Crazy RW drivers

[corp]

We have all heard RW can be dangerous drivers and it takes a special guy to have the nerve to teach one how to drive.
I think I could be just such a guy but, ..
IS there any advantage to a RW arriving in the USA with a Russian Driving license already in-hand?

I have heard a RW with a license can get insurance without being caught in the "New driver" high-risk bracket.

-Anyone have an idea how much it cost to get a License in Russia, I understand most people go to schools.

-is it possible to get a license by "other" means".

Any DL related info would be welcome.

[Turboguy]

Funny, VWRW just made a post on a similar topic.   

You can always teach her yourself as long as you don't mind having fistfulls of your own hair.

[BillyB]

IS there any advantage to a RW arriving in the USA with a Russian Driving license already in-hand?

-Anyone have an idea how much it cost to get a License in Russia, I understand most people go to schools.

My fiancee is in drivers school now in Uzbekistan and it cost $200 for a two month/3 days a week session.

-is it possible to get a license by "other" means".

I'm sure there are fake driver's licenses out there for purchase but will it make much difference on your insurance rate? My guess is the insurance company will take your word for it without evidence or will call her a new driver regardless of how long she's been driving in the FSU.

corp, haven't heard from you for a while. Got a RW coming over?

[Gator]

Corp,

Have her take Drivers' Training in Russia.  The teachers are competent.

My Moscow woman had an international driver's license issued in Russia and she drove our rental cars in Costa Rica ("Peligro" because of steep mountain roads and cows everywhere) and Cyprus (wrong side of the road).  She was a better driver and I a better navigator.

When she came to Florida, she was driving my Lincoln Navigator by herself the second week.

[Simoni]

Any DL related info would be welcome.

Requirements vary from state to state.  Marina had a driver's license in Ukraine, earned at a driver's school there.  But Texas would not accept it.   Other states would have.  So check your particular state.

However, and this is a big however, having a license and being a good drive are not the same.  Marina got her license 10 years ago but never drove, since the family gave up the car after her father died.

When I let her drive my car here, she was "all over" the road!  So we spent a lot of time practicing in parking lots before moving back to the road.

[Blues Fairy]

Have her take Drivers' Training in Russia.  The teachers are competent.

Only they'll teach you on a rusty falling-apart zhiguli with a stick. 
The skills I got in a driving school 6 years ago were completely useless until I got my first own car and started driving myself. 

As for getting the license, these days it's not so easy.  The GAI people are guite corrupt and will expect a bribe or fail the student repeatedly on her test. 

[Gator]

Blues fairy,

Your sarcasm is funny usually; however, I see nothing wrong with learning how to drive a Lada with manual transmission.  When in Costa Rica, do you think I rented a BMW with automatic?  My Moscow woman actually prefers the stick as she says it gives her more control.  You never know when it could be useful.

The point is that a RW needs to have as much driving experience as possible before arriving in America.  Without a car, she will live in cage because America's mass transit is deplorable except in the largest cities.  The ability to drive is freedom.  She will feel better and the husband will not be needed all the time. 

Perhaps my opinion is based on the fact that I like independent women.  I certainly had no problem with AW.

[Blues Fairy]

The point is that a RW needs to have as much driving experience as possible before arriving in America. 

I agree 100%.  But my point is, if there's a month or so remaining to spend in Russia, better not waste it on a painful and cheerless experience such as a typical Russian driving school.  Not much of an experience anyway.   

[55North]

My RW has a licence but no vehicle.  Given her recent personal history, it is unlikely that she has driven for some time, and she also lived 'out of town'.
 
So, it will be a fresh start, which is as well, given that we drive on the 'wrong' side of the road. 

[SANDRO43]

given that we drive on the 'wrong' side of the road.

Even the SPB Police seem to have problems deciding which side is the right one (http://www.russianwomendiscussion.com/mwiki/index.php?title=Humor) .

[ScottinCrimea]

My wife took driving lessons about 5 years ago and had her Ukraine driving license.  Right before she came here, she got an international drivers license. It cost her about $200.  The advantage of the international license is that, in my state, it allows her to legally drive for 6 months, so she was able to be out and about immediately.  The other advantage is that she will only have to take the written test, not the driving test.  The disadvantage is that for insurance purposes it now shows her as a new driver.  My recommendation would be for her to get the international drivers license ASAP.'  Of course this will vay from state to state, so check the website of your local DMV.  If she needs a drivers' manual in Russian, check the Washington state website.  They have one online you can download.  It might not be exactly the same as your own state's, but used in combination with your state's manual, it is a great help.

[Mishenka]

Hi everyone, In my honest opinion, the best way to learn to drive is to come to California,,  LA or Orange county,  or San Diego will do,,, She will get a course just as if she was driving in a hollywood movie chase scene. These are a daily event here.  If she survives, she will be the best driver in the world.  Seriously,, each day we roll down the freeways here we put our lives in some crazy persons hands,,, pretty scary,, but,, you learn to drive defensively, make best decisions in a split second.  If you want to try and teach her yourself, it helps if you have a truck load of patience and are a dare devil in disguise.  Oh yes, and if you're already bald, no worries about loosing fistsfuls of hair. :-)  One last thing,  rent a wreck to learn to drive in,, do not take the BMW ourt of the garage!

Misha

[ScottinCrimea]

So you think the drivers in So Cal are crazier than in the FSU?  I don't think you will find anyone who has driven in both will agree with you.

[corp]

BillyB- yes it looks like I am "In for a pound".

-----
My main hope was to find out the average price for such a school
and to see if anyone knew if in fact arriving with a Russian Driving license
would actually save money on Insurance.

I suspect if she were to get a license from scratch here, she would be priced pretty high as a new driver.
She has very little time to take lessons but said she could do it if I thought it would be a benefit. She called several out of the phone book and they were on average $400 (st Petersburg).
If in fact she would need an international license for us to gain any benefit, there may not even be time for that.

[Jet]

We have all heard RW can be dangerous drivers and it takes a special guy to have the nerve to teach one how to drive.
I think I could be just such a guy but, ..

I think more depends on the temperament of the RW and the teacher than anything else. I taught Lil to drive, but we didn't rush it. She took 11 of the 12 months alloted on her learners license before attempting the driving portion of the test. She passed on her first try, and other than an occasional case of "lead foot" on the interstate drives better than many natives.

IS there any advantage to a RW arriving in the USA with a Russian Driving license already in-hand?

I have heard a RW with a license can get insurance without being caught in the "New driver" high-risk bracket.

-Anyone have an idea how much it cost to get a License in Russia, I understand most people go to schools.

-is it possible to get a license by "other" means".

Any DL related info would be welcome.

Our case was similar to Simoni's. Lil had her Russian DL for ten years but never used it. She had gone to Driving school and as Blues Fairy suggested her final test was administered by locking a bunch of people in a room for an hour and at the end of that hour, those who presented $50 upon exiting - passed the test and got their license.

Regarding Insurance, call your carrier and ask questions, because in S. FL, any driving experience outside the USA did not count. Also the fact that she had no credit of her own at the time she applied for auto insurance counted as a strike against her. The best deal we found was through Geico at $900 per 6 months 
Now that she's had a year under her belt accident free, it's dropped to $700 and should continue to decrease for the next two years. (We consulted most of the major carriers and the next lowest was AIG at $2250)

[Mishenka]

ScottinCrimea, 

There were a lot of scarcastic lines in my post you may not have caught on to. Mostly joking around.   We in Southern California are the BEST drivers in the world.  Moscow,  like any third world country,, closely compared to Mexico, it's best not to drive there.  few have insurance and many are hit and runs,, yes I have driven in both but will choose never again to drive in big cities like Moscow or Piter or any place in Mexico. Take a bus, walk, Metro, but no driving for me,  Ive been in enough accidents in my lifetime.
thanks,


michael

[DKMM]

I went through this same discussion with my fiancee.  She is in drivers school now, it cost her $500 in Moscow.  Or maybe it was $1000 I don't remember (she paid for it).  But from what she describes it sounds like a very thorough process.  She probably won't sit for the exam because the GAI is very corrupt like Blues Fairy said, but maybe she will try it once to see if she can get it.

Where I live a Russian license will let you drive for a year, but I'd rather she learn to drive properly here before I give her a car to do it in.  Insurance will not go down if she has a Russian license because they ask how long she's had a US license.

I'm extremely lucky that my mom is retiring when my fiancee arrives and she will be teaching her to drive while I'm at work (maybe I'll turn my cell off during that time heh).

[ConnerVT]

We have State Farm insurance on both cars (liability, comprehensive, and collision).  The insurance premiums on my car did not go up when my wife got her permit or her license (she was never licensed anywhere before) and was added to the policy.  When she got her own car, the rates were comparable to those on my car, and my rates didn't change.

But then, I also didn't make it an issue with my agent, either.

[Son of Clyde]

We have State Farm insurance on both cars (liability, comprehensive, and collision).  The insurance premiums on my car did not go up when my wife got her permit or her license (she was never licensed anywhere before) and was added to the policy.  When she got her own car, the rates were comparable to those on my car, and my rates didn't change.

But then, I also didn't make it an issue with my agent, either.

Actually, this is exactly what I did, same insurance company too.

[Simoni]

So you think the drivers in So Cal are crazier than in the FSU?  I don't think you will find anyone who has driven in both will agree with you.

Agree with Scott.  Driving in the US is much easier.

Worst drivers in the world are in China.  Then South America.   

Ukraine is in the middle of crazy.  I have driven there and even got my internatioinal driver's license.  But I stayed clear of the other cars and drove below the speed limit.  Never got stopped.

Marina says it's much better driving here than in the fsu.