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From: pace@othervax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: Learning to drive...well
Message-ID: <394@othervax.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 26-Feb-85 11:23:43 EST
Article-I.D.: othervax.394
Posted: Tue Feb 26 11:23:43 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 3-Mar-85 05:30:06 EST
References: <76@mit-athena.UUCP>
Reply-To: pace@othervax.UUCP (Scott Pace)
Organization: Philips Information Systems - Montreal, Canada
Lines: 43
Summary: 


If you want to learn to drive well then go to Great Britain.
In my opinion they have a very demanding (and so it should be)
driving test. They put the emphasis on how you perform on the
road more than on how many signs and rules you can memorise.
When I took my test over there (about 5 years ago) I had spent
about 3 months taking lessons at least once a week and then twice
a week nearer the test date.
During the actual test I was on the road with the examiner for
about 35 minutes during which time we did a three point turn,
reversing around a corner, emergency braking (without skidding
or losing control), uphill starts (manual trans.).
After we got back to the test centre he then asked me a few
questions on the highway code (ie. signs, do's & don't's etc.).
After all that he then told me that I'd passed the test!!!

To give you an example of how stringent the test is, I nearly
failed it because I almost forgot to make sure that the car
was in neutral before starting the engine (they don't care if
you disengage the clutch, the car should not be in gear when
you start it).
Another item which they will fail you on is not covering the
brake pedal and looking carefully when you go through a cross
roads, even though you have the right of way.

When I moved to Montreal about a year ago and took their test,
I was no longer amazed at how bad the drivers are here. I spent
more time answering questions about driving than I actually
spent on the road (about 5 minutes on the road).
Now I don't know what driving tests are like in the States but
I suspect that they are not much more demanding if at all (please
correct me if I'm wrong).

In conclusion, if you want to be a GOOD driver then go to the U.K.
and learn there. Once you've done that you can always stay another
few months and take the advanced drivers course and test. The
insurance rates drop significantly if you manage to pass that one!


Scott Pace, Philips Information Systems, Montreal, Canada

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