2 months ago
25
We person been surviving successful Finland for a mates of years now, owed to the fantabulous nationalist transport facilities successful Helsinki, Espoo and surrounding areas, for the astir part, we ne'er truly felt a request to ain a car. However, though the nationalist transport is large wrong the superior portion and surrounding areas, you mightiness inactive request a car to instrumentality kids astir to after-school activities, play activities (When nationalist transport is moving astatine a reduced capacity), haul ample goods, spell connected a one-day travel to neighbouring cities etc. During the summertime (Summer of 2024) I had 4 weeks of abrogation with nary question plan, and I yet decided to get my Finnish driver’s license.
As an migrant successful Finland, I had 2 options to get a Finnish driver’s license,
- Exchange my Indian driver’s licence for a Finnish driver’s licence since India is simply a signatory for the Vienna Road convention. Only licenses permitting the driving of Group 1 vehicles tin beryllium exchanged
- Get a caller licence aft completing the grooming and examination
So, the lone enactment was to implicit the grooming and introspection to get the caller license.
The steps and authoritative costs progressive successful obtaining a caller rider car licence are
- Obtaining a driving licence license – The driving licence license tin beryllium obtained online if the property request is met for the driving licence category. The licence outgo is €24
- Completing driving instructions – The driving instructions tin beryllium obtained either astatine a driving school, from the idiosyncratic holding an teacher licence oregon with a operation of the two.
At a minimum, we request 22 hours of lessons.- 4 hours of EAS mentation lessons (ENSIMM?ISEN AJOKORTIN SUORITTAJAN – Training for archetypal driver’s licence )
- 4 hours of hazard absorption mentation lessons
- 10 hours of driving lessons including driving successful the city, motorway, secondary roads etc.
- 4 hours of hazard absorption driving lessons including driving successful the rain, dark, slippery conditions etc
- Completing the mentation and driving exam – The mentation and driving trial tin beryllium taken astatine Ajovarma work points (Ajovarma Oy is simply a work institution that handles each lawsuit services for the Finnish proscription bureau TRAFICOM). Apart from the authoritative languages Finnish and Swedish the mentation and driving tests tin beryllium taken successful English. The outgo of the mentation trial is €40. The outgo of the driving trial is €99
I applied for the driver’s licence license online from the Finnish proscription authorization and obtained it instantly. The licence is valid for 3 years.
Selecting a driving school
Armed with the supra accusation related to the wide process of obtaining a caller licence and driver’s licence permit, I started the driving schoolhouse hunt astatine the opening of May. The main criteria for choosing a driving schoolhouse were
- Theory and driving lessons successful English
- Well-reputed driving schoolhouse with much licenses issued connected the archetypal try
- It provides lone the minimum required grooming hours since I already cognize the basics of driving. Most driving schoolhouse packages impact much hours of grooming since they are tailored for teenagers who request much grooming hours. But successful caller years galore driving schools started offering packages with minimum required grooming hours to cater for the needs of immigrants coming to Finland who are experienced drivers.
- Reasonable cost. The outgo of driving grooming successful Finland (like different European countries) is precise high. Many driving schools complaint much than €1200 for minimum driving instructions.
After searching and reviewing the driving schools, I decided to get driver’s grooming from “Autokoulu Eco” driving schoolhouse successful Espoo. This is simply a family-run driving schoolhouse with lone 1 branch. I Choose the “EcoLiteS” people for €759 successful a manual car.
The “EcoliteS” people includes
- 8 mentation lessons – Possibility to instrumentality classes virtually
- 14 driving lessons – 7 lessons successful the car and 7 successful the simulator.
- DL e-book – Online e-book for self-studies
- Netreeni – Training programme to hole for mentation exams
- Using driving schoolhouse car for the 1st driver’s trial – For consequent tests (If the archetypal trial is failed) past we tin usage the driving schoolhouse car aft paying the further cost)
The outgo is made successful aggregate stages
€50 To get entree to the learning portal with DL e-book and Netreeni grooming portals.
€349 To commencement EAS and Risk absorption mentation lessons and simulator lessons
€350 To commencement driving lessons successful the car and to usage the driving school’s car successful the test
Major presumption and conditions of the driving school
- If the pupil doesn’t cancel a booked simulator oregon driving lessons earlier midnight of the erstwhile moving day, the driving schoolhouse volition enforce a interest of €74.
- During the driving test, the pupil is liable for the driving adjacent though the examiner whitethorn intervene successful the lawsuit of an emergency. If thing goes incorrect (Damage to the car etc.), past the pupil is liable for paying a hazard interest of €1200.
- Extra driving lessons outgo €74
Self-study
After paying €50, I got entree to the learning portal. I started the DL e-book. DL e-book is an online self-study worldly that gives a basal instauration to the concepts of driving rider cars.
There are 19 modules successful it and those are
- Driver grooming and learning
- Car and its handling
- Vehicle behaviour and controls
- Basic skills of a liable driver
- Interaction skills successful traffic
- Traffic situation and postulation control
- Driving successful metropolis traffic
- Junctions: Lanes and positioning
- Junctions: Right of way
- Driving connected Highway
- Overtaking
- Driving successful hard conditions: rainfall and darkness
- Driving successful hard conditions: slippery roads
- Planning your trip
- Anticipation - incidental - accident
- Social and ecological aspects of driving
- The driving task and self-control
- Controlling your driving condition
- Car and self-control
Each module has a video explaining the conception and the aforesaid are provided successful PDF format arsenic well. At the extremity of galore modules, determination is an workout which students request to complete. These exercises are time-bound, meaning we indispensable reply them wrong 10 seconds. All questions indispensable beryllium answered correctly to people a module arsenic completed. After completing a module, we get a unsocial completion code, and we indispensable springiness it to the teacher if requested (To cheque if the module was completed by the student). By the extremity of May, I had completed the self-study modules.
Online mentation lessons
At the opening of June, I paid a 2nd instalment of €349 and got entree to the EAS and hazard absorption mentation lessons.
EAS mentation lessons are chiefly related to the pursuing topics
- Driver acquisition and learning environment
- Goals of operator acquisition and postulation management
- Basic skills of a liable driver
- Traffic interaction
Risk absorption mentation lessons are chiefly related to the pursuing topics - Traffic accidents and helping successful a postulation accident
- Car information instrumentality and economical driving
- Driving successful hard upwind conditions
- Managing your driving quality (internal risks)
Lessons are successful Finnish with English subtitles; The English subtitles are converted by a nonrecreational and are not converted done Google oregon different services. Hence, the contented of the videos is truly good.
Each acquisition is breached down into aggregate chapters, aft each section determination are exercises. We tin determination to the adjacent section lone aft completing the exercises. The chapters can’t beryllium skipped.
The online mentation lessons tin beryllium watched lone once, the lessons tin beryllium lone taken erstwhile the power country of the driving schoolhouse is operational. When we instrumentality online lessons, the idiosyncratic from the power country tin telephone america connected WhatsApp oregon Signal to cheque if we are truly successful beforehand of the machine to instrumentality the classes. In my case, nary 1 called maine portion I took the classes.
Along with the lessons, I was besides doing exercises and mock mentation tests connected the Netreeni and preparing for the mentation tests.
By mid-June, I completed each the mentation lessons and booked the archetypal simulator acquisition astatine the opening of July.
Driving lessons
At the opening of the summertime vacation, I paid the 3rd instalment of €350 and visited the driving schoolhouse for the archetypal lesson. The archetypal acquisition is ever connected the simulator. I was capable to instrumentality the 2nd acquisition connected the aforesaid time since the simulator was free. The archetypal 2 lessons were astir car controls and driving connected a way astatine aggregate speeds, moving guardant and reversing the car successful a continuous “S” signifier that progressively gets sharper.
The 3rd driving acquisition was successful a car, we went to an concern country with wide roads. In my erstwhile interactions, I had told the teacher that I person a driver’s licence from India and person been driving for 15+ years. After the 3rd class, helium believed that I had capable cognition astir the car controls and had nary occupation with moving the car successful archetypal cogwheel oregon crawling astatine 5 Km/h. In the past, it seems helium had a fewer students who claimed that they had licenses from different countries but didn’t cognize thing astir the cars fto unsocial the driving. After those incidents, helium is sceptical astir students who assertion to person licenses from different countries 
. He didn’t notation the countries of those students and I didn’t inquire
Theory test
Once I had cleared 5 mock tests connected the Netreeni grooming tool. The teacher booked the mentation trial connected my behalf connected 16th July astatine 11 AM. The driving schoolhouse tin lone publication the test; however, we indispensable wage earlier appearing for the trial utilizing an online booking confirmation link. We indispensable prime up the EAS mentation acquisition completion certificate from the driving schoolhouse earlier appearing for the test
I reached the trial centre astir 10:30 AM. Customers with an assignment indispensable hold successful the lobby till their assignment clip and nary request to get immoderate tokens. At 11 AM they called for radical waiting for the test. At the counter, they checked my ID, checked the EAS mentation acquisition completion certificate. Mobile phones oregon different devices are not allowed wrong the trial room. They indispensable beryllium handed implicit for depositing successful a unafraid locker. I handed implicit my mobile telephone astatine the counter.
Then they handed america the tablet to instrumentality the trial and directed maine to 1 of the trial rooms. Each trial country has a chair, array and tablet holder. Each country has surveillance cameras.
The instructions for the trial are archetypal displayed connected the surface and erstwhile I work done each the instructions, the trial information acceptable gets downloaded to the array and the trial gets started.
The exam has a 30-minute clip bounds and the exam includes 3 areas:
- Multiple prime questions 15 (maximum mistakes 4) – The questions woody with cars, postulation and rules related to driving
- Risk questions 5 (maximum mistakes 1) – The questions woody with the hazard progressive with driving. Risk questions whitethorn incorporate images.
- Situational questions (images) 50 (maximum mistakes 7) – Image questions woody with
- I tin thrust consecutive from this lane
- I tin crook close from this lane
- I tin crook near from this lane
- I request to springiness mode erstwhile driving straight
- I request to springiness mode erstwhile turning right
- I request to springiness mode erstwhile turning left
- I tin overtake
- I tin alteration the lane
- I request to stop
- The car successful the representation is parked correctly
The pictures utilized successful the questions are mostly machine generated connected the Helsinki metropolis centre background, immoderate of them are wholly generated connected the computer. They look precise overmuch similar images from a machine game. Extra attraction is required portion checking for the indicators connected the cars successful the pictures, shadows connected the crushed etc. The images tin beryllium zoomed successful by clicking connected them
Netreeni besides uses akin computer-generated images In the mock tests and exercises. An illustration representation is
Enthusiasts tin instrumentality a escaped Netreeni mentation trial astatine Netreeni. Change the connection to English and unfastened the Netreeni Demo
I completed the trial successful astir 20 minutes. Then for astir 6 to 7 minutes I double-checked the reply and submitted the answer. The wide results are emailed and displayed connected the surface instantly. The questions and the close answers are not emailed oregon displayed. So aft submitting the answers, determination is nary mode to cognize which questions we got wrong.
I passed the test. The questions were consecutive guardant and the English connection utilized successful the questions was precise good. It wasn’t a atrocious translation job.
After the test, I went backmost to the antagonistic and handed implicit the table. They gave a printed outgo receipt (For online payment) and gave the mobile telephone from the unafraid storage.
Continuing the driving lessons
Post completing the mentation test, I continued the driving lessons. I planned to instrumentality the driving trial astatine the extremity of July. Since it was a vacation season, each the slots were afloat till the extremity of August. Many assemblage students usage the summertime abrogation to get their archetypal driver’s license.
The lone enactment was to agelong the remaining driving lessons successful August aft my summertime holidays. And the teacher didn’t privation maine to implicit the lessons successful July and instrumentality the trial astatine the extremity of August oregon the opening of September.
After 1 of the classes, the teacher was checking for an unfastened slot for a driving trial and determination was an disposable slot connected 2nd August astatine 8 AM. He asked if I could marque it. Even though the vacations were over, I said I could marque it since it was astatine 8 AM. He past booked the driving trial and we worked backwards and scheduled each the remaining lessons.
Driving test
The driving trial ensures that you cognize however to enactment arsenic a liable operator and that you cognize however to use basal driving skills independently and safely successful assorted situations. You indispensable cognize however to place and measure risks and your activities and their effects connected postulation safety. The driving trial lasts 60 to 65 minutes, of which astatine slightest 45 minutes is driving time.
The basal skills checked during the introspection are
- Knowledge-related workings of antithetic car controls crook signals, wipers, fog lamps, defoggers, lights, spot control, mirrors etc.
- How to cheque lipid level, coolant level, substance level etc etc
- Car controls
- Observation and appraisal
- Situational speed
- Signals
- Driving enactment and driving order
- Distance to different roadworthy users
- Following postulation guidance
The astir communal reasons for driving trial rejection:
- Passing a stopped oregon parked conveyance successful beforehand of the pedestrian crossing without stopping
- Driving erstwhile the postulation airy is red
- If you bash not halt astatine a STOP sign
- Passing a postulation divider connected the incorrect side
- Incorrect driving order
- Prohibited driving direction
- Incorrect grouping for turning
- Short information distance
- Accidentally changing lanes astatine an intersection
- Overspeeding
- Reversing unsafe way
- Changing lanes without bully observations
- Ignoring a autobus leaving the autobus stop
- Weak reflection successful the adjacent intersection
- Weak reflection of pedestrians and cyclists
- Driving successful the other lane
- Difficulties successful conveyance handling skills
- Too dilatory velocity erstwhile joining the highway
Two days earlier the trial I paid €99 utilizing the driving trial booking link
I reached the driving schoolhouse astatine 7:15 AM and filled retired the self-assessment signifier for the driving trial and hazard grooming completion certificate.
The appraisal areas and the imaginable grades are arsenic follows
- Vehicle handling and management
- Consideration of roadworthy users
- Anticipation and absorption of postulation situations
- Management of ain operations
Grades: 1 = weak, 2 = fair, 3 = normal, 4 = good, 5 = precise good
I was precise blimpish successful giving self-assessment and I gave 3,2,2,2 respectively.
Then we completed the past 30 mins of driving lessons and went done communal mistakes radical marque during the tests. We reached the trial centre precisely astatine 8 AM.
The examiner checked my ID paper against the exertion licence and checked the Risk grooming completion certificate and self-assessment form. He entered my self-assessment grades connected his tablet. He past went done however helium would beryllium giving the directions to travel portion driving, it could beryllium “take adjacent left”, “take adjacent right”, “take the exit towards Helsinki”, “take the 3rd exit astatine the roundabout” etc. Missing a crook is good and it doesn’t power the result of the test. But the trial taker indispensable travel the postulation rules adjacent aft missing the exit oregon turn. He besides clarified that helium is not looking for a cleanable driver, helium is looking astatine however good I tin accommodate to conditions astir us, however I see different roadworthy users portion driving, and if I thrust ecologically, and responsibly. He besides clarified that during the trial I could inquire questions oregon sermon astir driving concern with him if needed.
Afterwards, we started the driving trial and drove for astir 45 minutes. We did thrust done motorways, superior roads, secondary roads, and roundabouts.
We reached the trial centre, the past task was to parkland the car successful the parking space. I reversed the car into the parking space. He said the trial was over, I passed it and helium is blessed to springiness maine the license. I past told him I person been driving for 15+ years and helium said “I tin archer that you person driving acquisition based connected your driving”. We went done the self-assessment grades and helium changed my grades from 3,2,2,2 to 4,4,4,4. Overall helium was satisfied with my driving performance. He handed implicit a impermanent insubstantial licence which is valid for 6 months and assured maine that I would get my licence paper successful the station wrong a week. He besides clarified that the insubstantial licence is lone valid successful mainland Finalnd and is not valid successful ?land Island and the remainder of the EU.
A fewer aspects were not tested during the driving test
- Stop sign
- Using car controls portion driving
- General questions related to car checks. Like, arsenic opening the boot, lipid cheque etc
- General questions related to car usability. Like turning connected the wiper, rear wipers, precocious beam, spot adjustment, reflector accommodation etc.
I americium blessed that I was capable to get the licence successful my archetypal effort and wide it was a bully acquisition to get driving lessons from a school
