Teen Resource Guide - 4

A W O R D ABO UT INEXP ERI ENC E

Would you ever seriously consider attempting a high dive during a swim competition if you have only gone swimming once? What about a piano solo in front of the entire school without any piano lessons? Probably not, since both of these things take years of practice to master. The same holds true for driving, believe it or not! That being said, you may have practiced parallel parking a thousand times and now you can execute that move perfectly! You may know all of the street signs and exactly what they mean to you as a driver. However, while these things are important to know and essential for the road test, they in no way make you an experienced driver. Knowing how to perform all of the maneuvers necessary to pass the road test is one thing; real life driving experience is something totally different. For instance, have you driven in a rain storm? What about a snow storm or fog? What is the longest distance you have driven at one time? How much practice have you had driving at night? What would you do if an animal or a person ran out in front of your vehicle? These types of conditions can be risky for a new driver, and it is important to experience a wide variety of situations under the supervision of a licensed parent or guardian before driving alone. The DMV requires 50 hours of supervised driving with 15 of those hours at night (after sunset) certified by your parent or guardian in order to take a road test. Consider these 50 hours to be a minimum guideline, and log as much supervised driving with your parent or guardian as you can.

Take every opportunity to practice in all types of weather, on different types of roads, and in all kinds of traffic. While this may be a stressful situation for you and your supervising driver the first few times, it will be well worth the effort. Keep in mind, any activity you try to learn takes a great deal of practice to become really good at it- whether it’s playing an instrument, learning to swim, playing a sport or mastering anything new. Treat driving as you would any other activities, the more practice you have the better you’ll perform. Make sure to use the personal driving log we have provided in this book to keep notes about your practice sessions.
Teen Driver Resource Guide • www.dmv.ny.gov | 4

Teen Resource Guide

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Teen Resource Guide