運転免許証更新のために高齢者講習を受けに彦根自動車学校へ行きました。実は免許証を持ってはいるものの、この１０年間日本で車を運転したことがありません。ボストンでは運転していますが、今年は手術後であったことと大雪のために車に乗ることはありませんでした。それで、ほぼ１年間、私はアメリカでも運転からは遠ざかっていました。
アメリカでは年齢に関係なく事務的な手続きだけで更新は済みますが、日本では７０歳以上は高齢者講座、７５歳を超えると認知症テストを受けなければなりません。私はどちらも何とか無事に終わりましたが、今回は更に視力検査と運転実技にパスしなければなりません。日本で運転したことのない私にとってはハラハラもの。ブレーキとアクセルは右？左？エンジンスタートはブレーキを踏み込んでからだったっけ？など不安になり、急いで出かける前にネットでチェック。
幸い、試験管が優しい方で、車の中で現在の運転頻度を聞かれた時に日本で運転していないと伝えると、珍しがって世間話をするなどリラックスした雰囲気で色々な指示を出してくださったのですが、最初は右折の方向指示は上手に出せたのですが、その後２度も間違って左のレバーを操作してワイパーが動き出し慌てました。（アメリカでは左側に方向指示レバーがついています。）右側走行に慣れているので右折の時に注意したのは勿論です。終わって試験管の方から「クセのないいい運転」と褒められたのは気分よかったですが、疲れがどっと出ました。
It is the time to renew my driver's license and I need to take a special lecture for drivers who are over 75 years old, so I went to Hikone Driving School. Actually I got a Japanese driver's license ten years ago, but I haven't driven a car in Japan since then because I don't have a space to park a car and I don't need it very much in my daily life. Although I usually drive a car in Boston, when I was there this February, I didn't drive because it was just after the surgery and I was afraid of going out in the snow.
The renewal system is different between the US and Japan. It is much simpler in the US, but we have to take a lecture for the people when we are over 70, and we need to take a Cognitive Function Test on top of that. I passed both of them, but I was very nervous about the practical driving test. I needed to remind myself of the position of the accelerator pedal and brake pedal and other things before the test.
Fortunately my examiner was generous and he asked me how often I am driving. I said that I hadn't driven at all in Japan although I drive in the US. Then, he was curious about me and talked in a relaxed atmosphere and continued to give several instructions. I was relieved of my anxiety but I used the left lever instead of the right lever which was a direction indicator when I turned right or left. In the US, they are opposite. I was panicked to see the wiper suddenly move at the corner of the road while I intended to put the direction signal. I was very careful to run on the left side which should be in Japan. My examiner said that my driving was very good when the test was over and I was glad but at the same time I was very exhausted.
