Korean Job Discussion Forums

[hellofaniceguy]

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/

[rkc76sf]

[rkc76sf]

[Louis VI]

SAFETY NOT A TOP PRIORITY IN SOUTH KOREA

[nathanrutledge]

Have you SEEN the tests they use? They are a joke. The lousy driving in this country is not because of the testing, it's because of the lack of law enforcement and arcane driving system. Cutting the tests and training requirement will only reduce safety IF they help make people safer drivers. IMO, they don't. Those driving schools are so completely unrealistic that the people who benefit from this are EVERYONE EXCEPT the driving schools. It's about time.

Now, if they can only do something to IMPROVE driving, THAT would be impressive.

[hellofaniceguy]

[ticktocktocktick]

When I learned to drive here a few years ago, I found the driving course tutition invaluable, as it lets you get to grips with the vehicle in a safer environment. It was also the hardest section to pass. The road driving test, on the other hand, was ridiculously easy, to the point where I couldn't believe they gave a licence afterwards just for passing it.

This change is just lunacy.

[ippy]

i just finished the whole process and im with ticktocktocktick, it was a complete joke (though mine was automatic so its probably supposed to be). Great for me, but heres what i did:

1. Completed the written test with no support (other than the mangled english) and no official english book to help (its been discontinued). Still scored 67% because most of it is pure common sense.

2. Went to my driving hagwon where i realised on my second lesson that i could pass the course test already. The lessons were supposed to last 50 minutes (technically 1 hour including the ten minute instructor break). Instead each lesson lasted about 20-25 minutes. Nevertheless i had to complete them all because its a legal requirement (i couldnt change to manual either).

3. EVEN THOUGH i completed my written test, i stilll had to punch in for five hours of driving theory education (though i was allowed to go home and come back to clock back in).

4. Passed the course test with absolutely no problem. Once i learned how to self correct on the parallel parking it was a cinch (definitely that course test is very handy not so much for most of it, but for learning how to correct mistakes in a specific act by practicing it over and over).

5. Practiced for the road test. My training looked like this:

arrive
hang about for ten minutes.
drive the 5km course
drive back
(aprox 15 minutes)
"take a rest".
Clock out at the correct time.

Hell, one of my lessons (which i paid 10,000won overtime so they could book me in for my test a week earlier), consisted of sitting in a restaurant with my instructor because he was really tired and had been teaching all day.

Most of the time it was spent playing with the doggies at the driving school, or helping the matriarch of the school clean pots for kimchi. I spent more time not driving than driving.

Not that i needed to anyway. After day 1 i told them the test was too stupid and wouldnt prepare me for driving anywhere and was (rightly) told by the guy who actually does the test (a nice guy by the way who really wanted me to pass), that once i get my own car i can make up as many courses as i like, but until then i just need to drive to the test.

None of the test forced me to use almost any of the techniques i learned on the course. There was no hillstart, no 3 point turn, no parallel park.

Test 1 taught me the problems
Test 2 taught me about proper gear changing (automatic so not for me), signalling, checking your mirrors, and maintaining speed and watching for possible hazards.

Independantly, the two would be great, but ONLY IF there were a THIRD test that integrated the pair of them into a proper course. It feels like ive done half of the test i really expected to be doing in truth. It also feels like im completely unprepared to drive on the roads. It might just be luck of the draw though... maybe if your school is in the middle of seoul you learn how to handle the misery of driving in seoul. My place was countryside so it was literally 3kms down an expressway at 60kmh with 2 traffic lights), and 2km down a small (2 lane) back road with almost no real obstacles.

Ah well, now i get to make my own courses so what the hey. Still, i would have rather my time was spent learning how to drive effectively rather than learning how to drive a specific course perfectly, but if you set a specific test, then people will teach to it so what you gonna do?

[Crockpot2001]

For Sale: One 63cm custom road bicycle, full Shimano Dura-Ace and some carbon goodies. Owner weary of new DL changes and suspect of Korean trauma care.