road test! Ack! x_X

[EmoFox]

Tomorrow afternoon is my road test. I'm taking it at the testing center in Burnaby. I had originally planned on taking it next week, but when I went to book the road test, I didn't realize they would be booked until freaking November! :roll: Tomorrow at 2:45 was the only appointment available.

So. Any tips from capable drivers out there? I've failed once before, but I still lived in 100 Mile, and I don't have the paperwork that tells me what I need to work on anymore, so. I *need* to pass this time. Neeeeed to pass. Wish me luck!

[zenia]

Just be calm. Make sure to look around as you are driving, like, flicking your eyes right and left and in the rearview mirror. Shows the tester that you are paying attention to everything around you. Give yourself extra room. My only mistake was coming out of a parallel park, I thought I had enough room to get out cleanly and I was way short. I do have a bit of depth perception issues though, so she cut me some slack. I would also read the rules booklet again a time or two before the test. Just brush up on everything again.

[Kithop]

As someone who passed all my written and road tests first time, and am coming up on 10 years driving experience next month...

Take your time, READ THE BOOK (no srsly), know all the stupid little 'gotchas' they like to throw in there.
They will likely take you out somewhere with school zones, especially where the sign is hidden behind a bush or tree so it's impossible to see until you're on it.
Don't speed.
At all.
Not even 1km/h (I had my instructor warn me at 33km/h in a school zone).
Just stick to 'the book' and you'll be fine.

Oh, and for the love of god, shoulder check.
Lots.
Even if you don't think you HAVE to, because you probably do.
Changing lanes, making turns (ESPECIALLY right turns - you're checking to make sure a cyclist isn't up beside you).
I believe the order is mirror, signal, shoulder check, go, but don't quote me on it as it was 10 years ago (read the book! XD)

Did I mention read the damned book?
Multiple times, cover to cover.
They're sticklers for stupid nigh-useless trivia.

One of the things they'll make you do is list off all the dangers/hazards present on the road.
They may make you pull over first or may not.
Start with the most obvious ones (that little kid playing with a ball might dart into the street) and work your way down to the super unlikely ones (lightning may hit that telephone pole and knock it over in front of my path! :O ... don't really say this. <.<).
You have to always be aware of, and expect people to do the 100% stupidest, insanest thing.
In reality, they often do. o_o;

Read the book.

Oh, if you're doing it in Burnaby, I dunno if they'll make you come far enough up into Coquitlam or not, but watch out for intersections where there's a no right turn on red sign.
They LOVE those.
My tester said I was the first one she ever took to actually not fail there. XD

...and one last, important thing.

READ THE BOOK. ;P

[EmoFox]

What? Burn the book..? Well, if you think that'll help... *FWOOSH!*

:p

So I took a couple of "professional" driving lessons, but I suspect shenanigans. I fully intend to ask the instructor who does my road test, but signally and traffic circles? The book doesn't say anything about it that I've seen and i've read the book a few times. Both of them. The first instructor I had for my "driving lessons" told me when you enter a traffic circle, you signal the way you're eventually going. So if you come up to the traffic circle, and you're turning left, you signal left. But since all traffic circles go counter clockwise, you enter the traffic circle turning right, go around until you hit your exit, signal right to exit and drive out.

...Am I right to be confused? That doesn't sound right to me, at all.

[zenia]

I never had to deal with traffic circles... so I do not know. XD

[Unition]

What? Burn the book..? Well, if you think that'll help... *FWOOSH!*

:p

So I took a couple of "professional" driving lessons, but I suspect shenanigans. I fully intend to ask the instructor who does my road test, but signally and traffic circles? The book doesn't say anything about it that I've seen and i've read the book a few times. Both of them. The first instructor I had for my "driving lessons" told me when you enter a traffic circle, you signal the way you're eventually going. So if you come up to the traffic circle, and you're turning left, you signal left. But since all traffic circles go counter clockwise, you enter the traffic circle turning right, go around until you hit your exit, signal right to exit and drive out.

...Am I right to be confused? That doesn't sound right to me, at all.

You cannot turn left into a traffic circle, ever, unless you're in Europe or something.  And there's only two in Burnaby according to my instructor.  One's up by SFU if you want to practice.

And those instructions are exactly correct.  Signal in, signal when you want to get out.  If you want, keep going round and round as much as you like until you're ready to leave! That's all you need to know.

[Unition]

Here's a story I posted a couple years back when I did my "N" test, hope you find it entertaining!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was very important to me that I pass the exam this time, because unfortunately the next slot they could find for me to test in was in December.  On top of this, I had only started my lessons at the beginning of August, so I had only been on the road for a month and a half total.  I was not prepared.  Due to nervousness, I got maybe three hours of sleep the night before.

The tester was a middle-aged, balding fat man, dressed in a suit.  He was a nice guy, my instructor had told me.  He drove a truck for Safeway at night and I would do well if I talked him up about truck driving a bit.  In person, he spoke emotionlessly and tersely, watching each of my movements like a hawk and writing quick notes to himself on a clipboard.  My attempts at friendly banter were met with grunts and requests to get going.  I was pretty much screwed right off the bat.

My first mistake was right out of the Young Drivers driveway.  I was stopped at a red light on a three lane highway and my tester asked me to make a left.  Once the lights turned green, I looked to see if there were any cars approaching; there were none, so I started rolling.  Suddenly, my tester began bellowing in my ear.

"STOP! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"  He slammed on his tester's brake.

To my horror, I noticed that behind and to the left of the intersection there was an advance green, totally separate from the traffic lights, a situation I'd never run into before.  Where there would normally be a little green arrow, signalling it was okay for me to turn, there was instead a big red light.  And I'd just made the tester slam on the brakes, an automatic failure.

The tester continued on with the motions of the test, scribbling angrily on his clipboard.  I shakily continued, but my nerves were wracked, and my hands shook on the wheel out of nervousness.  Feeling horrible, I began to sweat despite the ice-cold air conditioning.

The sweat quickly began to run into my eyes, blurring my vision.  But I wasn't allowed to let go of the wheel while I was driving (another automatic fail), so I blinked madly, trying to clear my eyes.  Unfortunately this was during a right turn at an intersection, and I narrowly missed being hit by a van coming from the left, which braked and blared its horn at me angrily.

"JESUS", yelled the tester, nearly crapping himself, "YOU ALMOST KILLED US!"

While the tester was picking his clipboard up off the floor, I took the opportunity to wipe my eyes.  Now determined to get to the end of this test, I calmed down and focussed on the road.  I made a careful right turn, making sure to take my time and get it right.  Unfortunately I made it too slowly and cut off a car that was going straight in my direction.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU DON'T CUT IN FRONT OF A CAR AND SLOW DOWN...MOVE MOVE MOVE"

I slammed on the accelerator in response.

"WHOA WHOA WHOA THIS IS A 60 WHY ARE YOU DOING 80"

I looked up to see a green light in front of me suddenly turn yellow, and slammed on the brakes, stopping just short of the crosswalk.

"HOLY CRAP, LOOK IN THE MIRROR BEFORE YOU DO THAT!  YOU ALMOST GOT US REAR ENDED! WHO TAUGHT YOU TO DO THAT?"  At this point the tester was PISSED.  He began berating me, complaining about how his neck was hurting, and how I was a hazard on the road and was going to kill someone someday.  I think this was the point where I stopped giving a shit about the test and focussed more on getting back to the testing location in one piece.

Pissed at myself for screwing up so badly on my big day, I dejectedly pulled back into the lot.  I backed the car into park, missing the lines entirely and taking up two spots, but I didn't care, I just wanted to get the hell out of there.

The tester released his death grip on his clipboard and glared over at me.

"Well," he said.  "You passed."

[EmoFox]

You cannot turn left into a traffic circle, ever, unless you're in Europe or something.  And there's only two in Burnaby according to my instructor.  One's up by SFU if you want to practice.

And those instructions are exactly correct.  Signal in, signal when you want to get out.  If you want, keep going round and round as much as you like until you're ready to leave! That's all you need to know.

Yeah, he said signal left, turn right into the traffic circle, go around until you're at the exit that's to the left of where you started, and then exit. I figured if you were signalling in a traffic circle, you'd be signalling right -- the way you're turning to enter. I'm probably confusing everyone because what i'm trying to explain makes no sense, XD

OMG he PASSED you?! XD You must have done some pretty fucking awesome driving on the way back! I feel MUCH better. I've actually been driving around my building's parking lot and definitely not around my neighbourhood. Definitely not to the grocery store for ice cream. nope. I just hope that I can do as well with some one watching me like a hawk. it's being watched that gets me nervous too.

[Unition]

You need to signal left when you're turning right into a traffic signal because anyone who needs to see the signal will be coming up on your left side, if that makes sense.  They wouldn't be able to see you signalling in if you had your right signal on.

[Unition]

OMG he PASSED you?! XD You must have done some pretty fucking awesome driving on the way back! I feel MUCH better. I've actually been driving around my building's parking lot and definitely not around my neighbourhood. Definitely not to the grocery store for ice cream. nope. I just hope that I can do as well with some one watching me like a hawk. it's being watched that gets me nervous too.

Well, I think only a few specific things will automatically fail you...and a lot of it is up to them.  I must have done just well enough and seemed nice enough that he decided to just say screw it and pass me.

[Roffo]

What a story! That some luck there for sure Unition.

I actually just got my L today after 2 years of procrastination.
As for the test; well. I wish I could help you! Never did one of those yet.

[mediar]

I have 13 years of clean driving and the best advice i can give is... Relax, remember the rules and pay attention.

[EmoFox]

:x i was late. have to rebook. v.v emofox is emo. at least they're not charging me the no-show fee, since I did show up. even if i was a half hour late. :X

[EmoFox]

Don't get butthurt if they fail you your first time. Since I remember my first time was the best run I did and the instructor spent a minute trying to pick out something to fail me on. I think it was something related to roundabouts..... The second time was my fault. The third time.... I can't recall what her problem was that day but she seemed pissed off the whole time. Luckily on my forth time I got it as the instructor said herself at the very beginning "wow you must be frustrated that you haven't got your license yet".

To this date quite a few friends and family members got into accidents  because it was their fault and way more reckless then me. And the every time I get into one was someone else not following rules. Though the worst I was in was a impatient mother T boned me narrowly missing my BF by a few inches thanks to my last 2 second decision. All to get to the school to pick her kids up on time. So the moral of my story is. If you follow the rules and get screwed over. Deal with it. Because it usually works out for you in the end.

Err.., I appreciate the advice, but it'd looks like you didnt really read the post. kind of a pet peeve of mine. It says up there that this would have been my 2nd test, as I've already failed once. :I and i wasn't butthurt. It was an autofail for speeding, but i didnt go into that test expecting to pass.

[Tef]

Aw, but hey, look on the bright side, you have a bit more time to practice. I've just gotten my L license a week ago.