04 Oct 2017

I’m a 23-year-old who is still on my Ls. I know, I know, it’s totally pathetic.

While it’s great because I’m never deso (yewww) it means I can’t get anywhere without a friend, a family member or a sincere trust in Australia’s public transport system. I can’t do the dramatic front door exit and fast acceleration up the street, because I need L plates and a fully licensed driver beside me.

I can’t listen to sad break up songs and cry in the car overlooking the ocean, wallowing in self-pity, because I can’t legally do it without someone beside me (probably giving unsolicited advice). I can’t even take myself on a cheeky Maccas run at midnight when I’m craving nuggs and a sundae.

Truth be told, I’m actually terrified of doing the test. I did it once… five or so years ago. And I failed. That failure was enough to prevent me from getting up the courage to do it again.

I’m not scared of driving, but I’m scared of not being good enough. I don’t trust myself on the road, and I know that will be enough for me to f*ck it up and fail in the next test.

So I decided to actually do this Ford Driving Skills for Life course that we wrote about the other day (IT’S FREEEEE). I didn’t know what to expect to be honest–how different could it be to those I spend like $60 an hour on?

I was pleasantly surprised. I got to experience all the situations I was more terrified of: spinning out, braking and intoxication. For the regular Australian, the average number of road deaths per 100,000 people is 5.37, but for the young adult age bracket, it is nearly double this and currently sits at 9.0. This is the second highest cause of death for young people.

I got to put on drunk suit, which was super hectic (and felt exactly like the real thing) but seeing how much it would hinder my driving, even if I’ve only had one drink was crazy.

They made me accelerate as hard as I could and then brake as hard as I could to activate ABS brakes. Usually you never actually get a chance to test how this feels until you’re in a situation when you need to use them. This was a great way to feel the car, and to navigate an obstacle in a safe environment while I’m freaking out.

They made the road really slippery with tarps and water and soap and made us practice our turning–feeling the car spin out a bit. I was the only one on the course who managed to hit cones and not only that, but wedge one under the car (SEE WHAT I MEAN, I’M TERRIBLE), but it was really helpful. Imagine if I’d done that in an actual scenario.

But it really helped my confidence. I was put in scary situations in safe environments, and I feel surprisingly liberated to book my Ps test. All I had to do what experience fear in a safe space and I was sweet. I can handle it.

So if you need confidence, go and do the driving course–it’s free, it’s short and it’s totally worth it.