As we get older, one fear is not passing the driver’s test at the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Our quality of life depends on hopping into our car for groceries, visiting friends, or going to the senior center. Independence becomes limited if we rely on family, neighbors, public transportation, a taxi, or Uber/Lyft rides. Plus, the DMV has been notorious for long lines and poor service, so no one relishes the thought of spending a day in a crowded office with anxious and potential road rage drivers.
I haven’t had to take the physical driving test since I was 16, but now that I am in my 70s, this seemed like a possibility. I have never been in an accident in all these years, so maybe my high school driver’s ed course was worth it. The written driving test is a different story. Some questions have nothing to do with driving, and when there are 46 questions, and you need 38 correct answers to pass, the pressure is on. You are allowed three chances, but if you fail all three, you must fill out another application and pay again ($41). As my birthday deadline approached, I started assembling my study guides to prepare for the worst. Fortunately, my angst was calmed as a news article discussed others facing the same worry.
About two months before my license expiration, I received a notice from the DMV explaining how to complete the application online and set up an appointment (which I did at 9:40 a.m). The local DMV office in Newhall has a relatively small parking lot, so I knew trying to find a space would require arriving at least a half-hour before my appointment time.
A week before my visit, the news article appeared discussing the DMV’s efforts to make it easier for drivers to navigate through licensing while still maintaining the ability to ensure public safety.
One example in the article of a problematic DMV test question discussed was: “Which of the following is an appropriate decrease in speed when driving in packed snow?” Really?
From the article, I learned that an option was given on the DMV application to take the written test at the office or take it through “eLearning” online. Taking the latter option was felt to be the best because it provided the opportunity to correct answers and learn from the process. So that is what I opted to do.
Online, I re-edited my DMV application, took the “eLearning” written test … and passed!
On the day of the scheduled 9:40 a.m. appointment, I arrived at the DMV office in Newhall at exactly 9 a.m., and the parking lot gods were in my favor, as I found a space next to the front door.
I was graciously queued into line by helpful personel, and waited about 10 minutes, with an eye test done, then a photo. I left the office with my renewed license at 9:34 a.m., six minutes before my appointment time! This was seamless! Navigating through the DMV has gone from literally a crash course to a successful multi-lane highway. The DMV is responsible for ensuring roads are kept safe by keeping us in our lanes and making sure we know the rules. They have now done this at their offices by making access to licensing and driving tests easier.
Thank you to the DMV for lowering the road rage anxiety, as it is nice to feel safe when we are kept in our lanes, whether on the road or in their office.
Dr. Gene Dorio
Saugus
