Start your Engines
What you need to know before hitting the open road
By Jesse Sutherland

Checking your mirrors is a must when taking your driving test	Photo by Kylene Vessel

Sunglasses down, music blasting, the wind in your face, the sweet freedom of driving is so near you can almost smell it. You’ve been waiting all of your life to be able to get that wheel in your own hands, and be able to drive yourself wherever your whims may take you.

Not so fast! There are some necessary steps to take before you can climb into the driver’s seat, and understanding the system is the only way to land yourself there.

Each state has different rules for getting a driver’s license, so you’ll need to do some research. Most states have what is called a Graduated Driver’s License system.

And no, that doesn’t that mean you have to finish high school first.

It simply means that there are multiple steps to getting the keys to the car. (Think graduated cylinder, like in chemistry class.) Here goes!

Step 1—Driver’s Ed: At fifteen, you can earn your Instructional Permit. You’ll probably have to enroll in driver’s education classes where you’ll sit through hours of videos and worksheets. While not interesting, these worksheets are important. You’ll need thirty hours of in-classroom experience before moving on.

Step 2—Written Test: When your classroom hours are complete, you can head down to your local Department of Motor Vehicles to take the written test. You’ll need at least one of your parents with you, some kind of proof of identity, and verification of your Social Security number. The test will include a lot of the little intricate rules you learned from driver’s ed., so make sure to study the materials that they gave you in order to pass the first time.

Step 3—Practice: Once you’ve completed the test and gotten your vision checked, you’re allowed to drive with your parents in the car. All the fun of driving—without the freedom you were hoping for—but what the heck, they’ll probably pay for the gas. Just drive, and do lots of it, but be careful.

Keyed up and ready to go	Photo by Kylene Vessel

According to the new GDL rules, in most states you cannot have any moving violations for six months before taking your driving test. You need to have a lot of experience under your belt (thirty hours worth) before you take the big test, and the best way to get that experience is to drive everywhere.

“Practice is the only thing that can give a student experience and confidence,” said Debi Carroll of In Gear Driving School in White Bear Lake, Minnesota.

Challenge yourself. Drive downtown and in traffic. Try to do some parallel parking. The best scenario is that you confront every situation before your driving test so that when the time comes to take the test, there are no surprises.

Step 4—Behind the Wheel: You’ll also need to spend at least six hours in the car with a driving instructor armed with a clipboard and passenger seat brake. They may be intimidating, but they’re trying to help you…really.

“The most common mistake that students make is that they assume they know more than they really do,” Carroll said. “They don’t take time to learn the details.” When you’re sixteen, have completed driver’s ed., and have earned enough hours behind the wheel, then you can prepare for the driving test.

Step 5—The Big Test: A few days before your appointment, go out with someone once more to practice for the big day. Work on all of the little stuff like which way to turn your wheel when parking on a hill and the correct procedure when beginning to drive, such as checking your lights, mirrors, and seatbelt.

"The most common mistake I make when I drive is not knowing where the lights are. It depends on the car I drive,” said Noah Boyd of Apple Valley High School in Apple Valley, Minnesota.

Believe me, they’re going to watch your every move like a hawk and you don’t want to get marked down for something ridiculous, like not adjusting your rearview mirror.

“It was always stressed in driver’s ed. to check your right blind spot, so I was perfect on that,” said Brady Haas of Rice Lake High School in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. “But not once did I ever check my left blind spot so I lost points on that.”

Of course, not everyone passes the first time, which may be a worry on your mind.

Haas thought about that, too.

“The one basic thing that crossed my mind was the possibility of not passing, which would cause some embarrassment when telling my friends, as well as having to wait to take it all over again,” he said.

If it does happen, don’t worry about it. The amount of time you have to wait to take your test again depends on the mistakes you made on your first test. The longest wait, fortunately, is only two weeks. Just practice up and you’ll be ready for the next time.

Step 7—Afterwards: When you do get your license, congratulations! You’ve earned that freedom and now it’s just a matter of getting the keys from your parents—good luck with that.

Remember, however, that this process is not quite over because you’ve only earned your provisional license and that still has some limitations depending on the state you live in. You’ll need to drive at least a full year without any accidents or moving violations before you can apply for your full license at age eighteen. Under

new rules, like Minnesota’s Vanessa’s law, if you have any kind of alcohol or controlled substance-related violation you will lose your license until you are eighteen and have to take your driver’s training all over. They’re not joking around when it comes to this stuff.

Getting your license is quite the bureaucratic process, but with a little research and lots of practice, you’ll soon be on the road to that distant horizon—wherever it may be.