Licence to kill? Woman clears driver’s test on 960th try

For three years starting in April 2005,she took the test once a day five days a week. After that,her pace slowed,to about twice a week. But she never quit.

“When she finally got her licence,we all went out in cheers and hugged her,giving her flowers,” said Park Su-yeon,an instructor at Jeonbuk Driving School,which Cha once attended.

When word began spreading last year of the woman who was still taking the test after failing it more than 700 times,reporters traced her to Sinchon.

Once she finally got her licence,in May,Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group,South Korea’s leading carmaker,started an online campaign asking people to post messages of congratulations. In August,Hyundai presented Cha with a $16,800 car.

Cha,whose name,coincidentally enough,is Korean for “vehicle”,now also appears on a prime-time TV commercial for Hyundai.

Cha said she envied people who could drive,but it was not until she was in her 60s that she got around to trying for a licence.

“Here,if you miss the bus,you have to wait another two hours,” said Cha. “I was too busy raising my four children,” she continued. “Eventually they all grew up… and my husband died several years ago… I had more time. I wanted to get a driver’s licence so I could take my grandchildren to the zoo.”

Cha tackled the first obstacle,which for years proved insurmountable: the 50-minute written test consisting of 40 multiple-choice questions on road regulations and car maintenance.

She first tried,unsuccessfully,an audio test for illiterate people where questions were read. Later,she switched to the normal test. She failed the written test 949 times,but her scores steadily crept up. When she came to them early last year,teachers at Jeonbuk Driving School pitched in,giving her extra lessons.

It was only last November,on her 950th try,that she achieved a passing grade of 60 out of 100. She passed two driving skill and road tests,but only after failing each four times. For each of her 960 tests,she paid $5 as fees.

“To me,commuting every day to take the test was like going to school. I always missed school,” Cha said.