Tag Archives: vancouver driving teacher

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.