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At what age did you pass your driving test?
17 24%  24%  [ 35 ]
17 24%  24%  [ 35 ]
18 11%  11%  [ 16 ]
18 11%  11%  [ 16 ]
19-21 9%  9%  [ 13 ]
19-21 9%  9%  [ 13 ]
22-24 5%  5%  [ 7 ]
22-24 5%  5%  [ 7 ]
25-29 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
25-29 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
30 or over 1%  1%  [ 1 ]
30 or over 1%  1%  [ 1 ]
I obtained a driving licence without taking a test 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
I obtained a driving licence without taking a test 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
I am currently under 17 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
I am currently under 17 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
I am 17 or over and intend to take a driving test 1%  1%  [ 1 ]
I am 17 or over and intend to take a driving test 1%  1%  [ 1 ]
I am 17 or over and do not intend to take a driving test 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
I am 17 or over and do not intend to take a driving test 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
Total votes : 146
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 20:51 
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There has been some discussion recently about the declining proportion of under-21s learning to drive, so I thought I'd do a quick poll about when people passed their test.

For the avoidance of doubt, this is the earliest full test you passed, so if you passed a motorbike test at 17 and a car test at 24, answer 17.

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PostPosted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 21:19 
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I was 18, it would have been sooner but I lived in Germany at the time and so could not take to the road until that age.

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 02:31 
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Passed at the 3rd attempt a week before my 21st - failed two aged 17 though :oops:

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 16:39 
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When the examiner said "Congratulations ..." :lol:

Failed my first test as I had been warned that the examiner was well known for failing people for hesitation. Pulled out a bit sharpish when I saw a gap in the traffic as I didn't want to fail for hesitation but hit the opposite kerb.

Didn't see the bus that we just missed though :roll:

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 16:48 
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Hang on, I passed my bike test at 16! I know it was a long time ago, but no need to rub it in by not giving me the choice. :)

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 17:04 
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Car test when I was 23.

Now I'm 31

bike test? hopefully in about two months from now.

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 18:53 
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i did my car when i was 18 and started my 7 week HGV course on my 20th birthday

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 19:52 
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Passed first time too. About 10 weeks after my birthday. Like my own eldest three.. lucky in that my birthday co-incided with the long summer holiday. My parents more or less did for me and my brothers and sisters as we have done with our own kids... booked a block of lessons in rapid succession to "get the feel".. though back then .. there was also the luxury of the empty supermarket carparks on Sundays (now no more.. :roll:) ... and we got the "feel" on those car parks pre-driving school lessons as well with our parents. My driving instructor thought I had "driven before". I had not.. just dodgems, go-karts and my bicycle. :lol:

Mum and Dad each supervised us on practice sessions and then followed up with more formal lessons again. I was not supposed to have time off school for a driving test.. and my Mum managed to secure the first tests on ringing for cancelled appointments. She thought the "experience" would be a learning curve and did not expect such an early pass. She thought I'd fail as "too inexperienced!" :lol: She did not even tell me about this test either.. merely waltzed into my bedroom .. told me to hurry down to breakfast as I had an "important appointment" that day. Out in our own car .. she behaved oddly like an examiner until we reached the test centre and then gave me a kiss and told me to drive as just displayed to her .. I did not have time to get nervous as a result .. :lol:

The examiner at the end gave me a very quiet "well done" and he removed the L plates himself! :lol: to my Mum's amusement. :lol:

After that .. I concentrated on passing my A Levels .. and took my IAM whilst studying at St Andrews .. in my penultimate year up there .. just short of my 21st birthday. My RoSPA .. I passed that the week before I sat my absolute Finals down in Manchester.

For those not "au fait" with the St Andrews Medical Science degree.. .. we did a degree in Medical Science as three year course. It was four years if they decided to place you on their Honours course based on the exam results. I was chosen and accepted to do the Honours version. Thereafter we had choices.. to continue the clinicals at Dundee/Edinburgh or Manchester. Most of us opted for the big 'burb for the night life and a top Medical Faculty. Why I have a love, respect and knowledge of this city - as well as having one brother (also a medic ) and two of my sisters (teachers) living down there.


I always wanted to study medicine.. from being aged just 5 years according to my over-proud parents who have a right to be proud really as they invested in education big time for all 8 of their children.. and as I know they also read this site .. I will always appreciate and value what they did for us all as their children. :drink2: :bow: They instilled common sense and family values into me and provided me with a car too.

My Dad was not best pleased though when I took out a huge bank loan to buy a Triumph Stag. though .. and reduced my allowance to "teach me a lesson" :lol:


He now accepts that this was an "investment" as I still have this car.. one of the very first Stags to run off the production line.. and for all its tendency to overheat and get a bit "frothy" in a traffic jam.. this car has the original Triumph engine.. is in mint condition and I could never ever sell her. After all.. she was instrumental in bringing Wildy to me as my wife :lol:

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 20:15 
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Didn't know you went to Standrews Moggs! I was stationed at Leuchars for a year, and spent a lot of time, um, distracting the medical students :P


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 20:31 
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I waited until after uni, I didn't have much need for a car while I was there.
I went to Bath Uni, situated atop a hill (it seemed more like a mountain when cycling up Bathwick Hill); the area is not unknown for its hills! I had always lived on the same hill as the campus so cycling there wasn't a problem for me :)

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 21:47 
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Location: Treacletown ( just north of M6 J3),A MILE OR TWO PAST BEDROCK
I did mine at uni (yep folks this old buzzard has a BSc (failed) from a Glasgow Uni)- had some spare cash and found a semi decent driving school.
Passed first time - thought i'd flunked it on a right turn , sort of thought i'd cut up car coming toward me - so then rest of test was sort of - i've failed - let's get it over with - must have calmed nerves - and i passed.Then (and over 40 years later) i found out - that's when you start learning to drive - you stop when you die or give up your licence.
Bike test - no way - got put off by the weather in my home town.


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 22:24 
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RobinXe wrote:
Didn't know you went to Standrews Moggs! I was stationed at Leuchars for a year, and spent a lot of time, um, distracting the medical students :P


:lol:

It was the golf. :hehe:

There was one other issue.. it was either St Andrews or Magdalen College Cambridge.

Only.. in Cambridge.. :nono: to cars for first two years there. It was .. :hehe: no real contest .. :rotfl: I mean it would have been sheer purgatory to be a full time cyclist :wink: :hehe: :popcorn: (and the lurks will have a field day over this comment :lol: )

Our eldest is currently reading medicine up at St Andrews. Our second son plans to study in Bristol (vet science :lol: which rather surprised me but then again not . Nick is a bit "mercenary" :lol: and has a similar personality to his Swiss aunty :rotfl: :yikes: ) and his twin has opted for Durham :lol:

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It makes folk wonder just what you REALLY got up to last night!

Smily to penny.. penny to pound
safespeed prospers-smiles all round! !

But the real message? SMILE.. GO ON ! DO IT! and the world will smile with you!
Enjoy life! You only have the one bite at it.


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PostPosted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 23:06 
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[quote="Mad Moggie:lol:

Our second son plans to study in Bristol (vet science :lol: which rather surprised me but then again not .[/quote]


So if MM falls ill-then he'll get treated by a vet -watch out fot their tendancy to treat all MM as needing a "snip"


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PostPosted: Tue May 01, 2007 20:51 
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I started driving lessons just after my 17th birthday , but the time I actually passed It was after my 18th birthday :roll: For one reason or another it took that long, with 4 attempts at that :lol:

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PostPosted: Tue May 01, 2007 21:50 
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Passed my motorcycle test at 17, car test about a year later.

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PostPosted: Tue May 01, 2007 23:14 
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JT wrote:
Passed my motorcycle test at 17, car test about a year later.


Ditto :)

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PostPosted: Tue May 01, 2007 23:53 
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I'm 17 and have only had 8 hours of driving lesson. Being a cyclist mainly both helps (observation) and hinders (the streering wheel has ot go round a lot lot more).

Obviously I've a long way to go, but there are already some aspects I do better than most other drivers thanks tips on this website.


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PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2007 13:15 
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cirian75 wrote:
Car test when I was 23.

Now I'm 31

bike test? hopefully in about two months from now.

Good luck with it!

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PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2007 13:31 
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Passed my car test at 17.5 in 1986.

Although I wasn't disasterous, I wouldn't have passed me. The examiner had a rep' for being picky too. I nearly kissed the guy when he said congratulations, but thought better of it rapidly.

Maybe he felt sorry for me as I'm 6' 4" and sat my test in a Metro!! :oops:

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PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2007 15:08 
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Big Rod wrote:
Passed my car test at 17.5 in 1986.

Although I wasn't disasterous, I wouldn't have passed me. The examiner had a rep' for being picky too. I nearly kissed the guy when he said congratulations, but thought better of it rapidly.

Maybe he felt sorry for me as I'm 6' 4" and sat my test in a Metro!! :oops:


I feel sorry for anyone that has to take their test in a Metro. They used to be absolutely horrible to drive in the 80's. Even my Mk2 Cavalier was better to drive :lol:

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