Quote from Jakg :

but annoyingly people like my Mum did a much much easier test and WOULD fail a new driving test - yet feel they can bitch about young drivers anyway.

That part always makes me laugh, my mum driving licence means she can drive a moped, car/van upto 3.5, car/van with trailer, minibus, minibus with trailer, 7.5ton truck and a 7.5ton truck with trailer. But she has never had any seat time in either (excluding car). If I wanted to tow a trailer (over 750kg, which tends to be the weight of a trailer anyway), or drive a minibus or a 7.5ton truck I have to take more tests which cost an arm and a leg. How is that fair?

My dad actually did learn to drive a 7.5ton truck (a bit of informal training from the Royal Mail) and is pretty damn good at it, but most people who have that qualification on their licence would just drive into everything in their way and shunt it into a ditch.

Quote from Minimaxman :

So, if you're 5 years old, you only need 5 hours of lessons, but if you're 20 then you need 4 times that amount? Ita-makea-no-sensa.

It is harder to learn the older you get, so it does make sense. And given a 5 year old can't legally drive a car anyway (by legally I mean on the road), you're just being silly.

Quote from MAGGOT :

In Ontario you can go for your written test when you turn 16, which gives you a G1. You G1 allows you to drive on any roads except freeways, and you must have a passenger with 4+ years of licensed driving experience in your passenger seat (not sure if that's 4 years from G1, or 4 years with full license). 0% BAC and you can't drive between 11pm and 5am I think. After 12 months (or 8 months if you've taken an acreddited driving school) you can go for your practical exam, which upon passing you get your G2. G2 is the same as your full license, except you must have 0% BAC. After 12 months with your G2, you can go for your final driving exam which, upon passing, awards you with your full G license.

From the time you get your G1, you have 5 years total to get your G or you have to start the entire process over again.

When you have the G1, the passenger who is in front must have 4 years of experience with a G license (full license.) Usually when that driver has those 4 years he has 4 dots or 4 little stars under his picture on his license. At least that's what my dad and my mom have. I've had my G1 since February . It's pretty expensive, something like 125$ for the G1... Just for the test...

Quote from dawesdust_12 :

I dunno, I was just going off my licence, which expires in 5...

My G1 expires in 2014 yet I can get my G2 this september... The expiry date is if you don't take the next test but you can usually take the next test well before the expiry date. Here from G1 to G2 its 12 months and if you take driving classes, it's 8 months (and cheaper insurance ) But classes cost like 400-900$ -_-.

Far out its expensive too get liscences where you guys are I paid $40NZD for my learners which allows me too drive anytime up to 10 but with a passenger in the this carries on for 6 months then you get your restricted $70NZD which allows you too drive by your self up till 10pm then 12 months later is your full liscence which was $100NZD (Which I currently Have) which allows me to drive passengers and drive after 10

In New Zealand you can get start driving at the age of 15

@Scrabby im not doubting anything mate. But if you have never driven anything apart from this van then before you fix up and race your 200sx you need to do a lot more driving too get the feel of a car I know you dont wana hear that but its the truth

Quote from MAGGOT :

From the time you get your G1, you have 5 years total to get your G or you have to start the entire process over again.

don't make the same mistake i did and let it expire... luckily i have little need to drive IRL, so it doesn't bother me too much.

Quote from mrodgers :

The cost you people are posting is unreal! Seems nothing but a money making scam.

how's this for a scam... i would guesstimate about half of the people who write their g2 license fails it on the first attempt. you only get one free attempt before they charge you $100 or so to write/drive it again.

Quote from P5YcHoM4N :

It is harder to learn the older you get, so it does make sense. And given a 5 year old can't legally drive a car anyway (by legally I mean on the road), you're just being silly.

That is why I started learning to drive at the age of 12. My first lessons where in a Ford E150 super extended van.

At this point (20 years old), even though I don't have my license I can drive just about any vehicle I want, and do it well.

Quote from R34king :

Far out its expensive too get liscences where you guys are I paid $40NZD for my learners which allows me too drive anytime up to 10 but with a passenger in the this carries on for 6 months then you get your restricted $70NZD which allows you too drive by your self up till 10pm then 12 months later is your full liscence which was $100NZD (Which I currently Have) which allows me to drive passengers and drive after 10

In New Zealand you can get start driving at the age of 15

@Scrabby im not doubting anything mate. But if you have never driven anything apart from this van then before you fix up and race your 200sx you need to do a lot more driving too get the feel of a car I know you dont wana hear that but its the truth

I didn't say i'm gonna drive the SX NOW. We/I are still building it up and surely not gonna drive it after i drove our van once

Thats good.

Man i wish i started off with a turbo. haha would be mean doing my wana be drifts and shit. I had too do it the hardway in a Kp71 Starlet

Quote from BastianB :

i had to pay over 1k € for my license..
really expensive to make a license here

sorry, that was more likely the money I had to pay the TÜV, driving school not included... everything together been more like 3500€... and no I only did as much driving lessons as I had to, plus a "special" one day autobahn trip.

Its a bit special in my area, the Driving schools formed a sort of kartell and prices went up, plus I made mine when diesel prices were very high. Its better now, some new schools opened recently and prices dropped a bit.

Quote from Jakg :

In the UK:

You buy a provisional (£50) - you are allowed to drive any car as long as you've got someone over 21 who's held a UK license for over 3 years in the car. You aren't allowed on motorways and have to have an L plate on the front.

Also the vehicle needs to be insured for you to drive as well.

Quote from Jakg :

Question - Do you have Roundabouts in America? (might be a stupid question!)

Rarely. My city put one in (the only one in the city) next to a big high school where the roads would get utterly jammed at 1 particular 4-way stop, so they turned it into a roundabout and no more traffic! It's a bit small, but it's fun to take fast when no one's around.

The US licensing is totally easy. I got 100% on the written test (twice, they had a print error and my provisional permit only lasted 1 month). The practical test really depends on where you take it... out here in California, our fail rate is about 35-40%, but some places in the mid-west have a near-0% fail rate... I failed my test twice. Once for not looking over my shoulder while cutting into a bike lane for a right-hander (WTF?), and then another time for "cutting off" another driver. The actual story was I changed lanes, and once I was completely in the lane, the guy coming up behind (about 3-4 lengths back) slowed down by about 3 MPH, and my examiner counted that as a cut off.

It's good that I passed on my 3rd try, too, because if you fail 3 times, you go on a longer, tougher test. They should just use the longer, tougher test to begin with...

The laws in the US are, if you're 15 1/2 to 17 1/2, then you need to do two courses: the driver's ed (road laws) and drivers training (practical lessons). Once you have those papers you go and take your written exam, you get your permit, you hold it for 6 months and then you go for your practical exam (or when you turn 17 1/2). If you're 17 1/2 or older, then you can forget the DE/DT courses and go straight for your permit, which you hold until you turn 18, then you take your full license exam.

In the US, we really need a standardized practical safety system, like what Finland does. Teach kids how to recover slides, drive in adverse conditions, etc, because as it is now all they have to do is memorize a bunch of rules and they're good to go. And driver's training only teaches you what you need to know to pass the test, not be a safe driver necessarily.

Quote from MadCat360 :

The laws in the US are......

.....completely different State to State.

Had a... worrying moment on the road the other day - I was going to a work BBQ at some guys work and we were travelling from work in convoy - we were all following one car, and came to a large 2-lane roundabout - I heard he lived on the A12 so I assumed it was straight on, so I take the left hand lane, as does my boss - the other 5 odd cars all go in the right hand lane which had more traffic - my passengers are telling me i'm in the wrong lane, and i end up overtaking the other cars as theres no traffic in mine.

I get to the place and someone jokes that I can't drive properly because I don't know what lane to be in - worryingly not only did none of the 5 drivers indicate pulling off, but they all thought that you were meant to be in the right hand lane to go straight over... :X

No wonder I have so many problems on roundabouts - no-one indicates OR uses proper road positioning to make it apparent where their going :X

Quote from mrodgers :

.....completely different State to State.

Not really. Just the details.

Quote from Scrabby :

But also at this point I realised what idiot Belgian drivers are. No patience, getting stressed very quick etc..

I have lived in Greece, grew up mostly in Belgium, studied in France and now live in Brazil. I have driven in more than 15 countries in the world, mostly in Europe, and I can tell you with confidence, Belgians are by far the safest and most polite drivers of all. They respect their fellow drivers, and most of all, pedestrians. Actually it's one of the few countries that actually stop for pedestrians even if they're not obliged to.

Belgium is the ideal country to start learning to drive in my opinion. Roads are in perfect condition, traffic is relatively low. Then you move on to cities like Athens and Sao Paulo where chaos reigns to get your medal!

Quote from MadCat360 :

Not really. Just the details.

Not just details. You stated, "The law in the US is...." and stated laws. Not one of those laws are the laws of Pennsylvania. They aren't federal driving laws. They are state to state specific.

Quote from Paranoid Android :

Then you move on to cities like Athens and Sao Paulo where chaos reigns to get your medal!

São Paulo is a difficult city to drive on but it's not the worst, definitely. Traffic there is just "a bit" slow depending on which part of the city you are driving, and rush hour is extended.
I often give up going somewhere because it would take too long. (i.e.: more than 5 hours stuck on traffic).

But in my opinion, Porto Alegre is definitely the most confusing city to drive on, from all the cities I've already been. Even taxi drivers don't know the correct way to get to any place - they go across bus areas, take shortcuts and don't stop on traffic lights. After a crazy and wild ride, you'd get to the place you want to go. I had a city map, but even with it I was completely unable to go to most of the places, so I just called a taxi and followed his car.

Quote from mrodgers :

Not just details. You stated, "The law in the US is...." and stated laws. Not one of those laws are the laws of Pennsylvania. They aren't federal driving laws. They are state to state specific.

So how does it work in PA?

Quote from MadCat360 :

So how does it work in PA?

Ok, since you asked....

You stated the laws of the US an age of 15.5. You can't get a license or permit until your 16th birthday in PA, which is within the US.

You stated the laws of the US are you must do two driver's courses. In PA which is within the US, it is recommended, not required, that you take driving lessons or courses.

You stated the laws of the US are once you have those papers you go and take your written exam. In PA which is within the US, you show up with a medical examination report, your social security card, form of identification such as a birth certificate, and a licensed adult (18 years of age or older) and take the written exam.

As I said, it varies state to state, including the age of which you can apply. It may be that you may be able to apply and possibly receive a learner's permit to drive at 15 1/5, you just can't drive anything until you turn 16.

I don't know how it is today as it is now civil government workers running the licensing center, but when I went for my driver's test, it was done at the State Police Barracks and the test was performed on a course set up in the parking lot. It was extremely busy and I didn't even have to do everything. Halfway through the test, the State Trooper told me to "go ahead and pull over right here, you passed." Today it may very well be taken on the actual road. From what I understand, it is complete idiots that are giving the driver's exam nowadays.

Quote from mrodgers :

I don't know how it is today as it is now civil government workers running the licensing center, but when I went for my driver's test, it was done at the State Police Barracks and the test was performed on a course set up in the parking lot. It was extremely busy and I didn't even have to do everything. Halfway through the test, the State Trooper told me to "go ahead and pull over right here, you passed." Today it may very well be taken on the actual road. From what I understand, it is complete idiots that are giving the driver's exam nowadays.

In a parking lot? That... doesn't seem sane to me. In California we do it on the road (with Californian drivers lol). What year did you do your test?