Adventures in Driving
Mark this day on the calendar. Phil had his first driving lesson today. Many Americans learn to drive in high school at age 15 and get their license when they turn 16. In the UK, where there are far more cars on the road, the earliest one can learn is 17 with license at 18 years old. In the UK, it is normal for people to rely on public transport and not bother with a driver’s licence at all. In fact, besides Sandy, none of Phil’s immediate family in the UK have drivers’ licenses, they all rely on walking, public transport or taxi cabs for getting where they need to go.
Here in the States, where there is very limited public transportation and miles between everything, being able to drive a car is a necessity. And today, Phil took the first step to doing so.
He reversed the car in a large drive way, and then drove down the driveway to the road. He got the car up to about 18 MPH.
Of course, in the UK, Phil drove a moped, so he’s got a good understanding of the rules of the road. But a feel for the size and position of the car on the road, and a feel for the brake pedal is where he needs to focus his learning before we take him to get a license; he was a bit heavy footed on the break today!
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