A Great Point Grey Road Test Success

I’m always happy when my students pass their road tests, but a recent student’s success gave me particular satisfaction.

A couple of months ago I was contacted by the father of a potential client. Apparently his daughter had attempted the Point Grey Class 5 road test several times and kept failing. She had also had tried a variety of driving teachers, and she felt she wasn’t getting proper instruction.

This client was a little unusual for me – she is a Chinese lady, maybe in her forties, and English was her second language. I don’t get many clients like this, as most adult Chinese students use the services of a Chinese-speaking driving teacher. But her father was getting desperate, and was ready to try something different.

Before her road test the student took ten hours of lessons and diligently attempted to follow my strict guidelines for a successful road test.  She wasn’t the greatest driver, but I felt she definitely could pass as long as she was disciplined in the critical areas that I had pointed out. She also needed a confidence boost after her previous instructors were eager to point out her deficiencies and offered no positive reinforcement.

I would like to share the letter the student’s father sent me after her successful road test:

Dear Perry:

It was a great pleasure when I heard my daughter Jin had passed her road test yesterday. Now she is able to accomplish her dream of being a qualified car driver with a legal driver license of Vancouver. This will certain have good influence to her future career and living here. I wish to express my deepest gratitude to you for your excellent teaching and specific help to Jin. In last few years Jin learned driving from several teachers, but none of them could teach so excellently as you did. As I know, you designed a ten hour plan for Jin after the first interview and an hour of driving. During the training, you actively explained every detail of driving, encourage her when she did right, explained and helped her to correct when there was an error or she did not so well. This also reestablished her confidence. As a result she could pass her road test after so many times of failure. I wish to tell everybody that you, Mr. Perry Lamarche is an Excellent Teacher and the New Day Driving School is a High Quality Driving School!

Sincerely

John Yang

I can’t guarantee success on the road test, but I can guarantee that if my students strictly follow my advice, they will have a much greater chance. If you are taking the Point Grey Class 7 or Class 5 road test, a session with me, Perry, of New Day Vancouver Driving School will go a long way towards a happy ending.

 

 

Road Test Myths

As a Vancouver driving teacher, there are a few common road test myths that I hear on a regular basis from my clients. Fortunately for these students who are preparing for their Point Grey Class 7 or Class 5 road tests, I am able to quell their worries about these misconceptions.

I was with a student last night from North Vancouver who was preparing for her Point Grey Class 7 road test. She told me about someone who had failed her road test because another driver honked at her. Believe it or not, a lot of people think that honking is a cause of failure on the road test. Just imagine, you know someone who is taking their driving test and you want them to fail – just follow them and honk. You might do something bad on your road test that causes someone to honk, but it is the bad thing that causes the fail, not the honk.

Another common myth is that you fail your road test if you touch the curb while parking. The truth is that you only fail if you hit the curb hard enough to damage the car. A bump or scrape against the curb should be no problem. When my students are practicing, I let them touch the curb (unlike other teachers who are afraid of getting a scratch on their hubcaps). If you get an entire tire up on the curb or sidewalk, that would also be a fail, but if only half the width of the tire gets up there, it should not be a fail. Try to stay off the sidewalk, and you should be okay.

Then there are the drivers who fail for driving too slow, because someone told them that if you go over the speed limit it is an automatic fail. They are so focused on going under fifty that they are oblivious to the traffic lined up behind them as they are crawling down the road. During driving lessons with New Day Vancouver Driving School, I will let you know the appropriate speed to drive at for your Point Grey road test, and it definitely is not 40 km on main roads under ideal conditions.

Finally, there is the classic myth that the examiner automatically fails you if it is your first road test. Of course this is ridiculous, as New Day Vancouver Driving School regularly prove on their Point Grey road tests. The truth is that the examiner usually has no idea if it’s your first or fifth road test, unless you’re one of the examinees who keeps failing, and all of the examiners get to know you. The examiner should not be asking you before the road test if it’s your first time, as this information is irrelevant to your road test.

Before your Point Grey road test, try a session with New Day Vancouver Driving School. Whether it’s your first or fifth attempt, give yourself your best chance with some valuable instruction from the one Vancouver driving teacher who is the true road test expert, me, Perry, of New Day Vancouver Driving School.

 

 

Broadway and MacDonald on the Point Grey Road Test

The Point Grey road test area is full of notorious left turns, but the one that I feel is consistently the most problematic is at the intersection of Broadway and MacDonald.

On your Point Grey Class 7 road test, you may find yourself in this intersection waiting for a safe gap to turn left. You’ll finally see a safe gap in the oncoming traffic and start your turn, but suddenly a pedestrian racing for the bus enters the crosswalk on your left. You have to stop, and you are blocking the now oncoming traffic. Actually, the pedestrians don’t usually run into the crosswalk here – they usually casually saunter, lollygag, or dillydally, taking their sweet time, green light, red light, they don’t care if you’re on a driving test.

At this intersection, it is typical that only one vehicle is able to turn left during the cycle of a traffic light. You’ll be facing a line of left-turning vehicles. There are no cars going straight, the crosswalk on the left is clear (rare), and you start your turn. Suddenly a car shoots out of the left-turning lineup, coming right at you. Hopefully you see this before the examiner does.

Or you see a safe gap in the oncoming traffic, start to proceed and now a car comes out of the Safeway parking lot across the intersection. You are able to stop in time, but now you have some pedestrians in the crosswalk on your left. The light turns yellow, then red, and the pedestrians are still crossing. You start moving towards the crosswalk, and now you’re facing some dude turning right very late, blocking you from completing your turn. The traffic on your left and right now have a green light and are honking at you.

You somehow get through the intersection and now are on MacDonald. There is a vehicle in front of you trying to turn left into an alley over a painted traffic divider. You are stuck there while a steady stream of vehicles is now passing you on the right. The left-turning vehicle has finally turned, and all of those passing vehicles are cutting in front of you because their lane is about to end. The madness just continues.

Believe it or not, even as messy as this intersection can be, there is another one in the Point Grey road test area that several driver examiners have told me is the worst. If you’re taking the Point Grey Class 7 or Point Grey Class 5 road test, let New Day Vancouver Driving School (me, Perry) help you. I can show you where all the fun stuff is, all the usual places that examinees fail. Give yourself your best chance of passing the Point Grey road test by taking a lesson with the Vancouver driving teacher that is the Point Grey road test expert, me, Perry, of New Day Vancouver Driving School.

A Typical Day for New Day Driving School

I thought I would let my readers in on what a typical day looks like for me.

I met my first client, a guy from Iran, at the Point Grey ICBC office. He took a lesson on the weekend, and his driving was definitely a little rough around the edges. But during that lesson he was focused and tried to adapt to the key points needed to pass the Class 5 road test. During his practice before the road test today there were a couple of issues, such as not stopping for stop signs, but again he focused and attempted to strictly follow my suggestions. He went on the road test and he nailed it – a passed test with just a couple of minor marks on his paper.

Next up was a lady form South Africa. I think she has taken about four lessons and has made excellent progress towards what should be a successful Class 5 road test at Point Grey later this week. In South Africa they drive on the left side of the road. As with many of my students who are from countries that drive on the left, this client’s major issue was driving to far to the right in her lane, but that is no longer an issue.

My third client is a UBC student who is preparing for her Class 7 road test this week at Point Grey. She is taking lessons on five consecutive days to get ready for the road test. She didn’t have any professional training in the past, but overall her driving is great, just a few details to be worked on.

After her I met a lady from Ireland. My Irish students have all done remarkably well on their road tests. This client just took a one-hour lesson. She is going to try to go on a standby road test soon, and based on her driving today, she has a good chance of passing. My only concern is that with just one lesson, I didn’t have the opportunity to show her more of the common problem areas in the Point Grey area, and there are lots of them.

My next client was an international student from China who is attending Eric Hamber Secondary. When I first met her, she was a brand-new driver. She has been making steady progress towards her Class 7 road test at Point Grey in June.

The final student of the day was a lady from Brazil. This was her second lesson; her Class 5 road test is later this week. She had previously failed the Class 5 road test three times before contacting me. She also had taken a lesson from one of my competitors, which she found to be less than satisfactory. It gave me great satisfaction when she told me that my lesson was exactly what she was looking for. This young lady just needed a confidence boost and some clear direction on the areas that she needed to focus on.

The thing I like most about my business is meeting and helping a diverse group of clients. I take great pride and satisfaction in assisting my clients in reaching their driving goals. I can’t guarantee that you’ll pass your road test, but I can guarantee that my lessons will give you a much better chance of passing the Point Grey road test. And of course I won’t yell at you when you slam on the brakes and my coffee spills all over the place.

 

Perils of Pedestrians on the Point Grey Road Test

On the Point Grey road test, other than other road users, pedestrians are definitely the number one obstacle between examinees and a successful road test.

There is a notorious left turn on a couple of Point Grey driving test routes, the intersection of Broadway and MacDonald, that has been the downfall of innumerable license seekers. It’s a classic set-up for a fail: the examinee is waiting in the intersection for a safe gap to complete a left turn. The driver gets a nice, safe gap and starts the turn, and then, bam, a pedestrian jogs into the crosswalk on the left that the examinee is approaching. The driver is forced to stop and now is blocking the traffic that has suddenly arrived. Fail. At this intersection, when you’re waiting to turn and the light turns yellow and red, the pedestrians are still lollygagging in the crosswalk. These pedestrians are doing everything within their power to screw up your road test.

Another classic fail is when the examinee fails to stop when approaching a pedestrian who is in an “unmarked crosswalk”. Almost every time I explain an “unmarked crosswalk” to one of my students, they are totally unaware that there is such a thing. (I won’t explain an unmarked crosswalk here, but after one of my lessons, you will definitely understand.) Most drivers just blast past the hapless pedestrians who are legally trying to cross the street, thinking that they are jaywalking. Genuine jaywalkers are another bump on the road (hopefully not literally) in the path of a successful road test. You’re cruising down Broadway and some dude is meandering across the street in front of you – to stop or not to stop, that is the question.

Then there is the examinee turning right at a stop sign in an intersection where the cross-traffic has a pedestrian controlled traffic light. The examinee is looking left, waiting for a safe gap to make the turn. They see their gap, start to make the turn, totally oblivious to the pedestrian on their right who has pushed the button and changed the light. The light turns red, the driver starts the turn and the examiner shouts “stop” and points at the pedestrian now in the crosswalk in front of the examinee. Another sad but classic road test fail.

If you plan on taking the Point Grey Class 7 or Class 5 road test, I would strongly recommend a session with New Day Vancouver Driving School (that would be me) before your road test. The perils of pedestrians and other hazards on the Point Grey road test are endless, and I can help you navigate through them. Unlike some of my competition I can’t guarantee that you’ll pass the road test, but I can definitely get you prepared for what you can expect, and for what the examiner expects for a successful result.

Maybe Your Driving Doesn't Suck

Yesterday and today I had customers who successfully passed their road tests, a Class 7 and a Class 5, at the Point Grey licensing office. I was particularly gratified with their results because of the events leading up to their road tests.

Today’s student had already taken the Class 7 road test and failed. She had been taking lessons with another driving school, and her instructor, in my opinion, was less than professional. Apparently he was reluctant to give any positive feedback. Criticism, definitely not constructive, was the foundation of his instruction. Then the road test – the examiner was definitely not Miss Congeniality that day. She made it clear that the student’s driving sucked, and the teacher was able to gloat and say, “I told you so.” But when I saw her driving, I thought, no problem, she should pass her road test. She had a couple of areas that needed fine-tuning, needed a boost in her confidence, but otherwise was good to go. Her practice before the road test was great, she was confident, and she pulled it off. It wasn’t a perfect road test, but the examiner saw what I did – someone who was definitely qualified to drive on her own.

Yesterday’s student was an S.F.U. student originally from Macau. She had already taken her Class 5 road test twice in Burnaby, with unsuccessful results both times. Again the examiners wanted her to know that her driving sucked. So what’s the problem? She, like most examinees, felt that she should have passed. Her confidence had taken a hit.

The student lives in Burnaby, but was able to get a road test appointment in Point Grey, so she decided to give it a shot there. Looking for a Vancouver driving school, she contacted New Day Driving School (me), the Point Grey road test expert. We spent some time going over the Point Grey road test routes and working on the areas that needed to be addressed. On her road test yesterday, she got the same examiner who my other student failed with. Again, the examiner agreed with my assessment – this young lady was definitely qualified to drive on her own, and she passed her road test. It’s amazing how a little confidence can turn things around.

It can be discouraging and frustrating to fail your road test, especially if your driving teacher is not supportive, and the driver examiner is intent on letting you know how brutal your driving is. It is easy to lose your confidence without someone on your side. One of my goals is to build your confidence and have you attend your road test ready and confident that you can pass. If you are planning on taking the Point Grey road test, give yourself the New Day advantage. And if your driving sucks, at least I’ll tell you in a nice way.

 

Who Does New Day Teach?

One of my students asked me the other day what was the average age of my students. She asked this because she is learning to drive at an age of about thirty, and she thought this was older than usual. In fact, it is definitely not unusual for my clients to be learning at thirty plus. This topic got me thinking about the variety of students I teach.

So far this week I’ve had five students take their road tests at the Point Grey licensing office. The first one was young woman of about twenty. The second one was another woman of about thirty. Both of these ladies took about ten hours of lessons and both passed their Class 7 road tests. Next was a newcomer from Malaysia; unfortunately she didn’t pass the Class 5 test – a couple more hours of lessons definitely would have gotten her better prepared. Next was a lady originally from Thailand. She practiced diligently and aced her Class 7 road test. This morning a client from Ireland passed her Class 5 test with flying colours. For some reason most of my clients are female; it seems that more females take driving lessons than males.

Included in my current students who are learning to drive and preparing for their Class 7 road tests are a 40-something lady from Bulgaria; a male originally from Taiwan (maybe 30-ish); a Korean fellow maybe in his late twenties, a female Korean UBC student, a youngish female Korean businessperson; several local BC girls in their twenties; 20-ish and 30-ish females from China; females from Mexico, the Philippines, and the Ukraine; a couple of male high school students; two Thai sisters in high school and university – the list goes on.

Preparing for the Class 5 road test I have lots of females again. These ladies are experienced drivers who want to get a BC license. They are from countries that include Mexico, Russia, Hungary, China, and Spain. I also have some male clients that are from countries including Mexico, India, Ireland, and China.

I just received a call from a fellow who was originally from England, became a Canadian citizen, spent time in Holland getting his master’s degree, is back in BC and now needs to take a road test again. I’ve also just received calls from an Irish guy and a lady from France who has some experience from her home country, but isjust very nervous about getting behind the wheel again.

So to answer my student’s question, I would say that the average age of my students is probably about thirty. The reason for this is that many are immigrants with driving experience. The vast majority of my students are female. About fifty per cent are taking the Class 7 road test, and of course fifty per cent are taking the Class 5.

No matter where you are from or what your age is, New Day Driving School can help you. I can help you prepare for the Point Grey Class 7 or Class 5 road tests. I offer driving lessons in the city of Vancouver. I can teach you how to drive. I will give you friendly, professional lessons and share my wealth of experience as an ICBC driver examiner and licensed driving instructor. Contact me and see for yourself the New Day difference.

A Couple of the Typical Ways to Fail a Road Test

There are innumerable ways to fail a driving test. Most of these scenarios are very predictable, and with my vast experience I am constantly pointing out to my students these situations.

For example, I have a student who started lessons with me with absolutely no experience. She has been diligently practicing since February and has a road test scheduled for early August. The first few hours of lessons were filled with the usual hard braking and uneven acceleration and wild steering, but things started to settle down and smooth out and excellent progress was being made. During a recent lesson I forced myself to keep quiet and let the student make the decisions of when it was safe to make a left turn. She was waiting in an intersection for a safe gap to make her turn. She watched the oncoming traffic come to a stop and was still waiting in the intersection when the light turned red. I had to tell her to go, and if it was a road test – fail. A very typical way to fail: not clearing the intersection after the light turns amber and red. At the Point Grey licensing office this often happens on the first left turn. I was once sitting outside the office and witnessed my hapless student fall victim to this all-too-common gaffe. Thirty minutes to go and already failed.

Another student was a very competent driver when I met her. Her mother must be a great driving teacher because both this student and her brother, a former student, were awesome drivers when I met them. This is the type of student who should, without a doubt, pass her road test. However, during her road test she was the victim of one of the classic failure scenarios. She was at a stop sign waiting to make a right turn. There was a car coming from the left with its right signal on. Assuming this car was turning, my student shoulder checked to her right, all looked good, and she started to go. The examiner stopped her – the car with the signal on wasn’t turning. It doesn’t matter whose fault it was, the result is a failed driving test. Another quick look to the left would have prevented this unhappy situation, but under the pressure of the road test anything can happen.

Now this student is on her second road test. Everything is going great until another one of the classic failures comes up – speeding in a playground zone. Even though we had driven through that speed trap numerous times, a temporary lack of focus led to the inevitable failure. Fortunately, this student passed her next road test.

This how competent drivers fail and borderline ones pass: the borderline ones manage to squeak through the test by not missing signs and not doing anything dangerous. Their driving is not great, but through luck and focus they don’t give the examiner the ammunition he or she needs to make them come back for another attempt.

As the owner and instructor for New Day Vancouver Driving School, I teach new, inexperienced drivers. I can help you prepare for the Point Grey Class 7 road test and the Point Grey Class 5 road test. If you have failed your road test, I can get you ready for your next attempt. Don’t go into your road test without arming yourself with the valuable information that can not only helping you pass, but also preparing yourself for the multitude of situations that arise in everyday driving. If you are looking for a friendly, professional driving teacher in the city of Vancouver, give New Day a try.

 

Perfect Point Grey Road Test

Today a New Day Driving School student accomplished a truly amazing feat on her Point Grey Class 7 road test. After the examiner congratulated her and told her that she had passed, he handed her a truly rare thing indeed: a clean sheet, a blank paper – a road test paper without a single mark on it. Any driver examiner will tell you that this is truly a rare accomplishment. Not a single mark, everything was perfect.

When my client came back inside the Point Grey Licensing Office she looked a little glum and crestfallen. However, this was just the usual ruse of passing students trying to pull a fast one on their hopeful driving instructor. I told her before the road test that I would be shocked if she didn’t pass (I almost never tell my students that they will pass, just that I think they should pass), and for a brief second she had me fooled. When the truth of the matter was revealed, I was able enjoy the immense satisfaction of having had one of my students perform in such a spectacular fashion.

Your road test doesn’t have to be perfect; you just have to meet the minimum requirements. In fact, trying to be “perfect”, particularly in parking, has been the downfall of many examinees. I can show you the areas where perfection is not mandatory, and the areas in which it is critical to follow my guidelines and be close to perfection.

To get through the Point Grey road test with its usual array of pedestrians, buses, cyclists, and crappy drivers doing their best to make your road test miserable is not an easy task. Of course you need basic driving skill, but also necessary are discipline, focus, and good judgement in handling the multitude of situations that pop up in the course your time on the road.

If you are planning to take the Class 7 or Class 5 road test at Point Grey, why not try a session with New Day Vancouver Driving School. I cannot guarantee that you will pass or have a “perfect” road test, but I guarantee that you will receive instruction that will go a long way to achieving those goals. Give yourself the New Day advantage: professional and friendly driving lessons from a former driver examiner who knows what it takes to pass the BC Class 7 and Class 5 road tests.

 

"Dangerous Driver" Passes Road Test

As a driving instructor, I am not allowed to make comments about driver examiners. For example, before a road test, I never tell my students my feelings about the potential examiners. You see the examiners huddled together, and the examinee wonders, “Which one am I going to get? I hope I get a nice one.” I tell my students that they’re all the same, but of course they’re not. After the road test, my students always tell me about their road test experience and the behaviour of the examiner during the test. This is not Las Vegas – what happens on the road test does not stay on the road test.

Recently one of my students came for her road test using her own car. In the pre-trip portion of the road test, instead of turning on the headlights when requested, she turned on the parking lights. Well, the examiner apparently did not like this. During the road test, the examiner, according to the student, kept badgering her to find out who her driving instructor was. She basically told him that this information was irrelevant to the road test at hand. He then proceeded to give his opinions about the driver training industry, and how he was very unhappy with the poor level of instruction these days. They can’t even teach their students how to turn on their headlights. He mentioned the name of one driving instructor and asked her if that was her teacher. She told him that she didn’t know who that person was, but no, this examiner would not let the topic go. The stressful road test had another layer of pressure added.

Now, let’s go to the end of the road test. The car is parked, and now is the time the examiner is supposed to give his verdict. Not this one; he proceeded to point out the examinee’s shortcomings and tell her that she was a “dangerous driver.” She assumed that she had failed. He then told her to come into the office so he could take her picture. What the hell? Did she pass? What’s going on? Inside the office, she eventually realized that she had passed.

When my client related this bizarre adventure to me, she expressed her astonishment with the whole experience. Why was the examiner so concerned about who had taught her how to drive? (She had learned from her brother-in-law, with some extra help from me.) Why did she pass if she was a “dangerous driver”? Why didn’t the examiner tell her at the end of the road test that she had passed? Anyway, all this goes to show that you can pass your road test even if the examiner thinks you are a “dangerous driver”.

Now a word from our sponsor: New Day Vancouver Driving School conducts driving lessons in the city of Vancouver. We teach beginning drivers. We can help you prepare for the Class 7 or Class 5 road test. If you have failed your road test, we can help you get on the path to successful re-attempt. Take control of your driving with the road test expert – New Day Vancouver Driving School.