Getting my license, Not a debate

Lady Heather - posted on 01/03/2011

I got my license when I was 16 the first time, but have seen it come and go because of epilepsy. So now I'm looking at starting up again in my 30s from scratch. It's already been 9 years since I last drove and the thought of it definitely freaks me out. Life would be so much easier if I could use the car in the driveway, but I know it's going to take a long time to feel comfortable driving again.

Jenny - posted on 01/03/2011

It's against the law here too, it doesn't mean the majority of drivers are following it though.

Shauna - posted on 01/03/2011

Our prob in our state is not the teen drivers its the old farts driving 15 mph in a 40mph . backing up without looking, not using turn signals. I think the older crowd is the ones that need retested more often!!! ... Its against the law in our state to text while driving, and the cell phone thing, i agree too many people are on it while driving but i see more adults than teens doing it. I had my lisence at 16 the only car accident i was in was when i was 18 and it wasnt my fault some rich snob ran a red light almost killed me and left the scene.

Jenny - posted on 01/03/2011

Yes it should be raised to 18. I would be fine with a special license in farm situations so long as they remain in that area. 17 year old have no business darting in and out of city traffic in their death machines though.

We have a graduated program here. New drivers have to display an N on the back of their vehicle so other traffic knows they have a rookie nearby. I see them frequently cutting in and out of lanes while talking on a cell phone (or texting!) and not shoulder checking. I want to slap their stupid faces.

I also think ALL drivers should be retested every 5-10 with exception for those with perfect driving records and more frequenting past 60. My grandfather had to use both hands to life his leg to the gas pedal. He'd drive very jerkily and had no business behind the wheel but it was legal so off he went (with my Grandma in the passenger seat).

Driving is not a right, it's a privilege.

Laura - posted on 01/03/2011

And no I don't think the driving age should be raised. Like I said I come from a very small farm town where the farm kids are driving at like 10 because they have to to help out on the farm. Also anything you need is a long way (closest mall is 90 miles, closest town with more than a grocery store is 60 miles). Here you get your learners (must drive with a licensed driver) at 14 and it changes to a license at 16.

Laura - posted on 01/03/2011

Good luck to you, be defensive. I guess how long it takes to learn just depends on how confident you are. I got my learners when I was 14 and my parents started teaching me when I was 12 (we come from a very small farm town). You are not alone in learning late. I had a friend who didn't get her's til 28 and she first got it in the middle of winter.
I'm glad you are taking a course, it will help a lot. Just get as much practice as you can. Good luck

Nicole - posted on 01/03/2011

It's the same way here. You have to have your learners for one year before you can get your N. I have had my learners when I was a teenager, so I am not required to wait and I am allowed to take my driving test at any time

Bonnie - posted on 01/03/2011

Where I am you have to have your learner's permit (G1) for a year (unless it has changed in the past 10 years, I don't know). During this stage you have to drive with a licensed driver of at least 5 years in the passenger seat. Then you get your G2 which still has some limits, but not as bad. Then I believe after 5 years you can get your G license, which is the final stage. It doesn't take that much to learn. You'll get the hang of it.

Shauna - posted on 01/03/2011

Hell no the driving age should not be raised. In fact this is the first time in my life i have known anyone to not want their lisence when they are able to get it. I dont know i bought my first car with my own money when i was 15 my parents took me driving ... there was a required 50 hrs of drive time you had to keep a log of how many hrs you drove. I turned it in, took my written test, took my driving test and passed right away, never went to a driving school. I started driving to work/school the very next day. I couldnt imagine not being able to drive.

And it didnt take long to learn at all, IMO-i would think the longer you put off the later in life the more uncomfortable you would be learning to drive.

Sarah - posted on 01/03/2011

Well I've just turned 29 and I haven't passed my driving test yet!!
My next test is near the end of this month (I've failed twice).

I've loved learning to drive. I just lack a little bit in confidence.

I think the main thing is to just keep going with it, even though I've failed twice, there's no way I'm going to give up or get too disheartened!

Best of luck to you! Enjoy it! :)

Stifler's - posted on 01/02/2011

Hell no. If we have to leave school at 17 we should at least be able to drive to work.

Nicole - posted on 01/02/2011

Thank you. That is incredibly helpful.

Just out of curiosity, do you think they should raise the legal age people can start driving at?

Fiona - posted on 01/02/2011

Yay for you, once you have your license you will be amazed at how much easier it can make certain aspects of life. I also got my license later in life (about 24) and I think I was a better driver for waiting. I know I was certainly less impulsive and engaged in a lot less 'risk taking behaviours' that may have made me a less safe driver than if I got my license when I was legally able to. I knew the basics of driving and was able to drive (not confidently) long before I got my license as we lived in a semi-rural area and I always considered it a necessity to be able to drive in an emergency. Even so, I got professional lessons before taking my driving test so I knew what the testers were looking for and to refresh my knowledge of certain road rules as well as to build my confidence behind the wheel. It only took about 5 lessons before I was ready.

I didn't get my license earlier because I didn't think I needed it, I didn't have a car, wasn't likely to be able to get one for some time, was able to catch public transport most places or get a lift with people I knew. I also did a lot of hitchhiking, which looking back on wasn't the safest thing for a young woman. But, it was a lot of my hitchhiking experiences that were actually an impetus for me to get my license as I got some rides with some unbelievably bad and downright dangerous drivers that made me think, I would much rather be in control than have my life solely in their hands. As Jenny said, drive as if everyone is trying to kill you, that is great advice. Also when you are first starting out it is important to find a balance between false confidence (too many nerves will make you uncertain and jittery and you need to feel in control) and being hyper-aware of what you are doing (a little bit of nerves will sharpen your senses).

Stifler's - posted on 01/02/2011

I got my manual license at 20 after driving for 2 years in automatics only... now we don't even own an automatic. Just go with the flow and follow the road rules and when you get your test act as if the driving instructor is your friend.

Lindsay - posted on 01/02/2011

I had my permit for 6 months which was the required amount of time. I didn't go to driving school, just drove with my parents. I was comfortable driving after about a month.

Nicole - posted on 01/02/2011

Thanks for all of the responses. I am still wondering though, how long does it take to learn how to drive? Does anyone remember how many months/years it took them to get it down?

Shauna - posted on 01/02/2011

yeah, this is foreign to me, i got my learners permit at 15 lisence at 16. I didnt go to driving school my parents taught me. everyone i know was eager to get their lisence asap. Alot of my friends had school permits at 13-14. GOOD LUCK ON YOUR TEST!!! study hard!

Bonnie - posted on 01/02/2011

I got my learner's permit (G1) at the age of 20 and I went to driving school. It was an alright experience and I think going to driving school helped some. It took a bit for me to be comfortable with driving. As they say, everything is like riding a bike, you never forget. Good luck!

Lindsay - posted on 01/02/2011

I have no real advice. I started driving as soon as I was legally able. But good luck!

Jenn - posted on 01/02/2011

I didn't get mine until I was 19, my friend got hers when she was 26, and my Mum has never had hers. I wasn't scared until a few years ago when I was a passenger in a bad car accident and slammed into a cement wall and knocked the side window out with my head. Now I hate going fast, hate snow, hate rain, hate dark.

Nicole - posted on 01/02/2011

thank you. I hope it will be fun:)

Carolyn - posted on 01/02/2011

im 26 and only have my learners, got it in august this year. I always had a bus pass or friends with cars, and made sure to live near everything i needed withing 10 minutes walking distance. I chose to spend my savings on a down payment on house instead of a car. I guess i have just never really had to much need to drive but would like to have it so Logan and I can head out in the winter without bugging the husband LOL

Good luck, Ive been out driving a couple times, then the snow came and the ice and well driving scare the crap out of me !

haha good luck and have fun !

Nicole - posted on 01/02/2011

Thank you. That is encouraging:) That makes sense, tests make most people nervous. It's something about being tested that makes it hard to perform as well as you normally would.

Lacye - posted on 01/02/2011

It's not unusual for some one to get it a little later. My bf is 29 and still doesn't have his. Just remember to take your time and go the speed that you are most comfortable with at first.

I was 20 when I got mine. I remember the day too. I accidently ran over a curb. LOL I thought for sure she was going to tell me I failed but she looked at me, told me to calm down and keep going.

Nicole - posted on 01/02/2011

thank you:)

Barb - posted on 01/02/2011

oh, and for my 14th birthday my brother let me pull his baby, his 1979 camaro w/ tee tops out of the garage. I was turning and watching behind me, not realizing the front goes the opposite way than the back and CRRUNNNCH... And he's my brother so it isn't like he has an interest in not killing me like my parents do.

Good luck and congratulations

Nicole - posted on 01/02/2011

Thank you



I am going through Young Drivers. It is costly but worth it, as I will be driving with at least 2 children in the car

Janessa - posted on 01/02/2011

hey Nicole I just got ny learners in the fall and i am now trying to find a driving school. I am going to be 22 when i get my license. My boyfriend tried to teach me he made me even more scared to drive so he will not be teaching me and good luck.

Nicole - posted on 01/02/2011

thank you:)

Chatty - posted on 01/02/2011

One of my best friend's got her license just before she got married. She was 28!

Good luck!

Barb - posted on 01/02/2011

I like Jenny's advice and i agree with her. Drive like every is trying to kill you.

Now with that advice, take this too. Don't be scared. I know it sounds easier said than done but just visualize what you are trying to do and then do it.
If you get scared you get panicky and unsure and are more likely to freeze up or spaz out.

Just be calm, assertive and confident. Repetition will help with this and a lot of practice on empty parking lots and allow yourself to lose control, it's only by regaining control that you learn how to do it.

Also, consider the alternative and how bad is it really. I know hitting the pole scared you but what was so horrible about it? Did anyone die? Did anyone go to the hospital? Was it something you survived and got through? So you know you can deal with that, it's not the end of the world. It's why you have insurance :)

Jenny - posted on 01/02/2011

When I was 17 I turned too sharp backing out of a parking stall. I dug right into the side of the car beside me and it lifted right off the ground. That incident scared the shit out of me and I never touched a vehicle again for 7 years.

Nicole - posted on 01/02/2011

thank you:) I have been using the bus and in an average day I have to take a minimum of 9 buses. I take my son to daycare, my daughter to daycare, myself to school and pick the kids up and take them home. It feels as if I spend a good chunk of my life on the bus. Then there are the days when the kids have lessons! It's just crazy. That was my main motivator for getting my license.



I had told myself so many times that I would never get behind a wheel again.



This January I am taking too big risks. I am moving from my community college to a big, intimidating university (I have another year and a bit until I get my BA in psychology) and I am learning to drive.



It's good stuff but it's big stuff!

Mother - posted on 01/02/2011

Congrats!!!!! Good for you. I'm a farm girl. We use to fix up old cars and use them as field cars or muddin trucks. Nothing in a field to hit and you can drive until your heart is content. If you can find a wide open space....I'd suggest getting a beater car and doing just this.

I was certain I'd get my license right at 16. At 13 I'd announce all the time I was going to do just that and leave the farm. My mom....evil woman. she said, is that so. So she took me to the steepest hill she could find. Drove up half of it and said.....now, if you can make it to the top of that hill I'll allow you to get your license. The car was a standard. But I'm stubborn and I made it to the top....however I think Mom ended up with whiplash!!!!! LOL

Rosie - posted on 01/02/2011

i was scared at first, and had no plans of getting my permit, but i must admit i was curious. as soon as i got my permit at 14 i drove, and you couldn't stop me afterwards. i drove hour long trips to grandmas, i did everything.
i guess i don't have any advice on driving, i am not the best person to explain things, i just drive, IDK., lol. i do advise practicing DRIVING not turning in circles and braking. WTF ??? that's completely stupid, lol! just start out in a large parking lot so you can practice moving, then on slow, non busy residential streets , then work your way up.

driving is something i don't even think about with panic anymore, it didn't take long for that to happen. i just know i have to be defensive (there's a bunch of crazies out there) and follow speed limits.

Jenny - posted on 01/02/2011

Your experience sounds a lot like mine. I was 24 when I got my license and I feel it made me a better driver.



Some pointers would be know the perimeter of your vehicle. I 4x4 up the mountain a lot so have learned to feel where my vehicle ends as I make tight turns and climb rocks. Also drive as if everyone is trying to kill you. Don't trust signal lights and rights of way, wait until you see the person actually doing the move they are signaling to do. Look at traffic before you move in an intersection, not lights.



And practice! The more you get uot there and do it, the more confident you will feel. Good luck!