Driving – it's seen as a right of passage for the young, and a necessity for the old(er). However, how to obtain that license may seem to be the greatest challenge, especially when one checks the Yellow Pages and realises that, these days, there seems to be far more instructors to choose from than one might have thought.

Armell Thomas, secretary for the Bermuda Driving School Association and owner of TanT and Affordable Driving Schools explained how driving schools in Bermuda are set up.

"Each driving school is owned by each individual owner. Many belong to the Bermuda Driving Schools Association, so that all owners can be on the same page."

Membership in the association is not required by law, but, according to Mr. Thomas, those schools not members may feel "left out" because they may miss out on communications with the Transport Control Department.

"We work very closely with TCD," Mr. Thomas said.

There are currently about 18 driving schools on the Island that maintain membership in the Bermuda Driving Schools Association. There are annual fees for membership, and the group meets regularly throughout the year, with an annual general meeting every March.

While anyone can set up their own driving school, driving instructors must be certified by TCD. In order to apply, you must hold a standard license, and then pass several different tests, including a multiple choice, a long-answer, and two driving tests, including one where the potential instructor drives and receives instruction, and one where the potential instructor must give the examiner instructions.

Many local driving schools are also certified by international motoring associations, as well.

Before sitting a driving test or even getting on the road with a driving instructor, potential road users must first obtain a driving permit from TCD by providing a medical certificate and sitting a written test. The test features 30 questions, all of which are based on a handbook available for purchase at the TCD offices, and you must get at least 25 correct to pass.

Once your driving instructor feels you are ready to sit the driving exam, they can help you make arrangements for a test appointment with TCD.

In Bermuda, there are three parts of the test. The first is driving and then reversing through a zig-zag that has been set up in the yard. The driver has three minutes to complete both tasks without touching lines or cones.

Parallel parking forms the second portion of the test. The driver is given five minutes to successfully parallel park, and then exit the spot, without touching cones or driving over the curb. Students can touch the curb with their wheels, but should not bump them, and are allowed to get out and check their progress.

The final portion of the driving test is a road test, where the examiner will instruct the driver to go out on to the main roads.

This portion of the test had been called into question by some in the past, as some felt that it was an arbitrary process. However, over this past summer, TCD has introduced a point system to grade test takers. Examiners now use a chart to determine whether a person passes or not.

Should a person fail the driving portion of the exam, the examiner will give them specifics and will tell them when they will next be elligable to re-sit the test. Failure of either of the tests done in the TCD yard will result in a two-week penalty, while mistakes on the road portion will result in, generally, a one-month penalty.