Driver's License Road Test: Non-Driving Things on How to Pass Driving Test

Did you know you can pass your driving test even if you don't know how to parallel park? True, you need to know basic driving to be given a driver's license, but that's only part of the reason why you may or may not get your license on the first, second or third try. Because a real human being with a set of rules, preferences, tastes, attitudes, etc, will be giving you the driver's road test, you need to prepare in ways that go beyond how well you can drive.

There is one psychological rule of the game: Relax...take your time. Unless you're calm, your own nervousness will fail you before you even drive off with the tester.

Get to the testing location ahead of time, at least five minutes before time. Few testers will give late arrivals a pass for a driver's license. Arriving early will give you time to settle down and relax.

Often there are no wiggle rooms on the housekeeping things. The tester won't be doing his job if he or she ignores any of the following basic requirements.

• The person who accompanies you must have a valid driver's license that has not expired.
   
• Proof of insurance must be current. (When I pulled out the insurance card and noticed an expired date, I almost shook. Then I remembered I had thrown the recent insurance cards into the glove box. Ahaaa!!!)
   
• All lights on the must be working. (The morning of my daughter's road test, I stopped by O'Reilly Auto Parts for a low-beam bulb to replace a burned-out one. While waiting for the bulb, a rough-looking guy walked into the store. "Good morning. Are you a mechanic?" I asked. "Yes," he replied. The guy replaced my bulb at no charge. I took down his contact information and the name of his business to become a future customer. He should have put me on his mailing list.)
   
• Lower your window to respond to the tester's initial instructions about turn signals, headlights, brakes, horn, etc. Better have a clue about these simple matters which the tester will shout at you from outside the car.
   

There are two key words: appearance & behavior (including attitude).

The appearance of your car; how your car looks

• Car must be clean on the outside. Wash and shine your tires/wheels.
   
• Car must be clean inside and smell nice in there. Wipe down car seats, dashboard, doors, cup holders, etc. Vacuum the floor.
   
• A cute, smooth-looking car can win you this beauty contest. It won't hurt to borrow a friend's car, if yours looks unattractive or looks like something for the junk yard.
   

Your appearance; how you look and act

• Look neat. A new haircut or hairdo won't hurt. (My daughter had on her one of her best hairdos.)
   
• Wear clean, ironed clothes. Use a soft spray or perfume (to cover body odor, if any). No sweating, please, even if your test schedule is during the heat of summer!
   
• Wear your best attitude. (As the parent who accompanied our daughter, I made sure I greeted the tester with a great smile.) If you're the student or testee, keep a smile on your face, but don't look phony, or the smile thing could backfire.
   
• Work your manners. Use magic words like "Pardon me? Thank you. Yes, Sir. Yes, ma'm..."
   
• Keep your radio, CD or sound system off from the time the tester shows up.
   

Get a tester of the opposite sex. At least pray for one! No kidding. (My wife failed her driver's road test twice; both times her testers were women; when she passed on her third try, her tester was male. My daughter failed her road test once; her tester was female; the second time she passed with a guy. My daughter swears that most of her girl friends passed their tests with male testers in their passenger seats. I continue to hear stories of this girl-on-girl, boy-on-boy crime on the driver's license road test throughout America.)

Just in case you're actually interested in something of driving value, like parallel parking, you may want to check out this YouTube video which did the trick for my teenager.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGpA7veGcyQ