Roads Which Taught You How To Drive

[kphoger]

The roads that really taught me to drive were the dirt and gravel roads outside the town I grew up in.  On those, I learned how to come out of a fishtail and how to drive in mud.  Furthermore, both of those skills translate fairly well to driving in snow.

[kphoger]

Drivers Ed took me on US 74, I-85, and I-277, as well as many surface roads in between

Your driver's ed went on the freeway? Mine only covered local roads, none of which were more than five lanes. I never drove on a road with a speed limit greater than 40 in driver's ed (and that was only one road).

Our driver's ed instructor (Atwood, KS) took us 31 miles away just so we could drive on rural I-70 for 8 miles.  We also went up into McCook, NE, for "city" driving.

[kkt]

Where I learned to drive, we called the classroom part of learning rules of the road "driver's ed" and the behind the wheel part "driver's training."  Driver's training included a couple of times on the freeway.  I-280 for me, in the early afternoon when it wasn't as jammed as it got later.

[wriddle082]

Other than driving neighborhood roads, my first freeway driving experience was the Bluegrass Parkway in KY.  My mom would pull over as soon as we got on and we would switch places, and I would drive the whole thing.  Mostly light to moderate traffic, and perfect for novice drivers IMO.

I remember in driver's ed, when I did my two or three days of driving around town, the freeway portions started out on Briley Parkway in Nashville when it was still four lanes around the east side, and towards the end I had to make the transition from I-40 west to I-440 west BEFORE the I-24 eastbound dual carriageways were started.  Meaning I had to merge onto 24 east in the left lane and had a half a mile to get over two or three lanes to the right for 440 west.  Since I was in a car with STUDENT DRIVER plastered all over it, they let me over with no issues.

[US 81]

The roads that really taught me to drive were the dirt and gravel roads outside the town I grew up in.  On those, I learned how to come out of a fishtail and how to drive in mud. ...

Stop signs at the tops of hills - especially on those gravel and dirt roads - taught me to get off the clutch and on the accelerator so as not to roll back (much) before getting into gear.

This is a reference to manual transmission, kids.

[Roadsguy]

My actual driving lessons took me down PA 72 and US 322 from Lebanon to Brickerville, though with my permit I went as far as up to I-80 on PA 147, turning around in the cloverleaf.

[Finrod]

I learned to drive on the 2-lane state highways and US highways in west-central Indiana.  The only road that was even 4 lanes was I-74.  Also numerous county roads of various quality.

[lordsutch]

I learned to drive by tooling around the streets of Marion Oaks, an unincorporated community south of Ocala just west of I-75. Tons of empty streets with nothing on them at the time. Even today, over 25 years later, much of the area is empty streets waiting for houses, much like Sliver Springs Shores east of Ocala.

[kphoger]

The roads that really taught me to drive were the dirt and gravel roads outside the town I grew up in.  On those, I learned how to come out of a fishtail and how to drive in mud. ...

Stop signs at the tops of hills - especially on those gravel and dirt roads - taught me to get off the clutch and on the accelerator so as not to roll back (much) before getting into gear.

This is a reference to manual transmission, kids.

A few years ago, I had to drive my mother-in-law's Mustang across town in Branson.  The clutch was almost completely shot, and wouldn't you know it, I got a red light on an uphill.  Several years before that, I took a Ford Focus stick shift for a test drive here in Wichita.  It was parked at a down-angle with a metal post directly in front of the car.  I figured the salesman would rather back it out for me, but no such luck.  Hills don't mix well with unfamiliar manual transmissions.... 

[jakeroot]

OT:

This is a reference to manual transmission, kids.

Honestly, I think more kids drive manual transmissions than adults or seniors these days. My grandparents used to exclusively opt for the manual transmission, but the trim levels they liked eventually became standard with automatics, so that's what they got instead. They both enjoyed driving a manual, but their preference was always for comfort and features, then transmission. The last Outback in the USA that came with a stick (the previous generation) was the very basic model (current Outbacks are CVT across the line). The last manual Outback they owned was fully loaded. I think it was the last generation that was possible. My point being, by the time you get to be able to afford the nicer trim levels (adult or senior age), you realise that the upper trims don't offer manuals, so you end up with the nice trim, sans stick.

My friends are dirt cheap and have relatively short commutes, so a car that's cheap to buy and run, and fun to drive (since they drive in very little congestion) means that many of them drive a manual. Of the 10 valets where I work (at a hotel), five drive manuals every day (including myself); the rest can drive it no problem, but don't own one.

[cpzilliacus]

MD-193 (University Boulevard) - busy 6 lane arterial

MD-97 (Georgia Avenue) - same

U.S. 29 in Maryland (Columbia Pike and Colesville Road) - 4 or 6 lane arterial

I-495 (Capital Beltway) - at the time 8 or 6 lanes

I-95 ("Between the Beltways") - 8 lanes

High school driver education (while they still had it in Maryland), mostly in a Chevy Vega (!) with a manual transmission. 

I wanted to learn how to drive a manual, and most of the other members of the class were not interested, so the few that wanted to learn the manual got sole use of the Vega (with the instructor, of course), and got significantly more behind-the-wheel time than everyone else.

We also drove some smaller streets with STOP signs or traffic signals at the top of a hill, so we learned how to stop and get started without rolling backwards and without stalling the engine.

Have not driven a Vega since then, but I did learn how to drive a manual transmission, and have logged over a million miles behind the wheel of various vehicles with a clutch and stick shift.

[Rothman]

Learned to drive in western MA, but the roads that upped my skills:

Rattlesnake Gutter Road, Leverett, MA:  How to drive on dirt.  Held the speed record in my high school in getting across it.

Pratt Corner Road, Shutesbury, MA:  How not to drive on mud.  Ended up in a ditch once.

Notch Road up Mount Greylock or Sugarloaf Mountain Road in Sunderland, MA:  Steep hills and downshifting to save the brakes.

KY 122, Floyd County, KY; even some portions of I-79 in WV:  Curves

KY 1750:  How to drive on a two-way road that is only one-and-a-half lanes wide.

Cross Bronx Expressway:  If you haven't had a close call on the Cross Bronx, you haven't really driven on an urban freeway.

I-81: The pros and cons of driving with truck traffic.

Those are the ones that come to mind.

[1995hoo]

....

High school driver education (while they still had it in Maryland), mostly in a Chevy Vega (!) with a manual transmission. 

I wanted to learn how to drive a manual, and most of the other members of the class were not interested, so the few that wanted to learn the manual got sole use of the Vega (with the instructor, of course), and got significantly more behind-the-wheel time than everyone else.

We also drove some smaller streets with STOP signs or traffic signals at the top of a hill, so we learned how to stop and get started without rolling backwards and without stalling the engine.

Have not driven a Vega since then, but I did learn how to drive a manual transmission, and have logged over a million miles behind the wheel of various vehicles with a clutch and stick shift.

It's funny, my behind-the-wheel classes were entirely in an automatic-shift vehicle.

My father had a Honda Accord with a five-speed and he taught me on that basically from the beginning. We spent a lot of time in the student lot at WT Woodson High School in Fairfax (about two miles from home, and where I attended high school). The middle exit from that lot had a stop sign on a hill and was an excellent place to learn that aspect, although looking back now I realize what an absurdly small and minor hill it really is. My father only told me about the "handbrake trick" once he was satisfied I didn't need to use that technique as a crutch. But if I recall correctly, the driving school may have charged extra for manual-shift instruction, so we decided to skip that. I also took the DMV road test in an automatic-equipped vehicle because we figured it was one less thing on which they could flunk you.

BTW, regarding the comment about drivers' ed going on the Interstate–I recall my behind-the-wheel instruction went on the Beltway exactly one time (I was driving), and we stayed on the highway for a very short time, essentially because we were running late and it was by far the most direct route to where the next student was located. We were all surprised the instructor said to use the Beltway. I still very seldom see vehicles on the Interstates with the "Student Driver" signs. It seems like it falls to parents to offer that instruction (as was the case for me–my father had been teaching me for three months before I took the behind-the-wheel course, and he had me on the Beltway and I-395 within the first week).

[vdeane]

In NY, it certainly is true that taking the test with a manual does provide them more opportunities to add points (with no adjustment to the number of points that constitutes failing), but as long as you don't mess up the shifting, it can be argued that it's actually easier since a rolling stop is an automatic fail, and those are very easy to do accidentally on an automatic (though that could just be the first model hydraulic clutch the Accord I took the test in had; it was virtually impossible to shift into first without coming to a complete stop).

[bzakharin]

In no particular order:

One of the first roads I've driven when learning: Morris County, NJ CR 617
First freeway I practiced on: I-80
Learned how to change lanes multiple times quickly with moderate traffic: Morristown Green / park Place (CR 510 / US 202)
Practical hydroplaning lesson: Garden State Parkway, somehow made it without crashing into anything, but scared some sense into me
First time venturing onto city streets: Philadelphia near the Museum of Art
First non-friendly encounter with the police AKA learning to obey the move over law: Atlantic City Expressway (got off with a warning)
Learning to avoid excessive speeding: NJ 42 (got off with a warning again)

[Finrod]

I learned how to drive with an automatic transmission, and years later I taught myself manual transmission driving using the video game Race Drivin', which meant I didn't tear up anyone's clutch with learning.  It worked fairly well, I've driven stick a handful of times since then mostly with success (the main exception being the rental truck where I confused 3rd gear with 1st gear so I stalled it about 50 times before finally getting it going).

[slorydn1]

The roads that really taught me to drive were the dirt and gravel roads outside the town I grew up in.  On those, I learned how to come out of a fishtail and how to drive in mud. ...

Stop signs at the tops of hills - especially on those gravel and dirt roads - taught me to get off the clutch and on the accelerator so as not to roll back (much) before getting into gear.

This is a reference to manual transmission, kids.

A few years ago, I had to drive my mother-in-law's Mustang across town in Branson.  The clutch was almost completely shot, and wouldn't you know it, I got a red light on an uphill.  Several years before that, I took a Ford Focus stick shift for a test drive here in Wichita.  It was parked at a down-angle with a metal post directly in front of the car.  I figured the salesman would rather back it out for me, but no such luck.  Hills don't mix well with unfamiliar manual transmissions.... 

My 2014 Mustang cheats, it has hill assist. When I stop on an incline with the rear end of the car lower than the front the brakes will not completely release after I have released the brake pedal until I have begun forward movement. My wife's 2012 doesn't have that, so when I do take her car to the mountains I have to really be on my game and not forget.

[spooky]

I grew up in a town with a decommissioned naval base, so my brother and I both learned to drive on the many roads on the base which were still open to the public.

[Beltway]

My 2014 Mustang cheats, it has hill assist. When I stop on an incline with the rear end of the car lower than the front the brakes will not completely release after I have released the brake pedal until I have begun forward movement. My wife's 2012 doesn't have that, so when I do take her car to the mountains I have to really be on my game and not forget.

My 2016 Buick Lacrosse has an electronic parking brake, which can perform that same function in addition to its main role of being a parking brake. 

You can set the electronic parking brake with the transmission set to Drive and the car stationary, and the electronic parking brake will continue to be engaged until either you turn it off or give enough accel pedal to move the car forward.

[bing101]

CA-37, CA-1, CA-113 taught me how to drive.

[jakeroot]

The roads that really taught me to drive were the dirt and gravel roads outside the town I grew up in.  On those, I learned how to come out of a fishtail and how to drive in mud. ...

Stop signs at the tops of hills - especially on those gravel and dirt roads - taught me to get off the clutch and on the accelerator so as not to roll back (much) before getting into gear.

This is a reference to manual transmission, kids.

A few years ago, I had to drive my mother-in-law's Mustang across town in Branson.  The clutch was almost completely shot, and wouldn't you know it, I got a red light on an uphill.  Several years before that, I took a Ford Focus stick shift for a test drive here in Wichita.  It was parked at a down-angle with a metal post directly in front of the car.  I figured the salesman would rather back it out for me, but no such luck.  Hills don't mix well with unfamiliar manual transmissions.... 

My 2014 Mustang cheats, it has hill assist. When I stop on an incline with the rear end of the car lower than the front the brakes will not completely release after I have released the brake pedal until I have begun forward movement. My wife's 2012 doesn't have that, so when I do take her car to the mountains I have to really be on my game and not forget.

Automatic or manual? I suppose that should be obvious, but the vast majority of new cars, regardless if they're automatic or manual, have hill assist/hill hold. My 2015 Golf with the 6-speed has a hill hold that I cannot turn off (without a computer), annoyingly.

I'm surprised that so many car-makers took so long to implement a hill assist. My father's Subaru XT from the late 80s, with the manual transmission, was equipped with a hill-hold. Must have been cutting edge!

[kkt]

CA-37, CA-1, CA-113 taught me how to drive.

CA 37 and 113 didn't teach me to drive, but they were early in my driving career.
CA 1 was great.  I wish I could look forward to a road trip up/down CA 1 sometime soon, instead a hope for the nebulous future.

[1995hoo]

My 2014 Mustang cheats, it has hill assist. When I stop on an incline with the rear end of the car lower than the front the brakes will not completely release after I have released the brake pedal until I have begun forward movement. My wife's 2012 doesn't have that, so when I do take her car to the mountains I have to really be on my game and not forget.

I've never had a car that had that feature (I've owned six manual-shift vehicles, including my current two and not counting my wife's), but on the other hand, it's easy enough to use the handbrake to accomplish the same thing–assuming, of course, the car has a handbrake. As noted above, I learned to drive a manual on my father's Honda Accord, but my first car was a 1977 Ford Granada with a four-speed manual and a pedal-operated parking brake. The "handbrake trick" doesn't work with a pedal-operated brake (or with a button-operated one, such as the 5-speed manual Passat I had as a rental in Scotland awhile back–the brake was a button on the dashboard).

For those unfamiliar with what I'm referring to about the handbrake trick, essentially you set the handbrake, shift into first gear, rev it enough to get moving, and release the handbrake as you take your foot off the clutch. My father only taught me this technique after he was satisfied that I knew how to get moving on a hill without it–his rationale for not teaching it to me sooner was that he didn't want me using it as a crutch. I hardly ever use it. About the only time I find I ever need it is if I'm on a particularly steep hill and the person behind me pulled up too close. (Even there, in Montreal once I caught the guy's eye and gestured at him to back up a little and he did, with a wave of acknowledgement. Try that around here and you'd probably be given the finger, if the person even looked up from the mobile phone.) I think the place I've used that method the most over the years is probably the light on Rugby Avenue at Rugby Road in Charlottesville, which is a lot steeper than it looks on Street View.

[csw]

I did most of my driver's ed on US 36 on the west side of Indy. But as far as roads that taught me other lessons:

1. IN 262 taught me how to use low gear and conservation of momentum.
2. I-70 in downtown Indy taught me how to navigate seas of traffic.
3. US 24 across Illinois taught me how to stay awake while driving, because it's so long straight, and boring.
4. The West Virginia Turnpike taught me how to handle an already dangerous road in the pouring rain. Talk about trial by fire.
5. I-65 between Lafayette and Chicago taught me (still does) how to deal with trucks, and lots of them.

[Hurricane Rex]

For me:
Us 101: Respond to changing conditions quickly.
OR 99/18: My home highways, plus it has some interesting interchanges.
I-5: Driving fast, in traffic, and around trucks.
Any road in Beaverton: Idiotic drivers.
Going to the Sun Road: Self-Explanatory