Car Trainer Near Me
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Almost a third of Americans now exit their teen years without a driver’s license, and license ownership is down over the past decade among all age groups. More of us are learning to drive as an adult—a time in our lives when we can’t easily borrow Mom and Dad’s car or take a high-school class. Many of us don’t want to own a car at all; we’d just like to rent one on weekends or for the occasional shopping trip. We’re stuck in a Catch-22: How do we practice enough to take the test that lets us practice? It feels intimidating, but it’s totally doable—and it even has advantages.
Because cars were invented after federalism, every part of the license process varies widely state to state, so check your DMV or DOT’s website. The unofficial guides at DMV.org are also helpful.
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Almost all states require new drivers to get a learner’s permit several months before they apply for a full license. Typically you’ll get your learner’s permit by going to the DMV or DOT and taking a written test. Study your driver handbook, take every prep test that’s offered on the governmental site (here’s California’s), and avoid paying for third-party prep tests. When I took the test for my permit in NYC, I was elated to recognize every question from the prep tests.
At some point in the application process, you may have to pass a vision or hearing test, so bring whichever glasses, contacts, or hearing aids you plan to use while driving.
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Practice with an instructor
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After you get your permit, you need to practice. If you’ve never driven before, you’re best off with a professional instructor for your first few rides. They’re better prepared to teach you than a friend or relative, and they have their own brake pedal. They know the difference between “good driving” and the more rigorous rules of a driving test. And unlike family and friends, if things go poorly, you never have to see them again.
Research your driving school on Google and Yelp. You don’t need to pick the absolute best—just avoid any place with a trail of complaints. Get a feel for the vibe of the place, and if you trust it enough, invest in a package deal: a classroom course, lessons, and a ride to the test site.
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Unlike your driving test examiner, who’s paid to keep dangerous drivers off the road, your instructor is paid to help you pass the test. They win when you win. Be honest about your feelings so they can address them. You never want to look hesitant or confused in front of the examiner, so work that out with your instructor. And ask them where the test takes place. Some states don’t allow learners to scope out the test location, but since the test happens on public roads, it’s hard to enforce. Again, your instructor will know what you can safely get away with.
Brooklyn, NY’s Drive Rite Academy, where I re-learned how to drive after ten years off the road, advised me over email:
For adult learners, especially those who have never driven, don’t be afraid to be wrong. You are learning. It’s a process. Be willing to listen to instruction and criticisms and you will excel in your driving education experience.
Adults who are coming here from another country are at a disadvantage, as they not only need to learn the new legal requirements, but also the social standards of driving in this country. They often have habits or techniques that were acceptable or normal in their home country, but which are not acceptable or even unsafe here.
Adults who are learning for the first time, however, have a slight advantage of typically being more able to comprehend why an action is or isn’t dangerous, which helps them learn how to avoid unsafe antics very quickly. But in general everyone new behind the wheel is at the same starting point — a little nervous, a little overwhelmed, and in very unfamiliar territory.
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In addition to actual driving practice, you might have to take a driver’s education course. In Texas, new drivers under 25 need to take a six-hour course online or in a classroom, while everyone else needs to watch a one-hour video. In New York, all new drivers need to take a five-hour classroom course, which varies widely by driving school but will probably include at least one gruesome video of accident footage from drunk drivers.
Practice with a friend
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After a few lessons, it’s time to do some longer-term practice. You could just buy enough practice with the school, but it’s cheaper to practice with a friend. Drive Rite recommends this extra practice for learning to handle a variety of locations, passengers, and cars that handle differently.
You don’t actually need a friend with a car. What you need is a friend with a license who’s willing to take on the risk of driving around a rental with you. A daily rental is still cheaper than several hours of lessons, but letting an unlicensed driver behind the wheel is against the terms of any major car rental or car sharing service, and if you get in an accident you’ll be in big trouble. Zipcar, for example, doesn’t pay damages for accidents from any non-member, licensed or not—plus they’ll revoke your friend’s membership. So only try this if you and your friend are confident in your abilities, and stay as far as possible from heavy traffic or any accident-prone location.
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If none of your friends are game, post on Craigslist or TaskRabbit and pay someone to let you practice in their car. Let them know you’ve already practiced with an instructor.
While you’re driving around, stop by the test location and get familiar with the road. See if there are unusually narrow streets, tough turns, or poorly marked roads. You want to feel as comfortable driving here as you are anywhere.
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In each state (and certain municipalities) the learner’s permit will restrict different variables like where and when you drive, whether you can use a hands-free mobile device, or who else can ride along. Some are important, others less so. In New York City, learners are technically only supposed to drive in cars with an instructor’s brake, but you won’t hear about that rule unless you dig into a PDF linked from a sidebar on the DMV site, and it’s pretty much universally ignored.
Take your test
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In every state, you’ll finish by actually driving a car with an examiner in the passenger seat. In some states you’ll use the examiner’s car; in others you’ll need to borrow one from your friend or driving school.
If you have the option, schedule your test for the best weather possible. Most examiners aren’t more lenient just because it’s raining or icy, so there’s no point in starting your driving career on hard mode.
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Project confidence throughout your test. Again, the examiner’s job is to keep bad drivers off the road, so they’re looking for any reason to believe you don’t know what you’re doing. Don’t initiate small talk, and don’t try to win them over; just be respectful and straightforward. You’ve got two advantages over teen drivers: You’re not as intimidated by (or knee-jerk rebellious toward) authority figures, and you just look more experienced.
Only take your test when you’re reasonably sure you can pass. It’s common to fail the first time, so don’t stress it. But some states make you pay a small fee to re-take the test. If you fail three times in California, you’ll have to restart the entire application process. If you fail, ask the examiner for all the feedback you can get, and practice again. Consider buying another instructor lesson so they can address the specific feedback.
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Celebrate
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You passed your test! You can drive a car! Now you can go back to walking and riding the train until your next road trip. Celebrate the way that those car-bound real drivers can’t: Walk to the bar and buy yourself a drink. Congratulate yourself on joining the last generation of people who know how to drive a car.
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