Why failing a mock road test will make me a better driver

It was a humbling and eye-opening experience.

I have generally thought of myself as a good driver; more than 30 years behind the wheel, accident free: Roadstar Gold, maximum discount with both a Class 5 and 6 licence. The only ICBC claims I've ever made have been for a pair of break-ins (the most recent of which occurred this past weekend when someone smashed a window to get to the half bag of chips my youngest left in the back seat).

I have, I suppose, been lucky — or I'm highly skilled. I prefer to think the latter.

But with the "financial dumpster fire" that is ICBC in the news, and the increasing number of crashes leading to the rising cost of claims, I wondered about the quality of drivers in Metro Vancouver.

• From fender benders to rear-enders: a snapshot of 111 ICBC claims filed in one day
• Vancouver police issued nearly 2K distracted driving tickets in 1 month

Yes, based on our daily experience, we might all conclude that Vancouver is full of terrible drivers. They range somewhere between recklessly aggressive and barely competent. They are often distracted, selfish and inattentive with little regard for those around them and no understanding of the implied contract that comes with sharing the road.

All of that got me thinking: what kind of driver am I? If I were to retake a road test, would I pass?

Enter Sean McDonald from Young Drivers of Canada, who volunteered to run me through a mock test.

Sean has 21 years of experience teaching people how to drive in the Lower Mainland, and he has his own assessment of what makes driving here a challenge.  

"The best way to describe Vancouver drivers, in my experience, is that the driving culture here is unpredictable," McDonald says. "Everybody doesn't do the same thing."

"Like, when I'm back home in the Caribbean, or if I go to  New York City or whatever, everyone is fast, everyone is aggressive, but everybody is doing the same thing," he continues. "Here, one guy drives slowly in the fast lane, another guy's fast in the slow lane, people pulling out, no signals — that's what makes it challenging here."

It's worth mentioning that the day we chose for the test happened to be the day of the season's worst snowstorm. Conditions were less than ideal. Roads were slick and visibility was poor, but I'm not blaming the results of my test on the weather.

We made our way through the snow to the test car — a black Mazda 3 emblazoned with the Young Drivers logo. The mock test began as would any real test: outside the ICBC driver licensing office, in this case, in Kitsilano.

I put the car in reverse before pulling away from the curb and came into contact with the car behind me. No impact, not a bump — barely a kiss. I touched it is all. Then we were off.

The test took us through several school zones, a few four-way stops, a roundabout or two and finally into the snow-covered streets of MacKenzie Heights and Kerrisdale.

I felt confident throughout, keeping to the speed limit, driving for the conditions and checking my mirrors frequently. It all took less time than I expected.

When we arrived back at the licensing office, I asked Sean how I did, completely expecting that I had passed with flying colours.

Not a chance. Making contact with the car behind me — regardless of how gentle or glancing — meant that I had failed the test before I even drove away from the curb.

(This led to a good-natured disagreement about why bumpers are called bumpers. I am apparently alone in thinking they're for bumping.)

But there were other fatal errors: three times I had failed to check my right shoulder — enough to fail me again.

And there were other less heinous issues — a rolling stop among them.

I won't make excuses. Instead, I'll say I was surprised and embarrassed and slightly depressed. The pride I had in my own ability evaporated. I was just like those other drivers.

My failings stuck with me over the weekend as I shuttled the kids around, making sure to check 360 degrees before pulling away from, or pulling up to, the curb. I parked with great care.

The upside is that I have always thought driving is a skill that can be continuously improved upon. I feel that especially when I ride my motorbike, when there is zero room for error.

Three decades of having a driver's license in my wallet had left me with bad habits, but nothing that couldn't be remediated. I would work on it. I would improve.

Yes, it was humbling and eye-opening, but it was also very instructive and useful.

My hour in the car with Sean will make me a better driver.

Listen to Stephen's driving test and interview with Sean McDonald of Young Drivers of Canada below: