Seeing as I just recently
turned 16, passed my Florida driver’s test with flying colors, and now I’m
driving a dark blue Mazda CX-5 through Miami, it may be nice to review some
things that may come handy when the younger portion of the audience decides to
take their driver’s test. In order to acquire a license at the ages of 16 and
17, you must also obtain a learner’s license for exactly one year without any
moving violations. A learner’s license can be gained by taking the required
four-hour-long Florida Drug and Alcohol Course (DATA Course) and then passing
the online license exam. After you’ve passed both, you can gather your
passport, SSN, and two bills proving that your parents are residents of the
state, the DMV will take your picture, your information, and print it all out
on your very own license.
However,
your learner’s license can’t be used to drive alone. At all times, you must
have a licensed adult over 21 sitting in the front passenger seat. In addition,
a curfew is in order, and you cannot drive before 6:00 am and after 7:00 pm for
the first three months of your permit, and after 10:00 pm when those three
months are up. To be eligible for a license, you must also complete the
required 50 driving hours, including 10 hours of driving at night. Finally
after all that debacle, you’re standing in the DMV office, 365 days later,
ready to take your actual driver’s test.
I’m going
to go directly to the point: take the driver’s test in your most comfortable
and maneuverable car, whether it be stick or automatic. Why? That way you know
and feel your boundaries better. The easiest cars to take the driver’s test in
are generally smaller cars, like a Chevy Sonic or a Toyota Yaris, because their
small wheelbase and short body allow for easy distance-judging and make the
nose-in parking procedure seem like a walk in the park. Trust me, I did it in
an old Ram 2500 and I damn near screwed up that part. It was my most
comfortable car, but I hadn’t driven it in a while and judging distance out of
the windshield and mirrors was hard. In addition, it was stick, and the
instructors at the DMV are very picky about smooth operation. Anyways, in
summary, learn to drive the bigger cars, but also feel comfortable in the
smaller cars. They’re your key to success on the test.
Now, the
parts of the test. The first exhibit is the nose-in parking procedure. Because
Florida eliminated parallel parking from the driver’s exam, they figured that
nose-in parking would be the ideal thing to replace it, (although the safest
way to park is generally by backing into the spot and not nosing in, nowhere
near the lines...) so they set up a parking space that is normally slightly
wider than usual with what are essentially two express lane poles on either
side, one at the left front, one at the right front, and so on. You will be
asked to do the procedure as best you can, without hitting any of the poles or
the strategically-placed, state-owned vehicle that is sitting in the spot
opposite to the testing spot. After watching a poor kid flunk this part of the
test immediately, quickly, and unfortunately, I would advise taking your time.
Gently and easily maneuver your way into the space. The smaller the vehicle,
the harder the instructor will be on you, but also the chances increase
drastically of succeeding. After asking you a simulation question, you will
also be required to back out of the space, another spot where you could be
failed, so just take your time, keep your eyes peeled, and practice the
maneuvers at least a month in advance in order to stay comfortable in the car.
Now, in
Florida, we don’t have hills. The highest point in Florida would likely be one
of those pitiful landfills that are located just off of the Florida Turnpike
going north. However, your license is also valid out-of-state, so you need to
know what to do when parked on a hill. Many people will say that this is the
most confusing part of the test- the most commonly missed, but really, the idea
is simple. When parked on a hill, facing upwards, in a standard-shift car, with
a curb on the right, the procedure is as follows: put the vehicle in neutral
and hold it with the parking brake. Put the transmission into first gear
and turn the steering wheel away from the curb so that if the vehicle happens
to roll, the front wheels will catch the curb and prevent it from rolling any
further. Now, turn off the ignition and stop clenching. Everything will be
fine, man. When parked facing downhill, with or without a curb on the right,
turn the wheels towards where the curb would be, hold the vehicle with the
parking brake, put the transmission in reverse, and kill the ignition. When
parked facing uphill without a curb on the right, turn the wheels towards where
the curb would be, hold the vehicle with the parking brake, put the transmission
into first gear, and ignition off. Pointing the wheels away from the street (or
towards the imaginary curb) will allow the vehicle to avoid hitting other cars,
should it begin to roll away. A good way to remember this is “Up, up, and
away.” Pointing up the hill, point the wheels away from the curb.
Exhibit C
consists of backing up 50 feet. Generally, this is the easiest part of the
test, as well as obeying all traffic laws and stopping for approximately four
seconds at stop signs (it allows you to assess the situation around you. Look
left-right-left-straight, then go. Keep it in mind). You are not allowed to use
any assists (mirrors, back-up camera, etc.). You must put your hand on the back
of the passenger seat and look out the back window, assuming you have
visibility out of it. If not, you will be allowed to use your mirrors or a
back-up camera. Try to keep the wheel as straight as possible while you’re
performing this maneuver to prevent any swerving, something that can disqualify
you pretty quickly, and take it easy. This isn’t a race to see who goes faster
backwards. You’ve only got to go 50 feet, and the guy in my test called 50 feet
almost as soon as I had fully let off the clutch. Again, this is a very simple
part of the test, but don’t let anything get to you. You don’t want to make
stupid mistakes.
If you are
a stereotypical Miami driver, you may be used to doing ridiculous U-turns at
intersections on back roads or side streets, which are slow and show absolutely
no knowledge of driving at all (sorry to those people, but a turning radius is
only as small as it is). So, one of the maneuvers performed on the driver’s
test is a three-point turn. You pull forward and to the left, you reverse to
the right, and you pull forward again, this time to the left, to end up in
relatively the same position as where you started while facing in the opposite
direction, all within a 30-40 foot space. Seems easy enough, right?
There will come a point
where the instructor will take you out onto public roads to test your
smoothness and driving etiquette. Things like turn signal timing, braking
distances, that stop-sign etiquette I mentioned before, and obedience of
traffic laws will be tested and maybe marked. At a random point, while driving
around 20 mph, he will want you to panic-stop, or really, come to a quick, safe
stop from 20 mph without too much commotion. I didn’t have to do this because a
light went yellow in front of me and I stopped short with the assistance of
downshifting and strong braking. Don’t swerve or let the vehicle drift to one
side while stopping. The instructor will notice and mark it down. Trust me,
they’re like hawks. They notice everything.
All the while, stay
frosty. Don’t let your nerves show nor let them get to your practiced
functions. It may be nerve-racking to be tested on this stuff, but the quickest
way to fail is to let it get to you and suddenly, you’re giving your instructor
whiplash as you swerve left and right while backing up at an exaggerated speed.
Stay calm, keep your head straight, and focus on the problem at hand. Soon,
you’ll be standing in the DMV office once again, this time with a huge grin on
your face as they print out your Florida Class E Driver’s License.
Written Content:
Connor Sahs
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