Too close for comfort - a day in the life of:

Being a driving instructor can be a very scary thing. When I started off in the driving school business I had a Fiat Uno. It used to be known as the “purple turtle” Why? Well it was purple and it was my pride and joy. Anyway back to the story.

One of the first clients I ever took for driving lessons was a lady by the name of Sheila ( real name withheld for obvious reasons ). She used to love wearing these high heel boots that come up to your knees. I arrived at the house, knocked on the door and introduced myself to Sheila. The boots were out in full force. Anyway as we were walking to the car I of course needed to assess whether or not I could trust this person with the “purple turtle”. In other words I needed to make a decision as to whether the client should drive from there or if we should go to a quiet area where we could practice the basics.

This young lady’s response was “Yes” she can drive. So in she got behind the wheel. Adjusted the seat “good”, adjusted the mirror “good”, key in the ignition “good”, start engine “good”, clutch in and select first gear “good”, release clutch too quickly and press accelerator too much “not good”.

Not too far from her house was a sharp left turn. We went around the corner ok. Never straightened the wheel mounted the kerb and almost took out a vibracrete wall.

What I learnt from that experience was that you go with your instinct. Secondly to ensure that the clients wear shoes which are appropriate for driving. You could even drive barefoot if you really wanted to. It helps to give you a good feel of the clutch and the accelerator.

What's in the Learner's test?

Hi. I am writing my learners test on Friday and have no idea what to expect. Can you give me some idea as to what is asked, how many questions and how long I have to answer the test.

The learners licence test essentially consists of 68 questions of which the testing officer will do the first four questions with you as practice questions.

The questions are all multiple choice type questions where you choose A, B or C as being the answer. Some of these questions are also combination type questions.

You have one hour to complete the test.

The way to approach the test is to answer the questions at face value. In other words try not to analyze the questions; read the question as it is in its simplistic form and give a simplistic answer. Always remember to consider what is safe and what is legal when answering your questions.

The pass mark is 22/28 for rules of the road, 23/28 for signs and 6/8 for the controls of the vehicle.

The first 52 questions are general rule and sign questions. From there you would go to the section of the exam book where specific rule and sign, as well as the control questions are asked pertaining to the class of vehicle for which you are applying.

Good luck for the test!