Hoisting the Stanley Cup, seeing your partner on your wedding day, holding your newborn for the first time - there are a few important memories that we hold near and dear to our hearts. For some, getting your driver’s licence is right up there.
We sat down for an in-depth chat with Ryley Feenie, Online/Marketing Support; and Matt Wilson, Branch Operational Support with Valley Driving School, to reminisce about their first experiences as licensed drivers.
The Learning Curve
Before your parents can ceremoniously hand over the car keys, and even before you can raise your fist in triumph when you’re awarded your licence, there’s a critically important stage of training. How and where you learn to drive (either with a licensed friend or family member, or with a driving school) is where the journey begins.
“Once I figured out how to pop a clutch properly and do that maneuver, I was home free. My dad was a really good teacher; he taught my brother too. I found that his instruction was great, and the top-up I got from my driving school was exactly what I needed. I couldn’t wait [to get my Learners]. I think I got my Learners on my birthday and took the road test on the first or second day of my eligibility,” says. “I was very stoked about having the freedom of a car.”
The eagerness and excitement some of us feel when embarking on the process of learning to drive isn’t universally loved, however. Ryley was honest in her uneasy learning experience, thanks in part to a particularly jittery parent who wasn’t always up for training.
“For me, it was stressful. My mom is very jittery when she’s in the car and would constantly grip the door handle or make noises - driving with dad was much easier. He gave some instruction, so that was good,” laughed Ryley.
Try, Try Again
Hey — many people fail their drivers’ road test the first time. Being unsuccessful the first time around just means that you can benefit from revisiting the core material of the ICBC Knowledge Test and practice a bit more. A great way to take advantage of this extended learning opportunity is to enroll with a reputable driving school like Valley Driving School to get some fresh eyes on your driving prowess behind the wheel, and/or practice via ICBC’s complimentary Practice Test in your spare time. But the biggest thing to remember? It can happen to anyone!
“When I failed the first time, it was eye-opening for all three of us,” says Ryley, thinking back. “There were a lot of aspects that my parents had forgotten, like shoulder checks. Going to a driving school after my second – or third? - attempt was what I really needed because it did polish up the skills I had learned with Mom and Dad. It introduced new skills [my parents] hadn’t thought to cover.”
Pain Points
Looking back on the experience, both Matt and Ryley had some (quick) memories that made their ascension to the driver's seat a tough one. For Ryley, it was anything having to do with reversing. For Matt, it was all about mastering the subtle intricacies of a manual transmission.
“I still don’t like reversing,” laughed Ryley. “Parallel parking, too. Another aspect that was difficult for my parents to teach me was merging onto the highway; there’s so much going on! My dad taught me well, but when I finally took a driving lesson it was eye-opening to see how the maneuver could be broken down, making it easier to understand when and why it was my turn to merge in.”
“For me, it was all about shifting,” says Matt. “Both of my parents’ cars were manual transmissions. There were a couple of points I had a fear of: stalling in the middle of an intersection and uphill climbs.”
Freedom
It’s clear from talking to these two that the underlying freedom of unlocking your driver's licence isn’t the achievement of finishing driver training or passing the road test - it’s the realization that suddenly, the whole world is available to you.
“I think I cried, and I think my mom cried too.” says Ryley.
“When I first got my licence, I loved going out and getting lost. I would literally drive somewhere so I didn’t know where I was, just to try to get back out again,” confides Matt. “I loved being able to travel.”
It's also about the pride and independence that cements and justifies the freedom of having your licence.
“For me, it was being able to get up and drive myself to the barn, not having to ask my mom to take me out at five in the morning,” says Ryley. “Also, my best friend and I used to go for night drives. If we needed to talk, be independent, or just needed each other, I’d pick her up and we’d go out into the back roads of Langley. We would blast heavy bass music and vent and talk and giggle - just being together and making memories.”
Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder
When you’re let loose on the roads after achieving your licence, the card in your wallet isn't so much important as the vehicle you’re driving. While most new drivers aren’t behind the wheel of a Porsche or a Jaguar, many them may feel that way. Maybe it’s excitement, maybe it’s pride of ownership mixed with the allure of your own wheels, but your first car has a lot to do with your memories of Day one with a licence.
“My first car was a 1996 Ford station wagon that I affectionately called ‘The Red Torpedo’,” says Ryley. “The car was falling apart to the point where I opened the door at the Dentist’s office one day and the door panel fell off. I loved that car. I looked ridiculous driving it but I still have very fond memories of it. The muffler was falling off, but I loved it. Now I’m driving an Elantra and I still miss the ‘Red Torpedo’.”
“Funny how we nickname our cars, eh?” says Matt. “I drove my parents cars until I was 18. They had a Hyundai Pony and a Volkswagen van from the 1970’s. The van was famous - it was called ‘White Lightning’, actually. My first car was a ‘79 Honda Accord nicknamed ‘The Silver Bullet’, and that was really exciting. It was better than getting my licence because now I didn’t have to borrow - I had my own wheels. I remember absolutely freaking out.”
“Totally,” agreed Ryley.
“We bought a second car to replace the ‘Torpedo’ because, with pieces falling off, it became unsafe. I had to borrow the car from my parents and it wasn’t until last September I started taking over the payments - so going from borrowing to owning it, I 100% agree. It changed the relationship with my parents and they stopped seeing me as a kid and finally saw me as an adult. Having my own set of wheels and actual freedom - not just borrowing that freedom.
Road Trip!
Driving with your parents is fine. Driving with your friends is even sweeter. The first time you drive solo is a big memory for most new drivers. The butterflies in your stomach can quickly turn into noble steeds of pride and vitality; it’s a strange feeling - but one that sticks in your memory nonetheless.
“I drove myself to the barn,” says Ryley. “I was a working student for a barn and this entailed having my mom needing to sacrifice an hour in the morning, and even switching her work schedule around, to drive me from Surrey all the way out to 264th. I had made myself a CD because the stereo didn’t have Bluetooth. I remember driving myself, vibrating with excitement and having this gut wrenching feeling that if I messed this up, I’d never be allowed to drive again. When I got there, my trainer asked me ‘where’s your mom,’ and I said ‘I drove myself’. It was the coolest feeling.”
“I can only remember my first road trip,” says Matt. “I must have been about 17 or 18, and I was in ‘White Lightning’ - Dad had let me take the van to Salmon Arm. I remember leaving the Valley and going into the mountains and having those same butterflies - I knew if anything broke or went wrong, I’d have no idea what I was going to do. It was raining, wasn’t good weather, it was Fall - so there was white-knuckles during the whole drive there. The whole ride was tense, all nerves and I remember being very relieved getting to my destination, but excited too.”
“I remember thinking ‘yee-haw, I’m the man’. I remember having to call home when I got there to tell my parents I was alive,” laughs Matt.
Your licence represents many things. It can be a ride to work without having to rely on public transportation or your parents. It can represent a newfound independence that alters your worldview and allows you to broaden your horizons, both physically and mentally. Without doubt, It’s a milestone achievement in that its existence means you’ve grown and learned a particular skill set that is about to change your life.
We’re fortunate in our ability to help new drivers make memories like these by teaching the skills needed to navigate this exciting time in your life. It’s not something we take lightly - because we too remember how important this time was to us.