In the UK you have to be 17 to get your provisional license. This provisional allows you to drive on the road with a passenger as long as the passenger is over 21 and has held a full UK driving license (I think they have to have held it for 3 years too). Before I was 17 I attended a driving school which took place on private land. It was good for getting the basics of clutch control, signalling, manoeuvres and car control. I only went there for maybe 6 or 8 lessons (can't remember exactly). After I got my provisional I started taking lessons fairly quickly. I already had reasonable car control from my pre-driving lessons, so I spent the first real lessons getting used to driving with other cars. I think the instructor was quite happy with things as he let me go 60mph on the country roads on my first lesson. I started doing the manoeuvres required for the driving test pretty quickly (parallel park, reverse around corner and 3 point turn) and I was decent at parallel parking and 3 point turns. Reversing around corners were a bit tricky at first, but after a couple of practises (spread over two lessons) I got decent at them. During the time I was having lessons I was also being taken out occasionally by my parents. Just going for short (30-45 minutes usually) drives about the countryside and doing manoeuvres. My dad once took me to Edinburgh though, which was a great drive. We left about 12 midnight and didn't get back until after sunrise.
Back when I got my license you only had to do a theory test (35 multiple choice questions with a pass mark of 30). This was pretty much common sense, a formality really. Now you also have to do a Hazard Perception Test, where you watch several video clips and press a button when you spot a hazard on the video.
After my theory test I booked my driving test quickly. I think I had a total of between 14 and 16 lessons (better to be over-prepared than under-prepared). The week before my test was spent doing a mock test, along one of the routes used for the actual test and having to do the required manoeuvres. I passed the mock test, a good sign for the real one.
On the day of the final test, I was obviously a bit nervous. Cars for me have always been a passion, so I couldn't wait to finally be allowed out on my own, in control of one and totally responsible for my actions. The examiner I got was apparently one of the toughest. He used to be a motorcyclist, so he wasn't big on car people and was ruthless when it came to drivers using mirrors. Before he came over my instructor wished me luck and reminded me to keep calm and use the mirrors.
After the examiner got in and checked my provisional license, theory test score and appointment he asked my name, what I was doing etc. A bit of small talk I didn't want and he probably didn't care either. I set off from the test centre and got to the T junction leaving the centre. I checked left and right and pulled out. As soon as I pulled out and started accelerating along the road, a taxi came flying along the road behind me and braked. I wasn't happy. The instructor got me to pull in a few hundred metres up the road. After I stopped and put the handbrake on he asked me why I thought he had asked me to stop. I said that the taxi driver had to slow down behind me when I pulled out (on the driving test, pulling out in front of someone and making them slow down is an immediate fail). He asked me what I thought, so I said that the road was clear when I pulled out, the taxi driver was not in sight. I added that due to the fairly tight nature of the street the taxi driver was using, in my opinion, excessive speed. Thankfully he agreed with me and let me carry on. The rest of the test went well, the manoeuvres were fine and my driving was generally good. On the emergency stop I was a bit unlucky as when he got me to stop the right front wheel was over a drain cover, so it momentarily locked up. He didn't seem to notice or care though (and after all it wasn't my fault), so that was fine.
As we got back to the centre he told me I had passed, congratulated me and left. I was elated, a great feeling. I was so pleased to have passed first time. My instructor drove me home (I don't know why I couldn't drive). I was exactly 17 and a half years old when I passed my test (9th July 2002).
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What car was it?
. My dad started by teaching me the basics: starting, stopping, and shifting. Then, starting on a hill 
