Why Americans Suck At Driving
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- Опубликовано: 25 сен 2021
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Driving is my favorite thing in the world. When you turn 16 getting your license is most people's number one goal. However for me it wasn't so easy to get through the various tests, driver's ed, and getting over my initial nervousness. Looking back though, I don't think I was tested or trained enough in hindsight to be a better driver. Today we talk about the story of my journey is get my license and why I think the United States could do a much better job training our future drivers on the road. Once I finally got through it, I had the incredible opportunity later in life to drive everything from Mustangs to Toyota Supras. It was all worth it.
#driving #cars #education
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Tell me your driver's license test stories!
I passed
@@justinfackler4189 same
My mother failed 3 times in the same step, reverse parking, but she eventually did it
I failed my first G test because the guy pre-judged me based on my car. I was 17 and I did it in my red 07 mustang, the guy was giving me a hard time right away for little things like my radio being on when he got in the car... anyway long story short, he made me drive around for over 40min until he found something he could fail me for. I was making a right turn, started the turn as the green light turned to yellow, and he claimed that my back tires didn't cross the lines on the right turn before the light turned red. Failed me for failing to stop at a red (instant fail). Went back with my mom's Ford Edge and passed after a 10min drive...
Passed on the first shot. Got really lucky that I had the instructor that I had I got. The next available instructor was an old fart who was mad at the world and would have failed me no matter what.
While the UK is definitely not great, driving in America is SCARY. UK drivers are just dumb, but US drivers seem to be so so so overly territorial
With new drivers we mostly all tend to pay someone professional for lessons as the test standard is decently high.
It took me maybe 6-8 months to pass my practical test, theory a few months.
We also have a yearly MOT test which forces us to service and look after our car to be allowed to drive it
Vehicle road worthiness tests exist in the US but are state dependent. Unsurprisingly, Republican dominated states tend not to have inspections, Democratic do.
Getting a license is still way too easy
@@garythecyclingnerd6219 it's freedom to be allowed to drive a car without knowing how! /s
Oh I read your comment and didn't even notice it was you pantha, I'm a sub, HELLLLOOOO
This always blows my mind as an American. I took a test or two when i was 15/16 and passed it the first try and dont think I’ve ever had a formal test since. When they used to make you take a test in my state they would literally give you the answers. Sooo pointless. Also no inspections or anything here. Cops where im at really dont seem to care unless you are really speeding or drunk as hell.
You guys should try India😁
The test for your license was absurdly easy here in my part of Arizona. A practice 3 point back in turn, which I failed and hit the cone in the very back barely and knocked it over, but the instructor either didnt notice or didnt care, and a drive around the block. I passed.
They wouldn’t want to make too hard for those use to driving in juarez
Same here in NJ exept it was ALL on a closed course
@@Louzahsol funny enough it was the rich part of town with all the snowbirds 😂
In sun city you have to drive around in a neighborhood😂
Was it the Scottsdale one?
This is why I’m blessed to have had the drivers Ed teacher I had , he was very stern and serious, he broke a lot of rules too show us how to prevent accidents and be safe , one time he brought this hose out and wet the driving range and he had us come too a complete stop from 60mph without traction control or working abs , it was dangerous but I think it made everyone he taught better drivers. For awhile I thought he was a careless dick but he was a blessing to us bro, wish I could show him how far my civic project has came one the past few years 😂
This would be illegal now. Also it would be safer if he just gave an example with them in the car so he could help correct it before causing possible damage.
Mine was great too. He actually brought me to a truck stop, made me sit in the driver's seat of a big rig and he parked the driver's ed car around the truck to show me the blind spots. Great lesson to have.
@@jamesolelo4406 A lot of this dangerous stuff could be done in a Virtual Reality environment. You could cheaply teach people in a driving simulator basically all kinds of car control, even professional Formula 1 drivers use simulators to learn a track and improve their skills at low cost.
@@SI0AX and who's funding these devices?
When I read this I instantly thought of the scene from Dodgeball “if you can dodge a wrench you can dodge a ball” lol.
Realistic situations teach the hardest but best lessons. Kudos to your instructor.
Finland has a 2 year liscence program
They teach you literally everything, it’s important if you want to survive the rural Finnish roads.
Then everyone wonders why there’s so many legendary Finnish racing drivers.
No one in North America knows any Finnish drivers or really anyone from Finland in general lol
You can learn how to drive in 2 months.
I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Its kind of scary how bad at driving a lot of people in the US are
I took mine over the summer. Everything my father had taught me was basically told was wrong. Gave me anxiety, but I still love cars. No idea if it was the people for the on-road test or just me with bad anxiety. Still passed, but hated the whole experience.
Glad you made it through my dude!
I am an American that lived in Germany for 3 years. I took an additional driving test on top of my American driver’s license in order to be able to drive in Germany. I will say, you are spot on with your points. I am an enthusiast who truly enjoys driving as well and I can say in summary that driving in Germany was a joy. The exceptions being those damn speed cameras, EVERYWHERE, and how slow 30km/h feels. The majority of speed limits I remember were 30, 50 and 130 km/h. I actually got hit by a blitz in a 30 zone going 34 km/h and now I slow down for Ford transit vans parked on the side of the road even back stateside, haha. I wouldn’t say everyone in Germany has speed limit discipline but when there is a camera everyone knows it and slows down immediately. I got back to the states I attempted to employ the same lane discipline on the highway and it was a complete nightmare. I’ve been thinking of all the points you made in this video ever since I got back to the US, and your right, Germany is the standard. The problem I think is that in the US our culture treats driving as a right under this notion of freedom of movement, (which is a thing, but driving ITSELF is not part of that) not a privilege, like you mentioned in Germany. The driving test is absurdly expensive in Germany too and I remember that one thing I found interesting is that if you take the test in an automatic, you legally can’t drive a manual car. But in the reverse if you take the test in a manual you can legally drive both.
The manual/automatic thing is just logical. It's an entire skill unto itself. A manual gearbox is sometimes called a "theft deterrent" 😆
Im from Germany and got my license here and I'm so glad I did.
It cost me around 2500$ and I had to drive with an instructor for atleast 50 hours but I was taught EVERYTHING.
I have never encountered a situation I didn't feel prepared for on the road since getting my license because the training you receive in driving school is extremely extensive.
I knew 90% of the stuff before even starting driving school because I'm a car guy, obviously, but I was taught how to check all my fluids, brakes, lights and tires.
On top of that my instructor had me go over 120 mph/ 200kmh on the Autobahn regularly and now it's second nature to me and I don't even get excited for anything over 250 haha
It did cost me the same here in Norway when I took my license back in 94'.
Had only 4 driving hours with my instructor except those night driving classes, skid driving, long driving and how to pass other cars classes. Some of those classes was together to make the hours more effective.
BTW been to Germany 4 times, and I love it.
Been near Hockenheim Ring 3 times and will be there in 2023 also if everything goes according to plan :-)
Holy shit 2500$ for instructor. Hell no.
@@dc5v529 Only $50 per hour, instructor + usage of a car with dual controls, insurance, etc.
Germany has a mandatory number of hours you have to spend in a car with a qualified instructor so it's the only way you will get a licence there. $2'500 is likely the least you could be paying if you're slower at picking up driving techniques. Also, if you think that's bad, you will take 3 years to get a driver's licence in Finland vs something around 1 year I think for Germany. Both have mandatory skidpan experience, Finland needs you to have experience driving on gravel roads and regaining control of a car in those conditions, they basically get trained to drive safely on rally stages on their daily commute.
@@dc5v529 @DC5 V That's complete with instructor and required classes and the theory. Also includes the final driving test, license printing fee. Theory class is the most costly, it's like going to school. Think it took 8 weeks or something like that. Cost is from start day one to you get your license. And you can' get it cheaper by skipping classes as it is all required. But however the better driver you are, less hours with instructor is needed. 1hour cost around 60 bucks (45min). And it cheaper to take the license outside the biggest cities.
I can agree with this coming from the UK to germany was a massive shock that people can actually drive without cutting eachother off and screaming at eachother been here a year and can honestly say driving here is great also when everyone pulls over to allow emergency services is such a good idea but I must say on the negative side most of the people I work with don't wear seat belts but that might just be a Lkw driver thing
moin aus Schleswig-Holstein
Parents told me "It's fine to go 10 mph over the speed limit. That's normal". Fortunately, I drive the speed limit most of the time even though I like feeling boost in my Supra lol
Nobody:...............
You: Buys a Toyota Supra
>respects the speed limit
@@williamcricket7931 *Fistpounds*
In Florida, it's still legal...
@@GreenBlueWalkthrough no surprise. It’s Florida.
Good for u for having basic road decency. If u take it to a track, go nuts, but keep it cordial on the road. U don't want to be the reason someones kid doesn't make it back from school or mother back from work.
I remember getting my learners permit at 15, and my parents made me drive everywhere and recorded my hours until I had a job in order to get my license. I had 2 and a half years of driving, which also included roadtrips to other cities and around town. the worst experience was california and doing dallas/fort worth at rush hour. That was a hell of a lot of stress at 16 lol. Yet there were kids in my class that their parents just made up hours and they had a license in a month... Drivers ED tried to break me and my 2 years of habits, but it didnt happen. I just wound up caveing for 2 days at the end of the year to get the sign off. That and I was always passed because I'd get on to the kids for driving dangerously because they had no idea what they were doing.
But I've been advocating for a very thorough and comprehensive drivers education the last couple years, I basically think we should adopt the German drivers education and that it shouldnt be as cheap to get a license as they currently are.
But what about the poor you can get a car less than a piece of plastic, the busy and the disabled? I fit all 3 of these and I'm a good driver and am on my second leaner's permit, now license...
Can you explain again? I'm curious about what exactly you're talking about
@@djhero0071 In Germany you need $2000 to get the card and a few months of training which you also pay for. I don't have that kind of money, I don't have that kind of time, I'm not able to do that kind of training for months if I can't work a job and am barely able to get a license hence why I renewed my learner's permit into a leaner's license. So if we move to Germany's model people like me won't be able to drive and will only allow the prevailed in our society too.
If you don't mind me asking, how old are you and where do you live? Also, whatever your situation, it must be rough.
I didn’t get my license until 19 but I’ve been driving since I was 13.
USA: **Has Basic Driver’s Ed System**
Finland: **Laughs**
ive been a car enthusiast since i was a tiny kid because of gran turismo 5. i had my learners permit twice because i was too scared to do drivers ed. luckily my dad has had me driving since i was 9 on dirt roads so i knew most of what they taught me. i didnt do normal drivers ed, i did it through a 3rd party place and they taught me 10X better than the local school.im 18 and ive had my licence almost a year now, i got it in december last year and i still feel like i need a lot to work on.
I've had mine for 3 years, almost 4 now and I learn something new every day.
Yo gt5 was a great time. I remember sitting in tandem drift lobbies allll day long
I started at GT2. Ever since I got that game at 14 years old, I was trying to find a part time job so I could get a car. Didn't finally get my own car until I was 27 but I got the exact kind of car I hoping to get. And older Honda with a manual transmission.
I got my license when I was 18. And I was only able to drive for a few years before my vision became too bad that I couldn’t drive anymore. Throughout the last decade as my vision got worse and worse I noticed how bad drivers were. It’s sad when even with my vision loss I feel like I can drive better than half the people on the road. I completely agree with everything you said on this video. I miss the feeling of being behind the wheel so much.
If driver said was more focused and getting to know your car and understanding your driving style. People will have a better direction as far as getting their first car or getting the car that’s right for them. Improving the driver side course can only better the whole country if you ask me
We had our drivers class integrated with our P.E. class also in VA... Learning to drive was easy. Even though I didn't it mess up, Off road recovery or what they call it scared the shit outa me 😂.
I'm currently working on getting mine. Btw haven't watched the full video yet but just wanna say that your vids genuinely make my day!
Thanks so much!
@@ThatDudeinBlue u are the absolute best out there
One of the best videos you posted, David. Thank you!
Every one failed at least once, twice or thrice, but remember, don't give up 🤗
I didn’t fail the permit test… lol
Ya not everyone. It was pretty easy and I'm no genius.
Sorry, nope. I passed right away
Wrong
Nope, I passed. The driving test is a joke :/
Though I got my permit and license the first day I was eligible, my parents didn't let me drive alone for almost a year. However, I drove literally everywhere I went with my parents, including driving from Maryland to Canada, Pennsylvania and New York all on a permit.
I also learned a lot with my basic sim rig on Assetto Corsa, that's how I really got familiar with driving manual and racing techniques such as trail braking and heel-toe downshifts. So much so, that I literally hopped in a friend's Civic Si and took off without stalling in the first attempt. I also test drove a GTI off a dealer lot without stalling, surprising my dad cause he had no idea. When I ended up buying my first car, a GTI, I drove it back 5 hours from Virginia Beach to Maryland with less than 30 minutes of behind the wheel experience driving stick.
Fellow GTI owner and VA resident
Agree 1000% You nailed it as usual Daivd!❤❤❤
Fellow VA driver who got their license seven years ago and I can tell you its still bad. For driver's permit test, miss more than 5 signs and you fail. For behind the wheel, I literally had to learn parallel parking, 3 point turns, and how to drive on narrow single lane roads from my dad (also fluid checks, tire pressure, and tire change). Those 14 hour sessions are so minimal and start you off with bad habits. For example, I was always looking up at the road and back down at the speedometer because the minute I went 1 or 2 mph over, my instructor was hitting his assisted brake and was like "why are you speeding." They don't teach you to scan your mirrors to know who is behind/next to you and don't reinforce the rules of the left lane/"slower traffic, keep right." Also, they don't teach you how to deal with aggressive drivers; it's too defensive and grandma like. I did perfect on my on the road test only because I actually wanted to spend legitimate time driving and logged many highway miles from our VA-NY road trips. Besides that, it was large amounts of anxiety as to not mess up or make mistakes since instructors don't shed any positive reinforcement or give you the ability to relax unless you are in the backseat. I can tell you it's definitely not going to get better with newer cars especially Tesla and autonomous driving let alone lane keep assist as they basically drive themselves. Who needs a license at that point?
I passed mine first time! :) I’ve had my license for two years now and love driving. The sense of freedom is amazing.
I forgot you had a pickup bro., We need a update of what's in the fleet. (the other 240 still missing in action)
David, great job on this video, I completely agree.
I had gotten my permit at 15 and put all my hours in. Did well in drivers ed and behind the wheel. I turned 16 back in June of 2006. That summer my parents started going thru a divorce. My dad didn't want me to get my license yet, he wanted me to get a job so I could afford and pay for everything myself. Me being 16 I was very upset about having to wait. Finally during that following winter I think January or February, my parents still going thru the divorce, my mom took me behind my dads back to go get my license. I passed everything my first try and my mom would let me drive her car around till a few months later I got my first job and was able to afford car insurance and all that jazz. In the past 15 years of driving I've only ever gotten 1 speeding ticket, 60 in a 45, and I've been in 2 minor accidents but I was rear ended in both and neither were my fault.
Michigan here, I had to do a 6 week course and a “road test” before I got my permit. They would drive with us and have a couple of learning sessions a week. Then for the full license there was a few more weeks of info, a couple more drives, then the final road test. I think seat time was the most educational part.
I like that you mentioned racing school too. Did a Ford performance defensive driving course in Romeo where we learned more fundamentals, car control, etc. Even had a “skid” Mustang to simulate driving on ice.
I can't even explain how many times being an enthusiast using "advanced" driving techniques of looking 2 cars ahead and at their brakelights has saved me from rear ending someone because THEY were braking way too late.
That's huge!! I still can't believe how many people I've encountered have never even thought to do that...
That's advanced? My mom always told me about stuff like that and assumed it was a normal thing. I live in NYC and a lot of the drivers here are generally retarded so every time I'm on the road I try to stay vigilant because you never know what can happen here. Once I drive upstate is when I can relax a little bit 😭
I did a motorcycle safety riding course years ago and it was so much better than driving school! It taught me more about how to drive safely then any other source. It was very much like your racing training about vision and on addition they teach you to always analyze your position and do what if scenarios as you drive so you're ready.
For that first part of the video where you were describing your experience of learning to drive in VA, I can tell you it is exactly the same now as it was then. Nothing has changed.
We had a driving education school where I used to live that was literally *_one day long._* As long as you paid the $$, you basically passed.
We don't have drivers Ed in school here you put 500$ to go to drivers Ed school. When I got my license I was in a car with a instructer/tester for 15 mins the test was parents
Good job man hope a lot of people watch your video I'm sharing right now
I love these new type of story time videos
Something that drastically improved my driving was getting a motorcycle. In my state, the MSF Basic Rider Course is incredibly cheap so I took that instead of just taking the test. You learn a lot of useful things including how to read other drivers and mentally prepare for many emergency situations. A lot of this can be applied to driving in general and not just riding. Also, once you start learning patterns and things to look for, you'll quickly realize that people are even dumber than they already seem on the road.
I actually failed my first time. I am the type of person where if I need to make a left turn, I go into the left lane as soon as possible and same thing with the right. But on my first test, I was in the middle lane and the instructions told me to turn left last second. And there was an onslaught of cars in the left lane. And since that wasn't a situation I haven't ever been in before (or even since tbh), I was hyper fixated on the car next to me and the mirror. So I made the change and due to pressure I didn't notice a car in the blind spot and since the instructor had to yank me back, I was immediately disqualified. Funny thing is that I took that exact turn on the way home and there was no traffic, meaning if my test started literal minutes earlier or later, I could have passed.
Interesting on my 2nd attempt, where luckily I passed with only 4 of the allowed 15 mistakes, the instructor I had made me go all the way left to begin with on that turn so the situation I was in on my first attempt was avoided completely.
I failed my first time as well even though I had a lot of practice. Instructor told me to make a left turn at a small traffic light and I went in (what I assumed to be the left lane) but was actually over the double yellow lines. The double yellow lines were almost completely faded and I had never been on that road before so I assumed it was just a one way. Needless to say I was failed instantly but when I retook the test it was with a much better (and funnier) instructor and I passed easily. Seems like little things as well as luck can make a huge difference on the tests.
I failed my first time and I blame nerves and poor directions from the instructor.
When I took my test I asked the instructor to make sure they let me know with ample time to get over for my turns, like at least a block or two ahead and he just laughed at me. He also took me on this weird back alley with a stop sign off to the side on a telephone pole instead of near the road where it should be. Almost missed it, but I noticed it just in time to stop.
To the people saying we need Germany's system I agree, but then our public transit would need to be on the same level as well. Our public transit sucks in this country. Germany's works extremely well hence less people driving
I failed my first as well scaring the instructor on a left turn on incoming traffic
Teaching myself what spinning out felt like and how to control that was probably one of the best things I've couldve done. That skill has saved my FC once and actually has translated to my F150 if its wet out. Its definitely an important skill that my drivers ed class never even touched on
Hey,
I am from germany and I took my driving test at 17 and it was VERY comprehensive. For exampel: We get taught panic braking, we get taught driving top speed (which was 120 mph in the Diesel Golf and about 150 in the SQ5 - that one we could get if we behaved well and were trustworthy). We also have to be able to check the oil and all fluids of the car. And funnily enough I did encounter ice and snow.
First there is a theory portion that we get taught in driving school in a class room by a dedicated driving teacher. We spend 24 hours just studying theory and the theory is uniform everywhere in germany. Only after sitting through all mandatory 24 hours we can take the test (which I failed twice - I feel you David).
After that comes the driving portion:
The minimum of driving hours we have to do is 12 so called "Sonderfahrstunden", special-driving-hours - but after that you cannot do the final test. If you are ready for the test isnt determined by you, instead its determined by the drivers ed teacher - so we need most times around 25-30 Hours of driving school, before we take the final practice test.
The test has to be at least 45 minutes long and takes place in normal traffic - in mine I had to park parallel in a village, I had to panic brake (which has three ways to make you fail the entire test - you fail, if you panic brake without making sure, that it is safe to do so. You fail, if you are not braking hard enough, which meant if the ABS isnt working it wasnt hard enough, and you would fail if you would stall the car). I had to drive in rush hour on the autobahn and had to negociate a city center. And you will fail, if you make ONE mistake.
And for the argument by you, that is isnt economical:
In germany its not the government who finances the driving hours, -tests and teachers. We do that ourselves, its infact its own entire industry. There are only private driving schools that hired teachers whos only job it is to teach people driving. And you have to take a federal test to be a driving instruktur, like many things here in germany like plumbers, car mechanics and so on.
The only thing that is needed from the government for your driving test is at the end of everything. You take your theory test at a place who is lincensed to use the government test programm (most times its at a TÜV place) and for the actual practice test you need a "Prüfer" that comes in externally and judges your driving and if all other criteria are matched, like age, glasses (yes you have take a sight test aswell before you can have your "Führerschein") and special-driving-hours. But him being there is paid aswell by the driving student.
The price of that all? I spend around 2200 Euros to get my driving licence.
And if you dont feel safe after that you can take a driving safety course by the ADAC (Triple A equivalent) which teaches you over- and understeer on skidplates in your very own car. And its not expensive, its around 175 Euros.
BUT:
I have never driven in the US, but here is not all well aswell. For example I have texted while driving. I have also seen road rage, where someone brake checked someone else and nearly caused a crash. I have seen people lane hog the middle and left lane and then seen those people getting overtaken on the right side. There are stupid people here too, maybe just more rarely. We here in germany look up to the finish people - they have a better drivers ed system than we do, at least in our eyes. For exampel, they include skidplate training in the normal drivers ed.
Hope my english was alright, sorry for the long answer
Phsss in Mexico we don't need driving school or license most kids Learn to drive at 10 years old in an Astro van or old Silverados
Psh I lived in Mexico for two years, Mexico City driving is crazy and driving in Mexico in general is an accident waiting to happen, don’t even get me started on the bus drivers
Spent some time in Chihuahua City and the guys that I worked with pretty much said as long as you have a pulse you can get your license lol.
Picking up their drunk dad from the cantina lol
the behind the wheel in virginia was a joke to me, for our final day (the final test) at the very last second they decided to give us a third tester (it's common practice to have two testers in the car) so this meant that we didnt have as much time to test us all so my test was literally getting on the interstate and then getting off at the very next intersection.
So much truth in this video, extremely well said!
My dad was my Driver’s Ed teacher, and he used to race (Legally AND street) in his pre-family days. He was an amazing teacher. Stern where safety in concerned, excellent at explaining driving dynamics to people who have ZERO understanding or interest in cars since he had 6 kids. He explained traction and road conditions additional to the lackluster standard course. He explained safety in the most common and deceptively dangerous situations, how to position for safety, establish aware and safe driving habits. He put in so much effort to equip his students to not be the statistic of people who die in traffic accidents, and the positive test results from his classes stood for themselves.
I’m taking mine next year I’m so excited
Good luck dude!
Good luck bro.
Thank u david
I failed my driver's test because the dude sent me through a school bus loading zone as elementary school was getting done. He got me for driving too slow and being overly cautious.
Here in Georgia my drivers test took about 10 minutes. I got my license at 17 but had got my learners the day after my 15th birthday. By the time I took my test I had driven a variety of vehicles. 06 Cadillac Escalade, 07 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 with the Duramax, 03 Chevy Blazer, NB Miata with a manual, 79 Jeep CJ7 Renegade with a manual, 98 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I had done done a lot of backing into tight spaces and driving on wet roads, in the dark or on extremely rough dirt roads. When I took my test I hadn’t done my drivers Ed beforehand like I should have so I stayed up over 30 hours to get it done online. I took my test on a rainy day after not having slept for over 30 hours and scored a 94 and would’ve scored more except at the very end I went to park and started turning left into a parking space and as I did that she pointed to the right and said “no, over here” for no specific reason and when my quick reaction parking job wasn’t perfectly in the center she marked me a few points off. They made me drive around a city square, parallel park, revers park, and drive back and regular park. No highway testing or anything.
I'm an Aussie, and our system is similar to yours in that we don't have wet weather or car maintenance training - but all learners are required to do 120 hours, at least 20 at night and it's harder to fake cause it's on an app. The drive test is 45m one on one with a professional full time tester driving around local and main roads, parallel parking etc... So basically everything most people will do in their normal lives as drivers. I passed first try and I've had mine for almost a year now, but I actually skidded the car a few months ago (I have a Holden Commodore which is a big land boat of a car with super soft suspension) because I didn't understand how to drive in the wet. Smashed up my front left steering system when I hit the curb which cost me like 1500 bucks to fix but I learned a very important lesson and I wasn't hurt thankfully!
millions of hours of dashcam footage from Russia disproves any theory about US drivers being the worst!
Still very bad if compared with all the other 190 nations
My dad taught me to drive with the "just throw him out there" kind of style. He taught me the basics of lights and signs, but he always made me drive the family everywhere. Even if I made a scary mistake, he makes me drive to learn from it. This allowed me to learn pretty quick and he even let me drive on the interstate for a road trip. I learned how to drive in a 2000 Tacoma with no traction control or ABS, and learned to road trip in a rental 2012 WK2 Jeep Grand Cherokee V6 4x2. I have the Tacoma now and been driving it since like 2012, and my dad had that thing since brand new.
6:14 see I actually did not know that and that makes a lot of sense 😭😭 I’ve been driving for a year now but thanks for that info
Much respect for this video....that I was not going to watch....I'm glad I did!
In Sweden we get 2 years to practice (if you start as early as you can), you can start “practicing” when you turn 16 and you have been approved, they look trough Criminal and medical records, both you and the ones who are going to teach you need to take an introductory course.
Than you can start practicing.
Than you have 2 mandatory courses, Risk 1 and Risk 2.
In Risk 1 you are tough the dangers of driving under the influence and the repercussions of getting caught.
In Risk 2 “skid practice” , you are taught about the dangers of when things get slippery both in a practical way and in theory, basically you drive through a course made slippery. When I did it, we drove Volkswagen Golfs, 1 with normal tires, 1 with easy drift on the rear and one with easy drifts on all four.
Some driving schools require that you take a course on country road driving.
Than there is the drivers license test, first you have a theoretical test and once you pass that, you can take your practical test.
The test starts with a safety inspection of the vehicle (which must have pedals on both sides), than you get out and drive, you can get away with one less serious traffic violation but that is about it (eco driving is expected).
When I did my test we drove through city traffic, narrow neighborhood streets, roundabouts from h**l (we have a few of those in Gothenburg) and motorway driving. I got 1 advisory from the test, I slowed down a bit to much when approaching pedestrian crossings with good visibility.
Also you have to take your test in a car with a manual transmission, unless you want a drivers license which is limited to automatics only.
Basically if you take your drivers test in a car with a automatic transmission, than you are not and will not be allowed to drive a car with a manual transmission, unless you go through the process again.
I grew up working on a friends family farm. I was driving pickups and big flat bed trucks years before I could drive on the street. I also was doing maintenance and repairs too. Made a huge difference by the time I went to get my license. 👍
Took my test in TN around 06. It was the computer test and the road test. Both extremely easy. I think we went around the block and came back. Never made a left turn lol but experience is really was the best teacher for me. It's crazy how some people can drive for so long and still be so bad at it. Also passed my class A CDL test in 2016. Much more complicated and nerve-wrecking process.
Your driver's test sounds a lot better than my state's driver's test. All I had to do to pass my behind-the-wheel test was driving 25mph on some residential streets with only having to hop on the main road for 1 light. Also, no parking test really just having to re-park the car back at the DMV.
So true! My sister-in-law is German and she explained her driving training and they do wet and snow situations, etc. Tons more teaching than here. Definitely the Ford Performance Racing School was awesome and I also learned a ton in 2 days.
I took a driving course that took several months and I really learned alot. I think that if you have to take a good course, do it!
Every single point you made is valid. I was born and raised in West Virginia but, thankfully, my permit driving had a bit more variety. That year from 15-16 I did learn to drive in the rain, the snow, how to recover the car, etc in an early 70s car as well as a early 80s hatchback. It made one hell of a difference to my driving and did humble me. People need to be humbled. Not scared, mind you, but humbled. I also felt like I needed more drive time when I got my license on my 16th birthday so I basically drove everywhere and anywhere I could, along with taking everyone in the house anywhere they needed to go (typical 16 year old, at least from the early 90s lol). I’m in NZ now and have driven over here for over 2 decades now vs the 7 years I drove in the US but everything is still relevant, including staying humble. One thing people in both countries should focus on a lot though is that there are others on the road. Once you truly respect the fact that you are sharing a resource with everyone else, you tend to tighten up your skills a bit and concentrate a bit more. Anyways, enough babbling. I need some sleep :) Thanks for the video and starting the discussion…
I'm in Australia and we've been wanting, at least the car community has, advanced driver courses be mandatory to get your license. I failed my first written test due to only one wrong answer, was good on the second try, but as for the driving I got it first time, my instructor was a great teacher, he took me out in sunny, rainy, down dirt roads, he threw it all at me and I can't thank him enough, he had some racing experience which I think helped a lot too. My mate in high school got me on to him, and he was doing hill climb in a chrysler lancer at the time, I feel like I'm a better driver because of them
Preach! I couldn't agree more. It felt weird getting my license. In New York it's very simple,
1. Recieve permit
2. Practice with others
3. Pass road test
And I've said just as you have that I'm uncomfortable driving with others because they are far too unaware of their driving prowess, or lack there of.. It wouldn't hurt to further education on this topic as our cars/roads get faster and people become more easily distracted with new technologies.
You're not too far off...I had more hands-on when I took my test and in driver's ed too. I've also driven on the autobahn and backroads in Germany...I love the discipline on how they drive. If we had to pay what they did to get a driver's license, there would be fewer drivers on our roads.
Arkansas checking in, absurdly easy 10 question test that someone who has never been inside of a car should be able to pass. (What is the purpose of the hazard lights switch? A. Dance party B. So you can speed C. To indicate a hazard to other drivers D. Unnecessary) then you get in your car with a state trooper riding shotgun turn right out of the parking lot, turn right, turn right, turn right, turn right, then turn, right back into the parking lot and park where you came from... Some people take the time to do a 20-point turn and get backed in beforehand that way they can pull straight in and never have to back up during the test.
This channel is so underrated
I love that the "progress bar" under the ads is spreading beyond Donut videos.
This is so much more intensive than my driver's Ed was here in FL
My experience was pretty unique growing up from driving stick in the woods to when I was a kid sitting on my parents lap shifting the Miata NA while they pressed in the clutch. They made me go to grocery stores at 13 by myself in the family cars. Granted I had facial hair at a very young age so helped me look older than what I was. Additionally, growing up in rural Idaho allowed exposure to mountain roads with no guard rails, both in summer and winter climates. My dad taught me about anticipation, heal toe, how to predict drivers behavior, and to be defensive and offensive based on the situation I’m in. Also being an advocate of staying in the slow lane aka right lane while using your blinker…something Americans have a hard time doing.
By the time I had drivers Ed I was way ahead of my peers and for the final test went up and down the old spiral highway of Lewiston. A grade of 7% with up to 2500+ ft of elevation and if I recall up to 100 corners with minimal guard rails.
I 100% agree. But see, when I did drivers ed like 4-5 years ago now, they had me and a classmate drive with the teacher for a combined 2 hours every week, for like 10 weeks. My driving instructor was great and it was such a fun time driving and chatting and getting hands on experience.
Also 7:56 is a hilarious word switch 😂
For sure! I've been driving for 20 years, got my license after high school. Learned pretty quickly how to operate my car, but it took a while to learn how to drive. I hope to get a chance to go to a race or rally school.
The last car collision I was involved in was in the left lane, after traffic went from 55 to a dead stop in the HRBT.
Since moved and still pass on the right, I see far too many collisions in the left lane in SC. People jump in the left lane and crowd it believing it to be the "fast lane" and not using it as the passing lane.
I wholeheartedly agree and have said as much for many years. I've been privileged with learning to operate motor vehicles from a very young age,(Honda 70cc ATC at 5 years old in 1990) and nearly every kind of atv/dirtbike since... I had even made operating marina forklifts and heavy machinery part of my life at one point and all of that seat time has contributed to making me a better driver/rider. ^_^
When I got my license, the manual transmission test wasn’t allowed as it was in the past. However, the books that were given by the dmv talked about what to do in a manual .From what I’ve experienced, all that knowledge is there for the exam and the 1st year of driving, then it’s out the door.
After I moved to the US, most of what I learned back home in a way put me ahead of a lot of people. My teacher was my Dad and was very detailed. Now since I’ve been in the US, braking, cornering, car maintenance and just driving in a straight line baffles me as what I’ve seen from the populace. There’s a lot of road rage from the complete disregard of others and you’d think it’s GTA with some of the accidents I’ve seen.
Insurances basically capitalize on the stated lack of effort that you mentioned. Then again there’s a million ways to make money and if a man is armed with a spoon going into a war zone; we know how it’ll go (unless he’s John Wick).
The way I got mine in Oklahoma was we had a 2 day driving school class followed by 3 2hr driving sessions with a driving instructor (not a high school teacher).
I got my permit as soon as possible and my license as soon as possible (except my birthday was on Saturday on a holiday weekend and the person who conducts the tests was on jury duty that Tuesday and Wednesday 😂)
I did the test through the driving school so I could use their vehicle and I was able to take a practice test right before my actual test. I did 2 things incorrectly; parallel parking and I cut a corner when turning left(from a stop sign)
I bought a 2012 F150 and have been modifying it and maintaining it very well. That is probably the most important thing IMO, having a car that you actually care about because it will be taken care of much more. Especially if you are a car enthusiast
I would say I am a fairly good driver, I pay attention to the road and I NEVER use my phone when driving. I do speed but most in this comment probably do 😂I do also California roll through stop signs but I am always looking if it is safe to go long before I get to the stop sign but I slow down to 5-10mph minimum so I can easily stop if needed.
I have been pulled over 3 times. The first was 11 over, second was rolling through a stop sign. Last wasn't really my fault because there were reports of street racing in the area(I had just left my house so it couldn't have been me) and my truck has a loud exhaust and I happened to be behind a Mustang. I was also going 5mph over but he only checked my license
But I just turned 20 this month so I have had my license for 4 years with no accidents or tickets *knock on wood mh brother has his permit test tommorow. I also plan on the future to buy a similar year Mustang GT Manual (has to be a V8 manual, no exceptions)
But I think drivers education should be much more extensive because there are so many idiots on the road. The things I hate the most are people in parking lots who do not even look when they turn and lane discipline. We need German lane discipline, not just for left lane hogs but middle lane hogs as well. We definitely need to take a little from Germany but not full on because it's very very expensive
I do agree with everything you were talking about I live in Wisconsin and every time I go out I always have at least 5 to 8 tailgaters I have to deal with and I'm vary sick of it but not only that but it is so dangerous
I passed both test first time and I remember I got my license and I still was not fully confident in my driving but once I had some more time I loved driving
I'm so happy my dad taught me well. I did get into 2 minor fender benders, but those are beginner's mistakes. I'm hoping to not get into another accident that I caused.
One of the best driving schools i heard of was a friend in Finland. They have to take tests over the course of a year. On and off road. To prove that they can safely navigate on ice, rain, sleet, snow, gravel, dirt, frozen, wet, or dry. As well as handling freeways at speeds they're driven at.
I'm a native of North GA and have class AM. I started diving in a 5speed Nissan Santa on dirt roads in the country at 8years old with a very understanding mom! mid 90's!!! I killed it on my test in my mom's 73 vw bug years later.
I'm a three padel guy to this day. And will never go back. I learned to drive trucks on ice roads in Northern Alberta with my grandfather. Patience is the key and good old commen season!
I learned how to drive a manual car since that is what most people take in my country. Because I have a manual license, I can drive an automatic and a manual car. I only fail the computer test part with 43/50, the passing mark is 45/50, I retook the test and passed the second time. My dad is a very experience driver, he taught me a lot when I am in the car with him. I passed my driving test the first try thanks to my dad’s advice.
Bring back the smiles per gallon snap backs 😭 I need a new one 🤣
Amen. Drivers here suck - particularly with left lane etiquette on the freeway. It's especially bad here in the Pacific Northwest to the point that about 50% of people merge and immediately make their way to the left lane whether they are passing anyone or not. This devolves into the majority of drivers on the highway being in the left lane and it being the defacto slow lane, with everyone traveling faster on the right. Complete madness. I agree as well that some basic vehicle maintenance, vehicle systems functionality, and driving dynamics training should also be obligatory.
Great video 🔥👍
I've lived and traveled in different parts of the world. I owned a car and drove in Europe for seven years and rented a car in Asia (China & Philippines) while on vacation. I had a Commercial Driver's License for years and currently run track-day events. Americans do not pay attention to signs. That "Left Lane For Passing Only" is ignored in America. So frustrating! Americans seems to brake at every little nuance in front of them; they don't pace themselves. I found European, and generally German drivers to be the best. They are very attentive and obedient drivers. Go further North to Ukraine and drivers are aggressive risk takers, but mostly safe. Asian drivers like in the Philippines are impatient, but it is very crowded in that part of the world. The first thing you learn to use is your horn. Also, highways can suddenly stop with a six-inch drop off of the concrete/asphalt, then continue on a mile later after you've driven on a dirt road. I could only explain it as that is where the money for the new road ended.
The European driving test is much more difficult than the American test, but like you say, it is a privilege. The American driving test is too simple. My father was a police officer and I sat in on the class he taught for drivers needing a point reduction refresher class. I passed the written driving exam at age thirteen, while others three times my age could not. Why?
I think everyone should partake in a track-day driving event on a closed circuit. You get confidence in your vehicle. Do a panic stop from 90 MPH while graders are standing ten-feet off the the side in the braking zone. If you don't stop straight and keep the vehicle under control, you will hit more than traffic cones. Perform a hard 90-degree turn into the infield while on a banked track while going 120 MPH. You'll quickly gain confidence in your vehicle. Track-day event training is invaluable! Listen to your instructor.
I went up Mt. Washington and it's concerning how many people don't understand what engine braking is. Their brakes will be smoking coming down the mountain because they don't know what it means to lock it in a lower gear.
In Illinois, from my experience, was 1/2 yr of drivers ed. 8 weeks of book, 1 week of automotive class and 9 weeks of driving. In the one week of automotive class they taught us how to check your oil, change a tire, balance and mount a tire and how to properly put gas in our car. And if you had an A in both 9 weeks then you were exempt from the tests at the DMV, unless your birthday was randomly selected that week then u had to drive no matter what.
Im from Germany and I really liked this video for obvious reasons , I got my license in 2009 when I was 19 you are required to have at least 24 theoretical lessons and as many practical lessons as far as I remember it could be different now tho idk they teach basic technical stuff about a car how to check the oil and change tires and what that noise is and what this warning light means then there are the traffic signs that you have to study like your vocabulary , then driving , you obviously start slow in neighborhoods but at the end you’re going to drive on the autobahn to learn how it feel to go higher speeds I went 105ish mph without my teacher intervening so he was ok with that and I passed both tests on the first go 😊👍🏻 but oh boy was I nervous
I’m in Washington and recently I watched a video of a kid doing his drive test (In I think California?) and I was amazed by the fact that he never even left the parking lot and got 3 attempts on parallel parking and after maybe 7 minutes of being in the car he was certified to get his license. It felt pretty lax here when I took my drive test but our training and testing looks extremely strict compared to the rest of the country.
Im german. Here are the differences I've heard about. Some might be based on wrong assumptions since my knowledge of driving in the US is based on second and third hand accounts.
1) No riding alone under 18 without the full license. You can start the license at 16 and take the test at 17 but until you turn 18 you'll have to drive with a sober, awake legal guardian that also has a license.
2) You don't *need* a car in many areas. Unless you live in a rural area public transportation, bicycle and pedestrian intrastructure are good enough that you might not even want one. After factoring in costs and the inconvenience of having to search for a parking space it's often cheaper and more convenient to use othet methods of getting around to get around in a metropolitan area. There are people that don't like to drive because they're just bad at it and many just aren't forced to by the infrastructure design.
3) Our instructors do it as their full job. They're trained and licensed. You can't aquire hours with anyone but them.
4) We're culturally very rule abiding and we tend to keep breaking laws to the bare minimum. It's more fact than joke that you can tell someone is german if they're riding their bicycle illegaly drunk and still wait at an empty intersection at 4am for the light to turn green.
5) Drunk driving is heavily, heavily frowned upon. We're very careful to stay below the legal limit, and while you can legaly drink at 16 the limit for intoxication while driving is absolutely 0 until you're 21. If you get caught driving after a single beer before that your license is gone and you'll probably have to do a costly class and potentially go through an even more expensive medical-psychological evaluation before they even decide if you get it back or not.
A guy I know crashed his car while drunk at ~19 years old, lost his car and tractor license and almost lost his gun and boating licenses aswell. He had to stay completely sober for an entire year to get it back in addition to that class and evaluation.
6) A license is expensive. The test "only" costs ~150$ but you'll probably spend upwards of 1000$ for the hours with the instructor. If you loose it getting it back can take a lot of time and can easily cost 500$+.
Lol my personal finance teacher in high school was also my driver's ed teacher and he was the single most chill dude in the school. Absolute legend. I drove night with him and 2 other students on the freeway for 33 miles on Utah roads with no problem (I think I was a good driver, since I loved racing and had the privilege of having a simulator with a gearbox at home, playing dirt 3 after school every day). Yea super chill dude I passed with only 1 mistake. Got my license when I was exactly 16 and half.
What's CRAZY is, up here in Massachusetts
if you're over the age of 18, you do NOT need driving school to get your license.
I waited until I was 18 to get my license, as I simply didn't have the means to get my license earlier.
my permit test was passing 10 out of 12 questions (most of which are asking about fines and consequences for breaking the law) and a single 10 minute driving practical.
I was taken down a neighborhood without traffic, had to pull up to a curb, back up 10 feet (3 or so meters), and parallel park between 2 cones that could easily fit 2 cars.
It was great because it was easy for me to get my license, but for those who don't care about driving, it means ANYONE can drive.
I completely agree with everything said. Where I live down in south Texas, we don't have a driver's ED built into the school. Instead we have separate driving schools that we can attend. Texas is very similar to Virginia in the observation hours (Texas is 30 hours I believe) and the whole procedure. The class itself and the written test actually did teach us a few things such as right-of-ways, all of the signs and their purpose, and other stuff that was, as David said, theoretical. The actual driving for 14 hours helped a little to dip my toes into busy city driving and occasional highway driving.
When time came for the actual test, my parents made me take the test with a DPS trooper rather than the driving school instructor, thinking I would be given a more rigorous test. Needless to say the test was an absolute joke. In the parking lot of the DMV, the trooper tested for parallel parking. Then the next 5 minutes of the test was simply me taking left and right turns at 4-way stops in the quiet neighborhood behind the DMV. In the end the trooper had only deducted 4 points because I took off too quickly when turning onto the main road from the neighborhood.
Since then, I have attended several defensive driving courses to learn more and I really hope go to Ford's racing school one day. I wish we could have our own autobahn here in the U.S but with our system that will never happen.
I got the learners permit real quick. Came second nature due to my father being a truck driver. Learned the signs early on. passed my driving test first try. Now when I came back to get my CDL class A. I passed the first 2 test first try. The third test took me 4 tries to pass it. Passed the driving portion first try thanks to lesson from the school and going to work with my father.
I learned driving in Europe in the 90’s. It was a bit better but we did not learn about driving in bad conditions, understeer or how to check your fluids either. It was mostly the same as in the US but later, outside of school and work a full time instructor.
You ain't kidding about America and roadrage! Its something that definitely needs to be addressed. One thing that really gets on my nerves is tailgating. Of course I'm talking about on a two lane back road with double yellow lines and nowhere to let them pass.
I went to driving school in MA/RI so I got to learn the laws of both and how they vary. You get your learners permit at 16 and then from there you start driving with adults and you can start driving school. Its not part of the public schools where I was. You can get your license without going to driving school but if you do go you get a steep discount on your insurance. I passed my permit test on the first try, I studied the handbook while I waited inline at the DMV. I did fail my first driving test though, I failed the parallel parking part because there was snow/slush on the ground and I couldn't tell where the curb was, apparently I was too far away. got it the second time though ;D
In Victoria, Australia, we need 120 hours of supervised driving which at least 20 of those hours need to be at night. We get a free driving lesson and that generally goes for 45 minutes, the rest depends on a fully licensed person to sit next to you while you drive. We can get our red P plates at 18, after a year on reds you go to greens for 2 or 3 I'm not sure and then you have your full license. It's weird but it works
In Sweden our driving license is much harder to get it seems. We can get our license at 18 but we can get the learners permit at 16. Driving with a learners permit means your teacher (can be anyone who also takes a class that's like 1 hour long i believe together with the student) has to be with you at all times, he/she is responsible for whatever happens during practice. You also have to have a green sign on the back of your car showing you are a student driver. There is no logbook or anything like that involved, you just make an appointment for the theory test and driving test when you feel ready. Theory test is 65 questions where i believe you need to have 53 correct answers (these involve everything regarding traffic and cars, such as signs, police signals, enviormental stuff and ofc alot of traffic stuff). The driving test is where you show that you are able to drive, park, hillstart etc. You need to do city driving, highway driving and country road driving so it's pretty substantial. It was a bitch to get through but good to have done. Now saying all that, we still have alot of shit drivers here aswell.
Oh and it all has to be done in a manual car, if you do it in an automatic your license will only permit you to drive automatic cars.
Before being allowed to take the tests you have to take 2 courses called Risk 1 and Risk 2, Risk 1 is a couple of hours of listening to a teacher telling you the dangers of driving drunk, tired etc and some images of what it looks like after accidents. That is REALLY good to have in the back of your head.
Risk 2 is where you learn how a car behaves in certain conditions, its typically called the "Slip Course" cause you drive around on super slippery surfaces where they disconnect different brakes on different cars so some have all breaks, some have just fronts and some have just rears. This is to teach you the dangers of driving in a bad car in bad condition. Really useful stuff
We also have yearly checkups on cars where they check for any faults or changes and if something isn't good or original you have to fix it and come back again before being allowed on the road, this also means that modifying cars in Sweden is a proper bitch.
I'm from Norway.
We have about the same driver's license test as Germany.
There is still people that can't drive here, how they got their license is beond me.
Do not how Germany does it, but here we need to attend the skid pad to learn to drive when it's wet and prepare us on driving on snow.
We also need to have drive at night with instructors and also lessons how to overtake and all the other stuff as hill parking, parallel parking etc.
Here we also learn to check your oil and other fluids, check tires, lights etc.
Some of that stuff might have changed because of that electric crap, but that was how we were taught when I got my license in 94'.
We can start driving with a adult when we are 16. The instructor needs to be at least 25 and had the license for over 5 years, that was how it was back then, not sure now.
You can have your license from age 18, but not before that. Exceptions is moped and tractors and snowmobiles.
I did learn to drive in my fathers late 70s VW T2 Transporter which is the perfect car to learn from as it is dead slow and you need to plan ahead, change down to keep momentom in hills etc. And you sit high and have better view of the traffic.
I drove about 8 hours with my dad and had 4 hours at driving school before I pass.
Instructor told me I had good mechanic feeling (most cars back then were manuals - like 95% of them) and I had good traffic eye and I planned ahead (gearing down before red lights etc in case of green one. He was also very happy with my hill parking and parallel parking so I only had to that once.
My father was a VW head so I was around cars my whole life.
More and more are taking license for automatic cars, with that license you can only drive automatic cars. With regular license you can drive both.
Myself I hate automatic gearboxes, I like to drive my cars.
Here in nj when i got my license back in 08. No required driving hours but i did go to a driving school that gave me 2 hours of driving a day for four days. Then the actual road test at the dmv was pull up to a stop sign then go to your area which is a closed course at the dmv. Drive to the end. Fast reverse. K turn and parallel parking. I was done in 15 mins and passed my first time
For me when I took my driving portion I will never forget it. I aced the parallel parking and was like it's all easy sailing from hear. We do the loop and towards the end my instructor goes emergency stop lock it up now. (Context I was taught to be really smooth when braking on public roads) and out of muscle memory with no cars or objects in front of me. I slow down very quickly but did not lock up the brakes like my instructor said to. That was the only deduction I got on the driving portion and was furious. Also how many cars had to get brake lines replaced from people blowing them out was a thought I had afterwards.
Exactly david. that's the problem in the u.s we have pretty much no hands on and trust among one another like you said about Germany's autobahn. Here in the williamsport pa most all are 55 mph Some 65 but yea not trust here lol. Keep up the awesome videos david iv learned a lot and still learning thank you.
From Canada when I went to my driver's class I was one of two people who knew what oil was for and could name all the fluid's under the hood. One guy in my class said if his break's fail best thing to do is hit the car in front of use and use them to slow down.
I’m from Brazil but have been living in the US for a while in Indiana and I gotta say, even if there are similarities in some of the bad driving behavior, a lot of drivers here drive as if they own the road, sitting on the left lane and not letting anyone pass, and take the fact of you wanting to pass as a personal attack. The texting and driving and lack of understanding of how a car works are also something worth pointing out but that first one is what stands out the most
I was 15 1/2 and received my permit. I completed all my hours and requirements, (with an actual qualified instructor and a car with 2 sets of everything) and I failed my first written test as well (by one). I came back the next day and passed, took the road test and passed. This was 1992....I still have those tests.