Driver's tests turn 50

Thursday, October 10, 2002
Tonia Jones listens for instruction from driver examiner Debbie Burton during her driver's test outside the Sikeston Armory Tuesday (photo by Leonna Essner, Staff

SIKESTON -- "I think I can hear his palm's sweating," Kellie Cooper said about her 16-year-old son, Brad Ready of Poplar Bluff. "It's really nerve-wracking for the kids -- and the parents."

Ready was celebrating his 16th birthday by taking his driver's license test at the Sikeston Armory Tuesday. He had already taken his written exam, although he had to take it twice, and was ready to hit the open road.

Driver's license exams, both written and driven, have been required in Missouri since 1952. During that time, a few laws have changed, but one thing has remained the same -- fear and butterflies in the stomach for the test takers.

When a driver examiner poked her head out the door, Ready was off to prove he was capable of receiving the privilege of legally driving a vehicle.

Cooper thinks her son was a little bit nervous. He was out cleaning his truck inside and out Tuesday morning, getting it ready for the exam, she added.

Ten minutes later, Ready was behind the wheel of his truck, with his mother in the passenger seat, and they were on their way. He had passed.

Unfortunately, not all tests go as smoothly as Ready's. Some people do not pass. And who to know better than the driver examiner?

Debbie Burton, supervisor with the Missouri State Highway Patrol driver examinations, has given driver's exams for nearly 17 years.

"You have to enjoy meeting different people," Burton said about her job. "We see people from all walks of life."

At 15, an instruction permit can be obtained by a driver after passing the written exam. Drivers must pass the written test before they can take the driving test. If drivers don't pass the first time, which is very common, they can study the driver's guide and take the test once more.

Burton admits the main reason people don't pass the 25-multiple choice test is due to lack of preparation. To pass, 20 questions or 80 percent must be answered correctly.

Between 16 and 18, an intermediate license is available and at 18, a full license can be issued to drivers who meet the required qualifications.

Through the years, Burton has been involved in a few accidents, but none too serious. She said she isn't even afraid to get in a vehicle with the nonlicensed drivers. However, there is one that always sticks out in her mind.

"There was one accident that really scared me," Burton recalled. "We were in a stick-shift truck and the driver should have reversed. Instead, he put the car in first gear."

The driver and Burton were in a parking lot that was up on a hill. When the driver went forward, he and Burton went over a 4-foot wall, she said. No one was injured, and the boy was very apologetic.

"Needless to say, he didn't pass," Burton said. "He was just nervous, and that happens."

Nervous or not, driver examiners have a job to do. And as difficult as it is, sometimes they have to break it to people that they didn't pass.

"Tears are the biggest reaction we get," Burton admitted. "I don't think any of us enjoy flunking someone, but it's our job. If someone doesn't safely possess skills, they need to get more practice."

Driver examiners try to make it easy as possible on those who don't pass. Examiners tell the parents or whoever is teaching the driver that they failed, and then what went wrong and what should be practiced, Burton explained.

The best advice Burton can give those seeking their driver's permit or license is to practice and study the driver's guide. Be prepared, she advised.

Burton and three other driver examiners visit Scott, Mississippi and Cape Girardeau counties each week. Testing sites and times are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays at the Osage Community Centre in Cape Girardeau; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays at the Sikeston Armory; and 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays at the Charleston Armory.

Beginning Nov. 5, Sikeston's testing site will temporarily move to Missouri State Highway Patrol's Troop E headquarters in Sikeston while renovations are made at the Armory.

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