Teaching your foreign spouse to drive

[cappucino boy 29]

If you had to ask my wife she probably tell you different. My wife has a license from her county that doesn't expire there and she seemed to drive fine while I in her country (Poland) where the roads are different not as big etc. When she go here in the U.S. specifically Los Angeles, we got her learners permit based on the fact she had a foreign license. She was really hesitant in driving here and it took alot for her to start. It was easy, I have driven all over the world and all over the U.S. and here in Southern California driving is the worst. She took my lessons really badly because I didn't have the patience that she really needed to be encouraging. I kind thought she wasn't ready but when she took her test she actually passed and has her license but hasn't mastered freeway driving completely but I hope that she will. Hopefully anyone that teaches you will have enough patience.

[Karee 4,191]

If you had to ask my wife she probably tell you different. My wife has a license from her county that doesn't expire there and she seemed to drive fine while I in her country (Poland) where the roads are different not as big etc. When she go here in the U.S. specifically Los Angeles, we got her learners permit based on the fact she had a foreign license. She was really hesitant in driving here and it took alot for her to start. It was easy, I have driven all over the world and all over the U.S. and here in Southern California driving is the worst. She took my lessons really badly because I didn't have the patience that she really needed to be encouraging. I kind thought she wasn't ready but when she took her test she actually passed and has her license but hasn't mastered freeway driving completely but I hope that she will. Hopefully anyone that teaches you will have enough patience.

Yeah I paid someone to teach my wife. I didn't have the patience for it. She passed her written and road test on the first try.

[EminTX 131]

As of three years ago there is for those under 25. http://www.statesman.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/adult-drivers-ed-law-in-effect-today/nRqwq/

Thank you for the correction. We had gone in and asked about the requirements in person and I am guessing since my husband is OBVIOUSLY not a youngster, he was recommended to just practice until he is ready and not bother with a permit at all.

As far as classes go, the language barrier is the issue. I have tried since he arrived to find places and none has returned a single call. We hired a friend that works with refugees to teach him, but he is so unsure of everything that every lesson is extra slow. We really don't have the time for him to take 6 months--he needs to be liscenced in under 6 weeks from now and sooner, if possible.

Last night, at Mem City Mall, the vehicle parked next to ours was for "El Sur Int'l Driving School". It looked like a sign from God to us.

The issue with taking classes as a non-English learner is that he needs to learn what is in the class--not just practice his English. Taking classes is a great way to force your language skills in ANY new language, but it is best if the information is not safety related. Cooking classes, art classes, leisure learning classes--oh yeah--great. Driving? I don't think soooooo.

Tito, thanks so much for the heads up about measuring. We will begin practicing that this week. We are also gonna fill up a couple of plastic flower pots with cement and tall sticks to make parking-practice-flags. I figure these will be good for all kinds of parking practice. When we are done with them, we can just leave them in the parking lot at the nearest DMV for the next driving student to use.

[SBB 74]

Thank you for the correction. We had gone in and asked about the requirements in person and I am guessing since my husband is OBVIOUSLY not a youngster, he was recommended to just practice until he is ready and not bother with a permit at all.

As far as classes go, the language barrier is the issue. I have tried since he arrived to find places and none has returned a single call. We hired a friend that works with refugees to teach him, but he is so unsure of everything that every lesson is extra slow. We really don't have the time for him to take 6 months--he needs to be liscenced in under 6 weeks from now and sooner, if possible.

Last night, at Mem City Mall, the vehicle parked next to ours was for "El Sur Int'l Driving School". It looked like a sign from God to us.

The issue with taking classes as a non-English learner is that he needs to learn what is in the class--not just practice his English. Taking classes is a great way to force your language skills in ANY new language, but it is best if the information is not safety related. Cooking classes, art classes, leisure learning classes--oh yeah--great. Driving? I don't think soooooo.

Tito, thanks so much for the heads up about measuring. We will begin practicing that this week. We are also gonna fill up a couple of plastic flower pots with cement and tall sticks to make parking-practice-flags. I figure these will be good for all kinds of parking practice. When we are done with them, we can just leave them in the parking lot at the nearest DMV for the next driving student to use.

At my local DPS, you can just practice parallel parking in the test spot after hours. It's a surprisingly huge spot to park in considering what I had to do when I took the test back in NJ.

Edited February 3, 2013 by SBB

[AKSinghSingh79 143]

I noticed no one with an Indian spouse has chimed in yet.

My husband has been driving in India since his teens. That being said, driving in India vs the US is night and day. He will have to learn to get comfortable with a whole host of differences including driving on the right side of the road, avoiding the car horn except in emergency situations, using turn signals, and to stop expecting people to "see" you (lots of "mind reading" happens in Indian traffic).

He's nervous about the whole thing. The last time he was in the US, it was so intimidating to him that I did all the driving and he would constantly comment on how he "wouldn't know what to do" in particular situations.

I'm hoping to find a good driving school for adults that will help alleviate some of his fears.

[N-o-l-a 7,168]

I let the Dane drive my truck last time we were in America and he seemed to do just fine. He's had a driver's license here for 9 years and sold his car 2 or 3 years ago. The driving exam and training here is much more difficult than America and I think he is probably a better driver than me.

We've got to get him a permit, but he'll be allowed to drive on his own with the foreign license according to the DMV, so that will be fine. I'm sure he'll pass the first time around and his English is fluent so no problems there.

[EminTX 131]

Something else that I have a problem with as far as my husband goes is actually noticing any signs. There are tons and I have trained myself to filter out the ones that don't matter and pay attention to the ones that do, but for him, he feels like he must actually READ each one--not just glance as he goes by and process the information as he goes. I am hoping this only requires practice. (I'll easily admit, though, that we really are signed to death. Do I really need to know that Senator Big Britches Park is 200 meters that way or that the new LBJ corridor is due to be under construction at some point in the future?)

[TBoneTX 46,156]

[...] he feels like he must actually READ each [sign] [...]

Teach him which COLORS to tune out. Blue, green, & brown are most out-tunable. Red, yellow, orange, & white are muy importante, si man. Very good, concise explanation in the Texas Driver's Manual about what type of information each sign conveys, si man.

[Owen_London 65]

Thank you for the correction. We had gone in and asked about the requirements in person and I am guessing since my husband is OBVIOUSLY not a youngster, he was recommended to just practice until he is ready and not bother with a permit at all.

You're not legally supposed to drive without a license at all, whether that's a normal license or an instruction permit. For adults, the instruction permit is just a normal license but the "B" restriction added, meaning a licensed driver 21 years or over must be in the passenger seat. Thousands still drive without a license, but that is against state law.

You need to pass the knowledge test before you can get a license, whether that's an instruction permit or full license. From age 25 upwards, you don't have to do the 6 hours of classroom or online teaching before doing the written test, but you still have to pass the knowledge test. I think I heard you can do the knowledge test in Spanish, but I imagine it would be a bit harder because the road signs are written in English.

[Caryh 5,206]

You're not legally supposed to drive without a license at all, whether that's a normal license or an instruction permit. For adults, the instruction permit is just a normal license but the "B" restriction added, meaning a licensed driver 21 years or over must be in the passenger seat. Thousands still drive without a license, but that is against state law.

You need to pass the knowledge test before you can get a license, whether that's an instruction permit or full license. From age 25 upwards, you don't have to do the 6 hours of classroom or online teaching before doing the written test, but you still have to pass the knowledge test. I think I heard you can do the knowledge test in Spanish, but I imagine it would be a bit harder because the road signs are written in English.

Some states have different laws depending on where the foreign license was issued and the age of the driver. I know people with valid licenses from some countries can go straight to the behind the wheel test in my state. No knowledge test or minimum permit holding time required.

[Owen_London 65]

Some states have different laws depending on where the foreign license was issued and the age of the driver. I know people with valid licenses from some countries can go straight to the behind the wheel test in my state. No knowledge test or minimum permit holding time required.

Yes, true.

Texas has what it calls "license reciprocity agreements" with Canada, France, South Korea and Germany. What this means is that people with licenses from those countries (and all the other US states) can simply exchange their old license for a Texas state license. No test of any sort required.

For other countries, you can drive on your international license for up to 90 days, after which you have to pass both the knowledge test and the driving test, just like any new adult driver.

[sorchaine 10]

My husband hadn't driven in many, many years when he came to the US. For the first year or so we only had one car so it just made sense that I would drive us everywhere. Eventually though he had to start practicing and it went into full force practice once our son was born and I wasn't able to drive any place. We would go out late at night while our son was sleeping the car seat and he would practice driving around. For the longest time he would stay off and avoid the interstates, highways and any major city roads. Just stuck to mostly side streets. He eventually got more confident the more he practiced and has been successfully driving his own car for several months now. Though I think he tends to be over confident and tries to keep other cars from passing him most of the time. He did not go to any schools or take any driving classes, we just practiced and if he had a question about how to do something I'd let him know the correct way.

[Moomin 292]

My husband hadn't driven in many, many years when he came to the US. For the first year or so we only had one car so it just made sense that I would drive us everywhere. Eventually though he had to start practicing and it went into full force practice once our son was born and I wasn't able to drive any place. We would go out late at night while our son was sleeping the car seat and he would practice driving around. For the longest time he would stay off and avoid the interstates, highways and any major city roads. Just stuck to mostly side streets. He eventually got more confident the more he practiced and has been successfully driving his own car for several months now. Though I think he tends to be over confident and tries to keep other cars from passing him most of the time. He did not go to any schools or take any driving classes, we just practiced and if he had a question about how to do something I'd let him know the correct way.

... I get grumpy when trucks or cars with trailers pass me. Even though they're probably doing 90 mph and would have their licenses taken away if caught, it still feels like I'm granny driving 15 mph being passed by a horse with a carriage behind it. GRR!

(Trucks and cars with trailers have other speed limits in my home country - far below the limits overhere. Being used to that makes it harder to adjust to somewhat equal speedlimits for everybody.)

[TBoneTX 46,156]

... I get grumpy when trucks or cars with trailers pass me. Even though they're probably doing 90 mph and would have their licenses taken away if caught, it still feels like I'm granny driving 15 mph being passed by a horse with a carriage behind it. GRR!

The speed limit is (or should be) merely a suggestion, unless bored constables lurk.

I believe that these groups of drivers should be banned from the left lane: people with "handicapped" plates; anyone 5+ years older than a highway speed limit; vehicles with more than 4 tires; anyone in a Ford Econoline van; and anyone driving 54 mph in the right lane who decides to pass the car ahead that's going 53 mph, but the passing car doesn't speed up. Also, it should be illegal for anyone to drive slower than 100 mph within a 20-mile radius of any airport, si man.

[N-o-l-a 7,168]

The speed limit is (or should be) merely a suggestion, unless bored constables lurk.

I believe that these groups of drivers should be banned from the left lane: people with "handicapped" plates; anyone 5+ years older than a highway speed limit; vehicles with more than 4 tires; anyone in a Ford Econoline van; and anyone driving 54 mph in the right lane who decides to pass the car ahead that's going 53 mph, but the passing car doesn't speed up. Also, it should be illegal for anyone to drive slower than 100 mph within a 20-mile radius of any airport, si man.

When I used to drive the Volvo I was a bit of a speed demon, but now that I've got a kid and a big pick up truck, I try not to be in the left lane very often.