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Hi there smart drivers, Rick with Smart
Drive Test. Eight more tips for passing
your road test: 1) space management; 2) speed
management; 3) communication; and 4) observation,
are the four fundamental components of
an any road test, regardless of class of
license anywhere in the world. Those are
the four fundamental components that you
have to demonstrate to be successful on
a road test - speed management, space
management, observation and communication.
I am going to go into more detail a little
bit later here in the video. As well,
we're going to talk about new technology
on cars, particularly backup cameras. No
you cannot use the backup camera for the
purposes of a road test. And I will give you
more information about that. Practicing
practice, practice, practice!The more
practice you can get driving, the higher
chance of success you're going to have
on your road test. We talked a little bit
about driving examiner's and what to
expect on your road test. And finally
we're going to talk about doing a mock
road test. Hire a local driving school
before you go down for your road test
and preferably do it seven to ten days
before your road test. So stick around,
we'll be right back with that
information.
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Hi there smart drivers, Rick with Smart
Drive Test - eight more tips to pass your
road test. Space management... number one
Don't get near anything, don't hit
anything and stay away from other road
users on the roadway. And I'll put a card
up here for you in the corner for
pedestrians crossing the roadway when
you're turning. You have to have at least
one lane of traffic between you and the
pedestrians. So stay away from other
pedestrians and vulnerable road users:
bicycles. This is the reason that we
shoulder check is so that you can check
your blind spots around the vehicle and
ensure that you're not near pedestrians,
bicycles, or scooters. So space management -
don't get near anything, don't strike
anything. If you strike a any object--a
fixed object or you strike another road
user--unfortunately you're not going to
be successful on your road test.. Space
management is number one. The second
criteria for a road test: 2) speed
management. You have to be able to do the
posted speed limit or the traffic flow
or the capability of the vehicle, whichever is less. So
posted speed limit - you have to maintain
a constant flow. If you look at my video
here on a mock road test - on how to do a
road test - you're going to see in the
camera--I'll put a card up for you in the
corner here--you're going to see in the
camera that i rarely hit the posted
speed limit in residential areas.It's
only when I get out onto the bigger
road that I actually get up to the
speed limit. If the flow of traffic is
less than the posted speed limits than
that's what you do. If you're driving a
higher class vehicle--a bigger vehicle, a
RV, you're pulling a trailer, you're doing
a heavy trailer endorsement, tractor
trailer or bus, and you're going up a
hill you can only do what the capability
of the vehicle. So that's the last
speed requirement for speed management
in terms of a road test. Number 3:
communication. You have to communicate
with other road users what you are doing.
And that is
done through your lights, your signals, your
horn, appropriate hand
signals - don't tell other road users
they're number one, especially on a road
test. You won't be successful! And finally
the position of your vehicle, where your
vehicle is on the roadway communicates
to other road users what you're doing on
the roadway. So communication - that is
fundamental for passing a road test.
Number four, observation. You have to
observe when you're doing your slow
speed maneuvers, when you're reversing
the vehicle - you have to do a 360° degree
scan. That means you look forward, you
look to both sides of the vehicle, and
you look out the back and check your
mirrors. A 360° degree scan and as well
observe - when you're driving down the
roadway you need to scan intersections,
laneways, railway crossing - any place that
there's going to be an intersection
between you and other road users. And
other vehicles - you have to observe the
whole time that you're driving for the
purposes of your road test. It indicates to the
examiner that you are looking, you are
looking at other road users, you're
interpreting traffic patterns, and you're
predicting what other vehicles on the
roadway are going to do in relation to
those traffic patterns. Because for the
most part, traffic is predictable and you
can predict what other road users are
doing on the roadway. Now you'll hear me
say this again and again and again when
I do this... when i do the videos here:
number 5...I think we're up to number 5?
Number 5 is practice. If you don't
practice for the purposes of your road
test, you're not going to be successful.
Practice slow speed maneuvers and I'm
going to put a card up here for you in
the corner on fundamentals of driving.
Learning the fundamentals of driving: the
steering wheel, the brake, and the throttle,
and the clutch if you're driving a
manual transmission are the primary
controls of the vehicle. It's like doing
music, you have to practice scales to get
good at it. The same thing with driving,
you have to practice the fundamentals.
It's the same thing with martial arts,
you've got to do wall punches, you got to
do punches, kicks, you got to shadow box - you
have to know the fundamentals and it's
no different with driving. You have to
practice the fundamentals. If you don't
practice the fundamentals, you're not
going
be good at driving. And it's going to be
unlikely that you're going to be
successful on a road test. And again
practice the slow speed manoeuvres, this will
translate into all of your overall driving and
make your driving better overall. Number
six - technology. Backup cameras - all these
new vehicles have beepers and backup
cameras. And for the purposes of a road test
you cannot rely on technology for the
purposes of passing your road test.
Unfortunately I've had smart drivers
who've left comments here that they
failed because they used the backup
camera while they were backing into the
parking space and doing the reverse bay
parking. You have to turn your body and
you have to look out the back window of
the vehicle for the purposes of a road
test. And the reason that they do that is
because the examiner is thinking you're
not always going to be driving the same
vehicle that you're in. You're going to
be moving around to different vehicles
and you're going to have to know how to
do it regardless of the technology
that's in that vehicle. So you have to
turn around when back up and look out the back
window - look out the back window
while you're reversing the vehicle for
the purposes of the road test. So know
that. That's a question that I've had
quite a bit - about backup cameras. No you
can't use the backup camera. Number seven -
driving examiners. Driving is not
objective; there isn't a formula - it's
subjective. And when I get into a vehicle
with somebody that I'm doing a road test
with or I'm doing an evaluation with I
can tell very quickly--within two or
three minutes--whether that person can
drive or not. Driving examiners are no
different. As well, driving examiner's
each have their little quirks. I worked
with many different driving examiner's
and we had a driving examiner in
Victoria, British Columbia here who solid
white lines were his pet peeve. If you
crossed over a solid white line he was
going to ding you for it. Here in Vernon,
BC where I now live and I now work we
have a driving examiner's - if
you're driving a larger class vehicle
and you bang off the road markings--
the lane demarcations--you're going to lose
points for that. In other words, when you wander in the lane. So every driving
examiner has the little quirk. I've had
lots of smart drivers tell me that they
were unsuccessful on the road test because
their turns were too slow or some other
aspects out their driving caused them to fail. That's
not particularly true. We have a saying
in martial arts: "One thing shows all!"
And what happens is, driving examiners
are not going to pass you on your road
test if your fundamentals are not in
place; if you have not done the work and
practiced your slow speed maneuvers.
Because they know that you are not up to
a certain standard be able to drive, but
they're going to tell you that your
turns were too slow or some other
aspects of your driving. Because they
can't say, "Oh the person can't drive!"
Your driving is simply not up to a standards, and they have to
be specific. It has to look objective, so
when they tell you that something
happened--it was not a dangerous action
because the dangerous action is
something different--it's just that
you're driving isn't up to a certain
standard. And it comes back to practicing
your slow speeds maneuvers - you have to
practice
your slow speed maneuvers or you're not
going to be successful on your road test.
And when examiner's tell you one thing
that was wrong with your road test and
that was the reason you failed,
oftentimes that's not the only reason
you failed. You failed because you're
driving was up not up to a standard. So
practice, practice, practice and know that
each driving examiner expects a certain
level of competency when it comes to
driving. Number eight - mock road test.
Seven to ten days before you go for your
road test, if you haven't taken driving
lessons, hire a local driving school and
go out for a mock road test. You are not
going to learn from the videos on this
channel how to drive! Driving is not a
spectator sport - you have to get in the
vehicle, regardless of class of license
whether it's a motorcycle, a car, a
a bus, or a truck and you have to get in the
vehicle and you have to drive it. If you
don't get in the vehicle and practice
and drive, you're not going to learn how
to drive. And you are not going to learn
how to drive from these videos. These
videos will give you a great deal of
information about what is expected of you
for the purposes of passing a road test
and for defensive driving and helping
you to drive safely when you get your
license, but it will not help you pass
the road test if you don't practice. You need to get in the
vehicle and you need to practice. The same
thing is true for being a good baseball player,
being good at sports, being good at dance, being
good at music. You have to do it! If you don't do it,
you're not going to be successful.
So practice, practice, practice. Get a mock
road test seven to ten days before your
road test and a driving instructor will
be able to identify the gaps in your
abilities. Things that need to fix
or strengthen before you go for your
road test. So make sure you do a mock
road test before you go down for your
driving exam. Quick review of eight tips
to pass your road test. 1) Observation;
2) communication; 3) speed; and 4)space management.
Those are the four fundamentals of a
road test regardless of class of license
and regardless of where as a test is in
the world. Those four fundamentals are all
the same. Space management, don't get near
other road users, don't get near fixed
objects. And unfortunately if you strike
a fixed object on your road test, you're
not going to be successful. Speed
management - the posted speed limit, traffic
flow, or the capability of the vehicle
whichever is less. Communication - you have
to communicate to other road users what
you're doing by your lights, your signals,
hand signals--appropriate hand signals--
and the position of the vehicle on the
roadway will indicate to other road
users what you're doing. You have to
observe - scanning intersections or any
points of conflict along the roadway.
Scanning railway crossings - as well,
shoulder checking to look for other road
users in your blind spots, particularly
vulnerable road users which include
motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians,
riders on motorcycles. Those are all
vulnerable road users. So shoulder
checking. As well, doing 360° degrees scans.
Anytime you put the vehicle in reverse,
you're looking out the back window.
checking your mirrors to both
sides and looking out the front of the
vehicle - observation. That is the huge
component of any road test. Practice,
practice, practice, practice slow speed
maneuvers because this will improve your
overall driving and you will learn to
drive faster if you do your slow speed
maneuvers. And practice, practice, practice.
You cannot rely on the technology in the
vehicle to back up. You cannot use backup
beepers or backup cameras. You simply
can't do that for the purposes of the
road test because what they're thinking
is that you're going to move around in
different vehicles and drive different
vehicles. And if that technology isn't in
another vehicle, you won't be able to
observe properly and drive that vehicle
safely. So that's what they're thinking
in terms of not relying on technology
for the purposes of your road test. Driving
examiners - all driving examiners
have little quirks, but if you're driving
is up to a certain level you're going to
be successful on your road test. As well,
driving examiners - if you are
unsuccessful on your road test, will tell
you one thing that you did wrong.
Oftentimes, it's not just that one thing!
Oftentimes your entire driving ability
was not up to a certain level and if
it's not up to a certain level the driving examiner is
going to tell you one thing and that was
the reason you failed, but oftentimes
that's not it at all. So I come back
again to practicing the slow speed
maneuvers and getting your driving up to
a certain level. It's the same thing as
music or martial arts or any other
activity - you have to do it to get better
at it. You
have to practice. And finally, seven to
ten days before your road test go down
and do a mock road test with the local
driving school. They'll be able to
identify gaps in your knowledge and that
way you'll have a few days to be able to
work on that and improve those skills
and abilities that you need the purposes
of a road test. Question for my smart
drivers: do you have any tips for new
drivers going down for a road test? Leave
a comment down in the comment section
there, all of that helps out the new
drivers working towards getting their
license. If you like what you see here
share, subscribe, leave a comment down in
the comment section. As well, hit that
thumbs up button. Check out all the
videos here on the channel if you're
working towards the license or starting
a career as a truck or bus driver - lots
of great information here. As well, head
over to the smart drive test website. Awesome information over
there and tremendous online courses that
you can purchase. And in May 2017, we're
bringing out "Air brakes explained simply."
It updates the 40 year old air brake
manuals that are currently in circulation in
North America. As well, there's a hundred
air brake questions--multiple choice
questions--that you will be asked on a
CDL (Commercial Driver's License) theory exam. So look for that in May
2017. I'm Rick with Smart Drive Test.
Thanks very much for watching. Good luck
on your road test. And remember, pick the
best answer not necessarily the right
answer. Have a great day. Bye now.
number... what number are we on? number
six, seven, eight - we're on number eight - no
we're not on number eight, we're on
number six. [LAUGHING] Yes, okay number nine, number
seven
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