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| A Lost Nervous Nellie Just Received Directions To Testing Center [tumblr] |
Well, here we go! Nervous Nellie is going to take the written UK driver's test this Friday! Woo hoo!
I was unable to book at a test center close to my house, so I have a complicated drive to a town I can't even pronounce :) I will give myself 2 hours to get there - so I hopefully I will have some time to cram once there - just like the good 'ol days
I have studied the book, the CD ROM, and the phone app - I am going to pass this thing, baby!
Here are a few of my 'Cliff Notes' to share:
1. You can park your car in either direction on the side of the road. You also can park half of your car on the sidewalk, but not all of it
2. You don't have to drive with your license on you; you have 7 days to present it at a police station if requested
3. Major highways (aka 'motorways') have posts every 100 metres (or is it yards?) that have arrows on the back of them to show you the direction to the nearest emergency telephone. Isn't that clever?
4. You cannot use your horn from 11:30p to 7a - not even a short 'love ya!' beep to your girlfriends
5. Roads have national speed limits. You know what type of road you are on (and therefore the speed limit) based on the height of the street lights
6. No need to stop for stopped school buses
7. All children can sit in the front seat as long as they are in a proper fitting seat or booster (except infants). My kids like this one but it promotes bickering, so for birthdays only
8. Don't pull over and stop for emergency vehicles
9. All emergency vehicles have blue (not red) blinking lights. This includes bomb rescue, search & rescue, and blood transfusion vehicles
10. It is illegal to drive with snow on any car window (blocks vision), headlights, or license plate
11. It is illegal to use mobile phones
12. Motorcycles and bicycles can pass between cars and right down the center lane (this makes Nellie very nervous)
One common theme is traffic flow. Stop lights and stop signs are less common than yields and roundabouts. Many rules promote traffic to keep moving. I like that.
Another theme is courtesy. There is a chapter in the book dedicated to first aid, CPR, and signs of shock - in case of an accident you can help your fellow driver. And lots of details about being a polite driver. A friend of mine received a black mark on her driving test for driving through a puddle. If a pedestrian had been on the sidewalk, the person would have gotten wet. That's sort of sweet...
Safety precautions are everywhere. There are fire extinguishers and some sort of fire retardant sand at each gas pump. You never ever see a beat up car here - ALL cars are in pristine condition. Any car older than three years must endure a rigorous 'MOT' test, and if it doesn't pass, the car is deemed undriveable. No duct tape holding cars together here. Not one has a dent. I'm wondering if it is illegal for your car to be dirty too, because everyone's looks clean but mine :) -the car wash is a whole 'nother blog post-
Ideally, horses crossing a road should wear safety reflective bands around their 'ankles', and the rider should wear florescent reflective material.
So I told my husband that a herd of sheep should wear those reflective bands around their legs when crossing the road too - and he totally believed me! See how we have become accustomed to living here?! He didn't even question it.
RELATED POSTS
Recounting First Day Driving here
Nervous Nellie Gets A Drivers License, Part 1 here
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