G1 exit road test (aka G2 road test) route map for Oakville. A complete preparation guide for the Oakville drive test. This guide will take through the most common routes taken for the drive test for Oakville in addition to tips about passing the test.
Worried about passing your G2 test? The final hurdle to becoming a fully licensed driver, the G2 test is known to be a hard nut to crack. Anecdotal evidence indicates you can boost your odds by taking the test in a smaller city with a high pass rate. But experts say the safe money is on maxing out your in-car practice time, so that driving smoothly, knowing your car, and following the rules of the road becomes second nature. It also helps to know what might trip you up: here are 10 common mistakes that will sink your G2 test.
1. Not holding the steering wheel correctly
Keep your hands on the wheel during your road test, whether in the “10 and 2” or “9 and 3” position. Don’t let the wheel “slip back” into place after a turn; always use the hand-over-hand method to display your control of the vehicle.
2. Turning right on a red
Watch those signs. A no-right-turn-on-red intersection will probably be in the mix on your G2 test.
3. Forgetting to signal your turns….
…including during each step of a three-point turn, and that final turn into your parking spot at the DriveTest centre.
4. Driving at the speed of highway traffic
For safety’s sake, you follow the speed of highway traffic around you – as you were advised in your classroom and in-car driving lessons at a respected national driving school. And fail. Because the test requirement is you follow the Highway Traffic Act to the letter. If the speed limit is 100km/hour, don’t drive 110km/hour during your road test.
5. Driving at the speed of city traffic
Ditto for city driving: Even if you stick out like a sore thumb as that molasses-slow car driving right at, or slightly under, the speed limit, it’s essential during your road test.
6. Not checking your mirrors
Scan them every five seconds or so. Check them before and after you turn. Check them before a lane change (don’t forget to use a shoulder check for your blind spot!), and right after. Check them before you stop, at a stop sign or otherwise. And don’t be subtle in your movements: move your head so your tester sees what you’re doing.
7. Worrying about offending other drivers
Your tester doesn’t care if you get honked at for driving at the speed limit while everyone around you is speeding. Nor will they penalize you for taking your sweet time reversing into a parallel parking spot. Nor for waiting your turn rather than letting another car wave you through at a four-way stop sign. Follow the rules and take the time to get a maneuver correctly, regardless of what’s going on around you.
8. Not asking questions
If you don’t understand a question or direction from your examiner, ask them to elaborate. Don’t guess.
9. Rolling stops
Stop for at least two to three seconds at any stop sign.
10. Parallel Parking
It’s the bane of every new driver’s existence, and for a reason. Practice, practice, practice.
For many aspiring G license holders, taking a few refresher-driving lessons with a professional instructor can make all the difference in the weeks before G2 test day.
Good Luck!
RELATED: Top 6 Things to Pay Attention to on a Test Drive
Pssst: wondering how to ace your road test – or at least drive away with your full G license? Here are three driving instructor tips and tricks for success the first time at your G2 test.
1. Don’t rush signing up for your G2 road test.
The best way to pass your G2 test on the first try is to amass as much practice time as possible. Become so familiar with the rules of the road and your car, that driving becomes second nature. Obvious right? Here’s the thing: car time can be easy for teens who live at home with two parents, but for older new drivers without a car (or single parent households for that matter), it can be a major logistical challenge.
Many urban Millennials, for instance, don’t own their own vehicle, and have no plans to buy one – this demographic is a heavy user of car-share programs, after all.
If your access to car time is piecemeal, find ways to sneak in more car time:
- Visit your parent(s) more often….and ask to use their car;
- Be the designated driver every weekend (remember: that means zero drinks);
- Call in favours from friends and grab 30 minutes here and there for a quick practice drive.
- Book the occasional professional driving lesson (they average $50 to $75 per hour), and get a driving instructor to assess where your skills are at, and whether you’re ready to book a pre-road test refresher package (these include a car for the road test). Don’t bother splurging on the latter package if your skills are still shaky.
New drivers have a one- to five-year window in which to take and pass their G2 road test and earn their full G license. If practice time is a challenge, it would be smart to take your test at the upper end of that limit – year three at least, so you can benefit from the cumulative gains of your limited driving time.
2. Consider traveling for that road test
In an ideal world, all road tests would take place on the same playing field. In reality, local traffic and road conditions affect your road test experience. Pass/fail rates at different DriveTest locations reflect that across the province.
Many driving schools will book GTA-area residents in at far-flung, but high-success-rate DriveTest locations such as Kenora or Bancroft, to boost their chances of success.
While it’s a perfectly legal strategy, it’s also worth noting it’s the driving equivalent of a Hail Mary pass in football, and a safer strategy would be to amass driving time in your own community – enough that you can pass the test locally – since these are the conditions in which you’ll be driving in everyday.
3. Don’t be a stranger.
Repeat after us: No surprises on test day:
- If you booked your road test in a town or city other than where you live, make sure to practice drive in that community in the weeks prior to your test, so you have a general sense of the lay of the land.
- Spend time in the car you plan to take the test in. Do not sign up for a one-off road-test session in an instructor’s car – take a couple lessons in his or her car beforehand, so you have a feel for that car, and for your instructor’s communication style.
Taking a road test can be a stressful experience, but by removing the element of surprise, you’ll improve your comfort level and confidence behind the wheel.
RELATED: What to avoid on your G2 test