Introduction
In this paper, the primary requirements for obtaining a driver’s license and major steps to passing a driving test will be viewed.
The Requirements
To obtain a driver’s license in the U.S., one has to know exactly what requirements he or she will need to follow as they differ from state to state as well as driving laws. To find out more, one should consult a specialist at the given state’s department of motor vehicles (Berardelli, “Safe Young Drivers” 21). One can only get a license in a state he or she lives in and has to be eligible to apply, which means people with health conditions like epilepsy are not allowed to drive (Drazkowski 11). After receiving a license, one can drive anywhere in the U.S. (Berardelli, “The Driving Challenge: Dare to Be Safer and Happier on the Road” 19).
Of course, “learning to drive can be nerve-wracking for teens and parents” (“Helping Teens Learn to Drive” par. 3). It does not apply to teenagers only, however. No matter how old you are when you are learning to drive, your experience will contain a certain amount of stress as you get used to the vehicle, the road conditions, and try to follow the instructor’s orders.
If you are a parent anxious for your child to succeed, the handbook “Teaching Your Teens to Drive” suggests that “One of the best ways for you to influence your teen’s driving habits is to sit in the copilot seat as your teenager learns to drive” (1). It might not always be possible literally, but giving the needed emotional support is always necessary for a teenager to feel confident behind the wheel.
Experience is the key. If one spends a lot of time honing his or her skills outside the driving lessons in different road and weather conditions, he or she gets a better chance to adapt to all kinds of situations on the road after acquiring the license (“Helping Teens Learn to Drive” par. 6). To practice outside of driving lessons, one can use such facilities as empty parking lots or usual roads if there’s small traffic (Ribeiro 20).
Skills one learns during his or her driving practice can be divided into three groups:
- the primary skills (basic car control – gas, break, and acceleration pedals, transmission; the control panel – windshield wipers, lights, etc.);
- the secondary skills (noticing the potential road hazards; reacting accordingly to the road signs – slowing down, coming to a full stop, following distance, etc.; parking; dealing with navigation around other cars, pedestrians, animals on the road, etc.);
- the advanced skills (navigating on bigger roads – minding your speed limit, changing lanes, slowing down at intersections and traffic lights, making turns, merging into traffic, etc.).
The Driving Test
To finally receive your driver’s license, you will have to take a driving test. It consists of a written part and a practical part. In the written part, you most certainly will be asked to identify the road signs, to name the rules of the traffic code, etc. The practical part allows the examiner to estimate your actual driving skills. By the time you take this test, you have to build your confidence via training on empty parking lots and low-traffic roads. This will make you get through the major parts of the test easily. You will be asked to navigate between tires, to make a couple of turns, to slow down and stop at the examiner’s command, to drive in reverse gear, etc.
Conclusion
In conclusion, one can see that learning to drive a car takes a bit of hard work, practice, and concentration, but is easily achievable once these three factors are fully applied.
Works Cited
Berardelli, Phil. Safe Young Drivers, Yucca Valley, California: D Street Books, 2011. Print.
—. The Driving Challenge: Dare to Be Safer and Happier on the Road, Yucca Valley, California: D Street Books, 2011. Print.
Drazkowski, Joseph. “An Overview Of Epilepsy And Driving.” Epilepsia 48.9 (2007): 10-12. Print.
Helping Teens Learn To Drive, n.d. Web.
Ribeiro, Lawrence. The Unknown Art of Driving, New York, New York: Barnes & Noble, 2013. Print.
Teaching Your Teen to Drive. Warwick, Rhode Island: MetLife Auto & Home, 2006. Print.