Fives Steps for a Driver's License

Getting your driver's license is a long process, filled with many important decisions. Here is an article by David P, the owner of a driving school, about the subject. David made a big ad at the end of his article, but the rest is very good.

DMV Driving Test - A Guide For Teen Drivers, From Learners Permit To Drivers License In 5 Steps

The DMV driving test does not have to be a stressful experience. If you follow our simple steps...it should actually be one of the most memorable and positive times of your life!
5 steps to passing your test:

1. Choose a reputable driving school

Driving schools really vary in price. But the phrase "You get what you pay for" has never been more true.

Bad schools normally save on costs by cutting corners. They may carry multiple passengers, use older or less safe vehicles, spend less on training of instructors, or even cut lessons short.

Good schools will work with you and your parents to be sure you get the most out of every minute of every lesson.Just ask around, and be sure you choose a driving school with a good reputation for quality and value...not just low prices. Is this really the time for "cutting corners?"

2. Spread out your lessons

If you want to pass the driving test, it is essential that you pace yourself. You have to build a solid base of basic driving skills before you can move on to more complicated things. Some parents might want to give you a "crash course" and throw you right out there into the busy stuff as soon as you get the learners permit, but if you do too much too soon, a "crash" course might be just exactly what you get. You will also get a lot more out of upcoming lessons if you have mastered the material from the previous lesson first.

3. Practice a lot with your parents

This one is HUGE! You need 50-100 hours of supervised practice time with your learners permit before you should even think about taking the driving test. Whatever it takes, make sure your parents are on board on this one. Make it as pleasant for them as possible to practice with you by taking their advice and being polite with any questions or disagreements.

Remember, if you make it unpleasant for them to practice with you, it is you who suffers. You won't get enough practice time with your permit, and ultimately you won't be ready for the DMV driving test.

4. Practice the right things

Don't just "be the driver" on all of your family errands. You need a lot more practice than that, and you need more variety. If you are only practicing on the way to school, to the store, and to the post office, you are really only practicing a very limited number of driving scenarios, over and over again.

The end result will be a limited set of driving skills because of a lack of variety of experience while driving with your learners permit. Ask your parents to take special trips to practice certain skills. Whatever you, your parents, or your driving instructor think you need to work on. Just keep practicing until you get it right every time. That is exactly what your learner's permit is for!

5. Take a DMV practice test

Most driving schools will offer a DMV practice test as a part of their program. The practice tests will help you to understand what will be asked of you on the real thing, and hopefully show you that you are ready so you can be confident at the DMV. Just be sure to ask the driving school ahead of time what the routine is, and if you need to add a special lesson for the practice test, do it. It is well worth the time and money.

At our school we do a full 90 minutes just focusing on DMV driving test issues. The driving school should put you through a formal practice driving test or two, following the same routine you will be asked to go through on test day.

See our site for a lot more helpful tips on the process and on safe driving. http://foothilldriving.com

If it is the written driving test you are trying to prepare for, MyPracticePermitTest is where we get all of the practice permit tests offered in our classes. They are thorough and updated with all new laws every year. They are at http://www.mypracticepermittest.com/pages/dmv-practice-test.html

Source: EzineArticles.com.

David doesn't explain what are the "right things" in step number four, but Pass your Driving Test, the driving test guide, shows exactly what are those "right things" the examiners are looking for.

Good luck,
Nadav

nadavs

Know the Right of Way Rules

The right of way rules govern traffic when there are no signs telling what to do. For example, there are no signs telling you to stop for pedestrians, but that's obvious from the right of way rules. Here is a great video from the Calfironia DMV about the right of way rules and how to handle certain situations.



I hope you found it useful.
Nadav

nadavs

Don't Sleep and Drive

When you drive, you must be aware of your surroundings. Conditions change rapidly, especially on freeways, and your response time is critical in high speeds. To guarantee your survival on the road, you have to be alert and aware.

Most car accidents require two drivers: one who breaks the law and one who doesn't notice. For example, when someone is running a red light, other drivers should spot him and avoid hitting him. When drivers don't notice, an accident happens.

Driving while you are tired is one of the most dangerous things you can do. When you are tired you are not alert, you response time is high, and at high speeds, every second counts (at 90 km/h, about 56 mph, you drive 25 meters, about 25-26 yards, in one second!). Being tired has one bigger risk: falling asleep.

I've never felt asleep while I was driving, but I've seen some cars controlled by sleeping drivers. This is a scary view. The car swerves from one lane to another without clear direction. A smart driver would avoid the potential accident with this car. A tired driver is much more likely to hit the sleeping driver and cause an accident. Needless to say, such accidents are not a pleasant view.

Drive safely,
Nadav

nadavs

Steering Control - Your First Priority

Steering is one of the crucial skills for a driver. Without it, you will hit a wall very quickly. Here is an article I wrote about the subject of steering mistakes during the driving test.

Steering Errors to Steer Away from on the Driving Test

Steering is a critical component of driving. Without it, cars won't be able to make turns and will be forced to go in a straight line, which is not a very effective form of transportation. During the driving test, examiners expect to see how well the students can steer their car on the road. However, some students make mistakes that keep them away from the desired license. Some of these mistakes repeat more often than others.

One mistake is not going in a straight line. Some driving students can't keep their steering wheel stable and wander around their lane. This not only shows a complete lack of car control, but it is also highly dangerous. When the student starts showing signs of "lane swing", the examiner is likely to end the test as fast as possible.

Parking lot steering is another mistake commonly made on driving tests. Parking lots are usually filled with cars and have narrow roads. Some driving students can't find their way around in these parking lots and sometimes hit other cars when their attention is diverted. This is a critical error and an immediate end of the test.

Turns are also a steering issue many drivers face. When making turns, there are two main factors to watch out for: how tight or wide the turn is, and what lane it is on. Student drivers with steering problems don't consider these factors and make turning mistakes that can be very dangerous. Some of them fail on-the-spot, others only get a warning.

Back up steering is fairly easy: the back of the car turns where the wheel turns. Some drivers fail to realize that and steer the wrong direction. This mistake has caused many small accidents, like hitting cars, and bigger accidents, like hitting a person. During the driving test, wrong steering while backing up can be marked as an error.

Steering is all about practice. Student drivers who plan to take their driving test should get many hours of practice with a good guide that will show them the correct way to steer their car to safety and passing the test.

You can find a good guide for steering and the driving test at the Pass Your Driving Test area of my site. There is also a free course offered there with more driving mistakes and tips.

I hope you found this article useful. Steer away from trouble when you drive!

Happy 4th of July!
Nadav

nadavs

First Time Driving: Punkin

Welcome to the first time driving season! July is here, and all everyone who is not in summer school is driving. Statistics never fails, and some of these first time drivers upload thier first time driving experience to YouTube. If they are lucky, they are chosen and uploaded here, on this blog.

Today's winning first driver is Punkin (is it just me, or those names are becoming rarer by the week?), who, according to the passengers in the car, was driving at an astonishing speed of 3 miles per hour. See if you can spot Punkin's mistake (it's something she says).



Found the mistake? She said she isn't fearful, she's cautious. I know she's only a beginner, but she should acknowledge that she's fearful. Being cautious is checking the mirror more than twice. Driving at 3 miles per hour is being fearful.

However, this video was uploaded six days ago, so Punkin has still a lot to go. Press the gas pedal!

Nadav

nadavs

The Best Driving Road: Part 1

After we've seen driving tests in the United States, driving tests in the UK, and seven weeks of whining serial failers, it's time for some professional drivers. Top Gear, the famous automotive show, dedicated a part of their show to find the best driving road in the world. Watch the first part: where this road is, what is the perfect road, and what cars can find it.



I hope I don't need to say this - don't drive like them if you're not experienced. The combination of momentum and gravity can be deadly.

Enjoy,
Nadav

nadavs

Don't Speak and Drive

After yesterday's humorous video about the California cell phone law, it's time to take it seriously. As you know, the new cell phone law in California is in effect from today, July 1. The new law forbids drivers from using their cell phone when driving without a proper hand-free device.

Drivers under the age of 18 are completely prohibited from using a cell phone or any mobile device while driving. If they use a hand-free device, a police officer can fine them only if they are pulled over for another violation. If they use a handheld device, a police officer can pull them over just for this (the same applies for adult drivers).

All I can say is this: finally. When I first came to California, I was amazed from the fact that people drive while holding their cell phones. It's illegal where I live. I've tried it only once, in California, and it's very distracting. Californians may find it annoying, I find it important.

The law allows text-messaging, but it should also prohibit that. Writing a text-message is an extremely distracting activity that shouldn't be allowed during driving. Many accidents happened because of that.

Good luck to you Californians. Just remember that this law is really here to protect you.
Nadav

nadavs