Sept. 19, 2006, a day that will live in infamy. Ok, so we made and appointment for a road test which was 8:00 am on this day of infamy, and we endured rush hour traffic to get there.  Steven gives them his permit and so far so good.  I give the lady my registration, safety check and insurance card.  I'm waiting as she meticulously goes over each letter, each character, each blemish of my documents. Oh, oh, there's a problem.  My insurance card (Wong Way Driving Academy) doesn't match my car registration (Steven M. Wong)  Sorry, we can't accept this.  What?  The Vehicle Identification Number, license plates, address and everything else is on there.  Nope.  We drag ourselve back home and I find my Certifcate of Insurance which has Steven M. Wong dba Wong Way Driving Academy on it.  Awesome, must be my lucky day.  We get back into rush hour traffic and make it back to the City Square office.  Guess what?  Yup, has to be an insurance CARD.   My paperwork gets handed to a "supervisor" and I get the typical response, according to Hawaii Statute yada, yada, yada.  (yeah,yeah, yeah)  I guess what gets me is that I'm certified to teach Driver's Education.  My car has enough insurance to cover a small villiage in Thailand, It's been inspected and has passed the Department of Transporation standard for behind the wheel instruction for under aged drivers, Criminal Background checks, fingerprinting and everything short of a body cavity search and my vehicle isn't qualified to have a Hawaii State Driving Examiner in it?  Go figure?  Don't they get medical?  Pau vent already.  Ultimately, it was my fault for not check everything prior to going down.  Well, actually I did but it all looked good to me.  Live and learn. OK, so I took one for the "Gipper" so please learn from my mistakes.  Make sure that whoever is driving you down for your road test is at least 21 years of age and it wouldn't hurt if they are the registered owner of the car. Make sure all documents are current and up to date, and make sure all the names are EXACTLY the same on the documents.  I hope none of you will have this problem so good luck.  Make an appointment here: Road Test Appointment  before going down to avoid being a "walk in".  Some how, that just doesn't sound like a preferred group to belong to.  It'll cost you $8 via a credit card to make the appointment.  If you change date or time, make sure you do it before your appointment or you'll have to pay $8 again.  I believe the same goes if you fail and have to go back.  Make sure your permit is current and if you are under 18 years, you'll need a Certificate of Completion for Driver's Ed Classroom Training and Behind the Wheel Training.  That's 2 certificates which can be acquired here at Wong Way Driving Academy. More to follow.................

The Rules for the Driving Test

REQUIREMENTS:   A current and valid Hawaii instructional permit is one of the required documents that must be presented on the date of the appointment.   Applicants must be accompanied by a licensed driver who is 21 years of age or older, and will be required to be present when the applicant is called by the examiner for the road test and until the completion of the road test.   Current vehicle Certificate of Registration (temporary dealer registrations are not acceptable).   Current Hawaii motor vehicle insurance identification card in accordance with Section 431:10C-107, Hawaii Revised Statutes.  NOTE: The name(s) and vehicle identification number on the insurance card must be the same as shown on the Certificate of Registration. This is where I got tangled up in the "Details"   The vehicle must meet all safety inspection standards by having the current Vehicle Inspection Certificate and inspection decals present on the vehicle.   Rental vehicles must have the original Certificate of Registration and Hawaii motor vehicle inurance identification card.  The applicant's name must be listed on the contract.   New vehicles must have the 1) sales contract; 2) current temporary license plate attached to the vehicle; 3) Certificate of Vehicle Inspection Certificate/decals; and 4) Hawaii motor vehicle insurance identification card.   Use of company vehicle for road test:  A letter (on company letterhead) authorizing the named applicant the use of a company vehicle for the road test, signed by an officer or authorized person of the company.  The letter shall include the applicant's name, vehicle description (license plate number, make and Vehicle Identification Number) and date used for the road test.   Applicants under the age of 18 must also present the original State of Hawaii Driver Education Certificates of Completion for BOTH classroom and behind-the-wheel instruction.   Holders of valid foreign driver licenses of a participating country of the "1943 and 1949 United Nations Convention on Road Traffic and Convention on the Regulation of Inter-American Automotive Traffic," respectively, must present a valid international driving permit or a valid passport, i.e., stamped by the I.N.S. with an entry date of less than one year into the United States of America at the time of the road test.   Photocopies and facsimile copies are not acceptable for the aforementioned documents. Rescheduling Your Appointment:   Rescheduling your appointment via the Internet may only be accomplished prior to 6:00 a.m. of the appointment date.  If you are unable to keep your appointment, and unable to access the Internet, please notify the location where the appointment was scheduled at least one business day prior. Outstanding Violations Note:   Applicants' records are electronically checked against the State Traffic Violations Bureau (TVB) file to ensure compliance.  All outstanding violations must be cleared with the State Traffic Violations Bureau before you can obtain a driver's license.  The process may take several days to clear the electronic records, and road test scores are valid for only 30 days, so please plan accordingly.  Failure to obtain either a clearance letter from the TVB (covering the proper violation period) or having TVB clear your violation record on the electronic files within 30 days of passing the road test will result in your having to retake the road test. For information on clearing your driving record, please contact the State Traffic Violations Bureau at 1111 Alakea Street, Second Floor.  Telephone number is 538-5500.

Road Test Score Sheet

For those who really want to know, here are the point deductions that the Road Test Examiner uses. (at their discretion) TRAFFIC DRIVING 1.  Failed to keep to the right - 2 pts. 2.  Improper lane of traffic - 5 pts. 3.  Speed excessive for conditions - 5 pts. 4.  Fails to yield right of way to other users of  highway or pedestrian - 5 pts. 5.  Headcheck - 5 pts. 6.  Inatentive to signs, signals or traffic lights - 5 pts.   INTERSECTIONS 1.  Fails to signal - 2 pts. 2.  Fails to signal properly - 2 pts. 3.  Fails to get into proper lane for turn 5 pts. 4.  Fails to move into intersection when waiting to make left turn - 5 pts. 5.  Swings wide/short right - 3 pts. 6.  Swings wide/short left - 3 pts. 7.  Incomplete / rolling stop - 5 pts. 8.  Stoplines / crosswalks - 5 pts. 9.  Poor judgement approaching at intersections - 5 pts.   PARKING AND REVERSING 1.  Failed to observe or use caution - 5 pts. 2.  Unable to park - 5 pts. 3.  Excessive space in parking - 5 pts. 4.  Excessive maeuvers in parking 5 pts. 5.  Parks too far from curb -2 pts.   CONTROL 1.  Repeated stalling - 2 pts. 2. Throttle Control - 5 pts. 3. Poor steering control - 5 pts. 4. Delayed braking - 5 pts. 5. Abrupt braking -5 pts. 6. Unfamiliar with gears / shifting - 5 pts. 7. Poor clutch control - 2 pts. 8. Rolling on grade - 5  pts. 9. Reaction to emergencies - 5 pts. 10.  Too slow - 5 pts.   GROUNDS FOR IMMEDIATE FAILURE ACCIDENT DANGEROUS ACTION SERIOUS VIOLATION REFUSED TO FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS

Actually copy City & County of Honolulu Driving Exam Score Sheet Page 1. Go to the Forms / Documents / Download page and get your own form to test with. Have your driving mentor test you while you drive. Let me know how you did........