It’s every new driver’s nightmare: a car crash. When junior Khloe Burton pulled out in front of someone on Mitchell Hammock, her car was totaled. The seatbelts never locked and the airbags didn’t deploy so they ended up sliding across the street, and Burton and her friend were left with a bad concussion and some bleeding.
Even without a serious crash, between finding time to drive to school, being scared of the road and passing the license driving test, the process of getting a license is nerve-wracking.
The first step to getting a license is practice. There are many places to practice around town. Many people start slow in parking lots at places like the Oviedo Mall or Hagerty. Gradually, they move onto the road once they master the basics.
“I started in the Lawton Chiles parking lot to get used to the wheel and feel of the car, and eventually graduated to the road which was a big difference,” junior Alyssa Gutierrez said.
Before taking the license test, applicants are required to have at least 50 hours of daylight driving and 10 hours at night while a parent or someone over the age of 21 has to be in the passenger seat at all times.
“It is really hard for me to stay consistent while practicing driving because I have to have one parent in the car at all times and that can be hard. Both of my parents work and are very busy so I rarely get time to practice,” sophomore Chelsea Townsend said.
Learning to drive might be the hardest part, but it is not the only part. Drivers also have to get familiar with their car—the lights, windshield wipers and other features. Also, find a comfortable seat position that you are comfortable in and adjust the test car’s seat during the test.
“I learned to drive in all sorts of cars, like a Toyota and Sequoia; also I learned to drive a stick shift, which is much more difficult but made me feel more comfortable when in a normal car,” junior Keltan Fitzgerald said.
The scariest part of the entire process, however, is the driving test to get a license. Potential drivers are tested on parking, three-point turns, stopping quickly, reversing, obeying stop signs and using their turning signal when needed. The Florida pass rate is only 90.1% on the driving test. You can take your test at any Florida DMV you want to, but the most popular one is the Casselberry Seminole County Department of Motor Vehicles.
“Parking was something I struggled with for a while. I would do it over and over again and still couldn’t get it perfect. I was so scared to do it for my driving test but I ended up doing it perfectly. The parking spot on the test is so much bigger than the normal parking spot,” Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez only took her test once and got a perfect score the first try, she now finds driving extremely easy and loves to do it.
In the test, they can ask you some hard questions that many people struggle with, such as how do you park on a hill with or without a curb. Make sure to know which way to turn the wheel and what to do when done turning.
“The skill I found more difficult is remembering how to park on a hill with or without a curb. It seems pointless to learn in Florida but you still have to be able to answer their question,” Burton said.
While everyone practices driving, some teens take it one step further and practice the exact test with their parents. Many drivers practiced over and over until they had it perfect.
“I would watch videos on YouTube on how they graded the test and I practiced in my neighborhood,” junior Chloe Tabor said.
Several factors can result in an automatic fail: not fully stopping at a stop sign, hitting a curb or driving over the speed limit. Also, it is possible to lose points if you do more than a three-point turn, look at your mirrors when reversing instead of out the back window, not pulling into the parking space far enough, and not using a turning signal.
“I got two points taken off for looking in my side mirror while backing up and forgetting to turn my blinker on for the three-point turn,” sophomore Adyson Tucker said. Tucker only attempted her test once and passed and now she has no problem with three-point turns.
Before the actual test, many people face difficulties scheduling the appointment to take their drivers test. Be sure to select the right DMV location, and make sure to book the appointment at least a month ahead to guarantee a spot.
Burton had to go to Jupiter, Florida, a three-hour drive to take her driving test because the appointment was booked on all the days she had time and she wanted an appointment as soon as possible.
“This was so frustrating because Jupiter is a two-hour drive from here so we had to spend all day in the car then waiting at the DMV for multiple hours. Then another two-hour drive back home,” Burton said.
Once you pass the test, you are free to be on the road alone between 5 AM and 1 AM unless you are driving from work due to the curfew for being under 18 years old. While the process of getting a driver’s license can be challenging, students find the sense of freedom and independence that comes with it is well worth the effort.
“Being able to drive yourself everywhere gives you so much more freedom. I love rolling my windows down and listening to music while I drive anywhere I want, I don’t have to ask my parents to drive me somewhere every time I need to,” junior Gabrielle Cervantes said.
