What are the 5 roads (or segments) in which you credit gaining your driving skills? It may be your first road, or something unique, or particularly challenging. This can be any type of road, and you may decide your own criteria.
My top 5 are - in no particular order:
- I-76/Schuylkill Expwy: short merge ramps, left on and off ramps, 0-60 quickly, then a traffic slam to a complete stop, then back to 70 again.
- Merritt Pkwy: for basically the same reasons as my first choice.
- US 1/Roosevelt Blvd in Philadelphia: all at-grade intersections, 3-lane inner drive where right turns are not allowed, 3-lane outer drive where left turns are not allowed; multiple cross-overs both ways, bus stops, pedestrians, a widely-ignored 45 MPH speed limit
(The three above force you to pay attention, and force you to pick your spots in when to be aggressive, or when to sit back and wait)
- NJ Turnpike, particularly the divided section; driving in the truck lanes really taught me how to navigate with/around heavy truck traffic
- I-95 eastern CT; my first long-distance Interstate segment
What are yours (with apologies to those who don't drive yet)?
NY 198 Scajaquada Expressway, the WB ramp to I-190 can be misjudged if you take it at full speed.
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.9291439,-78.8964146,3a,75y,215.18h,79.83t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sfPVnJXxM4rxHHmQYnaetHQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
I learned to drive on KY 52, KY 498, KY 11 and KY 1571. Got my freeway driving experience on the Mountain Parkway, I-75 and I-64.
Maryland Route 152, Maryland Route 24, U.S. Route 1 north of Baltimore, and I-95 in the Carolinas.
The Capital Beltway, I-395 (VA/DC), and the Jersey Turnpike.
Learned in drivers ed classes in high school in 1968 on local roads and streets, Melbourne, FL. No freeway driving, I-95 was the only one in the area then, and it was 7 miles west of town, and I don't think any of the driving exercises went there. US-1 was a 4-lane highway and was much more accessible from the school, and it opened up to a 65 mph speed limit about 3 miles south of town.
For some of the more advanced skills in my first year of driving, the I-495 Capital Beltway, and I-95 south of Washington. That was after we moved to Alexandria in 1969.
Drivers Ed took me on US 74, I-85, and I-277, as well as many surface roads in between
I-94 between Benton Harbor and Chicago when I was high school. I encountered every conceivable bad weather driving condition and the heavy traffic of Chicagoland which was basically a trial by fire.
First road I ever drove on was I-75 and it was at the peak of the afternoon rush hour in Detroit. Pretty fun experience, I also drove on I-94 that same day so those are the first two Interstate highways I ever drove on. The first three digit Interstate I drove on was I-696 and that was an even better experience that was the first time I really learned how to drive in Detroit. The instructor told me to punch it and get up to around 80 mph as quick as you can. I've been driving in Detroit for 22 years now and have it mastered.
Quote from: fillup420 on November 19, 2017, 10:21:04 PM
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).
US-31, especially the Manistee to Muskegon stretch. I could probably do that with my eyes closed
The road that taught me what real urban driving is like was 6th Ave in Seattle, between Seneca and Westlake. Very narrow lanes, lots of pedestrians, short light cycles, alleys and parking lots with drivers coming and going from them...it's quite fun now. Keeps me on my toes.
My first freeway drive was WA-512 between Puyallup and the CDP of Summit. It was at night. And it was raining. It was also my first real drive. I went straight to freeways. That concept was daunting to my DOL peers, but I knew freeways were safer, and had less obstacles. If something goes wrong, the crash could be worse because of the speed. But that didn't bother me at all.
My first windy (curvy) road was WA-410 between Greenwater and Yakima (aka Chinook Pass). I was driving an SUV so it was no fun. But it taught me how to negotiate short passing areas, and how to deal with limited visibility. I most recently drive it a year ago in my Golf (and did not find it difficult at all, unlike every other car -- I passed everyone). One of the most fun roads I've ever driven.
I did my drivers' ed during the summer of '65 through my H.S.; our instructor was one of the school's guidance counselors (and substitute history teacher as well). Had 5 sessions, each about 2 1/2 hours long, that took us all around the northern end of metro L.A. 3 students + instructor per car (IIRC, it was a '64 Chevy Bel Air). We always started out heading up to Foothill Blvd (instructor lived in Sunland, so I suppose that area was familiar to her), stopped in the aforementioned Sunland to get snacks; by that time the first student driver's "shift" was over. I always tried to be in the #2 spot -- since I could suggest where to go from there if it wasn't too outrageous (my suggestion of up into the mountains didn't go over too well), so once we ended up in Newhall, and another time cruising Van Nuys Blvd. (a popular activity in the '60's; not recommended today!). However, we always ended up heading back into Glendale on either I-5 or the CA 134/Ventura Freeway (which ended at I-5 before 1967) and stopping at the original Bob's Big Boy on Colorado Blvd. (on the site of founder Bob Wian's first hamburger stand); the instructor's boyfriend was a manager there, and we got free food! The best part of the whole experience was driving on the freeways -- even though the car had a governor that limited top speed to 70! I would have to say that of the streets & roads driven on during that experience Foothill Blvd. certainly taught me about negotiating traffic, and the 5 and 134 freeways were the site of my learning to make decisions at speed!
Some of the major San Diego area freeways--I-5, I-15, I-8, CA-52, CA-125, and many of the surface streets, including the network in Tierrasanta (where I grew up,) and those in El Cajon (where I first tried for my license) and Clairemont (where I got it.)
Apart from my neighborhood streets, the main roads in Lynn, MA I learned to drive on were Route 107 (Western Avenue) and Route 129 (Eastern Avenue, Chestnut Street, and Lynnfield Street) - all two lane 30 mph streets.
After I got my license (early 1979), I developed my highway driving skills on I-95/Route 128 between Lynnfield and Burlington, on the then recently opened section of I-95 southbound between Ferncroft Rotary in Danvers and the slip-ramp to US 1 south at the Danvers/Peabody line, and on I-93 between Wilmington and Manchester NH on family trips to visit my grandmother.
One of my first long highway trips behind the wheel was coming back from New York City in 1981. After leaving Manhattan, my father pulled over on I-684 and had me take over the driving. I drove from there all the way back to Lynn.
Quote from: roadguy2 on November 19, 2017, 11:08:34 PM
Quote from: fillup420 on November 19, 2017, 10:21:04 PM
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).
I would think highway driving is a very important part of driver's education. Stopping and turning at a stop sign on a 30 mph roadway is way, way different than trying to merge into traffic whizzing by at 65 mph. And based on what we see on the highway on a normal basis, this should be imbedded into people's heads how to merge, pass, and stay out of the fricken left lane!
Quote from: jeffandnicole on November 20, 2017, 11:40:40 AM
Quote from: roadguy2 on November 19, 2017, 11:08:34 PM
Quote from: fillup420 on November 19, 2017, 10:21:04 PM
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).
I would think highway driving is a very important part of driver's education. Stopping and turning at a stop sign on a 30 mph roadway is way, way different than trying to merge into traffic whizzing by at 65 mph. And based on what we see on the highway on a normal basis, this should be imbedded into people's heads how to merge, pass, and stay out of the fricken left lane!
Formal teaching of freeway driving in driver's ed courses, at least in the Northeast part of the country, is a fairly recent thing. And, based on the experience of my older nieces and nephews, it still has not yet been embraced by many driving schools.
The mean streets of Palo Alto, CA. Middlefield Road, Alma Road, Channing and Homer Avenues, University Ave.
I-280 (US 101 was scary back then, now it's just annoying.)
Up into the hills, Skyline, Highway 9, and Page Mill Road. CA 1 along the coast.
Quote from: roadman on November 20, 2017, 11:44:59 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on November 20, 2017, 11:40:40 AM
Quote from: roadguy2 on November 19, 2017, 11:08:34 PM
Quote from: fillup420 on November 19, 2017, 10:21:04 PM
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).
I would think highway driving is a very important part of driver's education. Stopping and turning at a stop sign on a 30 mph roadway is way, way different than trying to merge into traffic whizzing by at 65 mph. And based on what we see on the highway on a normal basis, this should be imbedded into people's heads how to merge, pass, and stay out of the fricken left lane!
Formal teaching of freeway driving in driver's ed courses, at least in the Northeast part of the country, is a fairly recent thing. And, based on the experience of my older nieces and nephews, it still has not yet been embraced by many driving schools.
I did learn freeway driving, but only from the textbook. I got my freeway driving practice with my mom on the busy SLC freeways. Maybe it's not done as much here because our freeways are too busy for inexperienced drivers most of the time.
I took drivers ed in summer school in 1986. Schaumburg Rd took care of the 4 lane with stop lights and turning bays training. Salem Drive and Weathersfield Way did the honors for 2 lane with yellow stripes down the middle, and various side streets like Andrew Lane, Hinkle Lane (etc) took care of residential training.
I-290/IL-53 was where I cut my teeth on the freeway (yeah I know, they're expressways in Chicagoland), though my first long stint on an Interstate as a driver was I-75 from just south of Atlanta GA to somewhere in the first 20 miles or so of the FL Turnpike during a family vacation that following Christmas break. Dad was tired of driving and my mom really didn't really like to so now that I had my licence I had relief driver duty.
I was living in Fremont, NC when I took Driver's Ed in 2004 when I was in 9th grade. The classroom part was in March on every Saturday, which was held in the cafeteria at Charles B. Aycock High School in Pikeville where I attended and the driving part was in June, which consisted of driving a bunch of 2-lane country roads throughout the upper half of Wayne County. Once I got my learner's permit, I drove US-117 between Goldsboro and Wilson (both the current 2-lane alignment and it's former freeway alignment that eventually became I-795) and US-70.
TLDR; Half of Wayne County in NC.
Driver training in Bloomington IN (1971) took me on not only the narrow Bloomington streets, but old, winding IN 46 between Bloomington and Nashville, and old, even more winding IN 45 to Unionville. Most of the driving I did with my dad on weekends was around the IU football stadium, although we did some in-town driving as well, as long as the roads weren't icy.
The 4-lane IN 37 (currently being converted to I-69) was under construction, and wouldn't open until early 1972, so no local expressway driving for us. We had to drive IN 46 to Columbus, then drive I-65 south almost to Louisville for our "freeway training."
That summer, when I was in northern Wisconsin, I practiced on local roads, including WI 70 and 155, which were just as winding and hilly as those in Bloomington. By the time I got my real license in March 1972, what few hairs my dad still had were all gray. :)
In terms of driving at all, for me it would be Port Washington Boulevard (NY 101) and West Shore Road (Nassau CR 15). In terms of driving on highway, the Long Island Expressway (I-495).
For me, it was Ogden Avenue/Old Route 66. As for limited-access driving, it was I-290 (Eisenhower Expressway).
Quote from: roadguy2 on November 19, 2017, 11:08:34 PM
Quote from: fillup420 on November 19, 2017, 10:21:04 PM
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).
Driver's ed in Bend took us on the Bend Parkway (US-97). 45 MPH speed limit (they actually instructed us to go closer to 50 IIRC, to not be too out of place with traffic speeds) but it's mostly a freeway. Also rural 2 lane roads out to Alfalfa (unsigned 55 MPH, though they told us to try to go 50).
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.
Quote from: roadguy2 on November 19, 2017, 11:08:34 PM
Quote from: fillup420 on November 19, 2017, 10:21:04 PM
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.
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.
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.
Quote from: kphoger on November 21, 2017, 01:48:13 PM
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.
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.
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.
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.
Quote from: US 81 on November 21, 2017, 06:36:30 PM
Quote from: kphoger on November 21, 2017, 01:48:13 PM
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....
OT:
Quote from: US 81 on November 21, 2017, 06:36:30 PM
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.
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.
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.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on November 27, 2017, 12:28:49 PM
....
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).
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).
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)
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).
Quote from: kphoger on November 24, 2017, 02:21:35 PM
Quote from: US 81 on November 21, 2017, 06:36:30 PM
Quote from: kphoger on November 21, 2017, 01:48:13 PM
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.
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.
Quote from: slorydn1 on November 30, 2017, 02:19:09 AM
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.
CA-37, CA-1, CA-113 taught me how to drive.
Quote from: slorydn1 on November 30, 2017, 02:19:09 AM
Quote from: kphoger on November 24, 2017, 02:21:35 PM
Quote from: US 81 on November 21, 2017, 06:36:30 PM
Quote from: kphoger on November 21, 2017, 01:48:13 PM
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!
Quote from: bing101 on November 30, 2017, 12:48:43 PM
CA-37, CA-1, CA-113 taught me how to drive.
:thumbsup:
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.
Quote from: slorydn1 on November 30, 2017, 02:19:09 AM
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.
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.
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
In the summer of 1980, I was rejected for a summer job with New England Telephone as a residential telephone installer - the interviewer noted that I had great qualifications, except for one key requirement - I couldn't drive a manual transmission.
Shortly thereafter, my brother - at the prodding of my father - offered to teach me manual shift on his 1978 Chevy Monza, which was probably one of the worst cars for anyone to learn manual shift driving on. The car had both a horribly deep clutch and a very sloppy gearbox. For these reasons, among others, my manual transmission learning lasted all of three weeks.
Although I never fully got the hang of driving a stick, I learned enough that I could probably move a stick car in an emergency situation.
Ironically, the experience with the Monza helped my years later when I bought my 2012 Focus, which has the dual-clutch solenoid driven "automatic" transmission. Lots has been written and said about the horrors of the 2012 Focus DCT. But, as I read somewhere before buying the car, the majority of these issues are easily avoided if you drive the car as if it has a manual transmission without the foot clutch. Suddenly, all those lessons my brother tried to teach me about manual transmission in 1980 came back to serve me in good stead.
Downtown Chicago taught me to always pay attention to the road and surroundings. I honestly feel like I learned more driving with my Dad through downtown, I-55, Cicero Ave, and our local streets in Oak Lawn than I did with the driving instructors.
Quote from: ET21 on December 08, 2017, 09:31:00 AM
Downtown Chicago taught me to always pay attention to the road and surroundings. I honestly feel like I learned more driving with my Dad through downtown, I-55, Cicero Ave, and our local streets in Oak Lawn than I did with the driving instructors.
When I took driver's ed, it very quickly became my impression that the goal of the driving instructors was only to teach you enough to pass the road test. Like you, I learned much more about both basic driving skills and useful pointers to avoid problems from my father. As for classroom instruction, I recall one time where we took a sample learner's permit test that was from 1955. When it came to the question "What does a single white center line mean?", I was the only one in the class that knew the proper answer (do not pass), and was also asked by the instructor to explain to the class why it was the proper answer (in 1955, yellow center lines didn't exist in Massachusetts).
Quote from: ET21 on December 08, 2017, 09:31:00 AM
Downtown Chicago taught me to always pay attention to the road and surroundings. I honestly feel like I learned more driving with my Dad through downtown, I-55, Cicero Ave, and our local streets in Oak Lawn than I did with the driving instructors.
The first red light I ever accidentally ran was across Michigan Avenue, in front of a CTA bus. Scary! :wow:
I got my license without really having any freeway experience during the instruction phase or driving with my parents with my learner's permit. They were too scared to drive freeways with me. So once I got my license, I taught myself.
The Marina Fwy (LA area) is one of the easiest and shortest freeways to learn some of the basic maneuvers for entering, exiting, and passing because it is low traffic. The Glendale freeway was also a favorite for learning purposes for much of the same reasons.
Once I got the handle on that, I did my own freeway tour during off-peak hours of all the local freeways that were around western LA county in the early 1990's.
I was kind of self-taught in how to drive. I always enjoyed playing the car racing arcade games (Turbo, Out Run, Monaco GP) with my dad, so that kind of gave me the feeling of how a steering wheel works. Then, I moved on to golf carts. From about age 11-15, my parents would take my friends and I to my dad's place of business (a family car dealership) after hours, and we would drive golf carts around the parking lot. When I was 14, my dad did let me drive the car home once about 3 miles through local streets late in the evening when traffic was light. When I turned 16, I was pretty much raring to go. My great aunt would let me practice in a local cemetery. Soon, I was driving on local roads, including a couple of semi-rural numbered roads (CT 120, CT 364). In a few months, I was driving regularly on roads like CT 10 and the Berlin Turnpike, as kids back then were allowed to drive with an adult as long as they had 10 years' experience. Before I received my official license, I had driven on the highway; even drove to Danbury on I-84. I took drivers' ed just for the insurance discount, but I felt like I could have taught the class myself. I took my test about 9 months after my 16th birthday. I got 14/15 on my written test; only question I got wrong had to do with how many points you get on your license for passing a standing school bus. I pretty much aced my road test, with a tricky yield sign and having to back in to a space (no parallel parking, yay!!). Walked out with the license the first time.
I grew up on the fringe of the Chicago area. At the brink of urban sprawl, I got the opportunity to drive my mom's old bright red Dodge Caravan around the streets of a brand new subdivision, before the homes were built. The small network of streets with mountable curb, surrounded by nothing but dirt, were an excellent place to learn how to drive. My first freeway driving took place on I-55 between IL-126 and Weber Road.
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on January 06, 2018, 08:38:06 PM
I got 14/15 on my written test; only question I got wrong had to do with how many points you get on your license for passing a standing school bus.
And why the heck is that even on the test? You never need to know that. That should be on some test administered to the people who actually assess those points to your license.
Quote from: kphoger on January 08, 2018, 02:52:24 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on January 06, 2018, 08:38:06 PM
I got 14/15 on my written test; only question I got wrong had to do with how many points you get on your license for passing a standing school bus.
And why the heck is that even on the test? You never need to know that. That should be on some test administered to the people who actually assess those points to your license.
Yeah, that's weird. They're policing the students before they've even hit the road!
Quote from: kphoger on January 08, 2018, 02:52:24 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on January 06, 2018, 08:38:06 PM
I got 14/15 on my written test; only question I got wrong had to do with how many points you get on your license for passing a standing school bus.
And why the heck is that even on the test? You never need to know that. That should be on some test administered to the people who actually assess those points to your license.
I know your feeling @jp the roadgeek
I had a similar trick question:
A horse and rider goes into the road. What do you do?
a. Keep driving as normal, the horse will move out of your way.
b. Stop and wave the horse through.
c. (Can't remember but it's irrelevant)
d. Go into the other lane or swerve off the road if needed.
Because of not enough information, I guessed B. It was D.
This was not in the drivers manual.
I could understand that question on a Midwestern driving test, but if you're in Oregon.....ain't too many Amish out there.
Quote from: csw on January 09, 2018, 04:50:57 PM
I could understand that question on a Midwestern driving test, but if you're in Oregon.....ain't too many Amish out there.
Then your license should have a restriction saying you can't drive outside Oregon...
The only question I remember was:
How many sides does a stop sign have?
A. 4
B. 6
C. 8
As for my road test, I pretty much failed the parallel parking, but I made up for it by being extra careful when turning left onto a main road (apparently that gave me bonus points). Passed my first time.
Quote from: kphoger on January 09, 2018, 04:55:16 PM
Quote from: csw on January 09, 2018, 04:50:57 PM
I could understand that question on a Midwestern driving test, but if you're in Oregon.....ain't too many Amish out there.
Then your license should have a restriction saying you can't drive outside Oregon...
It's not terribly uncommon in any open range state... including Eastern Oregon! I had to overtake a cattle drive in Union County just last year, and yeah, D is the common sense answer in a cattle drive situation.
Though yeah, the question itself is pretty vague.
Quote from: kphoger on January 08, 2018, 02:52:24 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on January 06, 2018, 08:38:06 PM
I got 14/15 on my written test; only question I got wrong had to do with how many points you get on your license for passing a standing school bus.
And why the heck is that even on the test? You never need to know that. That should be on some test administered to the people who actually assess those points to your license.
I had multiple questions like this on my G1 licence test (the first stage of the graduated licensing system) and I actually failed the first time. I immediately paid $10 to redo it and I passed. I didn't study those since I didn't think it would be necessary.
I passed my G2 and G tests (in-car) first time, so that helps redeem me :-D.
Quote from: roadguy2 on January 09, 2018, 05:59:56 PM
The only question I remember was:
How many sides does a stop sign have?
A. 4
B. 6
C. 8
As for my road test, I pretty much failed the parallel parking, but I made up for it by being extra careful when turning left onto a main road (apparently that gave me bonus points). Passed my first time.
But there are 10 sides on a stop sign. Don't forget the front and back.
Quote from: roadguy2 on January 09, 2018, 05:59:56 PM
The only question I remember was:
How many sides does a stop sign have?
A. 4
B. 6
C. 8
As for my road test, I pretty much failed the parallel parking, but I made up for it by being extra careful when turning left onto a main road (apparently that gave me bonus points). Passed my first time.
Parallel parking wasn't (and, as far as I know, still isn't) on the road test in Virginia and it wasn't taught as part of the behind-the-wheel class I took. Taught myself how to parallel park when I went off to college and found that some nights if I parallel-parked on a city street (as opposed to university property) I could save myself a 20-minute walk from the lot where my parking permit was valid.
There are a lot of people here who seem even more terrible at it than you might expect the average driver to be, people who clearly have no idea how to do it. (I've sometimes wondered if this sort of thing is why it seems more common in the South for there to be designated parallel parking spaces with lines between them, that is because people won't be able to maneuver if you let people pull up closer like they do in New York.)
Returning to the road test, pretty much everyone at my high school knew what the test route was at the DMV where I took the test. They took you through a trailer park with a 15-mph speed limit to see whether you'd speed. I downshifted into first gear (used my mom's car with an automatic shift) so the engine would help me keep my speed down.
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 10, 2018, 07:37:15 AM
Quote from: roadguy2 on January 09, 2018, 05:59:56 PM
The only question I remember was:
How many sides does a stop sign have?
A. 4
B. 6
C. 8
As for my road test, I pretty much failed the parallel parking, but I made up for it by being extra careful when turning left onto a main road (apparently that gave me bonus points). Passed my first time.
Parallel parking wasn't (and, as far as I know, still isn't) on the road test in Virginia and it wasn't taught as part of the behind-the-wheel class I took. Taught myself how to parallel park when I went off to college and found that some nights if I parallel-parked on a city street (as opposed to university property) I could save myself a 20-minute walk from the lot where my parking permit was valid.
There are a lot of people here who seem even more terrible at it than you might expect the average driver to be, people who clearly have no idea how to do it. (I've sometimes wondered if this sort of thing is why it seems more common in the South for there to be designated parallel parking spaces with lines between them, that is because people won't be able to maneuver if you let people pull up closer like they do in New York.)
Returning to the road test, pretty much everyone at my high school knew what the test route was at the DMV where I took the test. They took you through a trailer park with a 15-mph speed limit to see whether you'd speed. I downshifted into first gear (used my mom's car with an automatic shift) so the engine would help me keep my speed down.
Guy I carpool with could never do it properly in front of my house. When we ragged on him about it, he claims he can do it fine...yet every single time he would pull in front-first, try to back up, and of course could never get it and complain about the space, which a tractor trailer could fit in.
He has 4 kids that all have taken their driving tests. They all passed on the first try. We're in a state that requires a parallel parking test. I'm guessing he's not the one showing his kids how to parallel park.
I sort of wonder to what extent people who have trouble parallel parking find devices like rearview cameras and the sonar that beeps when you get close to an obstacle to be helpful. My wife's new car has those features. I was already pretty good at parallel parking in tight spaces, but I have to say I love how the combination of the camera and the sonar removes any doubt about where the rear of the car is (you know how you're not always sure about it in a less-familiar car?) such that it's really easy to pull in super-close to the vehicle(s) on either side, such as if you need to park in a really tight space. (I tend to pull super-close only if the car in front or behind is one of our other cars. Otherwise, I'll leave a little more space than I think is necessary because I don't know how competent the other driver is when it comes to exiting a parallel park.)
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 10, 2018, 07:37:15 AM
Returning to the road test, pretty much everyone at my high school knew what the test route was at the DMV where I took the test. They took you through a trailer park with a 15-mph speed limit to see whether you'd speed. I downshifted into first gear (used my mom's car with an automatic shift) so the engine would help me keep my speed down.
A trailer park, huh? Did that 15mph speed limit sign even have the force of law behind it? I don't suppose the instructor would have been impressed by your assertion that you're legally allowed to ignore it, though...
Quote from: kphoger on January 10, 2018, 12:58:55 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 10, 2018, 07:37:15 AM
Returning to the road test, pretty much everyone at my high school knew what the test route was at the DMV where I took the test. They took you through a trailer park with a 15-mph speed limit to see whether you'd speed. I downshifted into first gear (used my mom's car with an automatic shift) so the engine would help me keep my speed down.
A trailer park, huh? Did that 15mph speed limit sign even have the force of law behind it? I don't suppose the instructor would have been impressed by your assertion that you're legally allowed to ignore it, though...
I have no idea. I was 16 years old (well, actually, since I was born at 7:53 PM Central Time, I was probably still technically 15) and I would not have explored that issue at the time–and, as you say, I certainly wouldn't have made an issue of it. The DMV there is gone, as far as I can determine, but it looks like the trailer park is still there based on Google Street View, and it looks like it's probably been spiffed up since May 1989. (In the link below, the camera is pointed towards where the DMV used to be and the trailer park is to the left. I don't remember whether we entered the trailer park here or somewhere else. I seem to think we accessed it off nearby Rust Road before they built the shopping area where Wal-Mart is now and the streets were reconfigured, but it's simply been too many years to remember. I tried using Historic Aerials to determine, but the image is too grainy and the watermark gets in the way. What I do recall is that the vast majority of the road test was on these 15-mph streets.)
https://goo.gl/maps/UUvg4zihEes
(Edited to shorten the insanely long Google link)
In the mid to late 1970s, when the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) office in Lynn was off of Central Square, the RMV examiners would use one of three routes for the road test. As part of the last two 'behind the wheel' sessions, the driving school I attended would have us drive each of these routes and replicate what was expected on the test. When I took my road test, my examiner used the shortest test route of the three, but he omitted about half the stuff I'd practiced with the instructor.
Quote from: kphoger on January 10, 2018, 12:58:55 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 10, 2018, 07:37:15 AM
Returning to the road test, pretty much everyone at my high school knew what the test route was at the DMV where I took the test. They took you through a trailer park with a 15-mph speed limit to see whether you'd speed. I downshifted into first gear (used my mom's car with an automatic shift) so the engine would help me keep my speed down.
A trailer park, huh? Did that 15mph speed limit sign even have the force of law behind it? I don't suppose the instructor would have been impressed by your assertion that you're legally allowed to ignore it, though...
Why would the limit be illegal?
Quote from: roadman on January 10, 2018, 01:20:03 PM
In the mid to late 1970s, when the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) office in Lynn was off of Central Square, the RMV examiners would use one of three routes for the road test. As part of the last two 'behind the wheel' sessions, the driving school I attended would have us drive each of these routes and replicate what was expected on the test. When I took my road test, my examiner used the shortest test route of the three, but he omitted about half the stuff I'd practiced with the instructor.
In NY it's illegal for people with a learner's permit to drive in road test areas.
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 10, 2018, 08:43:22 AM
I sort of wonder to what extent people who have trouble parallel parking find devices like rearview cameras and the sonar that beeps when you get close to an obstacle to be helpful. My wife's new car has those features. I was already pretty good at parallel parking in tight spaces, but I have to say I love how the combination of the camera and the sonar removes any doubt about where the rear of the car is (you know how you're not always sure about it in a less-familiar car?) such that it's really easy to pull in super-close to the vehicle(s) on either side, such as if you need to park in a really tight space. (I tend to pull super-close only if the car in front or behind is one of our other cars. Otherwise, I'll leave a little more space than I think is necessary because I don't know how competent the other driver is when it comes to exiting a parallel park.)
I can parallel park like a rock star with my backup camera. Previously I was average at best at it.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on January 10, 2018, 01:23:44 PM
Quote from: kphoger on January 10, 2018, 12:58:55 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 10, 2018, 07:37:15 AM
Returning to the road test, pretty much everyone at my high school knew what the test route was at the DMV where I took the test. They took you through a trailer park with a 15-mph speed limit to see whether you'd speed. I downshifted into first gear (used my mom's car with an automatic shift) so the engine would help me keep my speed down.
A trailer park, huh? Did that 15mph speed limit sign even have the force of law behind it? I don't suppose the instructor would have been impressed by your assertion that you're legally allowed to ignore it, though...
Why would the limit be illegal?
If it was on private property, erected by said private property, then it's powerless.
Quote from: kphoger on January 10, 2018, 02:41:00 PM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on January 10, 2018, 01:23:44 PM
Quote from: kphoger on January 10, 2018, 12:58:55 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on January 10, 2018, 07:37:15 AM
Returning to the road test, pretty much everyone at my high school knew what the test route was at the DMV where I took the test. They took you through a trailer park with a 15-mph speed limit to see whether you'd speed. I downshifted into first gear (used my mom's car with an automatic shift) so the engine would help me keep my speed down.
A trailer park, huh? Did that 15mph speed limit sign even have the force of law behind it? I don't suppose the instructor would have been impressed by your assertion that you're legally allowed to ignore it, though...
Why would the limit be illegal?
If it was on private property, erected by said private property, then it's powerless.
However–as we both acknowledged earlier–put yourself in the place of the high-school kid on his 16th birthday who is very eager to get his driver's license and consider whether you would make an issue of such things.