On the 7th February 2011, I received my Class 3 Driving License. Without the patience and extensive experience of my instructors and the strong structured curriculum provided by ComfortDelgro Driving Centre over the last 7 months, I wouldn't have meet the requirements within the first attempt.
Getting Started
I took my Basic Theory back in 2003 with a friend. After not qualifying for the Final Theory back then, I took a break and went overseas for studies and work. As my work in 2009 requires a lot of commute around Singapore, I find a greater need to learn driving for the convenience. I finally resumed my driving course from the 11th July 2010. At the same time in July 2010, I passed my Final Theory (with lots of practices and help from FP on his revision materials)
ONE TEAM
A very good friend, YS, gave me advice on the course to enroll in the driving centre. I followed his advice accordingly and enrolled for the ONE TEAM Class 3 Driving Course. The advantage of the ONE TEAM is that you will have a dedicated group of instructors which will see you through your learning experience, and you will get back the same car every lesson (mine is car 163) and finally it's much easier making lessons booking.
I had 25 lessons in all (24 manual lessons, 1 auto lesson). Of the 25 lessons, 11 lessons are taught by the same instructor (Mr Ismadi), 4 lessons taught by another instructor (Alex Soh), while the remaining lessons are taught by different instructors.
LESSONS
I absolutely have no knowledge about the parts of the car and how it works before I joined the school. I'm not a car enthusiast myself. I studied the Basic and Advanced Theory and only got a brief memory note of what it is. The real knowledge comes in when I sat at the driver's seat and were directly taught the different controls and how to operate it.
There are 3 modules in all to the course. The first module includes Fundamental Training Circuit (you get to go out to the road after 3-5 lessons). The second module is on Progressive Training Road. The third module is on Progressive Training Circuit.
Once you get the hang of driving in the circuit, the instructor will direct you out for some real driving experience. Nothing beats actual driving on the road. There are a lot of things to keep a look out for which the instructor will time and again remind you. It includes:
- Traffic Lights (green may transit to amber)
- Parked Stationary vehicles
- Pedestrian crossing (and sometimes dashing out)
and many more.
There are many outdoor routes which we will be directed to. Some of the more scenic route is along Bedok Reservoir Road (below).
There is this section along Tampines Industrial Ave which I find to be nice driving spot. A lot of heavy vehicles are parked along this area but it's a quiet place with little traffic. I had my pre-drive check here where we stopped for 15mins. I remembered the weather then was splendid. It's truly a beautiful place.
One of the more challenging area is Ubi Rd 4. It's a narrow 2-way road with lots of obstructions. My test actually went through this road. There is a vehicle travelling in the opposite lane during the test and I stopped to let it past before going through.
SAFETY AND LESSONS FOR LIFE
Time and again, the word 'Safety' is being emphasized to me. It has been deeply ingrained into me throughout the 25 lessons.
Driving on the road is actually quite dangerous if you are not mindful. It's quite dangerous to drive if you are day-dreaming (thinking of something else) while the vehicle is moving, talking on the phone, being intoxicated by alcohol or drugs. It's best to drive with an alert mind and your senses up and around. You never know when something might just dash into your path like a Resident Evil movie.
Some of the common dangers which you should keep a lookout for when driving are:
- Jaywalkers (esp foreign workers who might just dash or ride a bicycle anywhere)
- Taxi drivers (they are the king of the roads. respect them. their rice bowl also depend on it)
Visibility are reduce when:
- Night (If someone just dash onto the road which is badly lit, you gonna hit the brakes real fast)
- Raining during day (With the mirrors and windows around full of little cute beads, you will see your surroundings in multiple small images)
- Raining at night (Basically you may not know what's coming from behind, except for spots of spooky looking lights. Important to drive slow in this environment)
I have experienced all of the above environment throughout the lessons. and have learned to appreciate the challenges face by drivers in different circumstances.
I still remembered one of the lesson with Mr Ismadi, while I was making a left turn into Kaki Bukit at night, I noticed the pedestrian way is clear and was above to turn. He said stop cause there is someone cycling in the darkness towards the road. Though the pedestrian light is red, but he continue cycling straight. Then he told me, "See. If you are pedestrian and you see the green light is blinking or it is red, do you also run across?" I fully agree with him. As a pedestrian, sometimes I will just run across the road but to the motorist, it is especially dangerous for him as he may perceive it to be cleared. From this and many other experiences, I have actually learned to be a more responsible pedestrian. I started to check my blind spot when I'm crossing the road, just in case a car just turn without noticing me. And also to give way to cars who have the right of way.
TEST
It's my first time taking the test on the 7th February. The school signed up for a warm-up lesson just before the test. There is a waiting room in the Admin Centre where I have to give my driving booklet and IC. An instructor then accompany me to drive around the circuit and on the road. The warm-up is around 30mins long. The warm-up is smooth without any problems. I'm driving a different manual car for the first time and find the clutch and accelerator to be quite responsive. I asked the instructor about it and found out this is actually quite a new car.
Thereafter I started waiting at another room for the Tester to call me for the test. The Tester is very strict and serious. In all, I repeated the performance I had previously. One thing to note, as the warm-up and test is continuous for all the stations, there is no chance to rest at all in between the stations as during the lessons. Normally I get to handbrake and rest while queuing up. But 1 hour of non-stop clutch, breaking and accelerating really need physical endurance. After returning to the centre, I accompanied the tester up and he congratulate me that I have pass. I realized the great responsibilities the Traffic Police testers face each day. Each of the candidates they pass, they have to bear the responsibilities that the candidates will drive safely on the road. With increasing traffic accidents over the last few months, ensuring candidates meet the most stringent standards is their topmost priority. Dicing with death is no laughing matter, and that explains their seriousness and strictness.
After the test, we were directed to watch a 10mins long video and marketed on some insurance. Personally, I feel the school should encourage us to sign up for the Refresher course instead of buying insurance (I have feedbacked to them on it).
WHAT'S NEXT
I have no plans on getting a car in the immediate future. But I may sign up for the Refresher course. There is still much to learn.
Getting Started
I took my Basic Theory back in 2003 with a friend. After not qualifying for the Final Theory back then, I took a break and went overseas for studies and work. As my work in 2009 requires a lot of commute around Singapore, I find a greater need to learn driving for the convenience. I finally resumed my driving course from the 11th July 2010. At the same time in July 2010, I passed my Final Theory (with lots of practices and help from FP on his revision materials)
ONE TEAM
A very good friend, YS, gave me advice on the course to enroll in the driving centre. I followed his advice accordingly and enrolled for the ONE TEAM Class 3 Driving Course. The advantage of the ONE TEAM is that you will have a dedicated group of instructors which will see you through your learning experience, and you will get back the same car every lesson (mine is car 163) and finally it's much easier making lessons booking.
I had 25 lessons in all (24 manual lessons, 1 auto lesson). Of the 25 lessons, 11 lessons are taught by the same instructor (Mr Ismadi), 4 lessons taught by another instructor (Alex Soh), while the remaining lessons are taught by different instructors.
LESSONS
I absolutely have no knowledge about the parts of the car and how it works before I joined the school. I'm not a car enthusiast myself. I studied the Basic and Advanced Theory and only got a brief memory note of what it is. The real knowledge comes in when I sat at the driver's seat and were directly taught the different controls and how to operate it.
There are 3 modules in all to the course. The first module includes Fundamental Training Circuit (you get to go out to the road after 3-5 lessons). The second module is on Progressive Training Road. The third module is on Progressive Training Circuit.
Once you get the hang of driving in the circuit, the instructor will direct you out for some real driving experience. Nothing beats actual driving on the road. There are a lot of things to keep a look out for which the instructor will time and again remind you. It includes:
- Traffic Lights (green may transit to amber)
- Parked Stationary vehicles
- Pedestrian crossing (and sometimes dashing out)
and many more.
There are many outdoor routes which we will be directed to. Some of the more scenic route is along Bedok Reservoir Road (below).
There is this section along Tampines Industrial Ave which I find to be nice driving spot. A lot of heavy vehicles are parked along this area but it's a quiet place with little traffic. I had my pre-drive check here where we stopped for 15mins. I remembered the weather then was splendid. It's truly a beautiful place.
One of the more challenging area is Ubi Rd 4. It's a narrow 2-way road with lots of obstructions. My test actually went through this road. There is a vehicle travelling in the opposite lane during the test and I stopped to let it past before going through.
SAFETY AND LESSONS FOR LIFE
Time and again, the word 'Safety' is being emphasized to me. It has been deeply ingrained into me throughout the 25 lessons.
Driving on the road is actually quite dangerous if you are not mindful. It's quite dangerous to drive if you are day-dreaming (thinking of something else) while the vehicle is moving, talking on the phone, being intoxicated by alcohol or drugs. It's best to drive with an alert mind and your senses up and around. You never know when something might just dash into your path like a Resident Evil movie.
Some of the common dangers which you should keep a lookout for when driving are:
- Jaywalkers (esp foreign workers who might just dash or ride a bicycle anywhere)
- Taxi drivers (they are the king of the roads. respect them. their rice bowl also depend on it)
Visibility are reduce when:
- Night (If someone just dash onto the road which is badly lit, you gonna hit the brakes real fast)
- Raining during day (With the mirrors and windows around full of little cute beads, you will see your surroundings in multiple small images)
- Raining at night (Basically you may not know what's coming from behind, except for spots of spooky looking lights. Important to drive slow in this environment)
I have experienced all of the above environment throughout the lessons. and have learned to appreciate the challenges face by drivers in different circumstances.
I still remembered one of the lesson with Mr Ismadi, while I was making a left turn into Kaki Bukit at night, I noticed the pedestrian way is clear and was above to turn. He said stop cause there is someone cycling in the darkness towards the road. Though the pedestrian light is red, but he continue cycling straight. Then he told me, "See. If you are pedestrian and you see the green light is blinking or it is red, do you also run across?" I fully agree with him. As a pedestrian, sometimes I will just run across the road but to the motorist, it is especially dangerous for him as he may perceive it to be cleared. From this and many other experiences, I have actually learned to be a more responsible pedestrian. I started to check my blind spot when I'm crossing the road, just in case a car just turn without noticing me. And also to give way to cars who have the right of way.
TEST
It's my first time taking the test on the 7th February. The school signed up for a warm-up lesson just before the test. There is a waiting room in the Admin Centre where I have to give my driving booklet and IC. An instructor then accompany me to drive around the circuit and on the road. The warm-up is around 30mins long. The warm-up is smooth without any problems. I'm driving a different manual car for the first time and find the clutch and accelerator to be quite responsive. I asked the instructor about it and found out this is actually quite a new car.
Thereafter I started waiting at another room for the Tester to call me for the test. The Tester is very strict and serious. In all, I repeated the performance I had previously. One thing to note, as the warm-up and test is continuous for all the stations, there is no chance to rest at all in between the stations as during the lessons. Normally I get to handbrake and rest while queuing up. But 1 hour of non-stop clutch, breaking and accelerating really need physical endurance. After returning to the centre, I accompanied the tester up and he congratulate me that I have pass. I realized the great responsibilities the Traffic Police testers face each day. Each of the candidates they pass, they have to bear the responsibilities that the candidates will drive safely on the road. With increasing traffic accidents over the last few months, ensuring candidates meet the most stringent standards is their topmost priority. Dicing with death is no laughing matter, and that explains their seriousness and strictness.
After the test, we were directed to watch a 10mins long video and marketed on some insurance. Personally, I feel the school should encourage us to sign up for the Refresher course instead of buying insurance (I have feedbacked to them on it).
WHAT'S NEXT
I have no plans on getting a car in the immediate future. But I may sign up for the Refresher course. There is still much to learn.
