Once I heard a man say that women that have a driver's licence are more intelligent. Whether he was right or wrong, there surely was at least some grain of truth in what he said. Mastering the road traffic safety regulations and gaining practical driving experience, which gives another perspective to see the traffic, changes a lot. Even though already since the age of 10 it is possible to gain a bicycle licence, let's be honest - many young people ride on the streets even without knowing such basic safety nuances as what a turn signal is.

Many seem not to have mastered such themes as road traffic safety, rights and duties of drivers and pedestrians even until the very end of high-school. However, if we want to see young people grow up responsible, first of all, it is the responsibility of the parents to teach and explain what responsibility means, and not only in the context of road traffic. Some parents have more than 1 job and there always seems not to be enough time; therefore, talking about these topics is entrusted to schools and teachers. However, not always a child gets the answers there.

Driving courses are one of the ways to teach the ability to take a look at the world from different angles, besides it teaches to do the right thing - which means that also the presence of others is considered and not only one's own desires. After all, the regulations of road traffic are designed to take care about the safety, so that neither pedestrians nor drivers become threat to themselves or other road users.

Too young or too old?

Not only young people are not very well informed about the regulations, but also the elders. Seniors without a licence are often the ones that cross the pedestrian crossing without even looking to the right or left, even though it is not an area where pedestrians are always a priori safe as on a lonely island. The driver may as well not manage to break in time if the pedestrian appears on the road seemingly out of a sudden, for example if he was standing unnoticed in the shadow of a tree… Sometimes on this very same pedestrian crossing a senior even stops in the very middle and decides to start looking for the glasses in the very bottom of the bag to put them on his nose… And then again something important is forgotten - the pedestrian crossing is not meant for standing but only for crossing!

Sometimes it seems like the retirement age in a biased way is written off as a time when only sitting at home is left, at best also gardening and knitting. However, to learn something new not only is healthy but also possible for the seniors. Those beautiful retirement years can be used also for travelling, getting to know the world… And, after all, if that did not happen during youth, then it is finally time to learn what the joy of driving a car means! That is how 79-years-old Irma Kluša describes the feeling as she got her driving licence in Presto driving school at this respectable age. It is possible to hear her story on the Presto Youtube channel.

Very often both old age and youth is stigmatized, both groups get pointed at their age number only to make them sit still and silent in the corner… Undeniably, older people need to monitor their health and consult a doctor to get the driving licence. That is precisely why gaining a medical certificate is a mandatory prerequisite to start attending driving classes. And if this certificate is given, it means the green light!

Also younger people can start studying at the driving school even from the age of 14 to pass the CSDD examination and gain an AM category licence. This category enables riding a moped with a speed limit of 50 km/h. Since the age of 16 it is possible to start to learn to drive a car. It will help to prepare well for the final examination that can be taken when turning 18. By gaining more experience, one can also create habits of responsible driving. At the age of 16, it is also possible to start riding A1 category motorcycles with limited power.

Most dangerous drivers?

It has been proven that any dose of alcohol affects the ability to drive; so the use of alcohol and driving is incompatible. Likewise, also other drugs such as weed that many somehow find harmless, increase the reaction time, decrease the ability to concentrate and promote aggressive driving. That is why any driver is more dangerous to himself and other road users if he/she decides to drive in a state of intoxication or even just after 1 glass of wine.

According to publicly available statistics of Ergo insurance, those are precisely the new drivers with less than 2 years experience, that cause the most accidents in the traffic. Also younger drivers up to the age of 21 are included in the risk group. Youth is characterized by greater recklessness and desire to show off.

At the same time, however, at this age there is an opportunity to improve driving skills and learn from mistakes. Somehow everyone has to start their driving road and gain the experience, and driving school is one of those initiation steps to adulthood. Besides learning road traffic regulations, one also learns to take responsibility. At the same time, young drivers should keep in mind that precisely they are in the risk group; therefore, they should pay an increased attention to safe driving style.

Taste of independence and “I can”

Even though I have never played car racing video games, I am convinced that driving a real car in real traffic is much more exciting than doing it on a computer screen. Many adolescents and young people get locked up in their rooms behind closed curtains and isolate themselves from the world, looking for entertainment in the virtual world. Driving courses are one way to help young people return to real life and show that the real world is full of adventures and impressions. Driving a car is one of those seemingly small everyday things that actually makes it so much more special.

To drive on your own to the school - that would surely be like a heroic deed to make one proud! What does it mean to win a computer race competition, and what does it mean to be able to drive around the city's most complicated crossroads? There comes a time when a child does not want anymore to be taken to the school by the hand of mummy… And then there is time when parking in front of the school on your own seems like conquering Everest. The same as only few can climb the peak, also few can park their car in the school parking lot by the age of 16.

One of the factors that make up self-confidence is the belief in one's own abilities. Learning to drive a car is one of the ways to gain more points of “I can” and “I am good at it”. That is an option to celebrate the small victories like when you go to the shopping mall on your own to get the family food supplies for a whole week. The same as the first salary lets one to feel like a real man, also driving a car does the same. It is understandable that a girl will surely appreciate an invitation to the cinema in another way if she knows that the tickets are paid from own-earned and not parents given pocket money… The same goes to a guy that drives to the school by himself - he will surely get some appreciation.

At this age the young people start to long for greater independence. Even though a life of a grownup, independent from parents, has not yet started, the young man wants to taste that more and more. Gaining a licence is one of the ways to get closer to this reality. At the age of 16 it is possible to start training for category B. But it should be taken into account that at this age one can drive only if there is someone with at least 3 years of experience sitting beside. A full independence at this age is only possible with an AM moped or A1 motorcycle - that is when nobody will be looking over the shoulder.

Is it possible?

Volkswagen news found out that the Presto training model has been consciously created with an aim to decrease the time needed for training. Thanks to the chance of attending lessons every day, including weekends and holidays, the licence can be obtained as fast as within 90 days. This challenge was also accepted by the guys of the famous group Singapore satin (Singapūras satīns). To see how they were doing, you can watch their adventure on Presto Youtube channel. Someone made it, but someone needed more time - it is possible to learn from their mistakes and inspire from their victories.

Unlike many other driving schools, Presto gives an opportunity to freely change instructors. You may as well have a new one in every single class! Because of that, precious time does not have to be wasted by waiting when 1 specific instructor is available or recovers from a virus. It also helps to avoid unpleasant situations when it seems impossible to get along with the instructor assigned by the driving school. In addition, it gives 1 more bonus - a chance to change cars during the training.

One of the cars for the exam is also Volkswagen Golf 7. And it is surely no wonder as Volkswagen is one of the most favourite brands in Latvian car market. If it gets assigned by the computer system as the CSDD exam car, it is important for one to know how its parking differs from parking a BMW and Audi. Presto is going to teach that. And that is because the lessons can be booked with many instructors, and with a change of instructors also comes the change of car brands!

Maybe the start of this new academic year is also your chance to dare to learn something new, fulfill long-cherished dreams, become a more responsible road user and enjoy driving a car for the first time? Too young or too old - those are not tags for Presto. Age is just a number. And both young and old can study at Presto! And if you still do not believe it, just take a look at how the eyes of 79-year-old Irma Kluša spark as she has got her first car and a licence! If Irma could, surely you can as well!

Find out more about the training on presto.lv!