drivers test

my friend was failed because he didnt honk at this lady who pulled out in front of him. It seems that they want to teach you to be an aggressive driver. When I was going through drivers ed, each time I didnt use the horn, the guy would reach the horn. So maybe if you just be aggresive, then they will be ok.

Sorry to bring back an old thread but i figured it would be better than starting a new one.

Im going for my drivers test tomorrow. Im so nervous. I have a question. When your doing the uphill downhill parking, are you suppose to put on the parking brake?

Wish me luck.

Kelly.

P.S. Yall can send my presents if yall would like.

Correction again: your friend failed, he was not failed by somebody else.

But the whole honking thing is weird. Sounds like a Colorado thing, as driving culture varies from place to place. Generally you don’t need your horn except to warn people who you think don’t see you coming. Is this what your driving instructor was trying to instill? Certainly not honking after the fact?

For juggle508, there seems to be a slight gap in your training. When you park, you use the parking brake. Simple. When you park on a hill, you apply it good and hard! Your car should never rely on the engine/transmission or the Park mechanism to hold it in place.

Why?

  1. If you usually park on level ground and never use it, many cars’ parking brake’s cables can seize up and not be useful when you do need them. Using them regularly keeps them in good operation.
  2. Making it a habit makes it easier to do. I always put the brake on when I park.
  3. That’s why it’s called a parking brake.
  4. Why do you need a brake on flat ground? Mostly in case something hits you. It happens (to somebody) every day. Hit a car that’s just in Park, and if the transmission’s “park thingie” snaps, the car generally rolls until it hits something. That gives you damage on two parts of your car, plus possible added liability.

Case in point, a parked car that rolled into a bike at the Strawberry Fields Century I was riding in a couple of weeks back. The bike was leaning against a little tree. This lady had somehow managed to leave her car in Drive, on non-level ground. I think she was one of the volunteers at the food stop we were at. The tiny little tree stopped the car from rolling down a hill and into traffic. But the bike that was in between had a $600 pair of wheels, one of which was destroyed, plus bent fork and handlebar.

Random question to the Americans, although it is driving related, if you sit your test in an automatic car (as i believe most are on your side of the pond) are you then liscensed to drive manual (stick shift) aswell? In britain if you pass on manual you can drive either, but if you pass in an automatic you can’t drive a manual. Just a random thought.

Hit a car that’s just in Park, and if the transmission’s “park thingie” snaps, the car generally rolls until it hits something.[/B]
[/QUOTE]
Park pin!

Nope we just have drivers liscense and if you pass you can drive either. You dont even have to take the test in your own car. I drive a lot of manual transmition at work and am pretty good at it.

yeah, over here you usually take the test in the instructor’s car (driver’s ed car?)

I passed a month ago. My car has a DMR sticker on the back, a muddyfox on the side and a dirty habit sticker on the other side.

the stick from the ‘L’ plates hasn’t come off though.

That’s great, so you’re allowed out among the genreal public in a manual, potentially without ever having learnt to balance clutch against accelerator or change gear appropriately? Incidentally, as most cars in Britain are manual everyones uses the hand brake (parking brake) when they park, you probably don’t need it in an automatic as you don’t need to be balancing the clutch and accelerator at the same time as letting off the break on hill starts. Or if you’re really flash (like my dad) you have a car that operates the handbrake on hill starts for you so you can’t roll back.

Are there any ‘competency based training’ driving tests out there? I got my motorbike license about half a year ago and that’s how it was done - you practise and get taught until you learn to do it properly. If you make a mistake, they tell you what you did wrong and help you do it properly…it’s fantastic and makes so much more sence. This was done through a company called “Q-Ride” who mentioned the possibility of competency based drivers license tests in the future some time. An exciting idea I think. I know my drivers license test was incomparibly more stressful than my bike license one…in fact it was fun getting my bike license!

Good luck!

Andrew

It’s better if you end it quickly, so step on it. Plus, if you scare them shitless and they pass out or have step out of the car to puke, you can scribble a passing grade on to the clipboard. And, if you don’t pass, there’s always your unicycle.

Of course the car test is usually something you have to have, where the bike is often more for recreation (at least in the U.S.) so it’s all about fun.

My experience with road tests is that they’re stressful because you don’t want to have to take them again. Especially, In NY 15 years ago, you didn’t want to have to wait, as sometimes it was up to a six week backlog!

But generally, people who fail their first test turn out to be more solid as drivers. This is because they had to try harder, and think about it more, before being handed the “golden license.”

In the U.S. you pass a road test and that’s it. Then you can drive anything other than large trucks, motorcycles, or passenger vehicles. Manual or automatic. Road tests are generally very easy. The “hardest” of the ones in Nassau County where I used to work, were hard because they involved a left turn at a traffic light (with no arrow), plus the dreaded parallel park.

The DMV inspectors didn’t really care if you could parallel park. But since the vast majority of accidents happen in parking situations, they want to see that you understand how to steer a car when it’s going backward, and more importantly that you know to look where you’re going, and to be aware of cross-traffic (such as pedestrians) before backing.

Like I mentioned elsewhere, New Jersey and Florida used to test (or still do) on a closed circuit, with no traffic! What kind of a test is that?

Well I passed my test. I was so nervous. I am glad its over.

Congrats man, thats good work.

Lol, thats nothing. When I took my test the wait between tests was around 3 months, took my first in jan & failed, then again in may & failed, finally passed in august…

Loose.

I passed my test a year and a half ago; it’s surprising how some things do get a lot easier. I remember ages ago going round a roundabout with my Dad saying “come on, change gear!” and me thinking “I can’t steer and fiddle with that twiddly stick thing at the same time, are you mad?!” Now it’s second nature.

Fairly recently I took a wrong turn on a trip to Devon and was reversing around a corner to turn around; there was a driving instructor waiting in a car nearby watching, it was just like doing the test again… :roll_eyes:

I have the advantage of living out in the sticks, where driving is less tedious and fraught, with fewer “other people” to worry about. One of the things I dislike about my frequent trips to Manchester with work is how driving in the city is mentally draining even if it’s not very far.

Phil

Congragulations juggle508! You are now free to go out and learn to be a good driver. For a short definition of what that means, no tickets or accidents is a great indicator… :slight_smile:

Remember when you were originally learning to ride a unicycle? Hopefully that’s a lot easier for you now.

If you were really serious about your worries of “being able to cope,” do what I do. Look around. Are all those other people in those other cars regular people? If they can do it, why shouldn’t you be able to as well?

As you are past the common age for learning to drive, expect it to take a little longer. The late teen years are the optimal ones to learn to drive (not necessarily to be on the road with others), as your motor skills and cognitive abilities are fully developed, yet you basically have no fear of anything. That’s why kids usually learn pretty quick.

But not everyone learns really quick either. Based on your post, your main problem is in your head. You have to start by convincing yourself that you can, then your body will follow, and things will continue to get easier.

This should only be an issue for the first 10 meters or so from each stop. :slight_smile: Riding a unicycle requires much more sensitive footwork.

Don’t take the test until you think you will. It will make a huge difference for you. Or, to follow my advice from previous post, go ahead and test early. If you don’t pass, you will practice more and be even more solid by the time you test again!

Driving is an “everyman’s” skill. Unicycling isn’t. Just remember that. Not that everyone can’t learn to ride one, but the vast majority of people won’t even let themselves try. You are already ahead of them.

Owen passed his drivers license test too also. :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: