Watch out people, I've passed my driving test!   Only made 3 minor faults...

BTW, I passed a couple of months ago.

While we're all here...how do people learn to drive in America?  Here we just go out on the roads from our first lesson with an instructors and can go out with parents if we're insured on the car...but I've never seen a learner car in the US whenever I've been on holiday...which is confusing. ???

Maybe the yanks don't have L plates. What I do know is that it's far harder here than it is over there. But well done for passing. I've still got to get round to booking my theory.

Some of my friends have been learning well over a year and havn't passed. I started learning late April and hope to pass when I get back from holiday in september. Thats if I ever get round to booking it.

I intend to. If i'm lucky I can get my theory before I go off in mid july. Then I can book my test for when I return in late september.

It's about six weeks I think for the actual test. Should be a fair bit less for the theory.

And you did it in an automatic.

I should be fine really. And if I don't pass, then I can always try again.

The system in the US seems simplier than the UK one.  What happens (at least in Oregon) is when you turn 15 you can get a learner's permit.  To do this you must pass a written exam only (rules of the road kind of thing) and have a parent/guardian sign that they take care of you and will instruct you.

Once you have this permit, you can drive with your parents (actually, I think with anyone 21 or older in the car) the idea being that you learn from your parents.  Usually, a parent will take you to a rather remote place and then teahc you the basics, once you master that you work up to harder things.  In the end, you find yourself driving your parents to the grocery store and things like that.

Once you turn 16, you can get your license.  There is no license for automatics or manuals-its the same license.  You take the driving test in your car (I took mine in my '96 Camaro), it does not matter if its an auto or manual.  I basically got my license having never driven a manual transmission vehicle (I have since learned).  There is a written and driving portion of the best and you must pass both to get your license.  Of course, there are some driving regulations for this license (I think its called a "Class C" License).  Mine's regulations say "Class C: Any single vehicle with a GVWR of not more than 26,000 pounds with the proper endorsements.  Any emergency vehicle opperated by a firefighter."

There are no required driving schools or lessions.  Those are avilable and help lower insurance but they are not required (I did a couple to lower the cost of insurance).  Also, if you are under 18 you must have had your learner's permit for at least 6 months (I don't think a permit is required if you are over 18, you can simply take the test).  Also, after a failure there is usually a waiting period before you can retake the test.  For example, the first time you fail its a 1 month wait, the 2nd time is 2 months and it goes on from there (I think that max is either 6 months or 1 year).

Also, some states have developed special laws for younger drivers.  Oregon has a law where for the first year you have your drivers license there is a curfew (I think you can't drive after 11pm or before 6am unless its school/work related).  For the first 6 months of that period you can't have any passengers (except for immediate family) and for the 2nd 6 months you can have a maximum of 3 passengers.  So, you won't have "full driving privalages" unless you have had your license for a year.  But, when you turn 18 the law no longer applies (so if you turn 18 the day after you got your license, this law doesn't apply).

Anyway, that is how you get your license in the US.

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in California you need something like 20 hours of inclass instruction before you can go for your permit test, and then after you get the permit test you need 6 "behind the wheel" hours with a driving instructor before you can drive with anybody else

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there are plenty of them in my area