There are some events in life that are memorable. They’re simply more significant and key to “coming of age”. Your sweet 16, prom, your first job and perhaps more horrifying than some, the BMV driving test.

There are lots of tips to be found to be successful on this nerve-wracking adventure, many of which come, not so surprisingly, from the BMV website itself.

Those tips include getting enough practice if you need it along with having an openly critical passenger to observe and point out any mistakes before your test.

The site also reflects on the mindsets of the evaluators themselves who are “there to ensure you have demonstrated you can handle your vehicle in regular traffic situations, not to trick you” and who “note how you obey the rules of the road and traffic signs and/or signals”.

So apparently the BMV evaluators aren’t there because they enjoy seeing potential drivers shiver under their grave stares. That’s good. But lots of kids make it out of the test alive including senior Annie Roemer.

“The biggest thing with the driving test is to stay calm because getting nervous will cause problems,”  Roemer said, “when you get nervous you tend to make more mistakes.”

But there are tons of tips to help an aspiring driver be successful during their test, distributed by the BMV itself. Just remember to be safe and stick to these rules during the test and even after as you drive.

Safe driving tips; Practice these tips to improve your driving skills:

• Steer smoothly at all times.
• Accelerate smoothly. Don’t race the engine or make it stall.
• Stop the vehicle gently. Start braking well ahead of where you must stop to avoid sudden “jerks.” Know where to stop. Be aware of crosswalks. If your view is blocked at a crosswalk, move forward carefully and look both ways before entering the intersection..
• Be sure your vehicle is in the correct gear. Don’t grind the gears. Don’t coast to a stop.
• Always obey the posted speed limits. If needed, reduce your speed to adjust for existing weather, road, and other traffic conditions. Remember to turn on your lights if you need to use your windshield wipers in poor weather conditions.
• Follow at a safe distance. Use the three-second rule. Increase your following distance in bad weather or poor visibility.
• Know what the traffic signals mean and obey them at all times.
• Always use the proper lane. Turn from the correct lane into the correct lane.
• Signal for all lane changes and turns.
• Always look for potential hazards (scan). Check your mirrors frequently. Always look over the proper shoulder before making lane changes or pulling away from the curb.
• Drive defensively. Anticipate another driver’s errors.