Driving School

[Bu Lai En]

Anyone ever been to driving school here? What can I expect to pay and how long does it take? Any reccommendations or are they all much of a muchness?

Brian

[scomargo]

Hi Bri,

If you already know how to drive, but want some practice for the infamous "S curve" and other tricks of the test, then you can take classes by the hour.

I have looked into it, and you can practice with a car in a driving buxiban for about $800 an hour.

Now I actually just need to go and do it. The main thing keeping me from taking the test is the fact that I'd have to take off work to do it.

[Bassman]

Oh yeah, the difficulty level of the written test will depend on where you take the test, Taipei - ok, Taichung - sucks. Try to get a copy of the test CD, the English really sucks though, it's better to look at the Chinese if you can read it. The online test is only useful if you happen to be in Taipei.

Driving school - learn what the tester will expect and how the points are calculated. Practice the course, esp. the S bend reverse.

[Spack]

If you pay extra in Taichung City you can take the driving test in the driving school instead of at the main test center where you take the written test.

It helps a lot because your instructor will tell you things like "When this white mark (inside the car) lines up with the red splodge on the ground there, turn the wheel."
It comes in really handy if you feel nervous during the test especially on the reverse S. Easy to mess up even if you're an experienced driver.
It's cheating, but rest assured, the examiner is in on it as well.

[Bu Lai En]

I appreciate the thought guys, but I don't need to know about the test.

I need to go to driving school, because I don't know how to drive
I realise that I might not learn much in the way of good driving schools, but I've heard they do teach you how to pass the test, and then if I get a car, I can learn my driving the Taiwanese way - on the road.

Went to one place today 9000 for manual 11500 for automatic plus 1200 for taking their car to do the test. This is for 30 hours. Anyone know if this is normal? Do you indeed need 30 hours, is this perhaps a regulation, and might other places give you 15 or 20 hour courses?

Any info much appreciated.

Brian

[superking]

Bu,
My girlfriend (Taiwanese) just passed her test in Shalu about 2 weeks ago. I will ask her for more specifics for you, but here is what I understood from the process. She went for an hour every morning for 4 weeks. 20 Hours. And that was from total scratch. The cost of the lessons is graded according to the time of day you learn at. She went at 7 a.m. and that was the cheapest. Find out if the centre you want to learn at has the same scheme.
Apart from that it seems like you have the best advice so far. Learning at the centre you can expect to be spoon fed how to pass the test. My girlfriend said they told her things like "at this bend turn the wheel 2 full turns" etc. On the test she also started to drive through a red light, and the examiner applied the brakes and asked her if she was sure she wanted to drive through the red light. He then gave her the old knowing wink. Also, learning to drive in the centre will give you absolutely no help when it comes to driving on the roads.
The centre should do a written test and a driving test. But you have to take them on separate days. If you fail the written test, then you have to wait a week and try again. Get plenty of practice in, but the questions will be dumb. An example was, "You are a taxi driver and a known criminal gets into your cab. Should you, A: Take them to their destination, B: run off, C: Call the police".
Good Luck.

[Joesox]

I need to go to driving school, because I don't know how to drive :oops:
I realise that I might not learn much in the way of good driving schools, but I've heard they do teach you how to pass the test, and then if I get a car, I can learn my driving the Taiwanese way - on the road.Brian

I have a suggestion. Either before or shortly after passing your test, why not take some 'lessons' with a foreigner friend who passed their test in the West and who spent some time getting driving experience there as well as here in Taiwan?
They will be able to give you good driving habits from the very beginning. By this I mean both the physical movements (hopefully they can teach you in a way that respects the machine) and more importantly road sense.
It seems that safe driving practices are not routinely taught here. Getting good habits from the start is far easier than trying to 'tack them on' later.

Went to one place today 9000 for manual 11500 for automatic plus 1200 for taking their car to do the test. This is for 30 hours. Anyone know if this is normal? Do you indeed need 30 hours, is this perhaps a regulation, and might other places give you 15 or 20 hour courses?

I recommend learning on a manual car. It will take a bit longer but is far more useful - it's easy to go from a manual to an automatic but not at all easy the other way. In the UK, if you took your test in an automatic you are not permitted to drive a manual car - I don't know how it is here.

Try to get a copy of the test CD, the English really sucks though, it's better to look at the Chinese if you can read it. The online test is only useful if you happen to be in Taipei.

I believe you're in Taipei, Brian, but for the benefit of others I should say that the Taichung test centre lends out copies of the English version of the driving rules. Presumably other centres will do the same. I agree that the online test is only relevant for Taipei - appropriately enough since it's on the Taipei DMV website.

[Bu Lai En]

I have a suggestion. Either before or shortly after passing your test, why not take some 'lessons' with a foreigner friend who passed their test in the West and who spent some time getting driving experience there as well as here in Taiwan?

I don't have any friends. I mena I don't have any friends with cars

Re manual vs automatic, I want to learn manual because apparently idid I understand them properly? - anyone know?) the licences is different - a 'manual' licence lets you drive all cars, but an 'automatic' licence only lets you drive automatics. My wife wants to learn automatic. Girl at the driving school says "mmm, it's best for men to learn manual and women to learn automatic )

Brian

[superking]

Bu, Yes you understood correctly. If you learn to drive a manual car you can then also drive automatics. If you pass the automatic test they wont let you drive manuals. Just remember the first time you use an automatic that you use one foot for both accelerator and brake. I found that out after I tried to stop at a junction and accelerated straight through the red light. Lucky I was in a backwater in Australia, rather than London.
You'll probably end up driving an automatic here, but its still best to go the manual route.

[MJB]

Brian,

Find ANYONE who has driven overseas to teach you while you are taking the driving course.......................The driving school exists for one purpose only........To make sure you pass the test! Driving skills are secondary. I've taken and passed the so-called "drivers test" and I can tell you it has about as much to do with real driving as skiing through a revolving door.

I'm sure there are many here who would offer their services (anybody?) rather than seeing another shitty driver (sorry!) hit the road unprepared!

As for the auto-stick argument:

Are you in a hurry? Stick shift mastery takes some time to learn but ultimately offers the most control.........An automatic will put you in the drivers seat faster, but...............Ah, screw it, go with a manual first!

PLEASE don't get on the road with Taiwan driving school instruction..........Could you imagine driving in your home country, running red lights, driving on the shoulder, unable to back up or park, cutting people off left and right, then the ultimate insult when you get pulled over...........Jeez, where the hell did you learn how to drive............Taiwan?

My advice is either to find a driving mentor or take the bus.........