Why is Learning how to Drive so Damn Difficult..

[VenomFang]

Took me a long time to learn. I still have trouble. My last accident was April '07. I still get lost a lot and get afraid when I'm on the high way. I never gave up though.

[Brandon Walsh is Insane.]

Perfect Practice Makes Perfect.

I passed my written tests 100% each time, and yes, there was more than one time, as I failed my behind the wheel portion about 3 times.

On the 4th try, I passed with flying colors.

Key is to pay attention to what's around you. Know your surroundings, and you'll be fine.

Also, those damn hand signals. Heh.

But seriously, just go to an empty parking lot and practice. And try to time your test time for when there is no real traffic -- my first test was at 7:45 in the morning, in the midst of rush hour traffic. I was anxious, and here I had people honking at me because I was following the rules; the test I passed was taken in the early afternoon, and the streets were empty.

[SAJ Forth]

Sometimes it can be that whoever's teaching you might not have a style that works.

[Throwback]

I found it easy and I learned in the winter while driving a beat up 88 station wagon. The only part that gave me trouble was pushing on the peddles to hard. once I realized you us your toe to push the pedal and not your whole foot, I did fine.


Edit: I forgot. Don't get agitated while taking your test. They wont give a license to somebody who displays road rage.

[Big BosskMan]

Perfect practice, practice, practice.

If you're nervous about driving, practice in a cemetary on the roads that direct visitors through the grounds. That will minimize any pedestrian accidents.

Start off with little trips to pick up things for your folks. But no cell phones when you're practicing. Driving is hard enough for a beginner without adding a phone to the mix.

[BHB]

Jan 15, 2009 13:12:20 GMT -5 sloride said:

Practice, practice, practice, some people take to driving like a duck to water, others like a brick to water. It took me ages to pass my driving test as passing it in the UK is so hard and expensive. Can't even learn until you turn 17 and each lesson costs at least £20 per hour. Its an average of 40 hours of lessons before you are test ready. Firstly you need to do your theory which has two stages and has an incredibly high pass mark. Then you take your practical which is around £50 each time. It took me three attempts to pass my practical. So my advice to you is practice and be very glad you dont live in the UK!

Yep. From what I've seen of the American test (1 documentary) it seems like a piece of piss in comparison, especially with automatics being so common. The hardest part is changing gears.

[Viking Snad]

Jan 15, 2009 6:55:05 GMT -5 G✇JI☈A said:

OK it's perfectly simple:

R2: Accelerate
L2: Brake/reverse
L3: Sound Horn
L1: Fire weapon
Triangle: Bail from car

This MAY sound horrible ... but I still think of driving as a video game. Literally. When I first started, I was like "OH SNAP A REAL LIFE VIDEO GAME!" That's how I treat it. ... not GTA style.

[Brandon Walsh is Insane.]

When I first got GTA IV, I went outside and imagined my life as a video game.

I wanted to flip my car over and pick up my good pal, and then just drop my car off on the corner and *borrow* a newer one.

[Methusael86]

I hate how you're expected to do so perfectly on the test, and out in the real world, if you were only as 20% as good as you were on the test to get your license, you're still better then over half the drivers you come across.

As for advice, practice to parallel park. Sounds cliche but yes, It's a very important part of the test.

[Alucard]

Jan 15, 2009 14:32:55 GMT -5 Viking Snad said:

Jan 15, 2009 6:55:05 GMT -5 G✇JI☈A said:

OK it's perfectly simple:

R2: Accelerate
L2: Brake/reverse
L3: Sound Horn
L1: Fire weapon
Triangle: Bail from car

This MAY sound horrible ... but I still think of driving as a video game. Literally. When I first started, I was like "OH SNAP A REAL LIFE VIDEO GAME!" That's how I treat it. ... not GTA style.

It's true.

Many will say that real driving and arcade game (i.e. sitting at a wheel and pedals) driving is different. I think they're a damn liar. Sure you can't immediately recover from a wreck like in the arcade, but you'd have to be an idiot to think that anyway.

And as Kyle said, parallel parking is a must depending on where you live. It wasn't on my test.

[Hugh Mungus]

As for myself, I've been wanting to drive since I graduated high school in 2000, and in 2007, I finally got my driver's license, after taking three driving tests.

The problem for me is that no one is willing to lend me their car so I can practice my driving, even if the car's owner is sitting in the passenger's seat with me, because of "insurance problems".

FYI: The uncle whom I live with currently was a former driving instructor.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

I wouldn't worry about it, at least 95% of the people behind the wheels of an automobile can't drive worth a f***.

["Sweet & Sour" ImSoFudginGreat]

Jan 15, 2009 15:55:12 GMT -5 Cranjis McBasketball said:

I wouldn't worry about it, at least 95% of the people behind the wheels of an automobile can't drive worth a snork.

Its an unfortunate truth

And off topic but who is that in your sig Game??

[Millie D]

i don't drive, have no idea how to operate a car yet i wanna get my license..watch out on the roads for MILLIE!!

[Klutch]

Instructor is key, Mine had me pull through the drive-thru at a Popeyes so she could get her something to eat, I also had to drive in rush hour traffic in the pouring rain for my test, I guess that was the best way to learn for me.

[Back to being Cenanuff]

Just be glad you don't have to drive stick.

[thesam07]

I remember my 2nd attempt at getting my Probationary license.
As I was leaving the Vicroads center I went slowly over a speed bump as I was leaving the center, but I thought there was just 1 speed bump so I sped up and hit the second one at about 10km/h which made me yell out "Oh Poop*!".
I thought "well I probably just failed the test there, but he hasn't said anything t me yet, I guess I'll just keep driving.". And low and behold I passed the test.

I like to think that I passed the 2nd time because I wasn't as stressed as I was the first time because I thought I was going to fail the test. The moral of the story is, If you think you're going to fail you probably won't......although there is a chance that you will fail.
Also who puts 2 speed bumps in a row?

* = a much dirtier word.

[Deleted]

Yeah, I've been learning to drive as well. I had my fair share of problems in the early going. My instructor diagnosed me as being "wheel-shy," basically meaning that when I was making turns, I would be afraid to turn the wheel too hard or at all.

I can sympathize with you because for a while, I felt I would never get the hang of it. Even with lessons completed, I was told that I still need more practice, but it's coming along, so I'm sure it will for you as well.

My best piece of advice is to relax when you're behind the wheel. I used to panic and make stupid mistakes. Once I learned to relax, it started to come together.

Just stick with it and good luck!

[TRMcGillicutty]

I didn't get my license till I was 19, a full two years after doing all the Driver's Ed stuff and chickening out of my actual test. I still hate driving (I'm 22 now) and have the accidents to prove it. However, it's a neccessity and I'm forced to toil behind a wheel to have any sort of freedom.

I remember two big things when I was learning: my dad getting so frustrated with my driving he grabbed the wheel from me and drove me the whole way back in the passenger side. The other being my instructor telling me to merge, me seeing a truck saying no, and him almost crashing into said truck when he grabbed the wheel. Lots of people like to take the wheel from me.

[Can you afford to pay me, Gah]

Well it took me 5 times on the driving test. My problem was when I took the driving test I got nerves and made stupid mistakes. I have no idea why it just happens. I guess knowing somone is writing down stuff about your driving is next to you and is dressed like a police man.

I was thought by mostly my dad. He knew places to practice at. Like a town I live by that is all businesses so on weekends it dead because there all Mon to Fri places. So it was great to work on line changes and all the road signs.

I did take driving school after the 4th falled. The driving teacher couldn't get why I failed. Since I did everthing right.

The basicly you just need to known what going on around you and relax. Driving is not that hard. It just takes work and relax. if you over think or get nerves you will make mistakes. If you can get over that. You should be fine.

I drive a lot and it just all easy and so natural to me know. Like righting a bike.