Woot Passed My Driving Test :)

[Serunson]

Yay, passed my driving test first time :)
Only 9 minor marks :D

Beat that Bennet when you actually start :P

[TheNNS]

i passed mine a long time ago. is it expensive to get a license in england?

[Serunson]

The provisional license costs £45 ($90 ish) then when you pass it is upgraded to a full license free of charge.

[jbennet]

the lessons, tax, MOT, insurance is whats costly.

[Ancient Dragon]

The provisional license costs £45 ($90 ish) then when you pass it is upgraded to a full license free of charge.

I think its about $20 USD here and kids can get a license at age 16. But its restricted -- must have an adult in the front seat unless driving to/from school.

[jbennet]

Its 16 to get a provisional, and you need to pass your test before you can go out alone at all

[zandiago]

If my memory serves me right....when taking the test in UK (also other contries), you gotta use manual shift first?

[jbennet]

99% of cars here are manual so i would assume so

[TheNNS]

here in the US you they only teach you automatic.

>I think its about $20 USD here and kids can get a license at age 16. But its restricted -- must have an adult in the front seat unless driving to/from school.

That wasn't the case when I got it. The only restriction I had is I could drive between 1 am and 5 am. And I could only have family members in the car for the first 6 months. But who actually obeys those laws?

[zandiago]

I learned in manual...they took me up a 90 degree hill and i had to know how to use the clutch. Do you think they need to be more strict on issuing driving priviliges...also what do you think about all the old people driving, one drove down the wrong side of the road where i live...cops had to shutdown the entire street...

[scru]

omg dude i still gotta laern to drive (grats to Serunson).

[vegaseat]

Watch out, Serunson passed his drivers test. I am glad I don't have to drive around in merry old England then. Couldn't get used to the left-hand driving anyway.

[John A]

In Canada (at least where I live), getting a driving license is brutal. Once you pass your written test, you can drive, provided there's an adult in the front seat. It goes for an entire year (that's IF you take driver's ed; if you don't, it's even longer). Once that's over, you take an actual driving test. Pass that, and you can take up to one non-family member with you at a time. That license lasts for two years, although if you get two speeding tickets during that period, you have to restart the entire thing over again. If you pass the second driving test after two years, you get a full and unrestricted driving license. And as if that wasn't bad enough, you have to slap a big red 'L' or green 'N' on the back of your car to let drivers know whether you're a loser or a newbie, depending on what stage you are at acquiring a full license...

[jbennet]

yeah you have to do L or P here and if you get 6 points (2 speeding offenses) you get banned for a certain time and have to retake your test.

[TheNNS]

sucks to be canadian. americans have it easy, just one class and a test and you're done.

[hbk619]

You have to be 17 JB. :P
Congratso Serunson. You're examiner was in a good mood then lol. My friend failed because she slowed down at a blind bend, rather than whiz round it and potentially hit someone *rolls eyes*

Mines 9th January :O

[Serunson]

Thanks to all congratses :P

Good luck hbk :)

[Infarction]

sucks to be canadian. americans have it easy, just one class and a test and you're done.

Varies by state. Here in WA, if you're under 18 you have to have at least 50 hours logged with a parent or other licensed adult over age 23, at least 6 months with a permit (which requires said other passenger, but this way you can't get the permit and never use it), then take written and driving tests. Then after that there's still restrictions that have fairly tough consequences when broken (e.g. you can't have friends in the car for 6 months unless an adult is present, getting a ticket loses your license for like 6 months, etc...)

[jbennet]

we have to take a written test too

[TheNNS]

utah rocks then. all you need is take a retarded class, drive for 30 hours with a parent, and pass the dumb test. there's a driving part and a written part. both easy as heck.

[jwenting]

AFAIK in all of Europe all driving lessons and tests are done using manual shift vehicles, except special tests specific to automatic transmission.
If you opt for those you get a special license (at least you used to, not sure if it's still the case) restricting you to only driving cars with automatic transmission.
Those are more expensive, usually less fuel efficient, and harder to get (think rentals), so few people opt for the license (about the only people who are are those with physical disabilities preventing them from operating a manual gearbox, like people with only a single arm or leg).

[jbennet]

yeah, 99% of cars ae manual

[scru]

I wonder how all these differences translate in vehicular accident statistics...

[Serunson]

Most accidents are caused by idiot drivers driving way to powerful cars, they can't handle them properly, doing stupid things. Like overtaking on roundabouts, blind corners and doing 100+ on the motorways.

[Ancient Dragon]

>>Like overtaking on roundabouts
what idot would do that? The roundabouts we have in US are not wide enough to attempt that.

>>and doing 100+ on the motorways.
I've done that -- 35 years ago. Too many autos nowdays where I live. But there are still a lot of places where 100+ MPH is possible when the road is straight as a string and no one in sight for several miles.

[jwenting]

>>>>Like overtaking on roundabouts
>>what idot would do that?
Many multilane roundabouts here (Interesting how a Merkin knows what a roundabout is though, it's not a term commonly used there :) ).

>>and doing 100+ on the motorways.
Nothing wrong with that. If you know your car (and especially its limitations), traffic is quiet, there are no smokies around with laserguns ;), and the road is good for it (straight, dry).

[jbennet]

you dont get roundabouts in america apparently

[TheNNS]

>you dont get roundabouts in america apparently

yeah we do. There's not that many though, at least where I live.

I think there aren't speed limits in Germany, at least in highways, and I heard the average speed is like 100mph.

[jbennet]

yeah the Autobahn but i think they have introduced some now.

[jwenting]

About a third of the Autobahnen in Germany have no speed limit. The rest has for various reasons, mostly noise abatement in urban areas or temporary restrictions because of bad road surface condition or roadworks in progress.

I've myself done 190kmh there (120+ mph) as a driver and 250 (160+) as a passenger.
Fun :)