I have totaled two cars. Two big cars. I've rolled both of them over, both from the same stupid mistake of over-correction. If I had been driving cars that were lower to the ground, the vehicle probably would not have flipped over...but that's besides the point.
My first accident happened only two months after I got my license. And then the second accident happened a mere five months after that. Thank goodness I wasn't breaking the law and driving anyone else in the car when the first accident occurred.
Now, I am not making excuses for my accidents, but I wonder why they happened in the first place. Why did I attend 210 hours of driving school and 8 hours of road time with an instructor and flip over two cars? And why did I pay so much money for this instruction when I almost killed myself two months later? I think that the driving school instruction needs to be improved tremendously. In my state, if one attends driving school, you are required to have only 8 hours of practice on the road with an instructor before you can test for your license. You don't even need to ATTEND driving school (aside from drug and alcohol courses) in order to test for a license, as long as you've had your permit for six months. This seems ridiculous to me. The standards for students in driving school just aren't high enough, and this is why there are so many teenage accidents across the country. I was never taught how to handle an SUV and all of my road hours were spent driving a tiny little car.
Could driving schools have a range of sizes for their student cars? And if not, could they at least address issues such as over-correction and center of gravity concerns? Maybe it was just my driving school that was lacking in these areas, but overall, I think that the country needs to improve its education requirements and develop a more rigorous program for people trying to obtain their licenses. Driving the instructor to Walgreens during my road hours didn't exactly teach me anything...
(Edit: I should mention that no one was harmed in these accidents, thankfully, and luckily, and no one else was involved in them besides myself.)
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... maybe you shouldn't drive cars that you can't control or don't feel comfortable in.
I went through the same type of driver's ed and had the same permit before my license. And I've never gotten into an accident or gotten a ticket of any kind.
I'm not saying anything against you... but maybe you should stop opting for the big cars with a high center of gravity. They suck on gas, anyway.
Save up some money and get a different car.
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You are the Voice of the Childwen of the Revowution! [Toulouse, Moulin Rouge]
I've obviously learned from my mistakes, but when the only type of car available to you is the one your family already owns...well there isn't much you can do about it. I had to work with what I had. And I never felt uncomfortable in my car, since I grew up in that very same vehicle. I think it's difficult to know what cars you "can't control" until you come across a test of that ability. But trust me, I will never own another SUV.
Also, I still believe that driving schools really aren't strict enough in their requirements or even in their teaching processes. Where I went, there was never any homework. There were never any quizzes or tests. And while I know there are people who have been through the same system and have not yet been in any accidents or had any run-ins with the law, have they retained much that they learned in driving school? Would I be able to pass the 200 question pre-test they gave us before the big test day, getting every question correct? Probably not anymore.
At the very least, I think there should be re-testing requirements to keep people's minds sharp. Maybe every 10 years or so..I think it would make a difference in the amount of accidents we see.
Hmmm... I do agree with the re-testing, only I vote for every five years
It sounds like our driver's ed classes were much different. We had a test every class (which was twice a week) and a drive once a week.
We also had a week devoted to emergencies, where the instructor would grab the wheel randomly and jerk it with all his/her might (simulating loss of control or a tire blowing), the instructor would cover the top of your vision with a clipboard and force you to look underneath (simulating what would happen if the hood flew up randomly) and a few other emergency situations.
Now they have a hydroplane simulator and all that. It's really helpful in preparing for the road.
Also, in WA, to get your license, you have to have a certain amount of daytime practice hours and a certain amount of nighttime practice hours.
It is way too easy to get your license, though. I know someone who got an incredibly low score but was able to go back the next week and re-take it.
Like I said, I wasn't trying to say anything against you. It just sounds like SUVs aren't the car for you ;-)
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You are the Voice of the Childwen of the Revowution! [Toulouse, Moulin Rouge]
Wow, can I move to WA? That sounds fantastic, especially the whole "emergency week" thing. I'd like to experience that now, even. It sounds very frightening, but entirely necessary. Your Driver's Ed. was so much more intense than mine! I'm a little jealous...of course, when I was flying right through my hours, I didn't mind. Ah, hindsight.
And heck yes, I am with you on the 5 year requirement, even!
You don't want to move here.
Even still, we have the worst traffic and worst drivers of any place I've ever been to. All the idiots from California who come up here and fill our roads....
haha, Just kidding, Californians who live in WA.
Or am I?
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You are the Voice of the Childwen of the Revowution! [Toulouse, Moulin Rouge]