So in October my driving license was revoked, I was revoked under the New Drivers Act and was set back to a new learner status because I was speeding. I am utterly ashamed of my own behaviour and I actually think I have deserved what my punishment was, which was to be stripped of my qualification and to pass again.
Accountability
Having access to your own car and then having it ripped away from you is one of the most life-disrupting things that you can do to yourself, and the only person that you really can blame is yourself. However that doesn't mean you should keep yourself in a guilt spiral for months/years on end. It took me a little while to fully accept what I had done and not feel like it wasn't fair. Now I think it is fair, in two years I have been caught speeding three times, so therefore my respect for the road wasn't what it should be and I needed to be off the road until I was capable to respect it better.
The Shock
I got the letter in October that I was due to be revoked and they allowed me 5 days to get my affairs in order before I fully gave up my vehicle. I was grateful for those 5 day. I was then living at my mum's until the end of November (which is closer to work) and she took me to work and back using my car and petrol. My mum is the most supportive creature on this earth, she lets me know when I have done wrong but she doesn't punish me further than I need to be punished, she knew having my license revoked was worse than anything she could do to me. So instead she made it easier for me until I moved out.
Blessing In Disguise
Now sometimes bad things in life are blessings, not having my car and using the bus for three months could have been a blessing in disguise. It made me a better time planner, it made me more organised, and it saved me money, as my car was insured under provisional which was good if I had someone to drive with. My partner J has not been passed over two years yet and therefore he could not come out in the car with me, and now my mum lives further away as opposed to the same house.
The biggest stroke of luck, I now live 12 mile from work as opposed to 2 when I lived with my parents still, but the bus picks me up from outside my house and takes me outside work, it even goes on the motorway to do this. It would take me longer to get into work for 7:45 if I lived with my mum 2 mile away than where I live now.
The best thing it did. IT MADE ME RESPECT THE ROAD.
When you do something that becomes second nature it is good to take your mind away from it for a moment to make sure you don't become complacent and over confident. I needed this, I now drive slower, and steadier and I am thinking about my actions in my vehicle and not going into auto-pilot.
I was ready to pass my test again.
Taking Action
First things first, if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, the best thing to do is, reapply for your licence. I couldn't do this because I was in process of moving out into my own home with my partner and the first thing I needed to do was assess my finances and see what I could and couldn't spend. I reapplied for my licence in December and it came well before Christmas, I then changed my existing insurance to provisional. This was paramount so that I get could back into my vehicle with someone who had been passed for more than three years. As soon as I had my provisional, I booked my theory test. I did it on the 28th December, in between my Christmas break so I didn't have to take time off work, this was also not to raise suspicion about my revoked status.
Getting Prepared
I did the theory test and I got good marks on the hazard perception 68 out of 75 with the pass mark being 44. I drove in my instructors car which is different to mine in so many ways, the biggest issue for me when driving my instructors car was the fact that it was very quiet on the gears. My car requires you to be in higher gear all the time and has come to expect it because of me.
I think that has to partly do with my driving instructors old car, which I first passed in and therefore has paved the way for my driving style. It made a noise when it wanted to change as it went into a high rev count, and I use my ears when listening to the engine instead of common sense and checking the revs and even feeling with my left hand to see what gear I am in. That was me being complacent and not actively thinking about what I was doing, I was trusting the car to tell me via noise, his new car however was quiet and therefore I did a strip of road in 50mph in 2nd, this was making it labour. This was the Saturday before my test. I thought to myself I obviously wasn't ready.
He suggested to do my test in my own car as it was what I was used to, my car is my prize possession. I have owned it two years and it looks brand new. I always like to keep it clean because it is white, and I like to hoover out the inside once every month. Loving my car is an understatement. So as soon as he dropped me off at my mum's house, I asked her to take me out in her car because I had had a bad driving lesson, and I needed to know if it was me or not knowing his car.
Me and my mum had a little drive in my car and I feel I only made one error but this was down to someone not indicating on a roundabout and being positioned centrally so I felt they were to exit before I entered. Apart from that my mum mentioned how it was a very smooth ride, which is hard because my mum is my biggest driving critic
So that Saturday night I concocted a plan to get my car back to my mum's house. My driving instructor lives close to my parents house so he could pick me up as I was stopping the night Monday in anticipation for my test Tuesday mid day. I took myself home and then she took my car back to hers. Where it was perfect for getting to my test.
The night before
Monday morning, as usual, I got on the bus to work and as usual arrived late because of the traffic issues that the M1 had been suffering. I checked the tyres website at work and realised they were to close at half 5, I finished at 4, I was 5mile away and my mum had informed that previous night that she wasn't going to pick me up from work in my car after all as she was off out at 4pm.
What was I to do?
The thing that was stopping me from getting my vehicle to where it needed to be was it's tyre's and mine and my mum's schedule. So I asked my manager if I could extend my holiday from not one day but 1.5 days starting in ten minutes and I told him it was a car tyre issue. He understood and was so chill about it.
So I walked to the closest shopping centre which was a 1 mile walk, got on a bus to my mum's and informed her of what I had planned, yet again she was more than willing to come with me to get my tyre's done. I drove, as I used the time as a lesson. I needed the tread depth to be over the legal standard and asked the tyre mechanics to check them and gimme part worn tyres for the wheels that were teetering on illegal. I was expecting to get all 4, I only needed two. So tyres were complete.
I also bought L Plates and an extra rear view mirror for the examiner while my car was waiting. Then I went back to my mum's house in my car, and realised that my vehicle needed to be at the test centre, if they refused my vehicle at least I still had my driving instructors to fall back on but therefore his had to BE there as back up. Not parked at my mums.
I then went to bed at my mum's house and tried to sleep, I couldn't. I spent all night listening to motivational speeches on YouTube with my eyes closed and VISUALISING myself driving my car really smooth and steady and literally took a route in my head and did it, in my head. But FUCK, I had forgotten my driving license at home which was 10 miles away. I text my friend to come pick me up and take me home and thankfully he did. I also realised I have a lot of great people around me.
When I went to bed that night I knew I was sound, I could sleep, I had all my things at arms reach that I needed, I had my car in the most optimum position for it not to be rejected by the examiner and me loose my fee. I was content.
The day of...
So I woke at the same time as J, 6:20, I wasn't at work but it was habit now. I was in and out of sleep for 40 mins and actually woke at 7am, I stayed in bed and VISUALISED AGAIN. I did the routes in my head and mentally looked in all my mirrors and did the steps the imaginary examiner wanted me to do. I listened to motivational speeches as I put my makeup on. I called a taxi and it came early.
The driver was sooooo smooth, it made me think about my own driving, what I could take from him so that my soon to be VIPassenger would be content. I was grateful for his driving because he showed me what a good driver was. It was a good road start to the day.
I met my driving instructor sat in my car at the test centre and then drove to the nearby retail centre to deposit his car, I showed him the rear view mirror that I had gotten him to aid in the few lesson up to my test and for the examiner. We did 1.5 hours of driving before I went in for my test, and just before we were due back to the test centre he asked he how i would clean my windscreen, and I had no water in it because it had been stood for so long (3 months is a long time for my prize possession to be stood), so we quickly filled up the water and headed for the test, we didn't even sit down for more than 10 minutes before my name was called.
The first thing she asked me was how I would clear my windscreen, and from that instant I knew I was gonna pass. It made my whole demeanor relax and I felt positive because of one major thing.
I HAD DONE IT BEFORE I WAS GOING TO DO IT AGAIN
And I did.
I passed.
Short Story
*Reapplied for licence
*Changed insurance to provisional
*When license came booked theory test
*Studied
*Passed theory test
*Got in touch with driving instructor who passed me two years ago
*Had lessons in his car, he suggested to use mine
*Bought new front tyres
*Dropped car off at test centre the night before the test
*Got L Plates and a rear view mirror for examiner
*Filled windowscreen water up
*Took driving test
*Passed
*Changed insurance back to Full Licence holder
Done
Accountability
Having access to your own car and then having it ripped away from you is one of the most life-disrupting things that you can do to yourself, and the only person that you really can blame is yourself. However that doesn't mean you should keep yourself in a guilt spiral for months/years on end. It took me a little while to fully accept what I had done and not feel like it wasn't fair. Now I think it is fair, in two years I have been caught speeding three times, so therefore my respect for the road wasn't what it should be and I needed to be off the road until I was capable to respect it better.
The Shock
I got the letter in October that I was due to be revoked and they allowed me 5 days to get my affairs in order before I fully gave up my vehicle. I was grateful for those 5 day. I was then living at my mum's until the end of November (which is closer to work) and she took me to work and back using my car and petrol. My mum is the most supportive creature on this earth, she lets me know when I have done wrong but she doesn't punish me further than I need to be punished, she knew having my license revoked was worse than anything she could do to me. So instead she made it easier for me until I moved out.
Blessing In Disguise
Now sometimes bad things in life are blessings, not having my car and using the bus for three months could have been a blessing in disguise. It made me a better time planner, it made me more organised, and it saved me money, as my car was insured under provisional which was good if I had someone to drive with. My partner J has not been passed over two years yet and therefore he could not come out in the car with me, and now my mum lives further away as opposed to the same house.
The biggest stroke of luck, I now live 12 mile from work as opposed to 2 when I lived with my parents still, but the bus picks me up from outside my house and takes me outside work, it even goes on the motorway to do this. It would take me longer to get into work for 7:45 if I lived with my mum 2 mile away than where I live now.
The best thing it did. IT MADE ME RESPECT THE ROAD.
When you do something that becomes second nature it is good to take your mind away from it for a moment to make sure you don't become complacent and over confident. I needed this, I now drive slower, and steadier and I am thinking about my actions in my vehicle and not going into auto-pilot.
I was ready to pass my test again.
Taking Action
First things first, if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, the best thing to do is, reapply for your licence. I couldn't do this because I was in process of moving out into my own home with my partner and the first thing I needed to do was assess my finances and see what I could and couldn't spend. I reapplied for my licence in December and it came well before Christmas, I then changed my existing insurance to provisional. This was paramount so that I get could back into my vehicle with someone who had been passed for more than three years. As soon as I had my provisional, I booked my theory test. I did it on the 28th December, in between my Christmas break so I didn't have to take time off work, this was also not to raise suspicion about my revoked status.
Getting Prepared
I did the theory test and I got good marks on the hazard perception 68 out of 75 with the pass mark being 44. I drove in my instructors car which is different to mine in so many ways, the biggest issue for me when driving my instructors car was the fact that it was very quiet on the gears. My car requires you to be in higher gear all the time and has come to expect it because of me.
I think that has to partly do with my driving instructors old car, which I first passed in and therefore has paved the way for my driving style. It made a noise when it wanted to change as it went into a high rev count, and I use my ears when listening to the engine instead of common sense and checking the revs and even feeling with my left hand to see what gear I am in. That was me being complacent and not actively thinking about what I was doing, I was trusting the car to tell me via noise, his new car however was quiet and therefore I did a strip of road in 50mph in 2nd, this was making it labour. This was the Saturday before my test. I thought to myself I obviously wasn't ready.
He suggested to do my test in my own car as it was what I was used to, my car is my prize possession. I have owned it two years and it looks brand new. I always like to keep it clean because it is white, and I like to hoover out the inside once every month. Loving my car is an understatement. So as soon as he dropped me off at my mum's house, I asked her to take me out in her car because I had had a bad driving lesson, and I needed to know if it was me or not knowing his car.
Me and my mum had a little drive in my car and I feel I only made one error but this was down to someone not indicating on a roundabout and being positioned centrally so I felt they were to exit before I entered. Apart from that my mum mentioned how it was a very smooth ride, which is hard because my mum is my biggest driving critic
So that Saturday night I concocted a plan to get my car back to my mum's house. My driving instructor lives close to my parents house so he could pick me up as I was stopping the night Monday in anticipation for my test Tuesday mid day. I took myself home and then she took my car back to hers. Where it was perfect for getting to my test.
The night before
Monday morning, as usual, I got on the bus to work and as usual arrived late because of the traffic issues that the M1 had been suffering. I checked the tyres website at work and realised they were to close at half 5, I finished at 4, I was 5mile away and my mum had informed that previous night that she wasn't going to pick me up from work in my car after all as she was off out at 4pm.
What was I to do?
The thing that was stopping me from getting my vehicle to where it needed to be was it's tyre's and mine and my mum's schedule. So I asked my manager if I could extend my holiday from not one day but 1.5 days starting in ten minutes and I told him it was a car tyre issue. He understood and was so chill about it.
So I walked to the closest shopping centre which was a 1 mile walk, got on a bus to my mum's and informed her of what I had planned, yet again she was more than willing to come with me to get my tyre's done. I drove, as I used the time as a lesson. I needed the tread depth to be over the legal standard and asked the tyre mechanics to check them and gimme part worn tyres for the wheels that were teetering on illegal. I was expecting to get all 4, I only needed two. So tyres were complete.
I also bought L Plates and an extra rear view mirror for the examiner while my car was waiting. Then I went back to my mum's house in my car, and realised that my vehicle needed to be at the test centre, if they refused my vehicle at least I still had my driving instructors to fall back on but therefore his had to BE there as back up. Not parked at my mums.
I then went to bed at my mum's house and tried to sleep, I couldn't. I spent all night listening to motivational speeches on YouTube with my eyes closed and VISUALISING myself driving my car really smooth and steady and literally took a route in my head and did it, in my head. But FUCK, I had forgotten my driving license at home which was 10 miles away. I text my friend to come pick me up and take me home and thankfully he did. I also realised I have a lot of great people around me.
When I went to bed that night I knew I was sound, I could sleep, I had all my things at arms reach that I needed, I had my car in the most optimum position for it not to be rejected by the examiner and me loose my fee. I was content.
The day of...
So I woke at the same time as J, 6:20, I wasn't at work but it was habit now. I was in and out of sleep for 40 mins and actually woke at 7am, I stayed in bed and VISUALISED AGAIN. I did the routes in my head and mentally looked in all my mirrors and did the steps the imaginary examiner wanted me to do. I listened to motivational speeches as I put my makeup on. I called a taxi and it came early.
The driver was sooooo smooth, it made me think about my own driving, what I could take from him so that my soon to be VIPassenger would be content. I was grateful for his driving because he showed me what a good driver was. It was a good road start to the day.
I met my driving instructor sat in my car at the test centre and then drove to the nearby retail centre to deposit his car, I showed him the rear view mirror that I had gotten him to aid in the few lesson up to my test and for the examiner. We did 1.5 hours of driving before I went in for my test, and just before we were due back to the test centre he asked he how i would clean my windscreen, and I had no water in it because it had been stood for so long (3 months is a long time for my prize possession to be stood), so we quickly filled up the water and headed for the test, we didn't even sit down for more than 10 minutes before my name was called.
The first thing she asked me was how I would clear my windscreen, and from that instant I knew I was gonna pass. It made my whole demeanor relax and I felt positive because of one major thing.
I HAD DONE IT BEFORE I WAS GOING TO DO IT AGAIN
And I did.
I passed.
Short Story
*Reapplied for licence
*Changed insurance to provisional
*When license came booked theory test
*Studied
*Passed theory test
*Got in touch with driving instructor who passed me two years ago
*Had lessons in his car, he suggested to use mine
*Bought new front tyres
*Dropped car off at test centre the night before the test
*Got L Plates and a rear view mirror for examiner
*Filled windowscreen water up
*Took driving test
*Passed
*Changed insurance back to Full Licence holder
Done
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