How to Ace Your On-Road Driving Test

Earning a driver's license is one of the biggest accomplishments one will ever discover - especially if you do it early on in life. While there are various laws and regulations for obtaining this "piece of paper" in different states, and countries, the basic concepts remain the same. However, this article is written by a Licensed Driver in the United States, Michigan specifically. Take this into consideration. If you are in the United States, this article will still be perfect for you.

Scheduling, anticipating, and practicing for the road test can be nerve-racking, and many will believe that there is no reason it shouldn't be. These people probably have not actually gone through and taken the road test. Most discover after their road skills test that they were very worried for nothing, and that it was quite easy. A very small percentage of testers fail their road skills test, and nearly all will pass on the second try.

There are several ways to make yourself prepared for your road skills test:

Relax. Since you are reading this article, I assume you are one of the many people that worry intensely about this test that lasts less than an hour. If you stop and relax, you'll probably find that it is much easier to "study" and practice for this rather simple test.

Know the Basics. A road test is not much more than simply knowing the basics. Know that you can not turn left at a red light, you must stop at all red lights and stop signs, you must yield to oncoming traffic at a yield sign, you must wait your turn to enter the intersection at a 4-way stop, and you must obey the speed limit. If you can manage these simple tasks and a few like it, you will pass the test with flying colors.

Practice, especially parking. Parking is a rather simple task, but does require some practice. Anyone can perfect their parking before the test within as little as an hour or two of practice time in a simulated environment. In the test, you will be expected to park forward, within a space about like what you'll see in most parking lots. The front end of your car cannot pass but must be within two feet of a line (as marked by very easy to see lines). This one is quite simple, feel where your car is, and drive forward, slowly. You are not penalized for braking and continuing in the same direction. Next, you will be instructed to back 90 degrees into a spot behind you. To do this, start backing out of the spot you were parked in, and get a feel for how sharply you will need to crank the wheel. You ARE allowed to look out of the window to get an accurate picture of where you are. If you over-estimated the turn, simply correct as you back in, you may bump a cone but you will be fine. If you have to, stop and go forward to correct, you are only deducted one point for this, and it is much better than knocking all of the cones over. Parallel parking is your last task, and this one will require the most practice. You will have to park in a spot 8 feet wide and as long as your vehicle's length + 6 feet. The way this is done varies by vehicle and setup, but is the same concept for most vehicles. Get as CLOSE as you can to the outside edge of the parking space - I typically align the frontmost cone with the back tire of my car (there are no cones in front of my vehicle, only to the back and right). Before you even start to move, crank the wheel as if you are going to back straight into the spot - and turn the wheel ALL THE WAY. As you edge in, you'll need to straighten the wheel. As soon as your vehicle is not in danger of hitting the front cone from which you started turning in, crank the wheel back the opposite way as the first time, all the way. If you are not positioned perfectly, don't worry about it, as long as 75% of the vehicle is in the space, you passed.

Learn your vehicle before testing. Learn the ins and outs of the vehicle. Learn how sensitive the brakes and gas are, learn how to use the radio (your instructor may ask you to flip it on while moving), learn how to operate the windows, hazard lights, windshield wipers, headlights (high and low beam), horn, and possibly even trunk, hood, and gas. You should be familiar with these things within a short drive and a bit of button pressing.

Lastly, just know the general consensus of how traffic works. Drive with someone else and see how they react - and read your book given to you by the secretary of state. You will pass if you follow these simple instructions :)