Sitting on the passenger’s seat and watching my father driving, my yearning to drive grew inside me. During my childhood, I anticipated that driving would fulfill my thirst for speed and thrill. I imagined driving on a straight expressway at the maximum speed.
In Korea, one must be 18 years old or older to attain a level 2 license to drive regular vehicles. The 2019 winter vacation was a suitable time to prepare for the driving license exam for me, who had just become 18 years old and had plenty of time.
I had to pass three steps of exams to attain a driver’s license: written exam, driving course test, and on-road driving exam. The first step, the written exam, tests the examinee’s knowledge of driving and judgment on the road. Studying for the exam, I was surprised that driving requires more knowledge than I expected. But I willingly studied it thoroughly, because incorrect knowledge and misjudgment on the road can be devastating to both me and other drivers. As a result, I answered almost all the questions correctly and passed the  exam.
The second step was the course test. It tests the examinee’s vehicle operation ability, driving ability, and the ability to cope with unexpected situations on a particular course. The course contains a curve, an acceleration and deceleration section, a slope, an intersection, and a parking lot for testing driving ability. The first drive to prepare for the test excited me, but it soon turned into disappointment. I had to drive under 20 km/s or my score was taken off. It was not the driving that I had imagined. Driving at such a low speed was not difficult for me, and I picked up speed in conceit. However, as I mentioned before, the course test checks a driver’s ability to cope with unexpected situations. It supposes such situations like a child running into the road, and the driver is alerted through a warning horn. When the warning horn went off, I was so embarrassed that I could not stop the car right away. If it were a real situation, there would have been a terrible accident. So, I changed my attitude toward driving and remained alert to react to a sudden situation. Finally, I could pass the course test without any points taken off.
The final step for the driving license was the on-road driving exam. To pass the exam, I had to complete the predeterminate course following the traffic regulations on the actual road. Driving on the actual road required even more attention. I had to check traffic lights, vehicle speeds, the distance between vehicles, adjacent roads, and passengers at the crosswalk simultaneously. After a few times of practice driving, I became able to drive safely considering the many surrounding situations and finally obtained a driver’s license.
Preparing for the driving license not only advanced my driving skill but also changed my attitude. Before it, I thought of other vehicles and traffic lights as obstacles to my driving. Now, I regard other vehicles as accompanists on the road, and we should yield to each other. It is also adapted to real life. A selfish man may get ahead through passing by others but will soon get in trouble with others and stop driving. In contrast, an altruistic, cooperative man will continue his drive longer with company.
Also, we must be prepared for possible accidents in the future. I could not react to sudden situations as I was not alert when I practiced for the course test. Like this instance, if you are not fully ready, the results can be fatal. I think it would be better to keep in mind the adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.