Self drive lessons: Graduation

It’s been four months since I started my solo self drive lessons. The aim was to get comfortable and confident to drive on public roads on my own. This was the lesson plan from AI:

New drivers benefit from a structured progression across Singapore’s diverse road types to build versatile skills safely during weekly 1-hour GetGo sessions. This 6-week plan starts simple and layers complexity, emphasizing observation, control, and adaptation without rushing into high-risk areas. Each session follows a 10-minute warm-up, 40-minute practice, and 10-minute self-review.

Weeks 1-2: Residential and Local Roads

Focus on low-speed control in quiet HDB estates or industrial zones (e.g., near Woodlands or Jurong). Practice precise maneuveurs like U-turns, parallel parking, and yielding at uncontrolled junctions while scanning mirrors every 5 seconds. Build confidence with the two-second following rule and gentle acceleration to 40 km/h.

Weeks 3-4: Arterial and Multi-Lane Roads

Tackle busier arterials like Woodlands Road or Bukit Timah Road, handling 50-70 km/h speeds, frequent lane changes, and traffic lights. Prioritize right-of-way decisions at roundabouts (yield to right) and overtaking slower vehicles safely using inner lanes. Note bus lane restrictions—avoid them during operating hours.

Weeks 5-6: Expressways and Mixed Conditions

Enter expressways (PIE, AYE) via slip roads, accelerating to match 80-100 km/h flow in middle lanes only. Practice merging (signal early, blind-spot check), steady cruising, and exiting 1 km in advance. Incorporate weather variations—reduce speed 10-20% in rain—and night drives if sessions extend into dusk for headlight adaptation.

Wet Roads and Night Driving

Dedicate 15 minutes per session to slippery conditions: increase following distance to four seconds, brake earlier, and avoid sharp turns. For nights, dim lights appropriately, watch for motorcyclists, and use high beams only on empty stretches.

Review and Safety Essentials

Log notes on strengths (e.g., smooth braking) and tweaks (e.g., earlier signaling). Always pre-check GetGo vehicles, wear seatbelts, and stay below speed limits by 5 km/h initially. This builds well-rounded proficiency steadily.

Instead of six weeks, I took four months, but the lesson plan expanded as I went, targeting types of driving I felt I needed:

• Month 1: Roads in quiet residential areas. Then drove on arterial and multi-lane roads to my neighbourhood town centre.
• Month 2: Drove to other nearby towns, taking the main roads.
• Month 3: Short expressway routes - enter and then exit at next exit, no merging.
• Month 4: Expressways, merging and driving longer missions to city centre and back. Drove, parked, bought breakfast, and drove back. Driving on unfamiliar roads just following the GPS. Drove my wife for the very first time on her birthday. Drove in the rain, during a jam, and during normal weekday daytime.

I took about six months for my driving license, and now, another four months of driving every Sunday to feel confident on public roads on my own.

So I think I’ve graduated.

I might be done here, but since this has become like a Sunday morning routine, maybe I can just keep going:

• Driving at night
• Driving larger 7 seaters
• Driving my family around
• Driving to the west side of Singapore
• Driving on road trips, in Thailand and Japan

The last one is the most fun!