Family Life: Can you pass the Tennessee driver's license exam?

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My older son turned 15 years old last month, a milestone birthday that can mean only one thing: It's time for him to get a learner's permit.

It's also time for his mother and me to climb Mt. Worry.

Unlike members of my generation, who virtually camped out at the local Tennessee Highway Patrol office to get their driving credentials before noon on their birthday, my son has had a more relaxed approach.

He informed me that he wants to take his learner's permit exam in coming weeks, but he feels no particular urgency. Which is fine with me - and good for my peace of mind.

I figured I could at least be prepared for the big event, so I went online to see what credentials he would need to secure his permit. Ironclad proof of citizenry seems to be the guiding light. His passport is expired, so I'm wondering if a photo of him wrapped in a blanket in the hospital in East Ridge would work?

While poking around on Google, I ran into a Tennessee learner's license practice exam - 40 questions on traffic laws, signage and safety regulations.

For kicks, I answered the first multiple-choice question, got it right and decided to forge ahead. I scored an 88, a solid B, without studying a lick. I missed five questions out of 40.

Another way of looking at it, though, is that a guy who got his driver's license when Richard Nixon was president still doesn't have complete mastery of the rules of the road.

My son says his friends form two schools of thought: Those who are convinced the test is based on common sense and requires minimal study, and those who study for the test as if it were the Bar exam.

I suggest the latter approach. I was surprised how much of the test requires actual fact recall. For example, one of the questions that tripped me up was this one:

"When you travel at 50 mph on an interstate highway under ideal conditions, your average stopping distance will be approximately how many feet?"

I confidently chose 140 feet, but the correct answer, according to the state of Tennessee, is 200 feet.

This raises two questions: A) Why would anyone be going 50 mph on an interstate "under ideal conditions"? And B) What kind of vehicle are we driving here?

There are cars - late-model Corvettes come to mind - that will stop from 60 to zero mph (never mind 50 to zero mph) in less than 100 feet.

Thinking back, I am ashamed of how many times I bent traffic laws as a 16-year-old driver wielding a 1957 Buick. If I were honest about my behavior, this is how I would have answered the licence exam questions in 1974.

Q. When driving through dense fog you must switch on

A. a Zippo lighter.

Q. You must maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead of you by

A. trusting your bumper.

Q. The speed limit for vehicles in roundabouts

A. depends entirely on how many horsepower you are running.

Q. You must always dim your headlights

A. after you pass a speed trap.

Q. If another vehicles tries to pass you, you are required to

A. man up.

Q. The ideal hand position for holding the steering wheel during driving is

A. with the pinkie finger of your left hand.

OK, enough frivolity, I have officially terrified myself with memories of my reckless youth.

When he was little, I once promised my older son $1,000 for each year he postponed driving.

Today, I'm reviving the offer.

Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645.

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