What subjects are required for a US driver’s license?

After graduating from college, my son received a full scholarship to study in the United States. In the year he was about to get his Ph.D., his mother and I went to the United States to visit him. Everyone says that the United States is a nation on a wheel, and this is not true at all. My first impression when I arrived in the United States was that there were many cars, many roads, many parking lots. Purdue University, where my son attends, is located in Lafayette, Indiana, more than 200 kilometers south of Chicago. This is a small city with a population of only 100,000. Although there is some bus transportation, it is very inconvenient to go out to do errands without a car. Therefore, everyone here has a car. If you want to go out, you drive yourself. Before going to the United States, I obtained my small car driving license in China. Can I drive in the United States with a Chinese driver's license? My son went to the local traffic management department to inquire and learned that he only needed to find an impartial department to notarize it. The driver's license is notarized, but if you want to drive, you must also apply for vehicle insurance. Car insurance is different from that in China. In the United States, vehicle insurance is purchased based on the driver. The level of insurance rates is linked to age, driving experience, driver record, and vehicle condition. For those who hold a foreign driver's license, the insurance premium is naturally high and unbearable. So, after learning that I could go to the local traffic management department with my passport and driver's license to apply for a U.S. driver's license, I decided to get a local U.S. driver's license. In the United States, in order to get a formal driver's license, you must first apply for a learner's license. There are two types of them: One is for students over the age of 15, who need to attend a driving school (approved by the Motor Vehicle Administration) to learn driving essentials, traffic rules and regulations. You can get an educational learner's license by taking the driving school's admission certificate to the Motor Vehicle Administration (the holder of this learner's license must pass the written test of traffic rules before taking the driving test). Another more common learner's license is for adults over sixteen years old. You can go directly to the Motor Vehicle Administration to take a written test on traffic rules. The test content is about driving knowledge, traffic laws and regulations, and the test format is either a written test or on the computer. Answer questions on the screen. After passing the test, you can get a learner's driver's license. With a learner's license, you can learn to drive under the accompaniment and guidance of an adult with a full driver's license. One month after getting your learner's license (for those with no driving experience, this one-month waiting period is necessary), if you feel you have mastered the driving skills, you can apply to take the driving test - the road test. During the road test, you must follow the examiner's instructions to complete starting, getting on the road, turning, changing lanes, parking, etc. Only after passing the road test can you get a formal driving license. When I went to the Department of Motor Vehicles to apply for a driver's license, the official from the Department of Motor Vehicles looked at my notarized domestic driver's license and handed me a booklet of motor vehicle traffic rules and regulations formulated by the state Department of Motor Vehicles and asked me to bring it with me. Go home and read, then take the written test on traffic rules. In many large cities, applicants can choose to take the exam in different languages. However, at the Department of Motor Vehicles in Lafayette where I took the test, both the written test and the road test can only be conducted in English. Therefore, I first had to read carefully and memorize the rules and regulations. Although most of the contents are the same as those in China, there are also many regulations that are not available in China. When it was time to make an appointment for the written test, my son accompanied me to the management office. After the administration official looked at the relevant documents, he gave me a test paper written in English and asked me to sit at a table in the lobby to take the test. I found that several people were already sitting there and starting to take the exam. It turns out that there is no time limit for the exam. You can take the exam as you come. After you answer the questions and hand in the paper, you will be graded on the spot. The official who gave me the test paper looked at us and was regarded as invigilating the exam. There are 50 multiple-choice questions in the entire test paper. The first 20 questions are necessary knowledge of traffic rules. You cannot make a mistake on any question. As long as you get one question wrong, you will fail the exam. In the last 30 questions, if more than 3 questions are answered incorrectly, the exam will not be considered passed. The questions were not difficult, but for some reason, I got 6 questions wrong. The grading official shrugged, and there was no room for negotiation, so I had to go home and make an appointment to take the test again next time. In order to prepare for the next exam, I took out the pamphlet issued by the Motor Vehicles and Traffic Administration and read it carefully several times without taking it lightly. When the appointment time came, I went to take the exam again. With the lessons learned from the last time, even though the test paper was different from the last time, I still handed in the paper quickly and got a perfect score. After passing the written test, a physical examination will be conducted immediately. The United States is a country that values ??integrity. During the physical examination, you must first truthfully answer some questions from the administration officials, such as height, weight, health status, etc. Then check your vision. Different vehicles have different physical requirements. I was in good health and passed the physical examination successfully. After the physical examination, you have to pay the fee, which is only $10. After paying the fee, the administration official filled out the relevant forms and made an appointment with me for the road test. Once I pass the road test, I can get my driver's license. Since I have a domestic driver's license, I don't need to wait a month after passing the written test to take the road test. A road test is also required when taking a driving license in the country. But if you go to the United States to take the road test based on domestic driving habits, you will definitely fail even if you are skilled in driving. Vehicles used for road trials in the United States are self-provided. Before going on the road, the examiner will ask you to turn on the turn signal, brake lights and wipers to make sure they are in good condition before asking you to drive on the road. Before getting on the road, you must first lower the front and rear height of your seat to the best position for grasping the steering wheel, then adjust the left and right mirrors and rearview mirrors to the normal visual range, fasten your seat belt, turn on the turn signal and start on the road.

Unlike in China, American examiners attach great importance to this series of actions before starting and require drivers to develop a habit. After getting on the road, you should not only keep your eyes forward, but also turn your head from time to time, observe the left, right and rearview mirrors, and pay close attention to the surrounding traffic conditions and traffic signs ahead. There are more road traffic signs in the United States than in our country. There are maximum speed limit signs on every road section, and there are also signs passing through school zones to remind drivers to slow down and pay attention to the safety of children. There is an octagonal sign with "stop" written on it that is not available in China, but in the United States, such signs are all over the streets. When encountering this sign, the driver must stop in front of the sign line, look left and right, and make sure there are no straight vehicles or pedestrians, and then make a quick turn. They cannot slowly slip out and turn slowly like domestic driving. After the car is on the main road, the examiner instructs you to change lanes from left to right. You cannot change the car to another lane as soon as you turn on the turn signal like in China. When changing lanes, you must first turn on the turn signal, look at the rearview mirror to understand the car coming behind you, then look at the left and right mirrors, and turn your head 90 degrees to change to the right lane and turn right, and to change to the left lane and turn left. You must not only look at the blind spots For parallel vehicles, you also need to check whether there are other vehicles merging into the lane you want to change. If there are no cars, you can speed up and change lanes. The examiner attaches great importance to this series of eye movements, and you will not be able to pass if you don't do it properly. If the examiner instructs you to turn at an intersection with more than two turning lanes, the vehicles must move forward in parallel and cannot drive in the lane or turn slowly. On the day of the road test, my son accompanied me to the Department of Motor Vehicles. However, for safety reasons, it is stipulated that interpreters cannot be brought to the road test. Therefore, my son cannot sit in the car during the road test. My examiner is a middle-aged woman who is very kind. I told her that my English listening ability was poor and my English speaking skills were not good. She said it didn't matter, she couldn't speak Chinese either. So she spoke as slowly as possible for me to understand. Before setting out on the road, she asked me a few questions for me to answer, such as how is my health? Will he faint suddenly? After driving on the road, she frequently issued driving instructions, and sometimes pointed to the traffic sign in front and asked me what it meant. I followed the examiner's instructions to perform every driving action and answered every question as required. Every time I answered a question or completed a driving action, the female examiner would say "Good", which increased my confidence. The route of the road test is determined by the examiner. There are busy streets and suburban highways. After completing the parallel parking action, the road test is over. Back at the bureau, the examiner brought me to another official and asked him to help me go through the procedures for issuing a driver's license. The officer asked me a few more questions, basically asking if you would be willing to donate your organs or body after an unfortunate car accident. I answered yes (if you agree, it will be noted on the upper right corner of the back of your driver's license). Then I took pictures, and after more than half an hour, I got an American driver's license. With it, you can not only drive in the United States, but also use it as an ID card, so you don't need to carry your passport when you go out. The driving license is valid for 5 years and can be renewed after 5 years. Compared with China, the efficiency of applying for a certificate is much higher. I think Americans do have a lot to learn from in terms of motor vehicle traffic safety management, vehicle insurance and work efficiency.