Written By: Samantha Reed, Staff Writer
DRIVING: Exploring what you need to do to get that license and get out on the road.
It’s that time of the year when there is an influx of cars and a shortage of parking spots in the parking lot. We all know it; it’s the time when inexperienced drivers are released onto the road, and people start to wonder if 15½ years old is too young for children to start driving. In this article, I will be telling you everything you need to know about how to get your driver’s permit and license, along with some fun but also informational questions answered by your fellow Poly peers.
Getting your permit is the first step to getting your driver’s license, but before you can take the written driving test, you must take a driver’s education course with a passing score in order to receive the certificate to qualify yourself to take the permit test. You can complete the course before you turn 15 ½, but you must have both your certificate and be 15 ½ years old to take the test.
When it comes time to take your test, you must have your parent or guardian register you into the State of California Department of Motor Vehicles system. The information needed includes your proof of identity, two proofs of residency, a legal full name document, and a social security number. You can complete this both online and in person, but it is important to note that if you register online you can take the permit test at home with proper video recording equipment to meet the online test-taking requirements and if you register in person you are no longer eligible to take the test online, you will have to take it in person. If you register in person or decide to take the test at the DMV, I suggest that you go to the DMV at the time it opens. This will guarantee that you do not have to wait in an endless line and you receive quick service. If you decide to take the test on the same day, they will direct you to the computers where you will take the written permit test. The California DMV written test consists of 46 questions; you must answer at least 38 questions correctly, giving you wiggle room with 8 questions to get wrong. If you pass the test, you are one more step closer to getting your driver’s license, but if you do not pass the test, you must wait 7 days before you can retake the test.
Once you have acquired your driving permit, before you can start driving with an adult 25 years or older, you must get a signature from your parent or guardian and your driver instructor. You can get a driving instructor by signing up for a local driving school and scheduling your first lesson, which lasts around 2 hours. After you finish your first lesson, the instructor will sign your paper, and you will be allowed to drive with an adult 25 years or older. After your first lesson, you will need two more required lessons, but you don’t need to complete them to drive without them. To qualify to take your behind-the-wheel drive test, you must have your driver’s permit for 6 months, drive 50 hours (10 of those hours being from driving at night), and have the 3 driving school lessons. If you fail the test, you have to wait 2 weeks, a total of 14 days, before you can take the test again. You have three tries before you strike out and have to take your permit test again to requalify yourself for the behind-the-wheel drive test.
Once you have passed the behind-the-wheel test, you have added to the population of inexperienced drivers on the road. For the first 12 months of acquiring your driver’s license, you cannot drive between 11 pm and 5 am and drive with passengers under 20 years of age.
Even though the process seems very simple, it is not. You must take the time to study and practice to ensure that you will pass both tests and understand the material. Driving is fun but can be dangerous at times if not taken seriously, so as an inexperienced driver, it is your duty to follow all the rules.
Now that you know how to get your driver’s license, let’s hear some students who are in the middle of the process now and their answers to various questions both fun and serious.
- What’s your dream car?
- Olivia McPherson (10) – Chevrolet Corvette
- Keaton Pilter (10) – F150
- Lucy McPherson (10) – Truck or Small Car
- Ella Fortine (10) – 1960 Cadillac
- How many times did it take you to pass the written drivers test?
- Olivia McPherson (10) – “It only took me one try.”
- Keaton Pilter (10) – “I only had to do the online one and I took it once.”
- Lucy McPherson (10) – “I passed my written test online on the first try.”
- Ella Fortine (10) – “I took the written test once.”
- What was the hardest question on the written test?
- Keaton Pilter (10) – “The hardest question was a random and strange one, ‘If a convicted felon is driving on the road who was found guilty of manslaughter, how many years does he go to jail?’”
- Ella Fortine (10) – “The hardest question was the blood alcohol level question.”
- What did it feel like when you got your driver’s permit or license?
- Keaton Pilter (10) – “It felt freeing, like I leveled up in the world almost.”
- Lucy McPherson (10) – “It was so exciting to get my permit. I am even more excited to get my license so that I can drive myself to any place I need to be and help out my parents even more.”
- What advice do you have for those who have not yet gone through the process?
- Olivia McPherson (10) – “When you do start, don’t procrastinate and commit to it. It is so rewarding once you’re done.”
- Keaton Pilter (10) – “My advice is to study. But don’t overthink it. The test isn’t as hard as you think, when you get the DMV breathe.”
- Lucy McPherson (10) – “I would say driver’s ed can be pretty boring, but if you just focus and get through it so you can get the fun part, driving!”
- Ella Fortine (10) – “My advice would be to practice a lot and go slow at first.”