My dad taught my brother and me the basics of driving in his company car around a paddock. I drove a couple of tractors afterwards but only off road.
Each year at school a local driving instructor would do theory lessons after school for anyone who was approaching seventeen, as long as some of the pupils signed up for driving lessons afterwards.
My mate and I started shortly after we both turned seventeen. We couldn’t afford an hour each, so we split a one hour lesson between us.
The instructor gave a free one hour lesson immediately before the test proper, and made us drive around routes routinely used for the tests. I went through an unmarked crossroads without stopping, only realising when I was half-way across that I should have stopped to check and give way if necessary.
The examiner took me across the same crossroads. I passed first time. That would have been 1971.
I took my motorbike test when I was twenty one. 'Twas a piece of cake. I was told to drive round a block of houses until he flagged me down, then told to drive the opposite way round. At some point he stuck his arm out for me to demonstrate my emergency stop. Even though I stalled the bike, I still passed.
I took a company driving test so I could drive the mobile recording vans around, but all that involved was driving a Transit Van to the shops so a chap from the works garage could pick something up. Nobody ever failed the company test.
I was 16 for my motor cycle test and at 17 I passed my car test. I passed them on the first attempt , I was a bit nervous but in the end thought it was a pretty easy test. My kids had to keep a log book and have 120 hours of driving before they were able to take their test.
When I came to Australia I went into the RTA handed over my UK licence, the bloke asked me what I would do at a pedestrian crossing, I told him I would give way to pedestrians, he then printed out a NSW licence for me. I gave up my motorcycle licence then which I regret now.
In the 1980s I went for a truck and a year later a semi licence and passed them on the first attempt (not difficult). At the time I also obtained a public carriage licence which allowed me to drive fare paying passengers in anything from a hearse to a bus/coach. (since the standardisation of driving licences I think that is now defunct.)
When I turn 80 I shall give up the truck licences otherwise I will have to take a test every year, indeed from later this year I will need to take a two yearly medical to keep all my licences anyway.
I forgot to add I also had a First Class Engine Drivers Ticket for reciprocating and turbine engines and all boilers (I bet there are not many of those on here) but since I retired I have let that lapse.
I honestly don’t know if I could ever pass a driving test today. I did the theory test years ago, but being on the road in an actual car, is a scary thought. For me and other drivers
I remember failing on the first test for being “too cautious” at junctions.
It used to be something my Driving Instructor kept telling me about too.
I took the test again not long after and passed it.
Here we are, 45 years later and I’m much more confident about driving but still cautious at junctions! - I’ve never had an accident, though.
I passed my Driving test in 1984 after 26 lessons by my next door neighbour who was a Driving Instructor and passed first go, drove for just one year with an New shape Beetle, then never drove again. I would rather get a bus.
1967 i passed my test in a mini first time . I remember ringing my mum from the driving school office to tell her she was so pleased. I remember my first lesson and was told to turn right and i almost drove into a wall as i turned too soon . I remember answering 3 questions about stopping distance and speeds and recognising a sign . Id struggle to pass the theory test now i have tried online and keep failing
My second wife was the worst driver I have ever come across. She had to steer to stay in a lane.
When she first started to learn I had an Holden HJ with three speed manual gearbox on the steering column. For day after day I took her to a quiet back street but she could never get from first gear into second before the car stopped (you couldn’t get it moving in second). She complained it was the car’s fault and the gear lever should be on the floor.
There after I paid for her to have lessons with a driving school. After having about 10 lessons the driving instructor came in to tell me that there was no way she would ever learn to drive with a manual car and that she should learn in an automatic.
After several more months of lessons she took a test and failed. In those days you paid for one test and that basically covered all the tests until you passed. Personally I thought she would never pass but she persisted and took a test every second day for about three months. I was as amazed as anybody when she finally passed so I had to buy her an auto car.
I don’t know how many cars she scrapped or hit but there is no way she should have been allowed on the road but it was always someone else’s fault according to her.
I should say she was in her mid/late thirties when she started to learn and that I always bought a manual car for the family - there was no way I was going to let her drive that.
