Driving Exam

[Hemyock100]

Does anyone have any experience with getting their lady through a US driving exam?
My wife is Ukrainian and has never driven a car before.  Her English is poor but improving
I live in Indiana and am being told that she can not take the written test in Russian so I am assuming that her English will have to improve before she can take the written teat to get her permit so that she can take lessons.

Any thoughts would be helpful

Thanks

Hemyock

[Vaughn]

Sounds like the same story we faced. Written only in English - although there was a local
agency who had a rough copy of the Driver's Manual in her native Russian...

...so I am assuming that her English will have to improve before she can take the written teat to get her permit so that she can take lessons.

Yup.

[Markus]

My wife did practice tests over and over and over. Do a search online for your state that has practice tests. The cost is small and will help
your wife learn the rules. You may even learn a thing or two yourself as you will need to help her answer questions in the beginning.
Here's one site: http://www.dmv.org/drivers-license-practice-test.php

[Markus]

I showed your post to my wife and she said she learned some English while praciting these tests. So your wife can learn English and the driving test
at the same time.

[Turboguy]

From what I recall reading in past discussions on driving there are a few states that have their driving instruction books in Russian.  The rules might be slightly different but that could help her a bit.

Really, it might be better to put off learning to drive until she learns English a little better.  Not so much from a standpoint of getting down the road but if she ever enountered an emergency situation or was pulled over by the police and couldn't understand or express herself in a stressful situation like that it could be bad.

Are you planning to teach her yourself or get lessons for her.  One lesson I learned the hard way was to start off and spend the first few weeks in big emply parking lots such as a mall after hours or a school parking lot.   One way or the other it is quite an experience to teach an FSU woman to drive.  They do fine however.  My wife now drives just like a Moscow cab driver and every bit as well.

[ConnerVT]

Vermont only gives the written driver's exam in English, but allows a foreign language translator to assist translating questions.

[SANDRO43]

From what I recall reading in past discussions on driving there are a few states that have their driving instruction books in Russian.

Our RWDpedia has links (http://www.russianwomendiscussion.com/mwiki/index.php/Driving_A_Car) to Driver's manuals (DMV Guides) PDFs in Russian from California, Iowa, North Carolina and Washington State.

[Markus]

For Indiana, http://www.dmv.org/in-indiana/practice-tests.php

[UTRO]

It's a shame more States don't have the exam available in various languages.
I don't see the necessity in needing to learn English before one can drive?!?
Recognizing and reacting to road signs requires little to no English comprehension.
Knowing how to raise ones' middle finger is more important

[kievstar]

Indiana is the worst state to try to pass the driver exam.  When I lived there you could only miss 2 or 3 out of 55 questions to pass and they do not tell you which ones you get wrong.  Most of the Mexicans would pay someone to take the test for them.  I saw this first hand. 

If she is going back to Ukraine soon, have her get her international driving license there.  Hire a teacher there as well as only $10 an hour in Ukraine as compared to $50 usd an hour in the USA for private driving lessons. She can use that license in Indiana and just tell the police she is visiting.

[Vaughn]

She can use that license in Indiana and just tell the police she is visiting.

no...   NO...  NO!! I cannot believe this recommendation...

Hemyock - you and she are just going to have to knuckle down and get through the
Learner's Permit guide together. Coach her.

[Boethius]

no...   NO...  NO!! I cannot believe this recommendation...

Agree.  That probably is sufficient to void the insurance policy if she is in an accident.

[Vaughn]

... and her photo ID will not agree with reality. She couldn't even get by cashing a check or completing
a credit transaction.

This situation presents a challenge - but a welcome one - to begin the task of learning the language.

[kievstar]

Vaughn, I would suggest you read each state for compliance before opening your mouth.  Have you ever lived in Indiana and visited the driving license department?

Texas for example recognizes the Ukraine driving license as Ukraine recognizes the Texas license. 

Also, all the major insurance companies are good with this.  Register the car in your name and no issue.  Make sure you put the car insurance in your name and hers.  My wife even got pulled over by the police and no issue.

[Vaughn]

Then why the advice to

just tell the police she is visiting.

??

[JR]

Yes, and use Google to find her a Russian language driving school. At the very least find someone who speaks Russian (another immigrant?) who can help her.

[GQBlues]

My wife is Ukrainian and has never driven a car before.  Her English is poor but improving
I live in Indiana and am being told that she can not take the written test in Russian so I am assuming that her English will have to improve before she can take the written teat to get her permit so that she can take lessons.

Any thoughts would be helpful

Thanks

Hemyock

Here's 3 thoughts...

First, what's wrong with putting more of her energy into learning the language first right now? It can only benefit her overall and not just to acquire the opportunity of take a driver's test....

Second, take a state driver's manual and get it translated. She will not only understand driving laws and regulations, she will also benefit from getting automatic translation and aid to help her better learn the langauge.

Third, find a Russian-speaking community who may possibly have Russian-speaking instructors that can teach her, written and actual, for a fee.

IIWM, I'd just leave it that she first get better learned in the langauge first.

[SMS60]

FWIW

Heads up on the required documents to obtain a Learners Permit or DL.

States are starting to switch over to new requirments for enhanced security of your identification. They are trying to reign in indentification frued and illegals.

If she came on a K1 there is a good possibilty she will need her GC for proof of legal status. It was not this way a year ago. They are getting strict. This will also be good for proof of identity.

Need a SS number or document showing she is not required to have one.

You also need some documents showing she legally resides in the state. Bank statements, utility bills, ect...... Proof of address.

This info came from the BMV of Indiana.....its called Secure ID. New rules.

[Boethius]

Also, all the major insurance companies are good with this.  Register the car in your name and no issue.  Make sure you put the car insurance in your name and hers.  My wife even got pulled over by the police and no issue.

They're usually good with it if you are visiting the U.S., not if you are a resident.  Further, you won't know if they are truly "good" with it until you attempt to make a claim.  If it is minor, there likely will be no problems.  But if your wife is in an accident and injures someone, your insurer may deny coverage. 

[UTRO]

Here's 3 thoughts...

First, what's wrong with putting more of her energy into learning the language first right now? It can only benefit her overall and not just to acquire the opportunity of take a driver's test....

Second, take a state driver's manual and get it translated. She will not only understand driving laws and regulations, she will also benefit from getting automatic translation and aid to help her better learn the langauge.

Third, find a Russian-speaking community who may possibly have Russian-speaking instructors that can teach her, written and actual, for a fee.

IIWM, I'd just leave it that she first get better learned in the langauge first.

Common' GQ! Why the hell should a newcomer have to know a particular language to legally drive? Things are hard enough for any Russian Woman, especially those who don't speak much English, arriving into the USA. Driving gives her the freedom to explore your Great land. Why tie the right to drive, with the level of ones' English ability? Ridiculous.

Here you can take the written test in any of 17 available languages — English, French, Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, Punjabi, Greek, Polish, Spanish, Korean, Russian, Croatian, Hindi, Tamil, German, Finnish and Somali. You may also take the test verbally in English or French.

It's all about helping newcomers to adapt and feel welcomed.

p.s. as a English speaker you incorrectly spelled the word, 'language', twice

[kievstar]

Vaughn, good question.  Eventually even for USA citizens you have to get a driving license in the state you live in.  So if you get pulled over need to have a reason you do not have a local state license.  For a foreign woman the answer I live in Ukraine is the best answer unless she has a local license.

I lived in many states and she will not pass the driving test unless she is good in English in Indiana.  Indiana is just a pain in the old you know what when it comes to a license.

[GQBlues]

Common' GQ! Why the hell should a newcomer have to know a particular language to legally drive? Things are hard enough for any Russian Woman, especially those who don't speak much English, arriving into the USA. Driving gives her the freedom to explore your Great land. Why tie the right to drive, with the level of ones' English ability? Ridiculous.

Here you can take the written test in any of 17 available languages — English, French, Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, Punjabi, Greek, Polish, Spanish, Korean, Russian, Croatian, Hindi, Tamil, German, Finnish and Somali. You may also take the test verbally in English or French.

It's all about helping newcomers to adapt and feel welcomed.

p.s. as a English speaker you incorrectly spelled the word, 'language', twice

Well first off, I never said anyone had to learn whatever language is necessary just to learn how to drive. The gist in that 'thought' was simply because she's already living in a country where English happens to be the spoken tongue. I gather anyone who decides to move and live in Ukraine or Russia with permanency will likely have the same need to learn the language spoken there for more than just a reason of learning how to drive, no?

As for the incorrect spelling of 'language'. Shucks, things happen when you're a two-finger typist. One finger can sometimes come down on the key faster than the other but I assure you that despite English being my 4th language, my driver's test result was perfect.  

[Vaughn]

Why the hell should a newcomer have to know a particular language to legally drive?

Sometimes it's difficult enough even for native speakers...

[SANDRO43]

Sometimes it's difficult enough even for native speakers...

Are people supposed to sit down immediately when seeing this, regardless of the hour ?

[GQBlues]

There definitely are some doozies out there...

But have you seen traffic lights like these?