Two of the most dreaded words in the teenage language: Road Test. The unpleasant instructors, racking nerves, and fear of failure all come along with it.
Road tests, however dreaded they may be, often lead to quite entertaining stories. “What the heck are you doing?! You almost killed us!” squealed the test instructor at Lauren Flynn during her first road test. It’s not so easy to keep calm in a situation like that, especially when it was the instructor who told you to enter the intersection in the first place!
Junior, Alex Keneiby, who recently passed his road test, shares his top three tips to passing on the first try:
1. “Don’t be intimidated by the instructor. Pretend he’s not there”
Take Cassidy Fox for example. She took her road test in the middle of a hurricane! Her instructor entered the passenger side of the car and greeted her with a wink, nod of the head, and a “Sup?” If you encounter some weird situation like this, just pretend the instructor’s not there! The test only lasts 5-7 minutes.
2. “Don’t get nervous; control your nerves.”
Tori Silverman was “too cautious!” Don’t get the fear of failing mess you up! Go with the flow and take it one step at a time; be swift and confident.
3. “Stay focused!”
…Just like Vincent Cinque had to do. Apparently during his test, his instructor would give a direction and say, “Please thank you” in a fast Puerto Rican accent after each one. “She sounded like Rosie Perez’s cousin!” says Vincent. Don’t let a silly thing like that keep you from focusing on your driving.
However, if by chance, the failure is not your fault, don’t beat yourself up! Alana Mercurio failed because some guy whipped around the corner and she was accused of cutting him off. And Chessie Paulson failed because a cat ran out in front of her, and apparently she didn’t proceed with enough caution! Unfortunately things like this happen, so we just have to keep a positive mindset and prepare for next time.
The DMV recommends that you get enough practice, read over all the “safe driving tips” in the link below, arrive a half hour before your appointment, bring all necessary and proper documents to the testing site, and eat a balanced breakfast the morning of your test!
Visit: http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/broch/c28.htm
Happy Driving!
