장롱면허 7년 만에 탈출한 자차운전연수 후기

결혼하고 아이가 둘이 되면서 주말마다 캠핑이나 근교 나들이를 자주 다니게 됐습니다. 근데 늘 남편 차를 타고 남편이 운전하는 대로만 따라다니는 게 조금 아쉬웠습니다. 저도 운전해서 짐 싣고 자유롭게 움직이고 싶다는 생각이 커졌습니다. 장롱면허 7년차였습니다.

특히 캠핑 갈 때 짐이 정말 많거든요. 아이들 짐에 캠핑 장비까지 더하면 트렁크가 가득 차고 뒷좌석까지 짐을 실어야 하는 경우가 많았습니다. 남편 혼자 운전하고 짐 정리하는 모습을 보면 늘 미안한 마음이 들었습니다. 저도 옆에서 뭔가 도움을 주고 싶었습니다.

그러던 중 남편이 허리를 다쳐서 한동안 운전을 할 수 없게 됐습니다. 그 순간 세상이 멈춘 것 같았습니다. 병원도 가야 하고 아이들 등하원도 시켜야 하는데, 제가 운전을 못하니 모든 것이 마비되는 기분이었습니다. 이때가 바로 제가 운전연수를 결심하게 된 결정적인 계기였습니다.

남편 차로 연습하는 게 가장 좋겠다 싶어 '자차운전연수'를 알아봤습니다. 여러 업체를 비교해보니 10시간 기준으로 대략 40만원대 중후반 정도의 가격대가 형성되어 있었습니다. 아무래도 제 차로 직접 연습하는 거라 연수 비용이 조금 더 비싼 곳도 있었습니다. 저는 48만원 코스로 결정했습니다.

솔직히 가격이 만만치 않았지만, 남편의 부상과 제 절박함을 생각하면 아깝다는 생각은 들지 않았습니다. 오히려 이 기회에 제대로 배워야겠다는 의지가 불타올랐습니다. 저희 차가 SUV라 차폭감이 걱정됐는데, 강사님이 제 차로 하는 연수가 가장 실용적일 것이라고 말씀해주셔서 안심했습니다.

첫날, 수원 정자동 저희 집 주차장에서 강사님과 만났습니다. 7년 만에 다시 운전석에 앉으니 모든 것이 낯설고 두려웠습니다. 브레이크와 액셀을 밟는 발도 후들거렸습니다. 강사님은 "운전은 감각이에요. 천천히 다시 익히면 돼요"라고 격려해주시며 기본적인 작동법부터 다시 설명해주셨습니다.

수원 정자동 주택가 골목길에서 저속 주행과 핸들 감각을 익히는 연습을 했습니다. 차폭감이 전혀 없어서 좁은 길을 지날 때마다 식은땀이 흘렀습니다. 강사님이 "오른쪽 미러로 연석과의 간격 확인하고, 왼쪽은 차선 보면서 가면 돼요"라고 구체적인 팁을 주셨습니다.

2일차에는 수원 세류동에 있는 복잡한 로터리 통과 연습을 했습니다. 여러 갈래로 나뉘는 차선과 빠르게 달려오는 차들 때문에 혼란스러웠습니다. "로터리 진입 전 충분히 속도를 줄이고, 나갈 차선을 미리 정해두는 게 중요해요"라는 강사님의 말씀이 큰 도움이 됐습니다.

오후에는 수원 세류동의 넓은 공터에서 T자 주차와 평행 주차 연습을 집중적으로 했습니다. 제 차가 크다 보니 주차가 정말 어려웠는데, 강사님이 옆에서 차근차근 스텝 바이 스텝으로 가르쳐주셨습니다. 특히 "뒷바퀴가 어디에 있는지 느끼는 게 중요해요"라는 말씀이 와닿았습니다.

3일차에는 고속도로 진입과 합류 연습을 했습니다. 수원IC를 통해 경부고속도로에 진입하는데, 옆으로 빠르게 지나가는 차들을 보니 너무 무서웠습니다. 강사님이 "옆 차를 따라가지 말고, 내 속도를 유지하면서 흐름에 맞춰 들어가요"라고 조언해주셨습니다. 덕분에 안전하게 합류할 수 있었습니다.

마지막 4일차에는 실제로 캠핑을 가는 길목과 비슷한 국도 구간을 주행했습니다. 수원 정자동에서 출발해서 외곽으로 빠지는 길이었는데, 언덕길 주행과 커브길 감속 연습을 주로 했습니다. "내리막길에서는 엔진 브레이크를 적절히 사용해야 안전해요"라는 강사님의 설명이 유용했습니다.

총 10시간의 자차운전연수가 끝나고, 저는 완전히 다른 사람이 되어 있었습니다. 남편이 "이제 운전할 줄 아네!"라며 놀라워했고, 아이들도 "엄마 차 타고 캠핑 가자!"라며 신나 했습니다. 남편이 다친 후 병원에 모셔다 드릴 때도 제가 직접 운전해서 갈 수 있어서 정말 뿌듯했습니다.

며칠 전에는 아이들을 태우고 단독으로 캠핑을 다녀왔습니다. 물론 남편이 동행했지만, 운전은 제가 처음부터 끝까지 혼자 했습니다. 수원 근교의 캠핑장에 도착해서 텐트를 치고 아이들과 뛰어노는 동안, 제가 운전해서 이곳까지 왔다는 생각에 감회가 새로웠습니다. (2020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202020202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