Hi people! This Tuesday is my actual driving test & I'll be using my baby xA. I'm nervous as hell and I want to pass the first try badly. Can anyone give me some tips and hints as to what goes when the instructor observes one's driving?

 

I took the drivers test 5 years ago in Missouri so I probably don't have any great specific advice for you, but I'll give you some pointers.

- If you have a manual, backshift at a stop sign to be sure you've stopped long enough. What I mean is if you're approaching a stop sign in 4th, stop the car in 4th. Once you've stopped, shift into 3rd, 2nd, then 1st, *then* go. That prevented me from rolling througha stop sign or not looking long enough before I went. If you have an automatic, count to 5 slowly *after* you've come to a complete stop.

- When I had to paralell park, they had two tiny poles for me to park between. This SUCKED because they are a lot harder to see than actual cars are. I practiced on my surburban street between two saw horses.

Other than that just do your best. They know you're going to be nervous. I put my blinker on the wrong direction (he said turn right I put on my left blinker) then corrected and the guy actually laughed at me and told me not to be so nervous. Your age is on your side too - I got lucky and got a great guy when I went in, but several of my friends that had just turned 16 got people that were entirely too hard on them. Since you're a bit older, you hopefully won't have that problem.

Good luck :D.

 

Well I have an automatic and I'm from California (do they have the same criteria?). I'm just worried what they'll ask of me. I think i get the concept of parallel parking, straight back up, and 3 point turn but what else would they ask you to perform.

 

I am in florida and every state is different. We don't even have to parallel park anymore to pass the test. You have to park in a space without hitting any of the cones on the corners of the spot. Make sure you complete your stops. Use turn signals when necessary. I also had to do a safe stop which is when you get going 20mph the instructer tells you to stop and you have to do it quickly and safely. Then you have to back up straight for like 20yds or something. Then three point turn. The only question they asked me and everyone else i know was which way do you turn your wheel if you are parking uphill with a curb on your right. I think the answer was away from the curb (left). Thats about all you gotta do in fl don't know if this helps for you in cali.

 

One more thing dont drive with your arms or elbows resting on your door or armrests. and drive with both hands on the wheel in the 10 and 2 position. good luck!

 

When I took my test, I didn't have to parallel park, and I don't know about straight back up. They'll most likely make you go to an uncontrolled intersection, and if you have to turn right a red light, wait until it turns green (but that's just for the test, my drivers training instructor told me that). That's just about all I can remember. Good luck.

 

They got me 28 years ago during my test for not giving a signal while exiting the parking lot of the DMV but that's all they got me for. Had to do a 3 point turn in the middle of the road.

 

I did the test in my xA and apparently, I went over the line 8 times when I was at stops, but i'm somewhere between pretty to very sure that she was just overestimating the length of the car. But I got my license anyways.

 

5 years ago when i got my D.L down here in florida my friend took his test before me, and he got points taken off for not putting his turn signal on when making the 3 point turn. So he told me to do it and I passed perfectly. I thought that was odd, turning signals for a 3 point turn. Also the test was just in a crappy little parking lot. Never went out to the actual roads.

 

Aah! I'm so bad at parallel parking and I'm nervous on the 3 point turn if it's in an active road. Also, I forgot which direction my wheel go if I park uphill & Downhill. Does anyone remember?

 

If you are parking uphill, turn the wheels inward, so if you roll back, you hit the curb. Same goes for downhill.

Hit that curb!

And make sure to use that E-Brake!

 

Okay. So uphill, the wheels face right towards the side walk. For downhill, the wheels towards the side walk and then use that rickety brake and parking lever, right?

 

Yes, basically just turn the wheels so that if it goes into reverse it'll hit the curb, and not roll into the street and hit the other curb.

Same goes for if it rolls forward.

And this is the perfect time to use the E-Brake

 

Might have to back around a corner too. If so, stay as close to the corner as possible, but don't go over it. And don't forget to stop before you actually go around the corner.

Definitely don't forget to set the e-brake. And the direction of the wheel would be another one. They get you on the hills.

Don't cut corners or into other lanes (ie, when making a left turn).

Watch those lines.

And if you have to parallel park, don't rush it. Take as much time as you need.. they dock you for being unable to do it, not for doing it slowly so you get it right. (Also, don't forget that the xA has no rear! You're a little better off being in a smaller car. Though I agree that the hood is a little harder to judge.)



Oh... and most importantly.. Don't Speed!

Good luck!

 

I think most people know how to turn the wheels when parking downhill. But when I see cars parked uphill, I see them turned different ways. I turn the wheel so that the back of the wheel hits the curb. So the wheel is turned to the left.

 

you guys did some things that wouldnt pass in New York. They are really strict here.. I did everything perfectly and she got me for not going fast enough into traffic, while i couldnt go any faster i would have broken the speed limit lol.

 

Well, when merging you're supposed to keep up with the pace of traffict, so if that means going 50 in a 45... then do it, otherwise you'll A. never get over B. cause an accident

kalaiwa: I was just informing Taka on how to turn the wheels when parked on an incline, I'm sure most people know how, but seeing as how he's just learning I thought it would help him.

 

just drive with common sense. you're lucky to have an automatic xA to take your test in. I did mine in a 2001 BMW 530i. 6spd, and the parallel parking test was on a hill!

but yeah, driving is easy, you should have enough experience as it is since you've driven around with your parents for at least 20 hrs.

 

So ok, things they'll look for is:

- parallel parking
- uphill & downhill parking
- 3 point turn
- merging (I'm guessing this is in the freeway? whoever gets first gets right of way, right?)

- Speed limits
- Any interior operation checks (i.e. "turn on your head lights," or "work your rear wiper")?

Other than that, what else would they ask me to do?
Well I've driven from to school vice-versa on the freeway and a little on the generic roads.

 

have you even been practicing parallel parking, etc?

on my drivers test, first I did the parallel parking, then went around the roads, which have a max speed limit of 35. I went 40. No issues.

Then they see that you can do a 4 way stop sign, that you know who gets the right away.

they do left hand turns at lights, and right hand turns. remember to pull into the intersection when making a left at a green light, then go whenever, or when it's turning yellow.


They didn't bother with instruments, or wipers, nor uphill or downhill parking. I never had to do a 3 point turn.

Of course I got a perfect score.