Driving test - what test??

[bonnevista]

My 17 year old went for his P's today and passed first go.

That's great, BUT - When I asked him about the test, all they basically did was go for a casual drive around the industrial area (very light traffic) near the Motor Registry and have a friendly chat.

He wasn't required to do a reverse park, AND he told me during the week, that if you were required to attempt a reverse park during your test, you'd be given FIVE goes at it, before it was considered a failure.

Instead of doing 120 hours behind the wheel on your L's, just make the test hard, we'd all save a lot of time, money and effort.

Having said all that, I spent 3 years as a driver training instructor at the NSW Police Academy back in the late '80's and I'm satisfied that his skills are good, but today, his skills weren't even put to the test.  

Rant over.

One other thing.  He did the test in the ex's Commodore.  It has a crack on the passenger side of the windscreen and in the blurb the RTA gives you, they can knock the car back on something like a cracked screen, because the testing officer might have their vision impaired by the crack.

So, I drove the car to the registry where he was doing the test and asked for a testing officer to take a look and let us know where we stood.

As she was taking a look, I mentioned that if this car was knocked back, I had another car he could do the test in - a left hand drive 1972 Pontiac convertible.

Her eyes widened and she said, "please don't bring that, the Commodore will be fine."

True story.    

[Steve]

Interesting
Would they have actually let him use  the Bonneville for his driving test ????????? after all it IS a V8 !!!!!!!!!!!

[68PONY]

I'm sure if you said , i have a 1968 mustang convertible he can do the test in her response would have been , Yes! this crack in the windscreen is not acceptable and he will have to use the mustang

[Bumblebee]

I'm sure if you said , i have a 1968 mustang convertible he can do the test in her response would have been , Yes! this crack in the windscreen is not acceptable and he will have to use the mustang

[srh]

..............As she was taking a look, I mentioned that if this car was knocked back, I had another car he could do the test in - a left hand drive 1972 Pontiac convertible.

Her eyes widened and she said, "please don't bring that, the Commodore will be fine."

Thats because it was a drivers licence test not a boat licence

[Kroooozer]

Cracks in windscreens are acceptable as long as they are not in drivers direct view.....its the light refraction from cracks that is the concern.....I have got one very close to that area and it has been like that for 4 years of rego checks and never questioned.

[bonnevista]

They weren't questioning the roadworthiness of the car, having the crack on the passenger side.  It wouldn't have been defected.  They were saying that if the crack obscures the view of the testing officer, when sitting in the passenger seat, then that car would not be suitable to undertake the driving test.

[roadhound]

Well you never know what the test will require.
at least he was prepared for what ever.We got
drive school to help out thinking it as advantage
He made sure he was right and we booked the test
In like flynn, he learnt auto but these days drives a stick lancer
Now the driving begins with all the other yahoos out there.
It takes a while to predict driver behaviour like some d/head not stopping at stop sign while texting and thats not in
the handbook..Every red P treat with caution

[GT SALLY]

Not only red P's or green P's, what about the fully licenced dimwits, there are plenty of those. This test sounds like the one I sat for in July 1968, one year (I think) after P plates were introduced. I thought I was very unfortunate having to wear the Red P's, but was still allowed to drive my dads 289 XT.