Buckle your belts

March 23, 2006 - 11:32 AM by David Brinn

Having moved to Israel as an adult, I never had to take theory lessons or a driving test to get an Israeli license – just had to go in and show my valid US license, and I was automatically granted one.

The closest I’ve come to the Israeli driving industry bureaucracy is having to sit and doze through a six-hour/ three week course on driving rules and regulations a decade ago, as part of a sweeping effort by the Transportation Ministry to cut down on accidents and road deaths.

But I’ve been able to live vicariously these past few months (as well as pay for the pleasure) as my 17-year-old daughter went on her driving lessons, and studied the rules and regulations handbook as she prepared for her driving test.

Now, if you’ve seen Israelis on the road, you might be surprised there’s even such a thing as a rules and regulations handbook. But I can assure you there is, as well as dozens of road signs and symbols which I’ve had the privilege of becoming acquainted with while helping Adina prepare for her test.

After all the preparation, she passed the written test earlier this month, and her big road test was yesterday. Back in my first few years here, I heard that nobody passed their road test the first time, with many trembling would-be drivers forced to take seven or eight tests before being awarded their license.

Turns out this was due primarily to corruption among the driving instructors – every time you flunked a test, you had to lay out another few hundred shekels for the next test. Evidently, these violators have been weeded out, and nowadays, the drivers are graded on their own merit.

So it was with a combination of dread and pride that I picked up the phone yesterday and heard Adina scream “I passed! I got my license!” Words that every parent receives with a shudder…

The good thing is that – unlike the US – in Israel, new drivers have to be on the road with adult accompaniment for at least the first three months after they get their license. The bad news is… guess who’s going to have to sit in the passenger seat and hang on to the seat?

Another Israeli driver on the road – but this time one who won’t enable me to fall asleep until I know that she’s home safe and sound.

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