Product Description

Stylish and fun, THE GIRLS' GUIDE TO LOSING YOUR L-PLATES is a deeply practical aid for every girl learning to drive. The initial chapters will help you sift out a good instructor, budget for and get the most from your lessons. There are hints too for the hapless parent/boyfriend who is prepared to take you out practising, and suggestions for keeping your relationship from cracking under the strain. Driving instructors add off-the-record information about the easiest places to pass and the best ways to win over your examiner. Author Maria McCarthy guides you through exactly what to expect in both the theory and the practical test, giving sage advice about managing your nerves and staying calm. There is help with driving once you've passed too, including how to get the best car insurance, and dealing with driving alone or at night. An uplifting chapter is on hand just in case you don't, at first, succeed. THE GIRLS' GUIDE TO LOSING YOUR L-PLATES is essential reading for every wannabe on wheels.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21401 in Books
• Published on: 2007-01-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Sunday Express, 21/01/07
'A new book that will transform the most timid learner into a
fully licensed queen of the road.'

Motror Schools Association News Jan 07
'Entertaining and informative, this book should appeal to learner
drivers and instructors alike.'

Customer Reviews

Impulse buy comes good
This book was an impulse buy for me, and though the cover may be a bit off-putting to some, I'd recommend it to anyone who needs a bit of light-hearted, down-to-earth encouragement on passing their driving text.

There are useful facts and figures that make you feel less of an idiot if you think you're taking longer to pass that you should. There's also practical advice on things like finding the right instructor and making the most of your lessons, and tips aimed at those accompanying the learner driver.

The book is full of anecdotes from real people, and they're not inspirational nonsense - there's a real feeling of honesty to the stories: `Deep down I think I was scared of having to drive alone and so that's why I kept failing...'.

It's basically a great all-rounder, tackling driving from all angles, and making you feel less alone! And it doesn't stop at the point of passing your test, it tells you the stuff you need to know about afterwards too. Though I read it through from cover to cover, there are bits I'll definitely dip back into.

An easy and useful read for parents of/and girls learning to drive
I was interested in this because my niece will be starting to drive soon. When I got the book, I started to read it and feel a bit guilty now. I laughed to read that the author had taken 23 years to pass her driving test - she certainly knows what she's talking about now! Much grist to the male motoring mill here, such as it takes women 52 lessons to pass, on average, versus men's 36 and about 14 months for the entire process. Whilst Maria doesn't suggest why, I wonder if it's these extra lessons that make us the safer drivers? I was also surprised to read that fewer young women aged 17-20 years have a driving licence today, 24% in 2004 compared to 42% in 1994. Is this because of the tougher test, fewer student grants or the total cost of buying a car and all that entails - certainly made me wonder.

The book is very well organised from choosing the right driving instructor through to passing your test and the euphoria of it all. I didn't have the theory hoop to go through in my day, but this helps me understand what is entailed today so I can see what my niece'll be doing. As you'd expect, Maria is very encouraging should you fail your test...

I also found snippets like this very useful-
*If you acquire more than six points on your driving licence during your first two years of driving (speeding and illegal parking, for example) it can be revoked and you have to take your test again.
*Instead of picking the cheapest driving instructor in your area, pick the one you feel most comfortable with because you'll learn quicker, need fewer lessons and save more in the end. You'd expect an expert like Maria to know this after so long...
*Many insurers will discount a new driver's insurance premium if they take another course of lessons called Pass Plus (approx 9 hours tuition covering motorway, night-time and country lane driving) within the first year of passing your test.
*The address you register your car at affects your insurance premium for example, a student registering her parents address in Bath was charged £[...] compared to £1500 at her student digs in Manchester.

And because I'm a geminian I was fascinated to read that it's the most accident-prone star sign in Australia, so I'll need to be extra careful if I ever go there...

Not Just for Girls
I bought the Girls'Guide to Losing your L-Plates last year when I was learning to drive in a manual car. I was good at clutch control but felt nervous about stalling and holding the car "on the bite" at junctions. Reading this book helped me to realise that driving does not come naturally to everyone. I could easily relate to the true life stories of crying in front of the instructor and struggles with roundabouts (my own pet hate). This year I switched over to automatic and passed my test in August.

The book is written in a friendly manner but is never too jokey or girly (despite the title). I found the level of writing was pitched just right - neither simplistic nor dry and over technical. I now keep the book on a shelf next to my road atlases and I still refer to it when I need to look up something I have forgotten or don't quite understand.

As a 40 something I could hardly describe myself as a girl but I would heartily recommend this book to learner driver "boys" and "girls" of all ages.