Well I remembered something yesterday – it was 31 years since I passed my driving test! I took my test on a freezing, foggy November morning, in Cambridge where there’s a lot of bikes! Oh, and I passed, first time!
But it got me thinking, sitting up here in the chilly and wet North East and watching the news about the South West getting blanketed with snow already: are you at an advantage depending on where and when you take your driving test?
I did a ‘crash course’ (always an unfortunate term I think!) of two weeks intense driving which culminated in my test. My instructor make me go through a car wash on the way to my test (I think to calm my nerves, I’m unsure if it worked). It was 8am on a freezing, foggy East Anglian morning but I was ready. Most of my lessons had been along dark, foggy country lanes so I was confident in that weather. If anything I was glad the sun wasn’t sitting bright and low in the sky; I think that might have been worse. Squinting while trying to concentrate and do a hill-start (I don’t even know if they do those in a test any more…cars have hill assist now so you don’t even have know how to stop yourself from rolling backwards with your clutch) might have been my undoing.
Obviously I don’t know what it’s like to take your test in the summer, but I do believe that those of us who take their test in hazardous weather could be better prepared for driving in snow, sleet and fog. It doesn’t faze me at all. Many times I’ve been in a car with someone who just freaks out when it starts to snow. Granted it’s a bit like going through a warp speed vortex which can be distracting!
I don’t know if time of day makes a difference? I was glad to get it out of the way and can’t imagine having to wait ALL DAY for my test time. What if the tester has had a bad day? That said mine was a Monday morning so what if they’ve had a bad weekend?
Is your second test easier (obviously I wouldn’t know that either, passing first time…!)? Are you calmer or more nervous? If it’s at a different time of day/year are you at an advantage or not?
So back to the weather. If you’re driving in this for your test
are you going to be more nervous, at a disadvantage? Or are you going to be a better driver because if you can handle this you can drive in anything?
We’d love to hear your thoughts, and tell us when you took your test and where. Did you feel aggrieved that you had adverse weather or lucky that the sun was shining, and did you think it had a bearing on your result?
Remember, whatever the weather Oak Road have you covered. Pop in to any branch for winter care, screen cleaning for anti sun glare and possibly even snow shovels!