Back to Driving School with #CAARoadTest!





Last week, I was incredibly fortunate to attend a fun event with several of my fellow CAA South Central Ontario Brand Ambassadors that reminded me of my driver training days! The CAA Road Test Revival, which took place in the parking lot of Woodbine Racetrack, included a written quiz and three driving stations. These were Parallel Parking, Reverse Lot Parking, and a Three Point Turn.

Parallel Parking 

I am one of those people who drives around looking for 'slider' parking spots for my car, as I'm not great at parallel parking! My anxiety was high as we arrived at the first station. Fortunately, we had an incredibly helpful and patient instructor who walked us through the process. Using tips provided to me by my car mate and fellow Brand Ambassador Mara Shapiro (who would make an excellent instructor herself!), I nailed the Parallel Parking portion on the first attempt! Usually, when I have to parallel park, I do it in my little Mazda 3 Hatchback. Imagine my surprise when I had to get into a minivan! Thankfully, it all worked out.

For those of you who need a refresher on parallel parking, here are a few tips to remember:

• Ensure the space is large enough to accommodate 1 1/2 times the length of your vehicle
• Signal early to help the driver behind understand your intention
• Do not start reversing until the way is clear of traffic has stopped to let you begin parking

Three-Point Turns

We've all been here. Blushing as it takes 50 turns, reverses and forward moves to get out of a tight jam. I can honestly say I have completed tons of three-point turns in my driving lifetime, but it's nerve wracking to have an instructor tell you he's going to score yours like he would during a driving test. Boris, our instructor, was incredibly sweet and informative, and helped put me at ease. He said my three point turn was almost perfect, which made my day!

We all believe that we're decent drivers and have great skills, but it was amazing at how many little things I picked up from my session with Boris. Everyone should have a refresher course in these important skills!

Here are a few helpful reminders to think about when making a three-point turn:

• Be aware of U-turn restrictions
• Be 360° aware throughout the entire manoeuvre, check all mirrors and blind spots
• Avoid using a driveway or private property

Reverse Lot Parking

This is another manoeuver that I admittedly try to avoid at all costs, but is so important to master. If you park downtown Toronto in one of the many underground garages or lots, it's much easier to reverse park in a lot, so you can have a quick exit and are able to see other cars driving by. Our instructor was hilarious, and told us that even though it seems easier to go nose first into a spot, it's safer to simply back into the spot. Taking his advice to heart, I was able to back into the spot on the first try! Clearly, I'm better at these skills that I gave myself credit for, but still appreciate these helpful tips:

• Visibility around your vehicle is better while backing in
• Easier for drivers to see if the way is clear when exiting the parking spot
• Mechanical problems are easier to diagnose, and vehicle is easier to tow or boost.



Here are some important tips to remember while driving:

• Do not depend on backup cameras when reversing. Drivers only see what's already in view of the camera, and not what's approaching the car
• Driving forward or reversing, looking in the direction of where you want your car to go will help you steer your car more accurately
• Avoid dry steering. Your vehicle should always be moving slowly when turning the steering wheel

CAA How to Drive Beginner Driver Education

Did you know that CAA has over 50 years of experience in driver education?  Their flagship driving school, located in North York, offers beginner driver education, senior driving seminars, and corporate driving seminars.

The CAA How to Drive Beginner Driver Education course is MTO-approved, and only taught at CAA Approved Driving School Network (ADSN) locations across Ontario. There are currently 37 ADSN locations teaching the CAA How to Drive Course. You can find all of the locations at

caasco.com/drivertraining.

Some of the benefits of the CAA How to Drive Course include:

• Graduates can take their G2 road test 4 month earlier than G1 license holders who do not take an MTO-approved course (this group must wait a full 12 months!)
• Graduates may be eligible for a reduced auto insurance premium
• Graduates can redeem a free 1-year CAA Basic Membership 

Tear-up-the-Tuition Contest

Students who register for the CAA How to Drive course at any ADSN location can enter the Tear-up-the-Tuition contest by visiting Caasco.com/learndrivewin. Contest prizes include 2 x $200 Apple Store® gift cards, 3 x choice of $75 CAA Rewards Partner gift card, 39 x Cineplex Great Escape Packages, and 2 x Grand Prize of CAA How to Drive Course tuition reimbursement! This contest runs until November 30, 2014. Good luck, and drive safe!

I had such a great time at the #CAARoadTest event! It was fun to spend time with everyone, refresh my driving skills, and boost my confidence while practising the manoeuvers that we should all use on a regular basis. The best part was I didn't need to be towed away by this friendly face: 

 

CAA is known for being the most trusted name in Roadside Assistance. With a full range of products, CAA Members have access to not only Roadside Assistance, but also life, home and auto insurance; travel packages and insurance; and exclusive access to savings and rewards at more than 164,000 retail locations and services worldwide.
 

Disclosure: I am a CAA Brand Ambassador and although this post was sponsored by CAA South Central Ontario, the opinions expressed here are my own, and in no way do they reflect CAA South Central Ontario.

 

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