US driving test (no, not even tangentially related to trains)

[whole diary]

[inspector_blakey]

Ever visited the US and wondered why there seem to be quite a lot of drivers who, putting it kindly, don't appear like they're fully on top of the situation? I think I may have the answer.

As of yesterday, I am now the proud owner of a Pennsylvania driver's license. There was a theory test, so you need to learn the rules of the road to pass that. However, the practical test consisted of...wait for it...one reverse parking manoeuvre in a rather large space, and a two minute circuit of a supermarket car park. Really!

Apparently that means I'm now qualified to mix it with the US freeway system with its utterly incomprehensible intersections (no roundabouts so each junction is an intricate tangle of exit ramps that fire off in all directions and curve back on themselves, eventually hopefully spitting you out of the intersection in the direction you want to be going) and huge traffic volumes.   

[Chris from Nailsea]

And, even more worryingly, inspector_blakey: I understand you can now go out and buy guns in Pennsylvania ... 

[johoare]

When I lived in Virginia I had to do the driving test there.. All I had to do, apart from the the theory, was drive around the block once.. Funnily enough I passed.. I'm hoping that the fact I already had a (British) license meant that the Virginia one was easier to get.. I'm hoping 

[Timmer]

Congratulations on passing your US driving test Inspector. Exactly what i've heard US driving tests are like. Meanwhile back in Blighty the DSA have added a new string to the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) driving test bow called Independent driving from October:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQRl3zkkOgg

[grahame]

If you're coming to England from the USA, you have to take a British driving test to stay on the road after 6 months ... but if you come from almost any other country of the world, you can swap your license.   My wife from the USA had to take a new test; my daughter in law from South Africa simply swapped hers for a UK^▸ (United Kingdom) one.

I had previously understood the reason to be that the UK has reciprocal arrangements with lots of other countries ... but that can't work with the USA because they test on a state by state basis.  But perhaps it's really because the tests are so easy.

[Chris from Nailsea]

Hmm.  Some of the scariest driving I've ever seen was in South Africa: most of their main roads are punctuated every few miles with crucifixes and bunches of flowers at the roadside, marking the site of yet another unfortunate incident. 

[inspector_blakey]

It's made even more complicated here because driving licences are issued and tested by the state, not Federal, government. PA^▸ (Public Address) has reciprocity arrangements with France and Germany but no others as far as I'm aware.

Will have to look into this gun thing though, I thought I had to be a citizen...!

[Mookiemoo]

Wel can I say ...

When I got my Kansas driving licence I did not have a uk driving licence and me experience was much the same - seems the default is drivers Ed in high school - other than that a rudimentRy rubber stamp

[Chris from Nailsea]

Will have to look into this gun thing though, I thought I had to be a citizen...!

No, just resident (measured in terms of 'majority of the year spent there') and a current driving license, so far as I can tell!  

I'd like a Colt .357 Magnum and a Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum, please!  

[inspector_blakey]

Ahhh...the old chestnut or "residence"...

As far as Homeland Security and US CUstoms and Border Protection are concerned, I am a non-resident because of my immigration status. For federal tax purposes, this year and last year I'm considered to be non-resident but next year I'll become resident. Meanwhile for PA^▸ (Public Address) state tax purposes I'm a resident because I spend more than 183 days a year here! So I'm simultaneously resident and non-resident depending on whether it's by the taxman or the immigration man's definition... 

[Chris from Nailsea]

Coincidentally: from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) today:

New driver restrictions 'would save lives'

Newly qualified young drivers should be banned from night-time motoring and carrying passengers of a similar age, Cardiff University researchers say.

They said such "graduated driver licensing" for those aged 17-19 could save more than 200 lives and result in 1,700 fewer serious injuries each year.

Similar schemes already exist in New Zealand, Australia and parts of the US.

But motoring organisations say the limits - which could last up to two years - would be difficult to enforce.

Meanwhile, the Tune into Traffic campaign group has highlighted the dangers of listening to music on MP3 players and iPods while driving and walking.

The research will be presented at the World Safety Conference, which will hear from other experts on how road safety could be improved.

While road deaths have now fallen to an all-time low, 2,222 people still died on the roads last year.

Experts at the London conference will argue this figure can be reduced even lower with more restrictions and greater awareness of risks.

The Cardiff University study was compiled after analysing road accident data from 2000 to 2007.

Research suggests one in five new drivers crashes within the first six months. The Cardiff team says that by targeting them with graduated driver licensing, many accidents might be avoided.

Cutting the UK^▸ (United Kingdom)'s accident rate would also save the economy ^890m, the team estimates.

[devon_metro]

I haven't crashed! We pay through the nose in insurance premiums! I suggest they go and ruin someone elses life!

[inspector_blakey]

There are different drink driving limits in PA^▸ (Public Address) (and I don't doubt the rest of the US) for under-21s, which are effectively "zero tolerance" because you'll almost certainly be over the limit after one drink. But then again, under-21s drinking is flat-out illegal here. It's not like the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) where you have to be 18 to purchase alcohol but can legally consume it in the family home when you're much younger. Anyone here who drinks underage, or sells/serves alcohol to anyone under the age of 21, faces an exceedingly stiff fine. In fact, if you have a conviction for underage drinking I think your driving licence can be suspended before you've even got it!

There's an interesting debate to be had here about why alcohol is more tightly controlled than handguns in this and other states, but I think that's a debate for another place and another forum

[Mookiemoo]

I remember I was effectively tee total in year 1 at uni - you know the year when you normally go nuts

Then on my flight to the US for years 2 and 3 I wanted a beer and could not get one as it was a US branded airline - from that moment, the I'm 18 and I can bloody well drink kicked in

This was back in 1994 so long before photo shop and all that so fake ID was a lot harder to manage - I still did it though.  All it needed was an English accent and some sweet talking that my *ID* was a valid UK^▸ (United Kingdom) ID as I could not have a SS card since I was not a US worker and could not drive as not US licence.

Didnt mention the DL I got after six months!

[JayMac]

Well, I've just spent the last 2 hours drinking and driving.

What's worse, I was driving a train......