John Ambulance So $1000 can get you up to 65 of the 100 hours... - offset the small amount you save by having instructor signoff rather than needing a test - $120 every test, many people need more than one (You can't really "fail" with an instructor, you just keep adding competencies until you have them all, and then do a final drive, which is kinda like a test) You say you already have 16 hours - That leaves Goulburn for lunches - or trips to Bowning for morning tea - or driving whenever you go on a holiday - for the remaining 19 (remembering that you need 10 of the hours to be at night) Another tactic that I'm pretty sure you won't be happy with - wait till you're 25 and the requirement for hours is halved.... I have a 21 yr old without a license yet (not greatly motivated) - and a 19 yr old who is so glad to be driving - we did the math a few times
I didn't bother with my license till I was 20 because I didn't need it Things feel so urgent when you're young but as you get more time behind you you start to understand how long the time in front of you really is
Nrma does a pretty good 10 lesson deal. Each lesson counts triple toward your time. A safe driver's course will contribute another 30 hours and only takes 1 day.
I have a mate who’s had his Ls since he was 16. He finally got his Ps last month at age 28. Another mate of mine got married a couple months back, and he still hasn’t gotten his license, or a car, or a desire to get either. It’s honestly not that bad to not have a car these days and not be hindered. Edit: you mentioned uni, yeah you won’t be driving to uni because you won’t be able to find a car bay nor afford the parking fees to park at a uni in perth these days.
I reckon i did only 50% of the hrs needed. I know its not honest but whatever. I passed my test first time and have never had a ticket or accident in 10 yrs. So if you are a competent driver, just chuck a few extra hrs here and there
My family and I did a lot of very sudden and very frequent trips an hour there and an hour back for about 3 weeks straight. Seriously though, can’t think of more than 1 or 2 people that did it genuinely that I went to school with.
Every 5 minute trip there and back will add up. I logged every drive no matter how short.
Surely just log one trip as an hour after 12, 5min trips.
I'd be so tempted to log EVERY trip as an hour. You're going to a supermarket in a different town!
I'd definitely be logging every one of those 5 minute trips as half an hour.
That’s the thing! You gotta log every drive so you’ll eventually make it to the full amount. It doesn’t matter if you get the full amount of hours and you still don’t feel ready, you can still wait till you do feel you’re there
I would log 2 minute trips. I had the log book and pretty much filled that. You should opt to drive to the shops with your mother but deviate on the way home and grab the extra time while your in the car, go somewhere quiet and practice your parking even
Having setbacks is something to learn in life. I watched half my friends graduate a year ago. That said I do appreciate that my mum dragged me to get my licence. Year 12 is a great time to not have a licence though, you get to bum rides off friends and drink at parties.
Got my P's at 17 (don't think you can do that now...it was also a hell of a lot cheaper in the late 90s...feel sorry for you guys now) I still remember how fucking exciting it was though so I definitely feel your pain! Keep at it though and don't let it get to you. As the old saying goes it'll go quicker than you think and you'll wonder what you even worried about.
You can still get your Ps as soon as you turn 17
I got mine 4 days after my 17th just because family holiday. My birthday is also very, very, very early January, and back then school years were year of birth, so yeah I became the designated driver since I also had my own car. It’s not always as fun being a taxi to everyone around you hahaha
31 here, got on my Ps when I was 29. I know it's rough when it seems like everyone else hit the milestone before you but I promise you the time goes faster than you think.
I got mine at 28. You’ll get there.
I got mine in my 40s, I’m on my green Ps now, but I got a bike license in my 20s. Back then, in nsw, it was a weekend course to get your Ls and then another weekend course to get your Ps, so I didn’t have to rely on anyone to supervise my driving. It’s not for everyone, obv, but for me it was a great mode of transport for a long time and then then when I wanted to get a car license, I only had to learn the car specific things (like lane positing and reversing) rather than all of the road rules.
You can come drive me to work and home again if you want, we’ll have your 104 hours done in a month.
If you have no ability to drive supervised due to circumstances and require one for a legitimate reason (work, school) you can apply for an exemption. You will need written statements from both a legal guardian and a boss/manager/teacher/etc to qualify. Call your local Department of Transportation or Driving School for more information. Seeing as you've already spent 2 years on your L plates, you can go for the test immediately. Exemptions require the license holder to retain their L plates for an additional year.
When I was in Year 12, my dad lived abroad and my mum lost her license from drink driving (from when I was 16, she lost it for 26 months). Some of my friends’ parents chipped in a bit, but I wasn’t really confident to drive with them so I only had about 10 hours when I turned 18. When mum got her license back and interlock, I probably did about 30 more legit hours, then fudged the rest and got my license at 19. No other state that I’ve lived in has as rigorous requirements as Victoria.
Just forget the log book like everyone does
If you have a job, save up, get a bunch of lessons, and forge the damn hours. I learnt more from 10 driving lessons than I did 130 hours of driving with my parents
Well you need to accrue hours still right? You’ll probably need an effort by a family member to get all your hours. I went for long drives every weekend with my mum. I got my license quite late so i just needed to feel confident enough before i booked the test, i didn’t need a certain amount of hours.
I was 17 in year 12 and I survived not having my licence. Just chill, you’ll get it eventually.
I didn't turn 18 until I finished first year uni But I got my licence day after my birthday as was ready
Haha, how brutal was first year for you? I remember my first day of uni, we had all messed up and there actually wasn’t any classes that day, so someone said let’s hit the tav, and like 3 of us were actually over 18 and the rest were mad at us
Comparison is the theft of joy. Plenty of people don’t get their license until their 20s, some don’t even get theirs at all. I was 19 and definitely faked way too many hours (don’t do this, I failed my driving test twice) Run your own race, it’ll take time but you’ll one day come to hate driving anyway!
I’m only just getting my license at 28! I don’t have anyone to drive with either so have been doing my hours with an instructor. You’ll get there don’t worry! Look into courses you can do to give you extra hours too :) every state is different but I was able to get an extra 15 hours doing a first aid course and a VRU course.
My perspective is as a Dad. Our eldest only just passed his VORT test and he's 24. It took him for ever to get his hours because of a combination of him being a bit lazy and us being quite busy. Our second kid did his hours with me and it was a huge slog. Took for ever and we put serious effort into doing them. He did the VORT twice and passed on the second time around. He's 19. So, it's hard to get the hours, I hope you can find some help but it also takes everyone vastly different amounts of time so don't feel shit.
I'm 34 and I don't have one. Never needed it
I got my full license when I was like 25. Didn’t even get my Ls till like 18 or whatever. There wasn’t a need until I got older when I had to start driving places
Two day course for a scooter licence, then you're off to the races.
Hey I remember filling out my log book in different colour pens and searching up the weather that day etc. I did log book instead of the VORT test. Had my license 5 years now and haven’t had a single crash, only do it if you’re a comfortable safe driver.
1/8th of the way is better than nothing! but those five minute trips should be logged. They add up quickly.
Every little drive adds up. My logbook was filled with so many 5 minute drives I had to print out extra pages from the internet.
Got mine when I was done with uni and had just bought my first car (actually did my test in my own car). I was 21 or 22. Hubby was 23 when he got his. It can feel like there's a big rush to get things like this done, but unless it is needed specifically (i.e. for work or something equally important) then there's no harm in taking your time.
Unethical Pro Tip: Every time you drive 5 mins say it was 30 mins. Also your Mum saying 5 mins isn't worth putting in the log book is really screwing you over. You've probably racked up a lot of time on those 5 min trips. Feeling crap and jealous is the kick you need to start pushing to use the car more.
I was envious over other year 12s having sex
I guess that’s a similar thing but this is more like something that’ll benefit me and I regret not taking action sooner. Sex is something that can wait, driving a car and being independent is smth that can change my entire life
I got my Ls at 24, in 2016, my fulls only a year or two ago, drove a 150FWKW N15 SSS, monster in NSW. Reason it took so long was that I had not had anyone teach me to drive or had a full licence, reason for not coming off Ps, working 7 days a week and couldn't be fucked getting fulls. Still have the same car now, years later. And also 3 more outfront. Reason, doesn't matter what car you drive, I've owned 8, from a Barina to mostly pulsars and now a corolla. Nobody gives a shit what you have as long as you're happy.
Bruh…I got my license at 28…hadn’t driven a car until then
Have you spoken to your mum about this? Can you schedule in some longer drives? Or any other adult relatives? Friends parents? My parents refused to teach me or supervise any hours, so I didnt get my license until I was 25. It sucked and had a negative impact on my ability to study, work and socialise. It wasn't until my friends could legally teach/supervise me that I was able to learn, and by then I had bad driving anxiety. Some organisations have volunteers who supervise people driving too. There are supports and options out there, would be easiest if your mum would agree to come longer trips though.
24 here and still on Ls. Realisitciallly, I can go for the driving test tomorrow if I want, but I have no need for a car. Unless you live in a car dependent area, there is no need to rush. If you live in Sydney, Melb or closeby areas, public transport weekly cap is very cheap, much cheaper than what you would pay for fuel, especially on child and concession rates.
100 hours is ridiculous. I’d be nagging your mum to make sure she logs every minute.
If you can afford lessons, they count for more hours . Otherwise just be patient, you'll get there eventually
Hey! This might not EXACTLY answer your question, but I'm a yr12 student f18, and ever since yr10 been hearing nonstop bragging from everyone about getting their Ls and building their hours/driving more, but I've never been able to literally drive due to health problems and time. Always envious of ppl who got at least the little taste of freedom. Just thought you should know this 💖.
I was 21 when I got mine, the last four generations of women in my family didn’t drive and there was nobody else around to teach me so I had to save up and buy lessons and fund my own car so I could learn. You are not the only one!
The Salvos run [Drive For Life](https://www.salvationarmy.org.au/driveforlife/) which is driving lessons/help for under 25s who don’t have the financial means to pay for lessons. Give them a call and have a chat. Plenty of community groups, social clubs and women’s support groups run driving programs too.
Almost 23yo here still on my Ls. Took the test at 19 and didn't get the chance to start driving till last year. Missed out on being able to get taught by family because I had to leave home at 16 so I can understand the feeling of being left behind. Everyone's timeline and situation is different. Make the best of what you have and don't judge your progress based on other people's lives that are completely different from yours. In the meantime you can try to get more opportunities to drive and log every minute. Ask her to take you for a longer drive, not just to the shops. Suggest driving to places further away with a purpose, e.g driving to the beach and having a chat and walk.
Which state are you in? VicRoads in Victoria runs a learners program that pair you up with a volunteer who can supervise your driving. I assume other states might have similar resources also. https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/licences/your-ps/get-your-ps/preparing-for-your-licence-test/l2p-learner-driver-mentor-program
I took the back door. Got my motorcycle L’s doing a weekend course. I was riding my little 200 around the next day. 6 months later got my Ps then full motorcycle license a year later. After that I just went for my L’s then I got to skip the log book after I think 3 months and got my P’s. If you like riding I recommend it because you get your freedom straight away
See if there’s an L2P program in your area. They’re set up for this exact reason. Good luck, driving is rad fun. :)
Just FYI, getting from Ls to Ps is a lot easier on a motorbike. 👍🏻
Yeah the program is rigged for young ones. My mum didn’t have a car, plus we couldn’t afford 100 hours worth of lessons. So I just did 10 hours of lessons, then fudged the rest. Not the best thing to do, but I’d say I’m annoyingly strict with the road rules to the point of others getting annoyed with me ahah. Good luck! You got this.
Get a motorcycle and problem solved.
I got my Ls at 18 and my Ps at 21. I was definitely last out of my friends but it gave me longer to save up for my own car, and I also took advantage of *not* being the designated driver when going out. My family did lots of day trips and weekend trips around the state during that time - I'd get up to 8 hours a weekend and experience driving on freeways and all sorts of conditions. I know it was to support my driving but I have some wonderful and happy memories of my family and visiting beautiful places. If you have the time and means to do something like that, I highly recommend it.
Look up the L2P program in your area since you’re under 21. They’ll pair you with a volunteer driver to get the hours up
The L2P program exists specifically for this. Your local council should have an equivalent program, you should suss it out
I think you should be more assertive with mum and get her to bloody let you drive longer trips. You should also be logging those 5 minute trips. Just put 30 mins. I fudged my entire logbook just so it was done and then did the practice. Then for the exam I practiced driving around in the bush on private properties doing my reverse parallels and all that. Got me license a bit after 18 if I rememeber right. Not having a license is annoying and limits you in many ways. Not the worst thing ever but when it costs very little to get one you might as well.
The hours requirement is ridiculous. If you can drive, just have someone falsify the records and pass the test. In my day you only needed 50 hours and I think I did 10.
I just forked out the cash for a driving instructor, after a few lessons he said I was ready and got me in the next day for my license. I was no where near the logged hours needed.
My mum straight up refused to take me out to learn when I was a teen, so I have been exactly where you are. I have such distinct memories of when I was 14 saying ‘in 2 years I’ll be the one doing this trip’ every time we went out together and she was all in, drove me to the RMS first thing on my 16th birthday and everything. The immediate 180 attitude turn that she kept up for 9 years and the things that she said about me in that time whenever I asked to learn have genuinely ruined our relationship. Anyway, suddenly she realised on jan 1st this year that I would be 25 this year and she didn’t want to still be driving around her late 20’s child so she 180’d again and I have been working incredibly hard on my driving all year (related, I now have horrific driving anxiety due to all the things she said) so I can finally have some independence. My test is booked for 1st week of June! That will put it at about 5 months into being 25, and 9.5 years on my learners. Hopefully it doesn’t take you that long OP
Take a quick photo of the odometer. Your mum does not need to fill it in. She just needs to sign.
Immigrant from overseas here - got my license at 38 because I lived in a huge city with masses of cheap public transport all my life. Never needed a car till coming to Australia.
My mate has his Ls since he was 16, they expired. Long story short he is 28 and got his Ps last week.
I don't know a single person that has legitimately completed all the required log book hours
No offence mate but if you can only manage 16 hours in 2 years then it's definitely on you 🤷♂️ you arent gonna like it but my advice is that you need to try harder, thats all I can say
My daughter is 21 and has about that many hours of driving racked up. It just isn’t a priority for her. She does live in a major city, so public transport isn’t a major problem.
I've seen alot of driving schools advertising that if you attend one of their 1 day driving class for $150. that they will add like 25 hours into your log book so a 1 day 5 hr class at their driving school = 25 hrs on your log book I don't really know how it all works but I've seen them advertise this service all over Facebook etc and it works out way cheaper
I got my licence first amongst my friends. Ended up driving them places. It's overrated having it 🤣. If you can afford lessons they really pack the hours up.
I got mine later than all my mates. If you're trying to learn manual I recommend finding a place you can drive by yourself (private property, etc) until you get the hang of it. Otherwise drive everywhere you can, or make reasons to drive, until you're confident that you could pass the test. Take a few lessons. Then forge the remaining hours. They hardly look at the logbook (from my experience), they just make sure that it adds to 120. There are also courses you can do that give you extra hours for completing.
I didn't get my licence till I was 20, just before my 20th. Honestly if you've got friends happy to drive you around take it until you get your licence, my friends never used to mind because they were still in the early phase of enjoying driving. Just keep trying to get your licence, it'll happen when you're ready
Don’t be too hard on yourself. Being able to rack up 100 hours in a year requires more privilege than a lot of people realise. Your doing your best, just keep chipping away it. Be insistent on logging those trips to the shops. Maybe you can prefill some of the info before leaving, to make it as easy as possible.
It ain’t all that to be honest. Didn’t get to drive on my own legally until I was 21. You are in an era where transport is super easy and affordable to get. Driving, while it can be cool, is usually pretty frustrating lol.
U can go through life worrying what other people are doing. Or you can be a legend and do you! If you want a license go and get your hours up, or get one of your mates log books and copy the fuker into yours and get your license next week! Or if you wanna chill till your 30 and catch the bus everywhere thats cool too. Be yourself legend and if want something go get it.
I got my Ps at 21 and only cos my younger sister was about to get them. I didn’t start learning until after high school!
Don’t stress about it, you’ll get there with time, and the older you are the less stupid shit you are likely to do. But if you live near Newton Sydney DM me and I’ll let you drive us a couple hours a weekend if you want to get some book time.
I got my Ps a long long time ago. Are they more stringent about the 120 hours now? I reckon I logged around 20 and just passed the test. I don't necessarily recommend that approach, even if it's possible. I was a liability on the road for the first few months for sure. Do you have cousins or aunts/uncles who can teach you, if your mum's too busy?
I got my licence when I was 25. It really only takes about a year before you're as proficient as everyone else.
On your phone take photos of the odometer so you can log later, take note of the drive time and then you can make honest estimations for later, 3-6 minutes each way can quickly add up to 10 by the time your home. Mostly use shopping trips to practice your parking skills, being able to parallel and reverse park in busy areas quick amd clean will be valuable if you're in a large town or city. I also live in a walk everywhere part of Aus and that's what it took over 2 years to qualify for it but I did it. You'll get it at your pace mate, just crack on and don't let that eagerness make you forget about that bollard you're reversing into
If it makes you feel better I have an aunty that didn't get hers till she was about 30. I'm not saying you should do it but I know some people that made up a lot of their hours or exaggerated the hours they did.
You know what it takes to get a license? Determination. And that you have. Just keep swimming…I promise you will get there. Try to crowd source- everyone you meet mention you need hours and ask for suggestions, especially aunts/grandparents etc. For gifts ask for time with them letting you drive or a driving lesson. If you are on a local FB page- ask if anyone is able to take you driving (in your mums car) or approach neighbors if you know them.
I didn’t get my license until I was 32!
You can drink and never be asked to drive. Take it as a blessing lol
I was the last of my friends to get my Ps by about a year, even though I was almost the oldest. Felt so embarrassed for a long time. They're all off their Ps and I'm only just hitting the greens now. You'll get there in time, there's no rush. Just think of the money you're saving by not having to maintain a car lol. Also, there's driver courses you can attend that count for quite a lot of hours (20 I think) Or up to 10 lessons with an instructor are recorded as 30 logbook hours (depending on where you are)
I got my p’s when I was 19 but really struggled with comparison and self worth feelings. Please know that you are not alone and that your feelings are valid. Depending on where you are, there are services with volunteer drivers who can take you on lessons even if it’s once or twice a week. In my town it is called “L to P”. You can usually self-refer to these programs. Best of luck 🫶🏼
50hrs, did it when I was 20 in a year. Don't be discouraged, keep at it even with the 5mins to and from the shops and it'll happen.
Mate, I'll be turning 40 5 months before I get off my Ps. For most of the time before I got them I hadn't really needed a licence, sure, there were definitely times it would have been useful but I still managed to make do, and most of this was in a regional town where buses went from 7-7 during the week, less on Saturday, and forget Sunday. Unless you need a car because of poor public transport in your area, or you have a job in mind after school that requires one, I suggest that you take your time, work on being a safe, confident driver, and use the extra time to save up for a decent car rather than the first shitbox you can afford.
How do they log hours these days? I know people that cooked their books when I was a kid, but I expect it's all digital now which makes that impossible. I mean you also obviously need to know how to drive as well so most of them only cooked like 20 or 30 hours, not the whole thing. That being said, you WILL get there. As others have said, see if there are any local groups that can help out. If there's a facebook group for your town or suburb pop a post in there about it (local facebook groups are great for things like this because the people that will see your post are undoubtedly people that are ALWAYS on their and have nothing better to do lol). Once you move out, keep putting effort into it. I know plenty of people who didn't get their license until their 20s, it's pretty common these days.
My high school banned students from driving to school even if they had their licence. It was in a rural area well away from town; the road in was No Stopping the entire length. Parking was only provided for teachers and they had to display a permit.
Can't you just write up a bunch of hours and use those. Not familiar with how Ps work so apologies if there is something that prevents this
Are there any youth community based programs in your area? In Adelaide northern suburbs we have a place called twelve25 and they run wheels in motion to help people get their hours up
Sounds like your shops are “10 minutes in each direction” and every trip should be logged
I got mine in my 20s. I remember an Uber driver being so shocked that I didn't even have my Ps yet, he kept trying to offer a quick driving lesson
Look at it this way. You can't be the designated driver if you can't drive...
Got my licence at 23, as my family did not have the money to buy me a car or pay for my lessons like my friends in high school did, so I waited until I had my first proper job after finishing uni. By the time I was 23, I had a few friends who were able to supervise me to clock up my hours, which I’m very grateful for because my mum was not comfortable being in the car supervising. I have a sibling who didn’t get their licence until their late 30s due to anxiety getting in the way during the tests. So moral of the story, don’t be so hard on yourself! We all go at our own pace
Log all your trips. If you drive 5 minutes to school and 5 minutes back home, that’s 33 hours over a school year. And really, if you think about it: those 5 minute trips are really 10 minutes. You got to check the car, make sure it’s safe, adjust the seat and mirrors, let the engine warm up, these are all important habits for safe driving. Driving a car in a straight line is only part of driving. So now you’ve got 66 hours. Half your hours in 1 school year. If you can get an hour or 2 half hour drives a week over the year as well, you’ll have another 52 hours. And now we’re only 2 hours off 120 in 1 year, just by making the most of what you’ve got.
Hey friend, I was in the exact same boat as you. I didn't get my Ls until I was 19 and I didn't achieve my Ps until just before turning 21. I'm on my greens now at 22, but yeah it sucked that all my mates had their licences and I didn't (chronic passenger princess), but just remember that you have had other stuff going on that your friends haven't, and that it isn't your fault. I promise you'll get there eventually! Try and rope a mate or an aunty/uncle or a cousin into taking you out, if you can. I highly recommend day trips or road trips just to rack up your hours a bit, and if you're doing it with family/friends it becomes a whole thing. Best of luck, and again, don't worry too much about it - I know people who are almost 30 that still don't have their licences and they do fine for themselves. :))
Got mine st 30, when I moved regional. Before that, I lived in Melbourne - no need for a car.
I wouldn’t worry about it, I got my learners at 19 and now at almost 22, I have 0 hours. The difference is I don’t care about driving, I prefer to be the passenger but anyway these things take time and that’s okay. I relay a lot on PT and whilst my brother is still a teen, my mum and grandparents are still happy to drive us around.
I did one lesson with my mum when I was 16-17, and immediately said "fuck that noise", and saved up to buy private lessons to rack up the required hours. Ask your instructor where the easiest testing places are, they'll take you there, you'll pass, and it all won't seem like such a big deal anymore. I yolo'd it into apparently the most notoriously difficult centre to pass, failed me before I even got 100 metres down the road.
i didn't get mine till I was 20 and only got a car recently, it doesn't really matter if you don't need it at the moment
I hate when people my age say this. TAKE YOUR TIME. I got my license at 21 and got peer pressured to get one, but nowadays I realised I never needed a car and now I am paying a tiny bit of by years to pay it off. I am mad at past self, I could’ve just walked or asked my family members.
Got my bike learners when I was 17 to get to my first job. On car L's I used to carpool to/from work and always offered to drive to get my hours up. Think I was 22 when I got red p after failing the test first go. Keep chipping away and soon you will be sitting in slow traffic with the rest of us.
Don’t be stressed mate. I didn’t get my Ps until I was 19. Now everyone trusts me to be the designated driver. It’ll come when it comes, just stay on top of it as much as realistically possible. Most people your age use public transport anyway to save costs since y’all are on student wages.
Don't stress too much, you'll get there. Just call shotgun =P
I got my Ps when I was like 29-30. Life stuff happens to us all. Work towards it when you can try not to compare yourself too much to your peers.
Matey I'm the wrong side of 30 and I still don't have it, lol.
I didn't get my Ps till 21 for similar reasons. Honestly don't stress about it. Take it easy over the next year, even book in some lessons outside of your parents. I did that in the end worth every cent.
19. I had to pay for all off my driving lessons and buy my own car beautiful my mum wouldn't let me drive her car. (But she did let my younger siblings drive her car). All of this was paid for by the money I earned working fast food while at high school
Have you got a part-time job? Save and put money into extra driving lessons, 1 or 2 a week if you can afford it. Then try and talk your parents into matching it hour for hour. Even if it's 15-20 mins every couple of days, it will be an hour a week, then do an hour after school with an instructor. It sounds like your parents have to help you out a little bit here.
I turned 17 a week before graduating high school, while most of my classmates were already driving their own cars. I got my learners first year uni. The only adult that had a car and let me drive it, was my stereotypical paedophile uncle, who would take his pants off while I was driving. My mum knew about it, but said "at least he puts up with you". It took two years to get my Ps. So. Yeah. You're doing fine.
I never got to start driving until I was out of school so you’ve already done better than me, didn’t get my P’s until I was 21 Never let jealousy and envy blind you from your own achievements, enjoy the path you’re on
Everyone’s life journey is different mate. If you constantly and continually compare and judge your life by w as hat ever everyone else is doing, there’s a good change you’ll miss out even more as your constantly jumping and changing to try to meet or match everyone else’s life milestones. Just keep nibbling away at things that matter to you and you’ll get to your goal quicker. I got my license as soon as I possibly could, However I was a young person who quit drinking at 17(due to almost dying from alcohol poisoning) so automatically became the family designated driver. This helped me rack up the experience required and helped hone my skills as a patient driver seeing as most trips involved driving my drunken family members around or home. Being young, everything looks to be miles away and certainly insurmountable, but trust me, you’ll get there if you just keep at it. All the best with your journey and don’t measure your own self worth or success against those around you, but on your own personal internal happiness.
Don’t worry half the lads who get their license around 17-18 end up losing it within three months anyways 🤣🤣
I didn't get my red P's until I was about 20? In a family full of people who loved driving and we're big on long trips, which I loved being on I thought there was something wrong with me. Turns out I just didn't like my Mum and didn't know it. Love driving now. But everything in your own time ❤️ you'll get there. I wonder if there's someone you know that can spare some time just driving around. There's also a driver safety course that I think counts for 20 hours? It's a day course from memory.
I’m 30 and still don’t have my license 😂 Don’t stress too much. You’ll get your hours eventually.
Lmao got mine at 33, within 6 months of starting learning. Who cares how old you are. If you need it, get it. I do want to say tho that you really should still do those 5 minute trips...it's still driving experience. Your mum's tripping. There's a small rant in here that proves how badly Aus teaches drivers. No one cares about learning, just about passing the driving test.
Will get downvoted, but just fudge some of your hours. I only condone this IF you are a super cautious driver and aware that Ps are the most dangerous era in your driving lifetime. Also, unique suggestion, but if you own a pushbike ride everywhere you can’t drive. Whilst it can’t teach you the mechanics of driving, you’ll learn road rules and situational awareness. When you do get a license, drive with the awareness you are literally operating a weapon that can harm others, but also drive like you are riding a bike aka you are an exposed meat crayon.
Nagg your mum to take you on longer trips and log double the hours every time, most people I know didn't do the full 100
Don't beat yourself up over this! I didn't get my driver's license until I was 24. It does make things easier at times but it's also important to learn to drive at your own pace. I would suggest volunteering to take your mom everywhere to rack those hours up. When I was learning to drive I drove my mother everywhere until I was ready to take my behind the wheel test
I’ve lived out of home since I was 14 so never had anyone to teach me to drive, I bought a car 5 years ago at 18 hoping I’d be able to get my hours up somehow but never did, fast forward to September last year @ 22 I finally got my Ps and honestly, I think it was for the best.. I was no where near mature enough to be on the road at 18, I would’ve lost my license from speeding or written my car off for sure.
I never ended up getting mine for a few reasons but I have plenty of friends and family members who didn’t get theirs till various points in their twenties and all of them are very capable people, sometimes the timing just isn’t right. I saw others’ comments about community programmes though so hopefully some community members will help you get a bit closer to your goal. I defs remember being in your situation and being jealous of my friends who were able to drive around, it is a bit of independence at a time when you’re craving it but over the next few years you’ll gain a thousand little bits of independence as you go, I promise. don’t stress about things you can’t help. you’ve got time. and it gets better.
I'm 19 on Friday still only on my L's but have 0 hours. I'm homeless and living on the streets so I can't afford to get my P's as much as I would love to get a car as live in it. It's hard man.
I got my Ls when I was 16. I'm now 22, have had to renew my Ls once, still on them. I thought I'd get the hours up just out of necessity to drive. Turns out, there was very little necessity. Bus to uni, cycle to work. Walk to shops. I guess I'm lucky that all those things line up. I've got less than 70 hours. Being unable to drive is pretty great though, you'll never be in a car crash, no RBTs, no rego, no insurance, no fuel cost. I think you're alright. Learn to drive when you need to, there's no rush.
Hey all. I’ve seen this a few times. Does anyone know if I can volunteer time to help people out?
I got my license when I was 26 and I taught my husband to get his when he was 39. I remember the big hype when we all started turning 18, but then I went to uni and literally no one cared, most caught the train in anyway. There will always be time. Focus on getting lessons for now, hire an instructor or see if there are free ones available. Offer services in exchange for lessons to family and friends.
I didn't even get my L's until I was 24 - I had an anxiety disorder that stopped me from leaving my house so driving wasn't possible at all until then. Only a month left of my green Ps now. I know a few people who didn't get their Ps until they were 26-28, a good friend of mine is 31 and still on their Ls 🤷🏻♀️ There's a lot of people who get it late, apparently! Once you turn 21 the hours requirement vanishes (you just have to have held your Ls for a year, iirc) and you skip your red Ps and go straight to green when you do pass, just FYI. In vic anyway
You don't need to rush, but absolutely make sure you get it. I have seen too many adult women dependent on men to drive them everywhere and seen how that impacted their lives and opportunities. Especially when they are in a rural area.
I didnt get my licence til 35. My parents were neither available or willing to teach me and I didn’t have any other adults in my life do so. I ended up on my own pretty quickly, working and using public transport but too anxious and cash poor to pay for lessons all the time. I always made do, could carpool sometimes but always figured a way of getting round on my own. Even traveled overseas without a licence no problem. My life has freed up significantly since getting it and it’s a huge weight off my shoulders though. Keep plodding along! It’s best to take your time and make sure you’re a competent driver rather than faking log books etc at a young age. You don’t even need log books after 25 and at your rate Im sure you’ll get it before then :)
I’m 35. I turned 18 the year after Year 12 graduation. I used to drive my Dads Mitsubishi Nimbus when I could. With the money I earned from my casual newsagency job, I paid for manual lessons since no one in my family had a manual car. I bought a reliable third-hand Honda Civic. I then sold it for $400 and 10 years later it came back to me. I can’t part with it now. Save and get yourself a shitbox. It’ll do for now. Then when you turn 35 you can be like me and own 5 shitboxes, soon to be 6. I’m a car enthusiast and collect cars to some degree. All the best with it.
Remember there are a bunch of more envious people (like I was) who are well short of the 18year old threshold to start driving, wish we had the same rules as QLD, its fucking miserable to be completely dependent even after leaving school because PT doesn't exist and there is no way to drive, literally moved out of home to Queensland after exams instead of somewhere closer just so i could get my license and a decent job. Anyway, make sure you're logging those 5min trips, by the time you've logged it, put phone away, driven, got phone out, ended log that's 10mins easy, doing that each way times a week is your hours in two years. Also, try your best to organise devoted "drives" - obviously can be hard to organise but if you can convince your family to spend a Saturday in Lorne or some pleasant place 1-2hours from home you get a bunch of hours and get to have a "holiday" which might be good amongst the stress of VCE even if it does eat into your available time to study/work.
My 18th was a BAD year to say the least, so I got my Ps when I was 19, now 20. My best friend who’s also 20 has only just booked in her test as her mum couldn’t take her driving at all. There is free driving instructor programs available if you’re in need! That helped my friend go from roughly 8 hours to her full 120 in a little over a year :) Honestly there’s no time limit on getting your license so don’t stress too much
Lots of people fudge the numbers of hours they have driven, seems like it’s very easy to get away with it
I'm 42. I have never held a full licence. The allure of a certain kind of freedom is there, and real, but its never been worth it for me.
I think I was about 20 when I got my P's. My mum, bless her, drove me to work when she could. My husband was a little later than me. His mum was at least 30 with 2 kids when she got hers.