Did You Know You Can't Use This At Your Driver's Test In New York

Have you ever taught someone to drive? It's an incredibly important task. I know...because I'm doing it right now for my 16-year-old daughter.
I know...it doesn't seem right that I'm old enough to have a 16-year-old daughter...but it's true. But let me also just say right now that she is doing a great job. She's been driving a lot lately and I'm almost getting too comfortable having a chauffeur every time we go somewhere now. I'm very proud of her.

But, man is it ever stressful!

It would be pretty simple if there weren't other drivers on the road. The rules wouldn't be as important and you wouldn't have to be as cautious. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Not only are there other people out there, but it's possible that they aren't great drivers. So not only do you have to teach them to learn the rules of the road for themselves and the courtesy of other drivers, but you have to teach them to look out for the other drivers who never learned the rules either. It's not a responsibility that I take lightly. While driving is fun, it can also be very dangerous if you're not prepared.

Also...it's been over 25 years since I've taken the test myself. Do you think I remember all the rules for every situation? Sadly, I'm finding that I don't. So much has changed in that amount of time. Technology is different too. The things that we have in our cars to keep us safe these days and make driving easier are pretty impressive.

Did you have a backup camera when you took the test? I didn't. We had mirrors. That's how we were taught to drive. But I was a little surprised to find out that when kids take their tests in New York State, they aren't allowed to use their backup cameras either. Even though they're there, they're asked to disable them, or the instructor will cover them up when they're doing their parallel park.

It makes sense. They want to be sure you know the technique just in case something happens to your backup camera. If you're going to start driving soon or if you're a parent of an upcoming driver, save yourself the trouble of teaching your teen by using the backup camera, and then having to re-teach them how to parallel park by only using their mirrors. The old-school way is the best way to learn anyway!

Good luck! And stay safe.