Driving Test

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BLPC08 said:
I was a terrible driver when I got my license. I could barely do a three-point turn, let-alone parallel park! I somehow managed to pass the test and, after six years of driving, i'm yet to receive a single demerit point.

A mate of mine somehow managed to get pinged by a red-light camera during his test. He told us he was in one of those annoying situations where you aren't sure whether to commit to the amber light or stop and wait. He told us that he'd hesitated briefly, then panicked, then put the foot down and narrowly missed the amber light, receiving the horrid camera flash. Needless to say the tester asked him to pull over immediately, going on to tell him that he'd failed the test and wouldn't be allowed to drive back to the Vicroads centre. The tester was genuinly scared!
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This is one of my biggest fears! Had a few of those when driving today, it's a very fine line sometimes.
 
The VicRoads driving test is ridiculously easy and I assume it's just as bad in all other states. Seriously, how could you possibly get a 3-point turn wrong? A 5-year-old in a pedal-powered toy car can do a 3-point turn.

It would be nice if go-karting was part of school curriculum so kids learn basic vehicle control at a young age. Most kids learn how to ride bicycles when young because it's a lot easier than when they're older, why not the same for motor vehicles? Start with go-karts at 5-6 and then at 12-14, when they've grown enough to reach the pedals comfortably, start driving small, cheap cars in large open areas (empty carparks or unused runways redeveloped for driver education) with an instructor. This way, by the time they're 16 and get their Learners, they've already had plenty of experience behind the wheel.

Sure this kind of extended driver education will require a fairly large budget, but you'd think the $700 million-odd raised each year from speeding fines should cover it comfortably. Doubt it will happen with the sheep-like mentality of your average motorist lapping up faux-road-safety propaganda currently being pumped out.
 

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Sterge10 said:
You and a mate go camping he drives his manual car, mate gets bit by a snake and an ambulance can't make it

scenario 1 you never learnt to drive manual mate dies
scenario 2 I did learn to drive a manual I get him to the hospital mate lives

Extreme scenario but emergency situations are pretty much the crux of the argument, also driving an auto is essentially just steering. Being able to drive manual def makes you a better driver in the long run because you actually need to do something and focus a bit.
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Or everyone can drive auto and not worry about learning something that isn't needed. Thus not getting into the situation of your mate getting killed.
 
proka123 said:
Go for my Ps tomorrow in a manual, and although i've had a shitload of practice in the lead up im still pretty bloody nervous. Waiting for another 4-6 weeks to get another go at it if i fail doesn't sit well with me at all. :(

Any tips on how to make the experience somewhat more pleasent or easier? And what are the testers like, fairly placid?
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so did you pass?
 
proka123 said:
Sure did. :D So relieved! Got one critical error for forgetting to indicate (don't know wtf i was thinking) but it's all good. :thumbsu:
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Congrats proka123, now you can join in on the umpteen threads on this board where potential Sebastian Vettel's bitch about all the people who can't drive as well as they can.
 
proka123 said:
Sure did. :D So relieved! Got one critical error for forgetting to indicate (don't know wtf i was thinking) but it's all good. :thumbsu:
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Congrats!

Now did all the stressing seem like a waste now :p
 
Congrats.

So my advice is a bit late, but aside from technicalities (stop at stop signs, check mirrors) the main thing to remember is to be safe and conservative: The tester knows that you will continue to do the bulk of your real driver 'learning' or 'experience gathering' on you first year or two of Ps. They and only they are in a position to decide whether or not it is safe to send you out on your own to do this 'learning'. Make that decision easy for them.
 
proka123 said:
Sure did. :D So relieved! Got one critical error for forgetting to indicate (don't know wtf i was thinking) but it's all good. :thumbsu:
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Nice work. :thumbsu:

Another idiot who doesn't know how to use indicators when driving. Sensational
 
bump... on sunday i have my p's test. 43 degrees fml. a bit late since im 19 and everyone else i on their p2's, but has to be done asap obviously. my stomach turned when my instructor mentioned test... very nervous. $250 also adds to the pressure i don't need just for the test. my previous lesson, my instructor said if i drove like that lesson id pass, so i think im ready.

i think ive got observations covered like checking mirror and looking left and right at light. my problems are speed limit (ill be going 60 on a main then i wont even notice im in a 50 zone, instant fail). also i once turned left when my instructor said right... god knows why, apparently this is instant fail.

so yeah this my story, anyone have tips or provide their preparation with the week leading to the test? i can't really drive until friday...
 

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Catfish Alley said:
Do they still do that stupid simulation thing where you have to touch the screen when you should stop? I was fine with the driving test but failed that the first time around.
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Same here, failed the hazards by one question but passed the driving year easily. Bloody stupid test.

In terms of a driving test, make sure you over-exaggerate your head checks and especially your mirror checks. Don't just flick your eyes up, physically move your head up. And just go 5km under the limit to be safe. I know several people who have failed for speeding, but my instructor told me to go 5km under to avoid any risk of that.
 
dales.girl38 said:
Same here, failed the hazards by one question but passed the driving year easily. Bloody stupid test.

In terms of a driving test, make sure you over-exaggerate your head checks and especially your mirror checks. Don't just flick your eyes up, physically move your head up. And just go 5km under the limit to be safe. I know several people who have failed for speeding, but my instructor told me to go 5km under to avoid any risk of that.
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Thats good advice, I did that and got back in the car afterwards and my instructor said it's the first time she has ever seen someone not lose points for checking mirrors.

I can't believe people actually fail the hazard test though
 
Like a lot of people have already said, make it painfully obvious when checking your mirrors. You probably won't use your left-side mirror too much when driving but make sure you're heavily dependent on it during the test.

If you know how to drive, it's simple. It's just nerves that get in the way. Parallel parking can be tough, but usually they just make you do it in an empty parking space with no pressure of hitting the car in front or behind (that's what they did with me and my friends). Make sure not to indicate too early, and of course not too late, you know when it's right to indicate. And make sure when you're at a stop sign, once the car completely stops, go S-T-O-P in your head before driving off.

I was a bundle of nerves on the day of my test, mostly because I started uni in a town 40 minutes away the next day and if I didn't pass I wasn't going to be able to attend. Once we pulled up back at VicRoads my instructor said "you did this wrong, and this, and this, and this" and I had a horrible feeling, but she goes "but you passed, congratulations". Honestly one of the best moments of my life.

RE the auto or manual thing. My parents don't own a manual car, they used to but got an auto a few years ago so I never had a chance to learn manual, but it is something I do want to learn. It looks easy enough from watching friends while driving.
 
Catfish Alley said:
It was a lame 90s computer with almost VGA graphics. I think touch screen was only invented a couple of years before :p
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I didn't even get a touch screen, just had to click a mouse when I thought I needed to brake, also with the 90s graphics. This was in 2007. My brain couldn't compute clicking a button to pressing on a brake, kept pressing too early I think because I was nervous.
 
I did mine at the start of December last year, and it was ok. Thankfully there was hardly anyone on the road and it was a nice, overcast day so there were no weather conditions annoying me.
Basically what everyone else said though. If you know how to drive, you'll pass. Nerves are pretty much the only thing stopping you.

On the hazards discussion, they're still 90's graphics. When I did mine I didn't even notice a speed bump as it was just a fuzzy blotch on the screen.
 
Igloo said:
I did mine at the start of December last year, and it was ok. Thankfully there was hardly anyone on the road and it was a nice, overcast day so there were no weather conditions annoying me.
Basically what everyone else said though. If you know how to drive, you'll pass. Nerves are pretty much the only thing stopping you.

On the hazards discussion, they're still 90's graphics. When I did mine I didn't even notice a speed bump as it was just a fuzzy blotch on the screen.
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Auto license?
 
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