PLAN your Licence!
Albeit unfair in many cases, we all know by now that companies in South Africa require a driving license as a prerequisite with job applications. To plan your license in view of this fact is the best remedy, if not just to get organised with a scheduled plan to obtain your license.
There is no One Size Fits All solution, given that you now have a very fair time frame within which to make your move, after getting your Learner Licence .
What others have done…
OPTION ONE – The Wax On, Wax Off
Book, write and pass Learner Licence, as close to the 17th birthday as possible.
People wanting to get it right first time, often go this route.
Then get “Parent-Ready” in view of driving with parent(s) to get general road skills and confidence with driving on as frequent a basis as possible.
By “Parent-Ready”, it is understood that (depending on the driver’s unique needs) an aspirant driver would take 5 – 20 driving lessons with me during which I guide them through the basics of driving, showing them what the dangers are and how to stay away from it. Critical attention is given to over~ and under-steering, target fixation, targeting (how to stay on your side of the road), vehicle dynamics, observation, hazard awareness, dealing with driving-anxiety, etc.
I deliver a cautious, yet fragile driver, for the parent(s) to coax through the first development of confidence.
After approximately 50 hours on the road, the learner driver is ready to return for driving lessons of a technical nature insofar as attention to bad habits learned, inherent quirks, inherent or acquired anxiety, focus, visual-spatial impacts and licence preparation are concerned.
Book and pass Driver Test.
OPTION TWO – The Goal Orientated
Book, write and pass Learner Licence.
The focused, determined and committed will go this route.
General road skills and confidence with driving lessons on as frequent a basis as possible with an instructor from the outset. Often starting out with a 10-lesson stretch to maximise knowledge retention and muscle/body memory of skills.
This would take 5 – 20 driving lessons during which they should be guided through the basics of driving, showing them what the dangers are and how to stay away from it. Critical attention is given to over~ and under-steering, target fixation, targeting (how to stay on your side of the road), vehicle dynamics, observation, hazard awareness, dealing with driving-anxiety, etc.
If an instructor doesn’t now the term Target Fixation, or can explain its effect and how to fix it as a bare minimum, GET ONE THAT CAN!
After approximately 20 to 50 hours on the road, the learner driver is ready to start driving lessons of a technical nature insofar as attention to bad habits learned, inherent quirks, inherent or acquired anxiety, focus, visual-spatial impacts and licence preparation are concerned.
This option would also have much parental involvement and many hours spent getting driving confidence after the instructor has given the go-ahead.
Book and pass Driver Test.
OPTION THREE – By The Seat of Your Pants
Book, write and pass Learner Licence.
The “Lets give it a shot and see” people normally go this route.
Regrettably, many aspirant drivers learn to drive using this option, whether it’s a case of procrastination leading to impatience at the 11th hour I’m yet to fathom.
Waiting or putting off such an important lifesaving training such as proper driving instruction has its own pressures and anxieties quite clearly. Very few people can progress from zero knowledge to a successful pass on a driving test – the mind just normally rebels at the prospect of getting the body in shape in time.
Sadly, many young drivers are killed on our roads because there was just never enough time to do things right, right from the beginning, forcing them to actually go through the crucial stages of learning the concept of driving while amongst other ruthless drivers they share the road with…prematurely.
If only driving was a simple as passing a driver’s test, but surprisingly it’s not! A driver test is a mere 40 minutes of the rest of an aspirant driver’s experience behind the wheel of a car.
Most drivers going this route fail at least once, if not many times. The irony is that, had they continued their lessons initially to the number that they accumulated by the time of their successful pass, they could have passed with their first attempt. They probably will never realise that they only passed because they were only truly physically and psychologically ready on their final attempt.
Book many…or many, many times, and pass Driver Test.
MY VIEWS
- An anxious parent makes for an anxious driver and it, unnecessarily, delays the natural progress. Anxiety seeds planted is the single-most difficult thing to eradicate as a driving instructor and “deep-cleaning” the effects that impact on driving is sometimes nigh impossible, but for the services of a psychologist.
- An impatient parent makes for an anxious and frustrated driver and it, unnecessarily, delays the natural progress. Anxiety seeds planted is the single-most difficult thing to eradicate as a driving instructor and the family dynamics greatly impact on each technical driving lesson.
- Anxious and impatient parents are advised to rather leave instruction to a professional from the outset.
- Parents, not taking guidance from a driving instructor seriously, are doing their kids a disservice and it frustrates the learning curve.
- Parents, frustrated by their kids having to maintain K53 specification when driving together, are doing their kids a disservice and it lengthens the learning curve.
- Parents, attempting to force a driver out of their temporary comfort zone, will cause the driver to drive outside of their ability and skill, with potentially disastrous results.
- Parents, comparing their own, or siblings’ driving skills with the learner driver, are doing their kids a disservice and not only is it unfair, but it’s counter-productive, if not psychologically damaging and it makes the task of the driving instructor exponentially more difficult. Drivers will have learned to compare themselves to others, whereas the driving instructor has only their client’s own ability, skill and progress to work with and often fight a psychological losing battle of astronomical proportions as a result.
- Parents, pressing for driving progress hastily and unfairly, need reminding that their child’s gestation period was 9 months with some excitement, expectation, discomfort, sweat and tears, elation and possibly disappointment involved, no?. Much like seemingly waiting forever for birth, driving is the work of Mother Nature on HER clock. A baby comes when it’s ready, no induction in the world will hurry it, and only rarely do their arrival surprise us. Just so, a driver is ready when they’re ready. Mother Nature ALWAYS knows best!
- Parents, having budgetary limitations, are advised to schedule lessons accordingly and rather than trying to fit a driver licence into a set budget, it is best to budget a set amount for the licence over a given period. Peace of mind comes at a premium and it’s best to bear in mind that you get what you pay for.
Please, people, it’s easy to get very good…or even brilliant at driving badly, however much any driver may practice, specially if cheapskate instructors are teaching bad form at an “affordable rate” or suspicious discounts or “free lessons” as a marketing stint while doing the bare minimum to up their profit margin or limit their effort.
Price isn’t everything – value yourself enough to give yourself the best!
Remember, the price of impatience is always more expensive than driving lessons. At a bargain, it’s an irritation – at the highest price, it’s often a fatal accident.
Plan well, drive safely, and best of success with your Driver’s Test!
