Learning to Drive Not Learning to Pass

This morning I passed my Restricted Licence test first time with no errors. I’ve been wanting to get my Restricted Licence for quite a while, both so that I can drive by myself and (I’ll confess) because I wanted to get it before my younger brother gets his Learner’s licence after he turns 16 later this month.

The thought of being able to drive by myself is both exciting and scary. I won’t always have a supervisor beside me to tell me how well I’m driving and what I need to improve on, or help with gap selection. I’m now on my own. And that’s a scary thought. If I don’t see another driver doing something that could cause a crash, no one will. I have to stay focused and alert.

But that’s what I’ve been trained for in the 18 months I had my Learner’s Licence—I’ve been trained by my various supervisors (parents and grandparents) and the AA Driving Instructors how to drive legally, safely and wisely. Now that I’ve got my Restricted Licence, I can’t just forget all the road rules and stop checking my mirrors and blindspots and signalling at the right times because I’m not working towards passing a test (though there’s still the Full Licence to go). I learned to drive, not to pass the test.

A Restricted Licence is a licence which allows me to drive by myself, entrusted to me because the Testing Officer deemed that I could drive legally, safely and wisely by myself. By the grace of God, I hope to fulfil this trust and drive legally, safely and wisely, continuing in what I have learned and sharpening my skills so that I can be a responsible and courteous road user.

I’ve learned to drive, not to pass a test.