When you are learning how to pass your driving test, nothing beats behind the wheel training. I would strongly recommend that you use the services of a qualified driving instructor. It is well known that having family members or close friends teach you to drive leads to a lot of arguments. It is a lot less stressful to have a professional teach you and they are less likely to impart their bad driving habits onto you.
Some States require that you must complete a certain number of hours learning to drive via a qualified instructor. This can depend on your age and experience but it is worth checking into. While you can learn the information you need to pass the written exam from a book or an online driving course, there is nothing to beat the practical experience you receive from behind the wheel training.
You cannot really expect to pass your practical driving test without having actually driven an automobile. You could be an expert in the rules of the road and how you should drive but without having control of a vehicle, this really doesn’t mean anything.
You cannot feel the difference between driving on a dry road and a wet one or one covered in ice or snow by looking at a video or seeing a picture in a book. Depending on the type of automobile you chose to drive, you will have to learn how to look, listen and maneuver your car without causing an accident. You will have to learn to negotiate the roads and the other drivers who use them. Not all of these drivers will drive like you are supposed to. There are plenty of people around in charge of motor vehicles who really shouldn’t be allowed out.
Taking behind the wheel training also helps you to increase your confidence and your belief that you can pass the driving test. You will learn all the safe driving techniques and the skills required to handle a car in a number of situations. You cannot learn how to drive on a highway or merge in with traffic let alone park a car from a book or online driving course no matter how good they are. The books, online driving courses and practice tests will help you to pass your driving test. All are a great way to augment the knowledge you will gain from taking lessons from a qualified instructor.
Yes taking paid lessons can be expensive but you will be surprised at how few lessons you actually need in order to become a proficient driver once you put the knowledge you learn via other sources into practice. Don’t depend solely on your instructor. He cannot pass the test for you. You must be prepared to put in the necessary study learning the theory behind driving as well as the rules of the road. The driver’s handbook applicable to your State should become your constant companion until you are confident you can pass your written exam with flying colors.
So a combination of behind the wheel training, online driving course and your driver’s handbook will mean that in no time at all you will be cruising down the highway having passed your driving test on the first attempt.
Filed under Driving Tests by SKE
You may know how to drive well, but there are things you can keep in mind that will make your driving test go more smoothly.
Before you ever leave home, check your turn signals, brake lights and headlights. These will be tested before you ever leave the parking lot for your road test. Make sure you have any paperwork that must be turned in, and take your learner’s permit with you. Travel to the testing location with a licensed driver. Getting turned down and rescheduled is not an auspicious beginning to this banner day in your life.
Get to the testing location on time. Most license bureaus are quite crowded and there are sometimes long waits beyond your appointed time. Bring a book to keep you occupied in the lobby if this happens to you.
Either leave your cell phone at home or turn it off. The middle of your road test is not a good time to receive a phone call. Try to relax with your examiner. Be friendly, but let him do most of the talking. Remember, he does not know you, and he is about to go into traffic not knowing if you can drive safely or not. He may be as nervous as you are!
Listen to your examiner carefully. He will not ask you to do any maneuvers you haven’t already become familiar with in your driving manual. Hopefully you’ll have studied it and practiced a great deal. If you are unsure what it is he wants you to do, ask for clarification. He would rather you understand his request than have you do something wrong, or dangerous.
Keep your eyes on the road as much as possible when you are driving. Check your speedometer often but briefly. Do the same with your rear-view mirrors. Your examiner needs to know that you are aware of the traffic around you. This tells him you are prepared to react in case of an accident or unexpected move by another vehicle.
Brake as evenly as you can. Use your turn signals at all times when making lane changes, or right/left turns. Do what the examiner asks you to do with as much finesse as you can muster.
Be prepared with the maneuvers many people have trouble with. Practice parallel parking every chance you get until it becomes second nature to you. Three-point turns are also difficult for some. Go over these and anything else that gives you trouble. Remember the rules for three- or four-way stops. Go to a location where you can practice these, but remember to watch out for other drivers. They aren’t as freshly tutored in the rules as you are.
Stay calm and trust the examiner. If you have practiced your driving sufficiently and you know the rules well, you’ll have no trouble passing the driving portion of your test. Congratulations, new driver! Now go get your picture taken. You won’t like the way it turns out, but that won’t stop you from showing it proudly to your family and friends every chance you get.
Filed under Driving Tests by SKE
To be the best driver you can be you have to be aware of the worst that’s out there. Forewarned is forearmed. If you understand the things that can happen you will be able to prevent many dangerous situations or handle them better when they occur.
If you’re a decent driver who pays attention to the rules of the road, you’ll know that the biggest danger on the road is your fellow driver rather than yourself. You’ve heard it a million times. It’s impossible to know the driving skill of another driver or his state of mind. The oncoming vehicle may be driven by an emotional teen or a drunken middle-aged man. It may be filled with noisy children and a distracted mother. It could be another teen, chatting away on her cell phone, oblivious to what is going on around her. You must be alert to any sudden and unexpected moves made by anyone else. There are some accidents that cannot be avoided, but if you remain aware of other drivers you can avoid many of them.
It’s a good idea to keep your car in good condition. Keep the oil changed and do routine checks and maintenance. A rattle-trap car that putt-putts down the street, coughing and smoking all the way, will be a danger not only to you but to other drivers. Should brakes suddenly give out you could be rear-ended. Windshield wipers that don’t work properly can block your view of other traffic and might even prevent you from seeing important road signs and signals. You can also be sure that a car that isn’t maintained will catch the eye of a police officer sooner or later, and you really don’t want that.
Weather is an important factor in safe driving. Heavy or prolonged rains can make roadways slick or difficult to see. Roads that become iced over are very dangerous. Snow can obstruct vision and make roads very hard to navigate. Stay off the roads when there are weather advisories against driving, and be sure to install tire chains before the bad weather sets in if you live in an area where they are necessary. Know what to do to come out of a skid, and how to maintain control of your vehicle when your wheel traction is less than optimal.
Think through various scenarios and plan ahead what you’ll do when caught in a dicey traffic situation. Remember that you will never rear-end someone no matter how quickly they may come to a stop if you have allowed enough room between your vehicles. Keep your distance. It gives you wiggle room for reaction.
A big danger for teens when driving is their belief that they are invulnerable and their willingness to take risks. Drag racing or daredevil driving kills many teens each year. So does drinking and driving or driving under the influence of drugs. Innocent passengers get killed due to the foolish antics of a showoff. The privilege of driving is awesome, but so is the responsibility that goes along with it. Take it seriously because your life depends upon it.
Filed under Driving Tests by SKE
Many would-be teen drivers sign up for driver education courses taught at their high school, often squeezing it into a summer semester. It’s one of the best ways to learn how to drive since you’ll be on a closed driving range safely away from busy highways and byways. Another advantage of driver education is that it can take some of the insurance bite off your parents since a discount is often available. You’ll learn not only the rules of driving, but gain hands-on experience by driving on a range set up to simulate actual traffic conditions.
In the classroom you’ll learn about the responsibilities of driving. You’ll be taught the meanings of road signs and the correct procedures for managing intersections. Some classes even go so far as to teach how to change a flat tire. The rules and regulations are stressed, ensuring that by the time you’ve graduated from the course you’ll understand what’s lawful and what’s not.
A lot of chair time goes toward learning safety behind the wheel. There’s instruction regarding driving in adverse weather conditions, especially those that make roads slippery and dangerous. Students learn defensive techniques for coming out of a spin or a skid. Hopefully you’ll also come to understand the dangers of playing at drifting games with your friends. You’ll learn about the basic issues of remaining alert at all times when driving. It’s not always a matter of what the driver is doing but of what the other driver is doing, so you have to pay attention. Yes, this means no texting or talking on the cell phone while driving.
One of the units you’ll study will be about driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Inexperience behind the wheel and intoxication are deadly, and to press home the seriousness of this issue, many driver ed classes will require you to watch a movie depicting the consequences of driving under these conditions. While a teacher might fail to get these points across to the students while lecturing, the visual will get their attention fast. Most students, when asked what they remember about their driver ed class will invariably say, “the movie”.
You’ll become aware of issues surrounding accidents and be taught how to prevent accidents from happening, as well as what to do in case of an accident. Your teacher will impress upon you the importance of maintaining your vehicle so that it runs properly and isn’t a threat to other vehicles or people.
Molding the attitude is one of the most important aspects of these classes. You can’t be cavalier when behind the wheel of a car or truck, you have to be level headed and calm. The dangers of road rage will be discussed, as well as the reasons certain hand signals are not approved by the DOT, and you know the ones I’m talking about.
Driver’s Ed classes have extensive resources available for teaching road skills and practical driving knowledge. They’re taught by professionals so all the important aspects of driving are touched upon. You’ll learn a lot during driver’s ed and you’ll become proficient behind the wheel, making yourself and those sharing the road with you much safer.
Filed under Driving Tests by SKE
Oh man. It’s today. Your palms are sweaty and your face just broke out because you’re so stressed. You get to drive with a complete stranger, watching your every move and judging you to see if you are worthy of a drivers license. Oh man, oh man, oh man.
Hey, don’t worry. You can do this!
The road test is the last hurdle you’ll have to clear to get your driver’s license. The testing officer will ride with you in your vehicle and will assess the skills you’ve learned and practiced. It can be nerve-wracking, sure, but if you’ve studied carefully and practiced sufficiently you should be well prepared for this. And no, it’s not a good idea to bring your Rules of the Road pamphlet with you for quick, easy reference during the test, even though you really want to. Reading during driving is discouraged.
Your examiner will go through a short routine before you hit the road, making sure that your signals and brake lights are working properly. Double-check these before you leave home. This would be a bad time to find out that your rear tail light is busted so you have to reschedule.
Once you’re under way remember to use your signals at all appropriate times. You will also likely be asked to use hand signals to ascertain whether you know how to use them if your turn signals don’t work. Always be certain the hand signals you use with other drivers are the ones in the book. And breathe. Remember to breathe.
Your examiner will ask you to do routine maneuvers such as changing lanes and merging with other traffic. Use your rear-view mirrors and look over your shoulder when doing these. Show the examiner that you’re aware of the traffic around you. Stay within the speed limit at all times and listen carefully to his instructions. This is not a good time to answer your cell phone if it rings; in fact you should turn it off or leave it home altogether.
Be aware of all traffic signs and obey them. Come to complete stops at stop signs and know the routine for four-way stops. Keep in mind that most people have forgotten how to navigate these, and you must still be careful even if you have the proper responses down pat and it’s your turn to go first at a stop sign.
Parallel parking is traditionally the hardest part of the test. You can perfect your parallel parking by setting up cardboard boxes in a deserted parking lot somewhere and practicing until you can do these with your eyes closed. Remember to open them for the actual test.
During the exam you’ll have to demonstrate that you can back up, do a three-point turn, and park correctly on a hill. Before you know it your test will be over and you will have earned your driver’s license. Congratulations! Celebrate your achievement, but remember that it’s harder to get your license back than it is to earn it in the first place. Keep your record clean and clear of points and you will never have to go through this again… until you are seventy years old.
Filed under Driving Tests by SKE
