Like most driving schools, my students have the option of using my vehicle for the Point Grey road test. I offer a two-hour road test package, which includes about one hour of time for the road test and one hour of time for practice, pick up, and drop off, for a total of two hours of time. But I don’t simply offer a car rental service – I can only offer the use of my vehicle to students who have taken a lesson with me at some point before the road test day. I am in the teaching business, not the car rental business.

I only allow clients to use my car for their road test if I know that they are ready and should pass. If I meet a client on the day of the road test and I haven’t seen their driving before, I have no idea of what their driving is like. So I have a policy that if a client would like to use my vehicle for their road test, they must take a lesson before the road test date so I can see that they’re ready, or at least safe. If I can see the student has no chance of passing, I cannot allow them to use my car for the road test.

I have an excellent reputation with the ICBC driver examiners. Of course my students don’t pass 100% of the time, but the examiners are always expecting someone who is prepared. Recently I made an exception to my policy of a lesson before the road test day. I let someone use my car who I found out, contrary to her mother’s claims, was nowhere close to being ready for the road test, and failed miserably. Her examiner asked me, “What happened? Your students are always prepared.”

If you have a Class 5 or 7 road test scheduled at Point Grey and would like some lessons to prepare, you are welcome to use my vehicle for your road test. If you’re just looking to rent a car and get some last-minute tips, unfortunately I won’t be able to assist; thank you for understanding.

Sometimes an examinee fails their road test immediately. For example the examinee performs a dangerous action while pulling out to start the test. They thought they had a safe gap in front of a car approaching, but the examiner stopped them because he/she thought it wasn’t safe. So the question is: does the road test continue, or is it ended?

I recently asked the driver examiner supervisor at the Point Grey ICBC to confirm this for me. The answer is that they continue with the road test. Even though the examinee has already failed, the examiner would still like to give the driver an evaluation of their driving overall so they know what to work on for the next attempt. (This is the policy of the Point Grey ICBC; it may be different at other ICBC licensing offices.) Of course if the examinee is driving in an unsafe manner and is hazard on the road, the examiner will definitely guide the examinee back to the ICBC office and not put the driver, examiner, and other road users at risk.

There different opinions about this. The feeling of some examinees is, I know I failed, so why torture me with going through the whole road test? Why waste my time? The other viewpoint is, I paid my thirty-five or fifty bucks, give me a proper driving test, just don’t tell me I failed. Let me do some turns and parking and lane changes, and give me some proper feedback.

During a road test, the examiner is not allowed to tell the examinee that they have failed. They are supposed to save the bad news for the end. But sometimes it is very obvious that the examinee has failed. For example, if the examiner yells “stop!” or grabs the steering wheel to avoid a collision, you know you’re toast. In this situation, the examiner may go back early if they can see you are a little traumatized. If it’s a non-dangerous fail like getting the car onto the sidewalk during a parallel park, they’ll just keep on going. If you know you have failed and want to go back, just tell the examiner.

Hopefully you have a successful road test at Point Grey. If you do happen to fail early, just carry on, do your best, and listen to the valuable feedback from one the professional Point Grey driver examiners.

Every day I am contacted by prospective clients who are interested in driving lessons. By far the most requested times for lessons are evenings and weekends. Many or most people work or go to school during the day, and that is the only time that they can take lessons. I wish I could accommodate this demand, but it is simply not possible.

My weekend schedule is already fully booked for the rest of the year. I am reluctant to book lessons too far in advance, so currently I am not booking any weekend appointments.

I only do lessons in daylight, so this time of year the latest appointment that I can schedule is generally at 3:30 pm. So basically I don’t have any evening appointments during the winter. I do occasional lessons for students who want to get practice driving in the dark, but unfortunately I cannot offer evening lessons for inexperienced drivers or for anyone who is trying to prepare for a driving test. During lessons in the dark (and rain) it is just too hard to see, and I find it too dangerous and stressful to conduct a proper driving lesson or road test preparation.

For now, New Day Driving School is a one-person business with me, Perry, as the only instructor. I can’t accommodate the demand that I get for lessons, but I would like to thank everyone who has done their research and have decided to contact me for their driving lessons.

One of the problems that I have faced since New Day Driving School has become so successful is that I am unable to meet the demand of all of the prospective clients who would like to use my services. New Day Driving School has evolved into being the Point Grey road test expert, and the fact is that no other driving school can come close to offering the expertise, experience, and insights that I can.

New Day Driving School is just a one-person business run by me, Perry. I work in daylight hours, every day, with occasional days off and vacations. The highest demand times for appointments are late afternoon/evenings and weekends, so these appointments usually need to be booked well in advance. My schedule has been typically booked up completely a few weeks in advance, but now it is pretty solidly booked for over a month. I simply cannot accommodate the demand I get for lessons.

The students who have the best chance of getting appointments are able to book in advance. I can help on short notice if I get cancellations (possible) or if I have gaps in my schedule. If I can meet students at or near the Point Grey ICBC office, there is also a better chance of getting appointments as I am in that area most of the day assisting clients who are preparing for the Point Grey road test.

I can be contacted by phone or email. I do not answer my phone if I’m driving or if I’m with a client. I try to return all phone calls the same day, and I will answer emails within twenty-four hours.

My service area is the west side of Vancouver; I am unable to pick up or drop off students east of Cambie Street. I only assist students for the Point Grey road test; I do not assist with road tests at any other ICBC location.

I would like to thank all of my students over the years for making New Day Driving School so successful, and I look forward to assisting future clients who I am sure will enjoy and benefit from the New Day experience.

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I spend a lot of time on the road everyday, and see all sorts of bad driving. Through my observations, I have been able to identify the worst drivers out there. And the winner is, without a doubt, car2go drivers, followed closely by Evo drivers.

I will give you fair warning: if you see a car2go nearby, watch out. The drivers of these not-too-smart cars apparently think they are driving a go kart, zipping in and out of traffic, always racing to get somewhere, probably because the drivers pay by the minute. Look in your mirror, they are, right on your bumper. Then they zip around you, and you catch up to them at the next light. That won’t happen again, because next time the driver blasts through the amber/red light. There they are, down the road, buzzing around like a drunken bee; they have to get somewhere quickly – who wants to pay for that extra minute.

Then there’s another type of car2go and Evo driver: dazed and confused. They slow down on the road, a co-pilot is trying to give directions to the hapless driver who has no idea of where they’re going. They could easily pull over and try to figure things out, but why do that when you can impede and disrupt traffic? Hey, we’re special, we’re saving the environment because we’re using a car share; our ignorance of driving etiquette and rules of the road is the price you other suckers have to pay for owning a car.

At 8:00 in the morning, you can guarantee that you will see a car2go or Evo vehicle parked in a no-stopping zone. They don’t care, what the hell, I’ll just leave it here and hopefully someone else takes the car before 7:00 am.

One day I was waiting in the Point Grey ICBC office for one of my students to return from her road test. She should have been back by this time, and I was wondering what was taking so long. When she finally returned, the examiner told me that they had been involved in an accident. And what had happened? They were rear-ended by a car2go while stopped at a traffic light. My student passed her road test; who knows how the car2go driver passed his.

If you would like to be a better driver than numerous car share users, I can help. I will help you identify the numerous hazards on the road, including the hopeless car2go drivers. If you want to prepare for a successful Point Grey class 5 or class 7 road test, I can also help.  Just contact me, Perry, the Point Grey road test expert.

The intersection of MacDonald Street and the Kitsilano Diversion is without a doubt the number one spot that the Point Grey Class 7 road test is failed. While there is a multitude of confusing intersections in Point Grey, this one is in a class of its own.

The Kitsilano Diversion (referred to as the “Kits Divide” by Point Grey Driver examiners) cuts across MacDonald Street at an angle, joining 10th and 12th Avenues. Because of the angle of the Kitsilano Diversion, confusion reigns at this intersection. Going straight is not usually a big problem, but just like the many other confusing Point Grey intersections, it’s left turns that pose the biggest challenge. Even if you a have a clear understanding of how to handle this road test killer, the other road users will do their best to make your road test a nightmare.

When entering this intersection, the layout is deceiving. It is very wide, and it looks like you should go deep into it to make a left turn. But the opposite is true; you can only go in slightly, because if you go in too far, you’ll be blocking the left-turning vehicles coming from the other direction. When you are facing a left-turning vehicle that has gone in too far, you’ll soon realize what the problem is.

Be very careful if you go into the intersection behind another left-turning vehicle, which is definitely possible when the first vehicle has gone in too far leaving you plenty of space to follow in. There is generally mass confusion as both sides try to clear the intersection when the traffic light turns amber and red.

When you are able to clear the intersection, you may not realize what a long drive it is to get out, and be aware of the usual amber/red light runners coming through in the curb lane.

The other problem is a curved yellow broken line, which you should follow when clearing the intersection. Many drivers make the mistake of going into the intersection at an angle following the yellow line. Consequently they are now blocking the vehicles trying to go straight. And if you are going straight, don’t be surprised to find a left-turning vehicle blocking your path.

The Point Grey road test is famous for it’s confusing intersections, but New Day Driving School is the Point Grey road test expert. If you want to go into your Point Grey road test with the best chance of success, let me, Perry, help you simplify the myriad complications of the Point Grey road test area.

Where you park your car before your Point Grey road test can have a direct effect on your road test result.

I was just introduced to a new student who recently failed his Point Grey class 7 road test. He had been using the services of another driving school, and before his road test his instructor had the unfortunate client park directly in front of the Point Grey ICBC office. This is a classic blunder that sets you up for a rough start. Here’s what can go wrong if you start here.

Everything seemed fine when you parked the car, but now things have changed. That space in front of you has shrunken as another vehicle has replaced the one ahead. A car has pulled up behind you giving you less space in the rear. Now you have to pull out from a tight spot with traffic coming up from behind on MacDonald and all the other road test takers coming out from the ICBC parking lot in the alley behind you. Then the traffic gets backed up because the traffic light on Alamein St. in front of you has turned red; now you need to merge into the traffic. Five minutes have already passed, and you’re feeling the pressure. Or in this examinee’s case, there was now a vehicle haplessly trying to parallel park in front of him causing more confusion. Let’s just say that things didn’t work out.

So where should you park? You can park in the small ICBC parking lot in the alley if there is a spot available. The advantage of parking here is that you can practice backing into a spot before your road test. Just don’t make the other classic mistake of going nose-in into the spot. Then you’ll have to back up into a narrow alley; be sure you don’t bump into a garbage can. If there are no spots available, drive around the block a few times until something opens up.

Another good place to park is on Oliver Crescent, half a block south of the Point Grey office. This street has lots of parking, lots of space. Don’t make the mistake of parking on Alamein on the north side of the office. This street is usually jammed with parked cars, and there is only room for one car in the center of the road. If there is an oncoming vehicle, it’s going to be fun and you definitely don’t want to start your road test this way.

If you want to a successful road test, small details, like where you park your car, can make a big difference. I want my students to have their best shot at passing their road test. Take advantage of my knowledge and expertise, and give yourself the best chance of passing the Point Grey road test.