ImmiBits

There's a joke around town about women and Asian being bad drivers. Well, I'm both - I'm Asian and I'm a woman. If I were to believe the joke, that would make me one of the lousiest drivers ever on the road. I'm proud to say I'm not even with little experience on the driver's seat. I would say I'm more of a careful driver because I'm aware of my limitations as a new driver with no driving experience in the past 28 years of my life. Yes, I've only been driving for a year, even less than that if you don't count the months I learned how to drive.Yet that is not to say I'm the best either.

Like all new drivers, I got tons of "driving bloopers" that just made me want to stop the car in the middle of the road and stop learning out of embarrassment and fear for near-accident mishaps. I got my share of honks from other irked drivers either because I was not paying attention or going too slow. I even made my mother-in-law cry (out of fear for her life what with me merging on the freeway not fast enough that a Semi-truck on the freeway almost hit us) when she was accompanying me on one of my driving expeditions. We survived that ordeal but I never once asked her again to go driving with me. I didn't think it was fair to put her on that situation anyway. Thankfully, I have a husband who's gutsy, patient and crazy enough to teach me the basics. Yes, we actually challenged the status quo and jumped in the forbidden land of husbands teaching wives how to drive. How did that work out for us? I would say, if you don't want a dent in your marriage then don't try what we did. Just kidding.

Honestly, there's the usual 'don't talk to me attitude' (mostly mine) while on the road especially after getting a good lecture on driving (what else). But when we got home, we talked about our feelings and forgave each other. We also talk about my improvements for the day and mistakes to avoid next time.

I remember the first time I drove a car was around our gated community on a 20 mph. After a few days of practice I thought I was ready to go out on the road so we tried it. As soon as I made the turn on a 35 road I just wanted to go back but I was just too scared to turn around all I did was go straight. When I realized another car was behind me I panicked because that made me uncomfortable. My husband was telling me to go faster (I was doing 20 on a 35) but I was just too scared to hit the gas pedal harder thinking the car's going to zoom off. My husband was laughing hysterically and told me, 'honey, this isn't a sports car, that's not going to happen. Just hit the gas and go faster.' I did as he said and from that moment on, I knew I would live; cars don't blow up by giving it more gas, silly.

After months of practice and experience, I took my driving test and (unexpectedly) passed! I got an 82% score on my test which I thought I failed. LOL. I just could not believe my ears when we returned to the licensing office and the examiner said, 'well, you passed with an 82.' I couldn't stop smiling which made it hard for me to make a joke and tell Bryan I didn't pass just to see his reaction. Of course, he didn't buy the joke. Well, I guess I just don't give myself enough credit.

That fateful day where I got my driver license was truly a memorable one. Yet it wasn't the end of my journey in driving lessons. The emotional highs and lows of learning to drive, especially with my husband as my teacher may have been over but I know there are still more lessons to learn out there in the real world as I do more driving.

For all new drivers out there, for others who are eager to learn and for some who are just starting, I want to share resources I found online that helped me in getting my Instruction Permit (IP) and eventually, my Driver License.

The first thing to do is learn the rules of the road. If you're from the Philippines, you know very well how crazy driving is over in our country. We don't have rules or even if we do, they're not strictly enforced. It's different over here and if you want to pass your test and avoid traffic violations and penalties even after you had your license, study the rules and follow them religiously. As a new driver it's important to develop good habits so start early. Trust me when I say that it won't be an easy task to memorize or understand all traffic regulations. Download online or get a copy of the Driver Guide Manual from your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or Department of Licensing. If you don't understand something, ask a friend or your spouse to explain it to you.

When you feel that you are ready for the computer test, go to your local icensing office and schedule a knowledge test of traffic safety laws. The test I had took 25-30 minutes to complete with 25 questions. I only had to get 20 or more answers correct to get my IP. I paid $20 for the test and that's good for 2 tries. I failed my first try by missing just one point. On my second though I got a 95% score. Generally, you don't get the same set of questions on each try so you can't cheat. Anyway, the sooner you get this done, the sooner you can learn actual driving. For more information on knowledge test for WA residents, check the WA State Licensing website. Below are websites that offer practice tests for free:

1. Free DMV Written Practice Test

2. The Online Study Guide for Student Drivers

3. DMV Practice Test

4. Driving Rules Network

Once you have your permit, you can enroll in a driving school or in a driving training program (for teen drivers offered by schools). You can also ask a loyal friend or a relative to teach you but s/he must have the patience and teaching skills required or you won't really learn much and might end up ruining your relationship. It took me 3 months (on and off) practice before I scheduled my driving test only to cancel it because I just was not ready to do it yet. I had to pay another $20 to take the actual driving test and on my 3rd try (after about a year of on/off practice) finally passed it. Here are some driving schools you may want to check out (look for a local school in your community, because sometimes they offer good discount rate):

1. Sears

2. 911 Driving School

3. US Driving Schools Directory

The key to learning is practice. Take every opportunity to drive. Drive your husband to work (if you must), drive your family to errands, it doesn't matter how you do it, just practice. Don't be scared to drive. Face your fears and you'll realize there isn't really anything to fear. Just drive, pay attention to your surroundings especially to the car in front of you. Try not to panic, relax, follow the rules, and you'll do just great!

Online resources:

WA State Driver Guide

DMV Location and Services - USA