driving test

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I have always driven automatics--- they are far more common anyway. I did learn how to drive a manual ( badly, but oh well...) and this may come in handy if I am stranded somewhere and my only means of getting out happens to be a manual automobile. But it is not likely.
Here in Florida, you almost HAVE to drive. There are no high-speed trains, only slow ones and most of those are cargo trains. Buses don't run at night and are limited on weekends. No subways. Taxicabs are expensive. And everything is spread out ( we call it "urban sprawl"). This is in the city, mind you. If you live out in the suburbs or more rural areas, there are NO buses and the nearest store might be over a mile away. Add to this that we are in the rainy season, so if you walk outdoors, you WILL get rained on any given time--- it even rains sometimes without any visible clouds in the air! Every day, just about. And it's HOT--- 90's ( farenheit) every day, and humid. Walking anywhere will make you want to drop to the ground and give up.
So if you live in Florida, driving ( even with a restricted license) is a major plus and in many cases, a necessity.

I dont really mind the restrictions.

*I always carry my wallet containing my learner permit now probationary licence anyway
*I dont drink
*P plates are a little annoying but no big deal really
*The high powered cars arent ones I could afford or drive anyway
*I dont know how to drive manual

I know in the UK my brother lives there if you sit your licence in an auto you can only ever drive auto unless you sit another test. Here once you are off your Ps you can drive whatever you want.

I dont understand the Australian and British systems. I live in Seattle, which is in Washington state in the USA and near the border with Canada. I think our system makes much more sense. Here in Washington, the age is 15 for a learner's license, which is obtained by going to a licensing office and showing you have enrolled in a driver education class that will begin within one week. You may drive while supervised by anyone who has had a full license for at least 5 years (making the person at least 22.) You must then complete driver training and log 50 practice hours with your parents or another supervising adult. Then you must go take a computerized knowledge test, which has 25 questions, 20 must be answered correctly.

After reaching age 16 and having the learner's license for at least 6 months, you may take a 15 minute drive test. After passing that you are issued an intermediate license. The restrictions are:

For the first six months:
No driving from 1am to 5am unless you live on a farm (which i dont)
No carrying any passengers that are under age 20 unless they are a brother or sister
Enhanced penalties for traffic violations

For the second six months:
Still no driving from 1am to 5am unless you live on a farm
You may carry three passengers who are under 20
Enhanced penalties for traffic violations

After having the intermediate license for one year (making you at least 17) or turning 18, whichever comes first, you are issued a full license (which i will get in about six months as i am halfway done with the intermediate stage). After having a full license for five years you may supervise someone with a learner's license. The only restriction on a full license is no alcohol if under 21. If over 21, you may have a .08 limit.

You also are not required to display L or P plates, drive at lower speeds, forbidden from driving a manual or high powered cars on towing a trailer. Breaking the restrictions is a secondary offense so a $250 dollar fine is issued in addition to the fine of the violation that caused the driver to be pulled over in the first place.

I think our system is way better cuz it is much nicer to be able to finish the probationary period at 17, compared to age 22 in victoria.

The USA is definitely the best place to be to drive, and if you are 18 you to not need to even go through the learners phase, take driver education, or go through the provisional period.

Currently 47 states have a probationary period. 32 have curfew and passenger restrictions. 15 have curfew only and 3 have no provisional period (Arkansas, Kansas, and North Dakota).

The age to begin the provisional period also varies per state. It is 14 years and 3 months in South Dakota. 15 in Idaho and Montana, 15 and a half in South Carolina, Mississippi, and New Mexico, 16 in 32 states, 16 and a half in 11 sates, and 17 in New Jersey.

In most states the minimum age to finish the provisional period is 17 or 18, which is way sooner than in Australia.

In New Hampshire there is not even a leaner's period.

The states with the strictest provisional periods are California (Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego). Colorado(Denver), New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts (Boston), and Georgia(Atlanta).

So I will finish my probationary period on March 11, 2009 about three and a half months after i turn 17, which im sure the OP is jealous of.

Sorry, i know i got carried away with this long post and if you want more info on our GDL laws go to the wikipedia article titled "driver's license in the united states"

In a way I wish our system was easier but it does save a lot of lives and reduce the road toll so IMO it is actually a good thing. What is 3 years in the scheme of things not much really I am 28 now and will be 31 when I get my full licence in the mean time I can still drive with P plates which isnt a big deal.

Congratulations!

I reckon i would have trouble learning to drive. One thing that is beyond me is the gear changing, i cannot understand how people know when to change a GEAR, i ALWAYS SAY THIS TO PEOPLE MY OWN AGE WHO DON'T KNOW HOW TO DRIVE AND THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW I FIND IT SO DIFFICULT. (sorry about the caps lock it was an acident)

Kane have you tried to learn in an automatic car? that is what I did I would never try a manual it is too tough for me for similar reasons.

Congrats to you, I remember that great feeling I had after passing my driving test back... hmmm 16 years ago now. Now I drive like any other idiot on the road And an automatic is MUCH easier to drive, that is all I have ever driven.

yeah i failed my test the first time. I dont even remember how, I just remember being very angry and taking the anger on my parents even though it wasnt their fault. I had to wait 2 weeks to retake it, which i aced the test my second time with a score of 96%. I just screwed up the parallel parking by knocking over the cones is how i lost a few points.

i still dont get why you have to drive with L and P plates as we dont and there seems to be no problems

That's just about everywhere that I've been so my mother had to drive me everywhere I went. I just got my license today, and since I'm 21 I don't have to deal with any of that graduated license stuff and remember that my sister got her license right before they introduced the graduated license program. In Vermont all you have to do for a permit is pass a written test at 15 with I think a 15 out of 20 and then you can schedule a road test at 16 but minors have to take a driver's ed class first.

I'm helping mom buy a new car and getting the one she has now so that she doesn't have to drive me around anymore. I can't drive a stick though, but that's okay because I learned today that Toyota is practically abandoning manual as anything other than an option.

Congratulations I'm 23 and I've been on my P's for a year, and hardly done any driving .

New South Wales is similar, except we have another level. It goes like this:

First, we do a 40-question MC test to get our L's. Restrictions include an 80km/h (50mph) speed limit, no driving without a full licensed driver supervising, 12 months minimum, 120 hours log book driving with at least 20 hours at night. Thankfully I got my L's before this so I only had to do 50 hours. People fudge them anyway by going for a 5 minute run down to the shops and putting down an hour.

Then you do a driving test to get your first provisional license. Restrictions are no driving between 11 and 5 unless it's an emergency, 90km/h (56mph) speed limit, nothing turbocharged or 8+ cylinders (excluding diesel engined cars), 250kg towing limit, no more than one passenger unless they are family for the first 12 months. Also, if you do your test in an automatic car, you can only drive an automatic.

After 12 months on these you do a computerised Hazard Perception Test to get your second provisional license. This allows you a 100km/h (62mph) speed limit, passenger limits are lifted and you can now drive a manual if you couldn't before, though all other restrictions remain the same.

After 24 months you go for your Driver Qualification Test, which is another hazard perception test and another knowledge test. Pass this, and you get your full license.

The Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) has all the information on our licensing scheme and you can view all the details at http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/licensing/index.html if you're interested.

Last edited by Aaron_Mason on 29 Aug 2008, 5:02 am, edited 1 time in total.

yeah Vic has just started a two stage P plate system but in ours if you are 21+ you go directly onto the P2 (green Ps) for three years which is what I am doing due to being 28. The restrictions I described are for Vics P2 and are what applied under the old system, P1 is for an extra year for those aged 18 (vic driving age)-20 when they go for their licence and their extra restrictions are no mobile phone use including handsfree, no towing a trailer (unless for work) and only one passenger. The automatic thing is the same here I sat mine in auto so can only drive auto but that is ok I only ever plan to drive auto due to how my AS affects me I have issues with multi taskingd slight coordination issues too.

Why do they have restrictions on driving manuals and autos. In washington you may drive either no matter what and why is it 18 to drive in Victoria?

They have restrictions on driving autos and manuals because driving a manual is a lot harder and a totally different process to driving auto and it is thought that as a new driver you should be focusing on driving purely. It is 18 to drive in Victoria and 17 in all outher Aussie states as it is thought, evidence prooves and I TOTALLY agree that anything younger is way too young to be driving a car on your own. Even though it is 17 or 18 most people wait until their 20s to get a probationary licence due to our good public transport.

It is 16 and a half in South Australia and the Northern Territory to drive alone. And if you think 16 is too young to drive alone why do more than half of the american states allow that? Well, the only city with good public transportation is New York, but it is 18 to drive there.

congrats!

I did my driving test 17 years ago and only drove once in while, I had problems learnign to manipulate the clutch and the gearbox, give me an automatic..but unless I can drive in a desert or in the jungle I wouldn'ask for driving anymore

Yeah you are right about SA and Nt but both are rising theirs to 17 in the very near future for the reasons I have said. Victoria and the others have always been 17 or 18 and they are the most populated states in Aus. NSW at 17 is ther most populated and Victoria at 18 the second most populated. Yes I do think the american systems of 14-16 is too young for sure and to compensate there needs to be better public transport which South Australia is doing when they go to 17.