One kid is has already reached driving age. I was regretting this moment. So far I managed to drive okay here but this place doesn’t really set your mind at ease. You always meet some inconsiderate you know what that you have to be always on lookout for.
So the kid wants to learn how to drive. Are there Learners permits?
Should I just send them to driving school?
None of the locals know anything but that does really matter. Even if there were such a thing as permits they probably would not even bother with it.
So what is your strategy of introducing new drivers to the roads of taiwan. I think I just want to get them an electric bicycle and say stay on local roads and never drive cars.
Oh, this question is for both motorcycle and car.
In order to get a driver license in Taiwan the applicant must be over the age of 18.
I went to driving school ( 大眾駕訓班 ) and I was surprised to see many “kids” and few adults there
I think go to driving school is something that many Taiwanese college students like to do in summer break or do it before graduation
If using for purely transportation and not for exercise (eg: on riverside cycleways etc) I would prefer to give them a car than a bicycle, for safety and in Taiwan. It would be different if I was in Amsterdam.
For the scooter, I’ll do it the way the locals do it. Train your kid in the abandoned military area where there is nothing much to hit. Then I will take my kid to the test area where you are free to practice as much as you want. For the car… Maybe I will not allow them to drive right away. As for everyday life. In our town… There is no room for cars. I keep my car at the in-law’s house. We basically only use our car to drive to the city. In our village cars are useless since there is no place to park. I will apply for the learning permit for the kid just to stay legal. How much is driving school? Do they teach good defensive skills or do they just teach to the test?
I don’t recall how much I paid when I signed up for driving school (I think it was around 16000?). It varies whether you are learning manual vs automatic. They teach to the test and you can even take the test at the driving school. Stuff like S turns (and reverse) might be more difficult to teach.
Knowing how to actually drive in Taiwan is a different story. It comes down to experience navigating the streets with scooters around you.
I would say that in Taiwan, learning how to drive versus actually driving the car is very different. Parking can be a hassle and sometimes people opt to just take a taxi or mass transport instead (particularly in Taipei). The real and bigger issue is riding a scooter and the risk of getting into an accident (I’ve seen way too many).
Btw, the legal age of adulthood is 20 for civil law (like signing a contract and voting).
If you live where i think you do, i wouldnt bother with those few driving schools. they are pretty shit. basically teaching hem how to pass a test how many times to turn the wheel where etc. i think it will hurt their chances at driving well your best. They wont take them out to gravel area and get them to do emergency manuevers, brakes, truns etc. Drrive in water, mud, pretend animals shoot out etc.
If you have good driving skills and critical thinking skills, teach them yourself. far more comprehensive, safety, how to check the car, emergency issues. you wont be as shy about talking about real problems with drivers here as you dont care about face over your kids life. Take them to a river or some big private property and teach them pre license so the time they hit the road they arent ground beef the first week.
I worry aboutthe day my kid starts driving too! Strees. but will start teaching them first hand maybe around.13 or 14 on private property. Started teaching her about mirrors, gear numbers light colors etc at age 3 just to get her used to it and paying attention. Its really good to.start early. Lots of places you can take them around there as well.
Ya, like cheat codes for a game. If a person cares about their kids safety, its not about passing the test, which is easy, but about having capable thinking and reaction processes. The driving school in his area dont provide that lesson. They guide you through the maze counting how many meters and how many times to turn the wheel. I wish i was joking, but…
Why? The test is insanely simple. Ive done it as has everyone i know. Park here, stop there, sstop on the rectabgle, drive in a straight line, youre done. Paying to pass that is incredibly worrisome that they should be driving in the first place. If you have basic/poor driving skills, its passable. the scooter test is far more difficult. Though still very simple and easy.
The main reason the drivers in taiwan are so dangerous is precisely because there is no meaningful test of skill…
Not sure how many times i can twist so i be very very blunt haha.
The testers are often shitty drivers with no safety clue and/or your friends are shitty drivers…what else can be said? Just cause someone has a job position, espeially a givernment one and deemed “qualified”, doesnt mean they are good at it… If both sides were good at their task we wouldnt see the chaos outside that is driving in taiwan
Lets be real, government aint.always right or the best…thats the issue. Teach your kids well, the government wont, and frankly isnt, required to. But a parwnts we have a far more passionate drive towards our kids. I still say teach you kids how to drive (if you can drive well) and more importantly teach your kids good reaction skills, how predict other peoples actions (psychology) etc. Operating the machine is the easy part.
as you repeated, the test is not to measure actual driving ability on road. Excellent drivers must be able to pass the test easily, I’m sure. but many of average drivers may need to some specific practice to pass the test.
Also there are two road test , Inside Course and Outside , for the Outside you need to remember the road and also do the same pre-drive checks as per the Inside Course test
