I’m almost ready to sit my driving test here in the U.S. I’ve got the learner permit, passed my pre-licensing exam and nearly used to driving on the wrong side of the road. So naturally, any advice on driving tests is now welcome.
In that search, I’ve managed to find the one person I don’t want to hear any pointers from. That’s because in the process of traveling to their test, they managed to have the exam cancelled and even caused the police to be called to the scene. That’s the kind of driving test horror story I’m eager to avoid.
To explain, this all happened in Germany earlier this week when someone thought they could drive themselves to their test.
According to the Associated Press (AP), a 37-year-old German man was prepping to take his driving test on Monday. To the shock of his onlooking examiner, this man had decided to drive himself to the test site in a borrowed Opel Zafira.
Now, it wasn’t his decision to sit the test in a Zafira that shocked the tester, although that is a bold choice of vehicle for the scenario. No, it was the fact that he’d driven to the site by himself, unoccupied, and without anyone else in the car.
Of course, that’s probably something you should be able to do when it comes time to sit your test. But in Germany, as with in many states across the U.S., you can’t legally drive in the country without a license unless you are being supervised by a fully-qualified driver.
As such, as soon as the test subject hopped out the car at the exam site, the police were called to the scene. Officers in Germany are now investigating the man, who has not been named, for driving without a valid license.
In his defense, the man taking the test was reported to have said that he elected to drive himself so he wasn’t late for his exam. However, according to German law, it doesn’t mean he could roll up alone. He could drive himself, but was still required to have a licensed supervisor in the car. And sadly, his need for punctuality meant that as soon as he rocked up unsupervised, the test was called off. At least he didn’t actually miss the test, I guess?
As well as investigating the man taking the test, Police in Bergheim, near Cologne, said they are also investigating the owner of the Zafira he drove to the exam.
Officers didn’t confirm if this was related to the driving test incident, or rather if it was just to uncover the reasons why anyone would buy a Zafira.