One of the most exciting (and possibly scary) parts about your teens is getting your license. It gives us a feeling of independence and reminds us that we are just one step closer to becoming adults. It also marks the moment where we understand, just like our parents, that we can go anywhere.
According to a Paw Print Poll, 82% of students at Harrison passed their written test (online or in person) first try, while 71% of students passed their on-the-road test first try. On the written test, many students had trouble with specific questions like the stopping distance behind a bus or how much tread is required on a tire. Another difficulty for students, albeit unrelated to the test material itself, was avoiding touching the border around the digital version of the written test with their cursor. If your cursor touches the border, you automatically fail and have to retake the test.
According to Driving Tests, some of the most common mistakes people make during their on-the-road test are: incomplete stops, improper lane changes, lack of steering control, improper freeway merging, confusion at four-way stops, changing lanes in an intersection, following the car in front of you too closely, not checking mirrors, not following the speed limit, and parallel parking errors.
Several students at Harrison said that they found Maneuverability to be the hardest part of the test. Maneuverability is how well you can control your vehicle and move around objects like traffic cones. “The maneuverability was definitely the hardest,” said Joseph Huber, a student at Harrison, “my instructor said after I passed that he was impressed that I didn’t hit anything backing out because I was in a terrible position at the start.”
While some students found their written and/or road tests to be a piece of cake, others were anxious while taking them, which caused some to even fail. “I was just really nervous and psyched myself out to where my turns were a bit too wide,” said senior Casey Bertsch. “Once I took it the second time, I was completely fine, it was just nerves.”
One of the best ways to prepare for your written test is to take practice tests online. Some sites that provide practice tests include Driving Tests, First Time Driver, and even Quizlet. Practice tests are especially helpful for memorizing the answers to the obscure questions.
As for your road exam, the best advice is to try not to be too nervous. While that’s easier said than done, anxiety can cause you to look over certain things and you’ll be more prone to making mistakes. As for practice, there’s a spot with cones where you can practice maneuverability at Westside Driving Academy.
Henry Walker, a student at Harrison High School, made a really good point regarding the length of and required right questions on the written test.
“The requirement is that you answer 75 percent of the questions right, which means 35 out of 40. Frighteningly, once you get 35 right, you don’t have to finish the rest. Maybe that explains why so many drivers in Harrison don’t actually know how to drive,” said Walker. People often get annoyed at best with student drivers, my mom being a prime example as she gets closer and closer to flipping the car over in rage every day she picks me up from school. While I do believe people could be more patient with student drivers, it’s important to note that the test doesn’t cover everything there is to know about driving, including driving etiquette.
Even if you’ve successfully gotten your driver’s license, it’s important to keep learning how to improve your driving to make the road better for you and the drivers around you. Whether you’ve just passed your driver’s test or have had your license for a couple years, there is always more room to learn!
