Whether you’ve just turned 17 and are applying for your provisional driving licence, or are a bit older and have had a few driving lessons, undoubtedly you’re going to be very excited and maybe a little bit nervous about the prospect of taking your driving test. Once your driving instructor deems you ready, and you have passed your driving theory test, you’ll be able to take the practical driving test. This consists of around 30-40 minutes of driving on the roads and demonstrating your skills to the examiner by dealing with roundabouts, junctions, following a sat-nav, traffic lights, and performing some manoeuvres. The earlier you start preparing, the easier you’re going to find the test.
Practice with a Friend or Relative:
Driving lessons are great, but it’s even better if you get to practice your driving skills on a regular basis. If you have a friend or relative who is over the age of 21 and has held their full driving license for at least three years, they will be able to accompany you as you drive with ‘L’ plates visible on the front and back of the car. Make sure that you are driving legally by getting provisional insurance for yourself on their car. Usually, provisional insurance is separate to the main driver’s policy, or you can add yourself to their policy as a named driver for a fee. Then, you are free to drive their car under their supervision and practice what you’ve been learning.
Find the Right Instructor:
Driving instructors might work for a national driving school company or run their own business, and they have a wide range of cars from older models to brand new, top of the range BMW’s and Audi’s so there’s plenty of choices when it comes to finding the right instructor for you. Many instructors offer ‘taster’ lessons which are usually a free short ride in the car with them so you can see how you feel and decide if they’re a good fit. Don’t be afraid to try out lessons with different driving instructors as you’re going to be spending a lot of time with this person in the near future, so you need to find somebody you get on with and that you feel will be easy to learn from.
Don’t be afraid to try out lessons with different driving instructors as you’re going to be spending a lot of time with this person in the near future, so you need to find driving lessons in Houston to get a feel that will be easy to learn from.
Know Your Way Around a Car:
Along with the driving side of things, during your driving test, you might be asked to answer some simple maintenance questions about the car, such as how to check the oil levels, how to check that your brake lights are working, or how to fill up the windscreen wiper fluid. If you’ve never owned a car before, you probably don’t know the faintest thing about any of this so it’s a good idea to get a friend or relative to talk you through all the various car maintenance basics so that whatever you’re asked, you’ll know what the answer is. Plus, it’ll come in handy when you finally get on the road and need to keep on top of your own car maintenance.
Anticipating your driving test can be nerve-wracking, so put in as much practice and preparation as you can now to make sure that you are confident and ready on the day.
Meg is an author at Cinnamon Hollow. She writes on a variety of topics sharing tips and ideas for daily life.