Something really bothers me

[Stone]

My wife has got her driving license for almost 3 years. She does not drive much, mostly taking public transportation of bus or train to work. She mostly drives during the weekend (local driving, to stores for shopping, etc) with me besides her.

 

She is starting a new job next week, which would require her to drive every day (about 5 miles one way). I am worried about her driving skills and I hate to see her get into an accident on her way to and from work. Her mistakes may include failing to stop at a STOP sign, failing to yield, inattention to traffic light while driving. How did your wife from China learn to drive well? What are your story and strategy to improve her driving skills?

 

Thanks

 

Paul

[Kyle]

What are your story and strategy to improve her driving skills?

 

Get out and practice! Seriously, the only way she's going to get better is to get out there and get some time behind the wheel. Really, it's kind of like a lot of things, I guess. For Jingjing and I, we used to go out every day for 30 or 40 minutes practicing. She still gets a little hesitent in heavy rush hour traffic, but overall, she drives pretty well. This isn't such a twisted topic - moving to Stateside.

[dnoblett]

Kyle is correct, will improve with practice.

 

My wife failed test 5 times. But since then, has been a good driver, gets around all over, even driving as far as the next big city 90perhaps miles east on the interstate.

 

Need to worry less, and trust to drive OK.

[credzba]

My wife has got her driving license for almost 3 years. She does not drive much, mostly taking public transportation of bus or train to work. She mostly drives during the weekend (local driving, to stores for shopping, etc) with me besides her.

 

She is starting a new job next week, which would require her to drive every day (about 5 miles one way). I am worried about her driving skills and I hate to see her get into an accident on her way to and from work. Her mistakes may include failing to stop at a STOP sign, failing to yield, inattention to traffic light while driving. How did your wife from China learn to drive well? What are your story and strategy to improve her driving skills?

 

Thanks

 

Paul

 

Agree with everyone else.

How did YOU get good at driving? You drove!

 

It is the only way.

Just get a good car with air bags so she is as safe as possible.

I suggest a mandarin speaking GPS so she isnt trying to look for english street signs.

Full coverage insurance, so you can get the car repaired without too much cost.

PRAY to whatever God you believe in, and maybe to some of the others too for her safety.

[Stone]

Because my wife took public transportation to work, she did not need to drive during the weekdays. During the weekend, I tried to let her drive as much as possible.

 

Although she has had a driver's license for well over 2 years, she still makes mistakes often, including just a few hours ago when we left a restaurant and I asked her to drive home. I find it interesting that when she drives on a familiar road, she usually does not make a mistake, as she knows where to stop and where she should yield, etc. But whenever she drives on an unfamiliar road, the old mistakes reappear again like going through a STOP sign without stopping. That got me concerned as she is starting a new job soon.

[Dennis143]

Yep, getting some miles behind the wheel is the only way...

 

A few points that are important to stress to her...

 

Keep your distance from the vehicle in front of you. Yeah, it's driving 101, but still important to emphasize. Most accidents occur from driving too close.

 

Go with the flow. Don't drive too fast or too slow that other drivers must adjust to her.

 

Relax...breathe...don't panic and don't worry. A tense driver is apt to overreact.

 

I'm no driving instructor, but these tips have helped my wife be accident free for over a year now. And, I am completely comfortable as a passenger, as she drives the LA freeways.

[Stone]

Kyle is correct, will improve with practice.

 

My wife failed test 5 times. But since then, has been a good driver, gets around all over, even driving as far as the next big city 90perhaps miles east on the interstate.

 

Need to worry less, and trust to drive OK.

 

Dan, that is a good point: my wife got her driver's license too easily. She got her license after her first road test. But I do not believe she is ready to drive on her own, because I was frightened too often when I was in the car and she was driving.

 

Your wife learned a good lesson after trying for 5 times of road tests. I learned a good lesson many years ago, when I started to learn how to drive and I got into an accident and flipped into a ditch. I really do not want my wife to get into an accident and repeat my mistake.

[Stone]

Yep, getting some miles behind the wheel is the only way...

 

A few points that are important to stress to her...

 

Keep your distance from the vehicle in front of you. Yeah, it's driving 101, but still important to emphasize. Most accidents occur from driving too close.

 

Go with the flow. Don't drive too fast or too slow that other drivers must adjust to her.

 

Relax...breathe...don't panic and don't worry. A tense driver is apt to overreact.

 

I'm no driving instructor, but these tips have helped my wife be accident free for over a year now. And, I am completely comfortable as a passenger, as she drives the LA freeways.

 

Dennis: my wife's biggest and most frequent mistake is failing to stop at a STOP sign or a red traffic light, though I have repeatedly emphasized its importance. She asked me not to worry, then she made the same mistake again.

[Ovahimba]

Let her practice the route many times until she knows it by heart. You can sit in the car with her the first few times. Problems usually arise when they get frazzled by unfamiliar situations. One way to get her to concentrate more is to show her the fines for moving violations like running stop signs. Chinese women definitely understand money.

[Dennis143]

Yep, getting some miles behind the wheel is the only way...

 

A few points that are important to stress to her...

 

Keep your distance from the vehicle in front of you. Yeah, it's driving 101, but still important to emphasize. Most accidents occur from driving too close.

 

Go with the flow. Don't drive too fast or too slow that other drivers must adjust to her.

 

Relax...breathe...don't panic and don't worry. A tense driver is apt to overreact.

 

I'm no driving instructor, but these tips have helped my wife be accident free for over a year now. And, I am completely comfortable as a passenger, as she drives the LA freeways.

 

Dennis: my wife's biggest and most frequent mistake is failing to stop at a STOP sign or a red traffic light, though I have repeatedly emphasized its importance. She asked me not to worry, then she made the same mistake again.

Sounds like she's still got driving in China in her thinking/phyche. Sigh...saddly, I've got no advice for you with that. Let's just hope that the police don't notice.

 

My Leiqin had a habit of just stopping in the middle of the road when she wasn't sure of what I was telling her.

[dan1984]

This is good advice!

 

Let her practice the route many times until she knows it by heart. You can sit in the car with her the first few times. Problems usually arise when they get frazzled by unfamiliar situations. One way to get her to concentrate more is to show her the fines for moving violations like running stop signs. Chinese women definitely understand money.

[Aussie in love]

Man, I feel for you. I know exactly what youre going through. All you can do is all the prep work like everyone suggests and then just trust her.

 

 

Let her practice the route many times until she knows it by heart. You can sit in the car with her the first few times. Problems usually arise when they get frazzled by unfamiliar situations.

 

Although this doesn't really improve her overall driving, this is great advise. It will make her commute safer and allow experience and time at the wheel on her own to develop.

 

When Jane started driving I was a dribbling mess after every lesson. She did improve. Just before she went for test I suggested she get a few formal lessons. She went for a Chinese instructor. All they did was go round and round the test route. They even worked out when she would indicate, when she would look over shoulder. I kept warning her to drive to the conditions because the testing officer could take her anywhere.

 

Anyway, they went exactly to the test circuit. She indicated and turned her head exactly as practiced. She got her licence first time. I was happy for her but greatly concerned.

 

The moral to the story is familiarity will help. It's all a progression.

[dan_ling]

I am currently teaching my wife to drive 1 hour every Sunday morning when there is not much traffic. When the time comes that she has her driver's license I will then let her drive to the store and back by herself because she is in her comfort zone knowing I am in the car with her.

 

I would suggest the same, let her drive everyday somewhere close without you in the car so she will be comfortable driving alone.

[Stone]

I agree. If my wife drives on a very familiar road, she is most likely OK, unless she becomes distracted by a conversation or something in her mind. She is going to start a new job next week, which requires her to travel to 3 different locations (all within 5 miles). I plan to sit beside her when she drives during the first week. Thanks everyone.

[chilton747]

I can certainly understand your concerns. I think that everyone's advice here is about the best you can do. My wife has a problem with stop signs too.

Good luck to ya!!