"Robert Casey" wrote in message
...






Yup you got it. Here in Michigan the driving test is two parts. The
first
part, which you MUST pass before you can take the actual driving section,
is
parking manuevers. These consist of pulling up within 2 feet of but not
over the line, backing into a parking space like those in shopping
centers,
and parallel parking.

They don't care specifucally about the ability to park. They just want
you to be
able to demostrate your ability to handle your car to some level of
control. Parking
is a safe way to do that, vs say flying thru a tollgate at highway
speed...


Maneuvering at slow speed is an entirely different skill set than that
required for typical driving speeds. Both must be practiced and one's
ability in parking maneuvers will not give any indication of driving ability
on the street and vice versa. This happens to be the first place I've ever
been where flunking the parallel parking basically leaves you no leeway
(it's worth 5 points and you can only miss 6 altogether on the parking lot
maneuvers). I haven't yet formed an opinion on whether this is good or bad.

The backing into a parking space seemed an odd requirement, as some places,
if you back into the space (in the real world), you can be ticketed. Again
haven't decided if this is good or bad.

The pulling up to the line seems eminently reasonable though.

If they wanted to check your ability before risking their necks on the road
with the examinee, it might be better to have them drive around a set of
pylons at a more normal speed than the ultra-slow parking maneuvers.

Also here in Michigan, the driving tests are no longer administered by the
state but by the driving schools. It costs $45 each time you take the test
although if you fail, part of that is refunded. The fee is on top of what
you already paid to take the Segment I and Segment II driving classes. For
those of you not familiar with Michigan, the schools do not have Driver's Ed
classes anymore. They simply coordinate a schedule with a driving school.
I forget the fee for taking the class ($200 though rings a bell).

This is substantially different than it was a few years ago. It's also
quite different than the state I grew up in and the state where my older
daughter got her license.

Anyway, the state made things tougher in an attempt to reduce teen
accidents. It's apparently been to short a time to evaluate its
effectiveness but preliminary info indicates it may be helping.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE