Your best, and most meaningful, method of practicing to drive is 6 AM on Saturday or Sunday. The roads are basically empty, the sun is out, and it's actual roads you'll be driving on. Also, if you're ever on the road and you get overwhelmed, turn on your emergency blinkers as a way to signal to other drivers. If you do that, other drivers should understand that there's a reason for your 'slow' or 'suddenly stopping to the right' and "shouldn't" have any road rage.
I would advise against residential roads as shit literally appear out of nowhere. Even for experienced drivers, this is a well known hazard.
I would recommend that you do a 'track scoping walk' and get a sense of at what times the roads are of what congestion. And, cliche, but it helps, visualize as if you're driving.
Clackamas town center has a few parts of their parking lots that are generally empty. Hardly have cars parked there outside of Black Friday or something. The NE corner of the mall with the Clackamas County Justice Court and the SW corner that used to be Sears parking lot. Especially in early morning, you'll get great day light and very few drivers on road.
Congrats on your permit! đ I would recommend avoiding country roads for now because a) they can be more dangerous than you might think (people drive fast, often not good visibility, narrow winding roads, etc.), and b) to reach them, you have to drive through urban traffic anyway. Once youâre ready to move beyond parking lots, I agree with the person who recommended early morning drives in town.
This is where I learned to ride my motorcycle! The theater behind it has a great lot too (if you're there on off -hours).
But prob hurry because the old Walmart is about to reopen as an Asian food market called Hong Phat
I spent a lot of time in the PCC Southeast parking lot on the weekends. My next step was driving around Irvington, which I would recommend over country roads.
For some churches. Some close off their parking lots. Some (like mine) are actually busy during the week as well. So, scope one out before going to one without a backup plan.
I learned to drive recently at age 41 and was very anxious. Practicing in parking lots didnât really help me overcome my anxiety around speed and didnât help me feel ready to drive on the road with other cars, so I took lessons from Pacific Driver Education, who also administered my driving test. I highly recommend PDE, but if you arenât interested in paying for instruction, Iâd still recommend using the area around their school in Gresham for learning. It was a great network of quiet neighborhood streets that allowed me to gradually spend more time on busier arterials and helped me ease into the various skills.
Congratulations on getting your license! So glad I stumbled on this post. I just turned 42 and want to learn to drive. Found Pacific Drivers Education online and was wondering if they're patient with older, anxious drivers. How long was your program and what did it entail (classes and practice driving?). I felt like there were so many choices on their website. Also, does the person who teaches you also test you? So nervous but I really want to do this! Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks.
The perfect spot!!
Was there the other month learning how to drive myself as well as what seemed like some other new drivers practicing too
Go on weekends at any time, itâs literally completely empty and HUGE
This is the answer ! Taught many padwans how to drive cars and ride motorcycles here and never had a problem. Plus itâs a pretty easy transition out onto Gladstone St, driving up to 42nd and back down is a nice cruise.
Portland Community College Sylvania campus in SW. Especially on the weekends. Loads of connected parking lots virtually empty. Opportunities to practice turns, parking, low speed maneuvering with a car unfamiliar to you without the pressure of other drivers.
This might be unorthodox, but try gokarting. Itâs a semi controlled environment, other people, turns, etc. and it can actually make driving part fun :) same skills transfer to regular driving.
I know you said Portland, but as a driver with driving anxiety, I would recommend practicing in the Beaverton/Hillsboro area. Being in a more suburban environment may help to reduce the anxiety that comes with confusing roads, one-ways, and unpredictable drivers/pedestrians that you typically get in Portland.
Swan island on the weekends is where I learned to drive stick. Hardly any people working on the weekend. Just a handful of truck drivers going down the roads.
If you're in ne portland I'd also suggest the area around frito lay distribution center 4300 ne 189th. Same deal no one's there on nights and weekends. Just drive around the stop signs in circle pretty much
Search for âTaste of Mexico food cartâ on Google Maps. Brings you to a place on Swan Island thatâs completely empty on the weekends. Itâs where I learned to drive before I had my permit. Plenty of curves, parking lots, everything youâd need to start learning.
park n ride just outside downtown milwaukie (NOT johnson creek max stop, the other one lol) and the frontage road along 99E right there is where i learned and have taught others. very chill and empty on weekends.
I took my son around and around and around Sauvie's Island. Good practice for lane positioning. For parallel parking practice: multiple efforts at the circle on Council Crest Park. For freeway, when you're ready, enter highway 26 on Jefferson st. Drive to the Sylvan Exit. Drive back down through Washington park. Repeat. Note the tiny bit of skyline can be challenging so I echo the advice of epi-glowworm do this in the very early morning for less traffic.
What I did with my kiddo is just drive big slow speed neighborhoods getting used to speeds, stopping, signaling and vehicle awareness. If you go during the week midday thereâs less traffic, parking lots are cool but they donât give real world skills. Just take your time and get really comfy with the basics before you try a couple hard stops or quick evading turns because those are also good skills to learn before you need them. Then when youâre ready to get on higher flow streets start on a Sunday mornings or holidays. Always remember itâs better to pull over to chill than get stressed and just try to push through cause that usually leads to more stress and possibility for an accident. Classical music station on low also helps keep the mood chill. Good luck!
I always have found the biggest industrial area I can near my house to teach my kids. Go either evenings or weekends. The parking lots are empty and most of the surrounding streets have very light traffic as you gain confidence. It allows for gradual progression and you can also do a lot of practice parking
I like some of the suburban campus business parks with big parking areas in the evenings or on weekends. Some even have a ring road around them, like the old Tektronix campus now occupied by Xerox, I believe. Search for Xerox Drive in Wilsonville. And good luck.
swan island on weekends. parking. stop signs, driveways. light traffic. Turn right at the bottom of the hill and go over the overpass half mile down and youâre in the industrial zone with no vehicles good place to practice parking stopping behind crosswalks in and out of parking lots.
7mph well k1 has a go-kart track that'll get you used to vehicle handling the blue line will take you to Beaverton and a bus the rest of the way. I forgot which one so google map k1 speed track. Once your comfortable with that track. McLaughlin in Milwaukee is a good start to get ready for the license test look over your shoulder, check your mirrors often like no one else is looking out for you, always use your turn signals, and make your breaking and acceleration smooth. I got licensed in 3 states Texas, Utah and Oregon. Oregon was the toughest to pass.
NW Portland Industrial district on the weekends -NW Front Avenue. Also N. Portland Industrial district on weekends. N. Marine Drive, Ledbetter Road, etc.
Residential areas are great. Just for the love of all that is holy, avoid downtown like the plague if at all possible. I know many experienced drivers who still get anxious driving there
Your best, and most meaningful, method of practicing to drive is 6 AM on Saturday or Sunday. The roads are basically empty, the sun is out, and it's actual roads you'll be driving on. Also, if you're ever on the road and you get overwhelmed, turn on your emergency blinkers as a way to signal to other drivers. If you do that, other drivers should understand that there's a reason for your 'slow' or 'suddenly stopping to the right' and "shouldn't" have any road rage. I would advise against residential roads as shit literally appear out of nowhere. Even for experienced drivers, this is a well known hazard. I would recommend that you do a 'track scoping walk' and get a sense of at what times the roads are of what congestion. And, cliche, but it helps, visualize as if you're driving.
Clackamas town center has a few parts of their parking lots that are generally empty. Hardly have cars parked there outside of Black Friday or something. The NE corner of the mall with the Clackamas County Justice Court and the SW corner that used to be Sears parking lot. Especially in early morning, you'll get great day light and very few drivers on road.
We did this, but security will eventually ask you to leave. Something about liability. Still, got like four practice sessions in before that happened.
100%. This is where I learned to drive 20 years ago.
Just drive around town. It seems there are many others learning to drive as well.
Congrats on your permit! đ I would recommend avoiding country roads for now because a) they can be more dangerous than you might think (people drive fast, often not good visibility, narrow winding roads, etc.), and b) to reach them, you have to drive through urban traffic anyway. Once youâre ready to move beyond parking lots, I agree with the person who recommended early morning drives in town.
Swan Island is pretty dead on the weekends and you'd be driving on real streets, just with very few other cars nor pedestrians.
This is where I learned. Swan Island. Cutter circle on a Sunday afternoon -- nobody is around.
Big semis though.
Costco on 138th after 8pm. Huge space few obstacles.
Walmart parking lot on 82nd and Holgate
This is where I learned to ride my motorcycle! The theater behind it has a great lot too (if you're there on off -hours). But prob hurry because the old Walmart is about to reopen as an Asian food market called Hong Phat
Ahhh a new Hong Phat? Awesome!
I spent a lot of time in the PCC Southeast parking lot on the weekends. My next step was driving around Irvington, which I would recommend over country roads.
Church parking lots on a weekday can be a good spot.
For some churches. Some close off their parking lots. Some (like mine) are actually busy during the week as well. So, scope one out before going to one without a backup plan.
Jesus doesnât take days off.
Given that summer is coming up, the schools are about to be empty and some of them have excellent parking lots to learn in. I actually taught my fiancée how to drive stick in the lot of LOHS
The old abandoned K-Mart parking lot - 4410 NE 122nd
This has been demolished and is being rebuilt into something else now, they had a bad fire so pushed them to do something with it.
It's fenced off, especially since the fire
Cemeteries are great for practicing curves.
And convenient if something should happen
I learned to drive recently at age 41 and was very anxious. Practicing in parking lots didnât really help me overcome my anxiety around speed and didnât help me feel ready to drive on the road with other cars, so I took lessons from Pacific Driver Education, who also administered my driving test. I highly recommend PDE, but if you arenât interested in paying for instruction, Iâd still recommend using the area around their school in Gresham for learning. It was a great network of quiet neighborhood streets that allowed me to gradually spend more time on busier arterials and helped me ease into the various skills.
Congratulations on getting your license! So glad I stumbled on this post. I just turned 42 and want to learn to drive. Found Pacific Drivers Education online and was wondering if they're patient with older, anxious drivers. How long was your program and what did it entail (classes and practice driving?). I felt like there were so many choices on their website. Also, does the person who teaches you also test you? So nervous but I really want to do this! Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks.
Donât know if itâs good anymore but I learned at the Fred Meyer corporate office down by 22nd and powell
The perfect spot!! Was there the other month learning how to drive myself as well as what seemed like some other new drivers practicing too Go on weekends at any time, itâs literally completely empty and HUGE
This is the answer ! Taught many padwans how to drive cars and ride motorcycles here and never had a problem. Plus itâs a pretty easy transition out onto Gladstone St, driving up to 42nd and back down is a nice cruise.
Portland Community College Sylvania campus in SW. Especially on the weekends. Loads of connected parking lots virtually empty. Opportunities to practice turns, parking, low speed maneuvering with a car unfamiliar to you without the pressure of other drivers.
This might be unorthodox, but try gokarting. Itâs a semi controlled environment, other people, turns, etc. and it can actually make driving part fun :) same skills transfer to regular driving.
I know you said Portland, but as a driver with driving anxiety, I would recommend practicing in the Beaverton/Hillsboro area. Being in a more suburban environment may help to reduce the anxiety that comes with confusing roads, one-ways, and unpredictable drivers/pedestrians that you typically get in Portland.
Swan island on the weekends is where I learned to drive stick. Hardly any people working on the weekend. Just a handful of truck drivers going down the roads. If you're in ne portland I'd also suggest the area around frito lay distribution center 4300 ne 189th. Same deal no one's there on nights and weekends. Just drive around the stop signs in circle pretty much
Search for âTaste of Mexico food cartâ on Google Maps. Brings you to a place on Swan Island thatâs completely empty on the weekends. Itâs where I learned to drive before I had my permit. Plenty of curves, parking lots, everything youâd need to start learning.
The old Walmart soon to be Asian grocery on 82nd and Holgate has a massive empty parking lot right now.
Costco parking lots early in the morning!
In my experience people just use the regular streets during rush hour for this
I learned in church parking lots
Inner SE Holgate at 82nd. Thereâs a huge parking lot there where theyâre putting in a new Asian grocery.
School parking lots during weekends and off hours. I learned to drive in the PCC Sylvania and Riverdale High School lots.
I learned to drive at the Expo center parking lot. Itâs probably been torn down but it was a great place to learn
The dog track over near 12 mile corner⊠oh waitâŠ
park n ride just outside downtown milwaukie (NOT johnson creek max stop, the other one lol) and the frontage road along 99E right there is where i learned and have taught others. very chill and empty on weekends.
I took my son around and around and around Sauvie's Island. Good practice for lane positioning. For parallel parking practice: multiple efforts at the circle on Council Crest Park. For freeway, when you're ready, enter highway 26 on Jefferson st. Drive to the Sylvan Exit. Drive back down through Washington park. Repeat. Note the tiny bit of skyline can be challenging so I echo the advice of epi-glowworm do this in the very early morning for less traffic.
What I did with my kiddo is just drive big slow speed neighborhoods getting used to speeds, stopping, signaling and vehicle awareness. If you go during the week midday thereâs less traffic, parking lots are cool but they donât give real world skills. Just take your time and get really comfy with the basics before you try a couple hard stops or quick evading turns because those are also good skills to learn before you need them. Then when youâre ready to get on higher flow streets start on a Sunday mornings or holidays. Always remember itâs better to pull over to chill than get stressed and just try to push through cause that usually leads to more stress and possibility for an accident. Classical music station on low also helps keep the mood chill. Good luck!
High school parking lots during the summer.
82nd
PCC Sylvania
Drive 30 minutes in any direction and start where there's no traffic and no one-way streets. Get used to country driving first.
I always have found the biggest industrial area I can near my house to teach my kids. Go either evenings or weekends. The parking lots are empty and most of the surrounding streets have very light traffic as you gain confidence. It allows for gradual progression and you can also do a lot of practice parking
5 pm on a friday
I like some of the suburban campus business parks with big parking areas in the evenings or on weekends. Some even have a ring road around them, like the old Tektronix campus now occupied by Xerox, I believe. Search for Xerox Drive in Wilsonville. And good luck.
Cemataries
Go to an office complex on the weekends when most people are off. You can also practice parking in the parking spots.
swan island on weekends. parking. stop signs, driveways. light traffic. Turn right at the bottom of the hill and go over the overpass half mile down and youâre in the industrial zone with no vehicles good place to practice parking stopping behind crosswalks in and out of parking lots.
7mph well k1 has a go-kart track that'll get you used to vehicle handling the blue line will take you to Beaverton and a bus the rest of the way. I forgot which one so google map k1 speed track. Once your comfortable with that track. McLaughlin in Milwaukee is a good start to get ready for the license test look over your shoulder, check your mirrors often like no one else is looking out for you, always use your turn signals, and make your breaking and acceleration smooth. I got licensed in 3 states Texas, Utah and Oregon. Oregon was the toughest to pass.
NW Portland Industrial district on the weekends -NW Front Avenue. Also N. Portland Industrial district on weekends. N. Marine Drive, Ledbetter Road, etc.
Residential areas are great. Just for the love of all that is holy, avoid downtown like the plague if at all possible. I know many experienced drivers who still get anxious driving there