Midge Passed Her Driving Test

When your child reaches a milestone, you feel it in a way that sits somewhere between pride, relief, and joy. Last week my amazing daughter, Midge passed her driving test. I knew she would. She was ready long before the certificate arrived, yet hearing her say the words still felt like a moment worth holding.

She was keen from the start. The day she turned sixteen she wanted her provisional licence sorted, and once she turned seventeen we took her out for those first gentle lessons. I did the same with Hannah when she learned. There is no need to pay for early sessions when the basics are steering and pedal control. We found empty car parks and drove slow circles while she learned how the wheel moves, how the accelerator responds, and how the brake feels under her foot. It was simple, steady learning, and she took to it quickly.

Learning in an automatic made sense. Most families now choose automatic for new drivers, and the shift toward electric cars has changed the landscape completely. Electric motors deliver instant power and work efficiently across a wide speed range, which removes the need for multiple gears. There’s no clutch pedal and no manual gearbox. You press the accelerator to go and ease off to slow down, helped by regenerative braking. As I like to say, it’s just a giant go-kart. Passing your test in an automatic gives you an automatic-only licence, and with electric cars becoming the standard, this is the direction driving is heading. Midge won’t need to adjust later. She will be ready for whatever the future brings.

Once she felt comfortable behind the wheel, we booked her lessons with the same instructor Hannah had. It was a perfect match. She loved every session, came home smiling, confident, and excited for the next one, and was a natural driver. Some people need time to settle into the rhythm of the road. She found it straight away.

The theory test was the challenge. She struggled with the multiple-choice section. The hazard perception part was fine, but the questions caught her out. To pass the UK theory test you need at least forty-three out of fifty on the multiple-choice questions and forty-four out of seventy-five on hazard perception. At home she scored forty-two or forty-three. In the test centre she scored forty or forty-two. Each attempt was close, yet not quite enough. Month after month she would come home disappointed. She was never upset. She always kept going.

The questions come from fourteen categories that cover everything from alertness and attitude to motorway rules, vulnerable road users, vehicle loading, and emergency situations. It’s a wide range of knowledge, and the random mix meant she could be caught out by caravans one week and trailers or tires the next. We realised she needed to raise her practice scores before trying again. It was costing too much to keep doing these tests when she wasn’t reaching a higher level at home. She worked hard. Studied hard. All until she reached forty-six and forty-seven at home, and once she did, she passed the real thing, not long after her eighteenth birthday.

She booked her practical test straight away. The national waiting time is long. The current average is over twenty-two weeks, which is roughly five months. Her date was set for September, despite being test ready for almost a year. Thankfully someone cancelled and she was offered an earlier slot. She was nervous the night before. I was not. She was born to drive.

Last Wednesday I was at the church coffee morning when I saw a missed call. The signal there is terrible, so I stepped outside and rang her back. She answered and told me she passed. It was one of those moments that stays with you. She worked hard, pushed through the theory challenges, and proved her ability on the road.

[Image 2. This photo captures Midge proudly holding her official DVSA Practical Driving Test Pass Certificate — the moment she became a licensed driver. Her Van Gogh T‑shirt adds a touch of personality, while the background of her home reflects the warmth and pride of the day. It’s a snapshot of achievement, independence, and joy]

She’s an incredible daughter. She’s kind, determined, thoughtful, and stronger than she realises. Watching her grow into herself has been one of the quiet joys of my life. I love her deeply and I am proud of her in every possible way.

Now we need to buy her a car. I promised to cover a large part of it and I will. A second-hand automatic will be perfect for her first few years. She can then find a job to cover the insurance and start her adventures. She has earned every mile ahead of her.