Intensive driving course = stupid idea?
Driving is easy, or at least operating the automobile is. The decision making is a little harder. When I went to driver’s Ed in 1991, all I needed to get a license was 1.5 hours of on the road training and 1.5 hours of closed-course training. Bam, 16 years old and a licensed driver. (This is in the US, and has since changed. I think it’s 30 hours now.) So you’ll be fine. But remember that learning to drive is a lifelong process. You ought to get plenty of practice right after the course to solidify the things you’ve learned, and make sure to get out on the road every few months (assuming you won’t be buying a car?). The trick is to focus intensely and go through all the steps explicitly in your head as you drive. Check near, check far, mirror, mirror, speed, gauges, repeat. Eventually, your brain will get programmed to do all of that unconsciously. And as you get comfortable with the basics, start widening your scope of skills. Don’t decide to pull a trailer on day 2. Rule 1: don’t hit
It would be a good way to learn the technical aspects of driving but you won’t have enough time to acquire the good habits of a good (and not merely technically proficient) driver. For example here in BC after passing the proficiency exam new drivers hold a restricted, provisional licence for two years before they receive a full licence with the expectation they’ll practice. You may not need formal supervision but merely an awareness of your limitations during the first few months of driving. However an observer can help you by pointing out when you’ve made mistakes and that can be easier to take from someone you are paying rather than a friend.
This is how lots of people learn prior to getting a licence. Not so much for cars, but for motorbikes. It’s not too fast if your goal is getting a licence. However, you do need to view this as the start, and not the end of the process. A good place to go once you get your licence is a PassPlus course. And you need to get driving. Don’t be scared of motorways. Get the practice from the get go. The licence teaches you the core skills, but not so much things like awareness, problem spotting, appropriate speed, how to navigate areas you’re not used to etc. I would personally avoid BSM and the AA and other operators where the driving instructor basically pays a franchise fees. In my experience, they tend to attract new instructors that don’t have the existing customer base. I don’t have recommendations for specific intensive courses, I’m afraid. I would say that personal reco
