Driving skills improvment lesson

We had our filippina maid pass her driving licence 1 year ago. She got the licence very easily in no time.

BUT though she got the licence, the way she drives is like she never drove in her life at all...

We have 3 cars, she actually damaged 2 in driving about not more than 2km in total...


1 sure thing is that the Hong Kong driving instructors are not doing a proper job by granting driving licences this way. I guess our maid is not the only one, this must happen to 99% of the Hong Kong people getting the licence (this might be why Hong Kong people drive so bad with no respect of the road signs, rules, etc..).


Is there any competent driving school that could have our maid improve her driving skills to be able to drive well, safely and with confidence ?


Thanks for your help!

I too just got my driving license a week ago and I too do not have the confidence to drive. I know how she feels, driving is a scary thing to do and if you do not do it well, she could be in serious trouble. If she really wants to drive and you are willing to spend time and money for her to learn go to Hong Kong School of Motoring for extra lessons but I know its about HK300 and hour and she might need at least 20 hours. Thats what I think I need to be confident and its not guaranteed that after all these lessons she will be more confident at driving. Check her personality, if she can decide well and confident that she will be able to do it otherwise it will just be a waste of money and time.

Thanks for sharing your experience. She actually took lessons there (30 hours actually). Money is not a problem, but I doubt of their ability to help her significantly improve her driving...

there's really nothing wrong about the driving teachers here or the schools. it's all about the individual.


the driving test here in hong kong is pretty strict and can be nerve wracking. and its not the driving instructors who administer the test, it's the transport dept. the driving instructors even undergo a more stringent training and tests.


it isnt easy to drive on your own without the instructor by your side telling you what to do.


plus it is not by magic that you will be a proficient driver right after the lessons. even my driving instructor says so. driving schools and instructors provide you with the skills, it's up to the individual to apply it to real life.


it's really up to the person to practice practice practice and gain confidence to drive on her own.


iagree with hdn - if your maid is fidgety and is high-strung - it will be a while before she can be driving on her own. add to that that she wrecked your car twice and perhaps with your cajoling - that must be so traumatic for her to get behind the wheel again.


since you have the $$$$, maybe you should get a second hand jalopy for her to use and practice around.


there are many driving instructors around - go to the land transportation dept for a list. then your maid can familiarize and practice driving using the jalopy with the instructor. the cars used by driving schools in hong kong are different from normal cars because a braking system has been installed on the right side of the driver seat for the instructor to use.


if you have spare $$$$$,maybe you can donate one to me too so i can also practice driving

witley, apparently you have not been to some countries where driving standards are low or non-existent (like i heard in china). the driving school standards here are based on the british standards...and still same as when britain had foothold of hong kong. nothing has been changed since the handover.


the land transport tester doesn't say anything during the practical exams - you know you're toast when he hits the brake. no one is issued a license by bribing the tester nor by good looks nor by making puppy-eyed looks at the tester.


ok ok i understand about the old jalopy. but if you want your helper to drive, then let her use the old jalopy with a driving instructor around. tell the driving instructor to familiarize and train your helper with certain routes only like home to supermarket and back, home to school and back. start from there and when she does that without any instructor beside her then hopefully in a few years time, your helper will be able to be confident to go anywhere.


in a way, it seems that you guys are like saying that if a person does badly in life, it's because his school was at fault or his parents was at fault for not providing a good upbringing. in this case, we seem to blame the school or the instructor for the bad driving around. maybe we should look into the individual too and his capabilities.


as i said driving schools/instructors provide people with the skills to drive. it is up to the individual to hone and practice on those skills.


may i ask about your first driving experience. did you immediately have the confidence and the proficiency to drive after taking the driving exam - just like that?


what did you feel when you were on the road driving for the first time on your own without the instructor by your side ?


did you think about what other people were thinking about you being a newbie driving on the road. i bet you they had the same reaction as you would have now.

all experienced and professional drivers started somewhere at some point in time to learn how to drive. whilst others may take time (and many mistakes) to reach that point, others get up to speed at being efficient drivers in no time at all.


let's give them a chance and room to improve their driving skills, and also learn from their mistakes... so we shouldn't be hasty to judge.


and yes maybe you are right, it's a good idea to have Newbie plate designation for those drivers who are new on the road. it would be beneficial for both sides.

"There's really nothing wrong about the driving teachers here or the schools"...


Having driven 15+yrs and in enough countries around the world I really beg to differ on that Wiz Bang.

Driving here is like playing Russian Roulette I have often wondered how on earth people have managed to pass their driving tests. They must begin with "The test will begin when tunnel vision has been engaged"...


A friend of mine recently began to take driving lessons here and had to stop. She couldn't believe how much time was being conducted in the classroom with pictures of driving scenarios being drawn on the board.

Roundabouts were the worst nightmare for the class and even her driving instructors seemed to avoid them at all costs whilst on the road? More shockingly was the fact that she was being prepared for accidents. Not what to do in the event of an accident but more pictures and advice on how to react when you "foresee" yourself involved in an accident.

Ok, I wasn't actually there but she was appauled enough to return to the UK to continue her driving lessons.


And for goodness sake "it isnt easy to drive on your own without the instructor by your side telling you what to do". Well, you really aren't ready for the open road are you.

Like anything in life some things do take time to learn, but with all the patience and practice in the world there are also times when your just NEVER ready. That is something that is just too obvious on HK roads and I am thankful for the MTR where I can avoid it.

i don't know where your friend had her driving lessons and i am sorry she had a bad experience but you cannot generalize the quality of driving schools or instructors here based on one.


your friend must have attended the only motor school here and i am unsure of their teaching methodologies. there are many private instructors providing practical lessons right from the start and none of that worst case scenario classroom instruction.


it's a two way street - if there are crap instructors then there are also crap students.


yes there are people who are never ready for driving but why shoot them down on their few tries.


if you have a kid who failed a few exams, do you tell them to just quit because they are a failure anyway and will be bound to fail and probably will never ever be ready for school...for life?

a person who cannot control his vehicle wouldn't have a license in the first place because they would have failed the driving exams.


this is about a newly licensed driver being given the opportunity to hone and practice their driving skills.