Driving

[Duke]

Alright, so I get my license in a month and of course I am excited.

I have all my fundamentals down, but ive still never been on the interstate, my mom refuses to take me on it. What should I do?

:edit: the other problem I have is my mom works all the time so she can rarely take me out driving as it is. On top of that I got my permit in March of 2006, if i got it any later I wouldn't of got my license on time. So Ive only been driving for 5 months...


:down:

[LaBoob]

Alright, so I get my license in a month and of course I am excited.

I have all my fundamentals down, but ive still never been on the interstate. My mom refuses to take me on it. I need to get the practice in before I get my license. What should I do?


:down:


Why? It's not like that's part of the test. Get your license, get some experience, then get on the super-highways when you're comfortable.

[ChrisTheCop]

Next time she wants you to take her to the store, just dart onto the expwy without asking.

Once youve impressed her with your expressway K-turn, and expressway parallel parking,
she'll never say no again.

[Furtherman]

Take a driving class. They'll take you on the interstate.

[Duke]

Take a driving class. They'll take you on the interstate.


I did, my mom signed me up for 12 hours.....surprisingly they didn't take me on the highway.

[RAAMONE]

Alright, so I get my license in a month and of course I am excited.

I have all my fundamentals down, but ive still never been on the interstate, my mom refuses to take me on it. What should I do?

:edit: the other problem I have is my mom works all the time so she can rarely take me out driving as it is. On top of that I got my permit in March of 2006, if i got it any later I wouldn't of got my license on time. So Ive only been driving for 5 months...


:down:


yeah they are not gonna test you on the highway...and its just like driving on a regular road only faster

[Furtherman]

I did, my mom signed me up for 12 hours.....surprisingly they didn't take me on the highway.

Ahh. When I took my course, they took me out on the highway.

Scared the shit outta me!

[Duke]

Ahh. When I took my course, they took me out on the highway.

Scared the shit outta me!


are you joking? :wallbash:

[Thebazile78]

Alright, so I get my license in a month and of course I am excited.

I have all my fundamentals down, but ive still never been on the interstate, my mom refuses to take me on it. What should I do?

:edit: the other problem I have is my mom works all the time so she can rarely take me out driving as it is. On top of that I got my permit in March of 2006, if i got it any later I wouldn't of got my license on time. So Ive only been driving for 5 months...


:down:

Which testing center are you taking your road test at?

The one up in Edison is all back-roads. No highway driving. The one thing I would actually be aware of at that course is trucks. It's near the CDL truck-driving school in Piscataway.

I've only seen the one near Quakerbridge Mall ... it reminded me of the courses in Wayne and Lodi. The one in Wayne had wheel ruts worn down so deep that if you hadn't steered the car by yourself, you would have trouble controlling the car. (I failed the road test I took there when I was 18. Later passed the road test in Edison, after behind-the-wheel instruction with a driving school in Kendall Park. I was 21.)

The one in Lodi wasn't as worn down as the one in Wayne, so it could be a good spot to take the test.

Also, I heard the one down in Cape May isn't so bad either.

RELAX. You will be fine. And don't forget to turn around and look out the back window when you're doing any reverse driving. One of the things I was failed on during my first road test was backing up ... my dad hadn't taught me how to use the back windshield, only the mirrors.

[Duke]

Which testing center are you taking your road test at?

The one up in Edison is all back-roads. No highway driving. The one thing I would actually be aware of at that course is trucks. It's near the CDL truck-driving school in Piscataway.

I've only seen the one near Quakerbridge Mall ... it reminded me of the courses in Wayne and Lodi. The one in Wayne had wheel ruts worn down so deep that if you hadn't steered the car by yourself, you would have trouble controlling the car. (I failed the road test I took there when I was 18. Later passed the road test in Edison, after behind-the-wheel instruction with a driving school in Kendall Park. I was 21.)

The one in Lodi wasn't as worn down as the one in Wayne, so it could be a good spot to take the test.

Also, I heard the one down in Cape May isn't so bad either.

RELAX. You will be fine. And don't forget to turn around and look out the back window when you're doing any reverse driving. One of the things I was failed on during my first road test was backing up ... my dad hadn't taught me how to use the back windshield, only the mirrors.


I am taking mine at the one in Randolph (I live in Morris County)

I am not too worried about passing my road test, i have all that stuff down, I am just afraid of my lack of experience from driving will get me into trouble.

[Duke]

whoops i dont know why i hit the 6 instead of an 8


i meant march 2008

not 2006

[Furtherman]

Drive fast, take chances!

[ChrisTheCop]

Just a few beers to calm the nerves.

[IMSlacker]

Just a few beers to calm the nerves.

A relaxed driver is a good driver.

[ChrisTheCop]

and remember, hands at 10 and 2.

Unless youre wearing a digital watch.

[joethebartender]

and remember, hands at 10 and 2.

Unless youre wearing a digital watch.

Screw the "both hands" on the wheel thing...get yourself one of these before the test. (Most instructors are very impressed with suicide knobs):

http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/thehotrodgirl_2007_12753371

[Thebazile78]

I am taking mine at the one in Randolph (I live in Morris County)

I am not too worried about passing my road test, i have all that stuff down, I am just afraid of my lack of experience from driving will get me into trouble.

Into trouble where?

The graduated license is designed to help you adjust to driving while you're still getting your "sea legs" so to speak.

Do you need to take Rte. 80 or Rte. 287 to get to anything during your first few weeks of having a license? Probably not. You can get by with Rte. 10 or Rte. 46, which are a lot more like regular roads than those brutes.

Get your comfort level up. Get used to following the rules of the road, driving safely, maintaining a constant speed, looking for streets/exits in your neighborhood. Then, pick a day when you feel a little more adventurous and check with your mom to see if it's OK if you do a little highway driving because you're nervous about how you'll do. (Personally, I'd pick 287 early on a Saturday morning because there's practically nothing on the road before 10am.)

Stay in the right-hand lane and get used to the flow of traffic. If you get scared, pull over onto the shoulder and hit the hazards. Throw the car into park and breathe.

My first time driving on the interstate was 287 out of Somerset up north to my dad's in Passaic county. I had trouble merging onto the highway because I am TERRIFIED of trucks, but I managed to not only get on the highway but also make it to Dad's with little-to-no drama.

It took me almost a year to warm up to the highway driving, but now I can deal with whatever NJ throws at me.

YOU WILL BE FINE. Stop worrying and rely on your basic skills.

[britneypablo]

if you know of a smaller highway just practice merging on and such there when u get comfortable then hit the bigger roads...
all you have to do is make sure you have a good conception of where the cars are around you....
there is no need to weave lanes or speed....if someone is behind you on your ass...just drive as if they didnt exsist....if they are that pissed they can just go around it doesnt matter if they flick you off they are just douche bags dont ignore that kind of childish behavior

one thing, i know u might think it is embarassing to put s a sign in your back window that says NEW DRIVER (just write it big with a sharpe on a piece of notebook paper and tape to the inside...)
but i saw a car and they were driving slow and kind of slamming on breaks for no reason...i didnt like the way they were driving and i started feeling road rage but then when i got close i saw the sign and i felt like that person was a very responsible person to do this and i smiled at them and gave them the thumbs up and tried to give them more room on the road so they could get the hang of it because although driving is not hard, the anxiety of knowing you might kill yourself or others can be the biggest factor...the sign will help people around you get off your case with rage and rudeness...(of course there will always be jackass exceptions)

whenever i have kids and im teaching them to drive, i will def be having a giant sign in the window that says NEW DRIVER....it is the responsible thing to do

[drjoek]

I believe I am officially too old to post in this thread.
I have been driving for 32 years.

Make your mom got you one of these, they're the coolest daddy o
http://members.aol.com/pullingtractor/images/barefoot.jpg

[sr71blackbird]

Duke, I was scared shit of the highways too, but you know what? They are easier! You have a big lane and room and everyones going in the same direction. I bet if you tried to get on and go one exit and get off and come back, you will be hooked! Once you do it, you want to do it all the time, serious, do not be scared!

[~Katja~]

it still amazes me how drivers licenses and permits are basically given away in the US. I am surprised there are not even more fatal accidents out there.

in Germany you start out with mandatory CPR class, then you are sitting for a few weeks in theory and then you have to take a certain amount of hours city, country road, highway & night time driving before you are allowed to take a 1 hour driving test which costs a little fortune. Most people fail and have to take another minimum hours driving class before they qualify for the re-test.
Getting a DL takes several month and costs a few thousand bucks.

You also are not authorized to drive a manual car if you happen to take your class and test with an automatic car.



So anyway, if I was you I would just get the licence and then slowly get onto highways on weekends (early in the morning or just before noon) or during th week after commuter hours.
get a feel for it when traffic is flowing.

[ahhdurr]

Here's what you do. Steal your sister's car at 16 and just get on out there.

[mongothetrucker]

All I ask is two things... When you are on the "on-ramp" the idea is to get up to highway speed. Don't wait until you are on the highway to do it.

second, NEVER cut in front of a truck. We take alot longer to stop.

Other than that, drive it like ya stole it.

[Foster]

Here's what you do. Steal your sister's car at 16 and just get on out there.

I agree, if you get on the highway with a stolen car you will be more concerned with getting caught then the highway traffic.

[~Katja~]

All I ask is two things... When you are on the "on-ramp" the idea is to get up to highway speed. Don't wait until you are on the highway to do it.

second, NEVER cut in front of a truck. We take alot longer to stop.

Other than that, drive it like ya stole it.

I hate when they put a stop sign at the end of an on-ramp

[scottinnj]

second, NEVER cut in front of a truck. We take alot longer to stop.

No shit. What scared me the most was the results of a AAA questionaire it sent out to its members.

70% of the respondents thought that a tractor-trailer could stop faster then a car "because it had more wheels"

Makes me shiver every time I see one of those AAA stickers on the bumper of whoever is in front of me.

[PapaBear]

No shit. What scared me the most was the results of a AAA questionaire it sent out to its members.

70% of the respondents thought that a tractor-trailer could stop faster then a car "because it had more wheels"

Makes me shiver every time I see one of those AAA stickers on the bumper of whoever is in front of me.
WTF? Did they only survey the retarded members?

[scottinnj]

WTF? Did they only survey the retarded members?

Most of the AAA stickers I see down here in South Jersey are on the bumpers of Buicks and Oldsmobiles being driven by 95 year olds on the way to their AARP rallies at Old Country Buffet. So yes, I think you're right.

Thank God I'm not driving a semi here. I had a blast though driving OTR in the Midwest and West Coast. East coast truck driving is an act of courage

[ahhdurr]

I agree, if you get on the highway with a stolen car you will be more concerned with getting caught then the highway traffic.

valid observation.

[SatCam]

if it helps, most drivers are just as shitty years later as when they started. I know I am............





that doesnt really help actually.........................:smoke:

[drjoek]

Most of the PEOPLE you see down here in South Jersey are on the bumpers of Buicks and Oldsmobiles being driven by 95 year olds on the way to their AARP rallies at Old Country Buffet. So yes, I think you're right.



More like this.

[bigredd]

A relaxed driver is a good driver.

I drive better after a few...for sure.

[Thebazile78]

if you know of a smaller highway just practice merging on and such there when u get comfortable then hit the bigger roads...
all you have to do is make sure you have a good conception of where the cars are around you....
there is no need to weave lanes or speed....if someone is behind you on your ass...just drive as if they didnt exsist....if they are that pissed they can just go around it doesnt matter if they flick you off they are just douche bags dont ignore that kind of childish behavior

one thing, i know u might think it is embarassing to put s a sign in your back window that says NEW DRIVER (just write it big with a sharpe on a piece of notebook paper and tape to the inside...)
but i saw a car and they were driving slow and kind of slamming on breaks for no reason...i didnt like the way they were driving and i started feeling road rage but then when i got close i saw the sign and i felt like that person was a very responsible person to do this and i smiled at them and gave them the thumbs up and tried to give them more room on the road so they could get the hang of it because although driving is not hard, the anxiety of knowing you might kill yourself or others can be the biggest factor...the sign will help people around you get off your case with rage and rudeness...(of course there will always be jackass exceptions)

whenever i have kids and im teaching them to drive, i will def be having a giant sign in the window that says NEW DRIVER....it is the responsible thing to do

Part of what makes driving in that part of NJ so challenging is the population density and the fact that several MAJOR (and very dangerous) highways crisscross the area.

Route 46 is a state highway which runs east-west and sort of parallels Route 80, which is an interstate. Anywhere you can take Rte. 80 to there's usually a way to take 46 to. At times, Rte. 46 is like a regular road, especially out near Denville (Duke, if you are in Morris Cty. you know Denville, right??) ...the one thing I hate about 46 is it's not really well-lit at night, so having the inside of your windshield clean is a MUST. Also, make sure your car has its brights ready to go because you will need them.

I have been driving for 9 years and I still get skittish driving through Morristown (which I did a lot last year because that's where I shopped for my undergarments for my wedding dress; the shop came highly recommended) because it's so densely populated (also it's a colonial city with lots of narrow streets and historic buildings) ... during rush hour, traffic backs up for miles on a regular basis ... it's crazy.

I do like that "new driver" sign idea, but I strongly suspect that it wouldn't do much good at 90mph on 287 in front of a BMW.

[Tenbatsuzen]

I do like that "new driver" sign idea, but I strongly suspect that it wouldn't do much good at 90mph on 287 in front of a BMW.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2050/2398567753_58784c1447.jpg?v=0

Works at 190 MPH on the backstretch of Daytona on the back of a Charger...