Passed my driving test, nearly forty years after passing my driving test - Would you?

Feek

Feek

Feek

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I saw a friend yesterday who I've not seen for about five years and in that time, he's gone from being a driving instructor to being a driving examiner. We were talking and I said that I've often wondered if I'd pass the driving test now. His reaction was to offer to take me out for a 'test' to see.

I agreed and out we went. I drive an automatic now so he suggested that we take his car as it's a manual. I haven't driven a manual for any length of time for years but was quite happy to do so, it's a skill you never forget, right?

We were out for just under an hour, he set up a route on the sat nav which I followed for about twenty minutes and then I had to follow his directions. He made me do three manoeuvres, two simple parking ones and something which I thought was utterly stupid. Pull up on the right side of the road and reverse back a bit. There was no reversing round a corner, no emergency stop, no three point turn, nothing like that at all.

He asked me to tell him how I'd put my main beam on (and how I'd know it was on) and I had to turn the heated windscreen on.

Afterwards he told me I've passed with two minor errors. At one point I indicated before I looked in the mirror and one time I turned the steering wheel with a reverse grip.

I was surprised by how straightforward it was. The trickier manoeuvres have been removed and for part of the drive, I was just following a sat nav. We did hit a dual carriageway for a couple of miles which I don't recall being taught or having to do back in the day but the whole thing seemed very simple.

Do you think you'd pass the driving test if you were to take it again now?
 
Nicely done. I’d imagine a lot of people on the road would not be capable of that. And yes a lot of things have been removed from the test.

I think I could pass it still, it’s been 13 years since I passed so not quite as long ago. I’m sure I have a few bad habits but I do consider myself to be a good driver in terms of situational awareness, indicating correctly and using mirrors etc.
 
I'd imagine most people should be able to pass a test again. It's just a case of driving properly and forgetting habits. Like always have 2 hands on the wheel, and the excessive mirror checking before a manoeuvre.
 
Feek said:
At one point I indicated before I looked in the mirror
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A little bit of a contentious one for me having people as passengers sometimes who are driving instructors - from years of gaming and other similar stuff I can be aware of what is going on in my mirrors sometimes without telegraphing it as obviously as many people - occasionally getting well meaning observations about it :s
 
Probably, although ironically whilst I have a German driving license I wouldn't qualify for one if I had to apply normally since you need a First Aid test to get a license over here unless you're transferring a license from elsewhere.

I do wonder whether I could still do the manoeuvres in the way they want. I guess I probably could? No doubt they'd also object to the way I hold the steering wheel but I probably remember to do it the fancy way for long enough.
 
Semple said:
It's just a case of driving properly and forgetting habits
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Yeah but that's the tricky thing isn't it? If you've developed bad habits then that's exactly what they are, they're things you do automatically and perhaps don't realise it.

Rroff said:
A little bit of a contentious one for me having people as passengers sometimes who are driving instructors - from years of gaming and other similar stuff I can be aware of what is going on in my mirrors sometimes without telegraphing it as obviously as many people - occasionally getting well meaning observations about it :s
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It surprised me, I'm very observant of what's going on around me, I did question him and ask about it but I'm pretty sure I'd have just glanced up at the mirror first because that's what I do. I reckon he just didn't see me.

Mr Jack said:
No doubt they'd also object to the way I hold the steering wheel but I probably remember to do it the fancy way for long enough.
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This was what I was expecting but it seems they're a lot more relaxed about the 'ten to two' grip I was taught. I didn't go out of my way to hold the wheel any different to normal, I wasn't deliberately doing ten to two. The thing he objected to was when I turned a corner, I reached up with my left hand, grabbed the wheel with my fingers facing me and turned it that way. Everything else was OK.
 
I and the wife hate manual gear boxes. we both passed on manual and mine was a 25cwt van with crash box where you double de clutched for each gear -Bet there isn't many on here who has ever seen one.

Would we pass now -probably not -too many bad habbits.
 
I'd pass for the fundamental driving skills, observation etc. etc. but I'd fail for the ******** stuff like I don't drive at 10 and 2, and I'm fine with that. I'm sure most experienced drivers would be in this situation.

I did pass my IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorcycling) test this summer (highest grade available) so it would be a bit awkward if I was to then fail a driving test.
 
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robfosters said:
Not every 15 years. That’s over the top. Once you’ve passed I think that should be enough until you hit 70-75.
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Older people should be restested- absolutely agree there.

I'm in favour of regular retesting, not least as I suspect many people who drive require glasses, and that would be picked up on a retest.
 
Congratulations Feek. I’d offer you banana if I had one but a trip to Aldi is required.

I could pass the test if I changed how I drive/ride, but I probably wouldn’t if I drive/ride as I normally do. I have undertaken extensive advanced driver/rider training (IAM Masters Distinction, RoSPA Gold) which permits and takes advantage of levels of discretion that would not be permitted in as normal DVSA test. The driving test is very much focused on compliance, which does not account for every possible scenario and thus does not always offer the safest or best solution. Advanced standards allow for the intelligent application of discretion for each individual scenario to provide the safest, smoothest, and most progressive outcome. I’d thoroughly recommend it to everyone, but you do have to approach it with an open mind. Too many drivers and riders think they have nothing to learn and thus rubbish it at the first hurdle. It’s far from perfect but additional training is almost always a good thing.
 
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