Congratulations, you have passed your driving test! You might be feeling nervous about being out on the road without your instructor, or maybe you have not driven for a few years since passing. Here are some tips for new drivers to help you feel like a pro in no time.
Keep Practising Your Driving
Just because you have passed your test, does not mean you cannot keep practicing to become more confident. Everyone finds different elements difficult so whether it is night driving or parallel parking, try not to avoid it, instead practice by doing it more.
Find some time where you will not be rushed and go put yourself in a situation where you have plenty of space to practice. For example, an empty car park at night will give you a chance to practice your night driving slowly and safely.
There is also no shame in going back to an instructor for some more advanced driving tuition. The same goes for asking a friend who is a good driver to come along with you whilst you practice.
Learn How Cars Work
As much as you learn when you are having driving lessons, how a car actually works is usually left off the agenda. Knowing how your car works though, will give you confidence if anything goes wrong.
If you do have to call your breakdown service up it will be much easier if you know how to open your bonnet, what a battery looks like, what noises are good and bad to hear and what is supposed to do what. It will also make you feel more confident if you go to an unreputable garage without knowing, as you will be able to tell if they are overpricing a service or making a problem up.
Further to this, learn where everything is in your car. The indicators you will be using regularly and probably become accustomed to where they are quickly, but avoid forgetting where your windscreen wipers are and turning your fog lights on instead! This will come with practice too but try to learn where everything is in the dashboard to minimise mistakes or losing concentration whilst driving.
Look After Your Car
Whether your first car is second-hand or brand new, you want to look after it as much as you can. Cars are one of those things that really benefit from routine maintenance and regular checks. Repairs should always be carried out as soon as possible so try to keep an emergency fund in case you need it.
Unfortunately, with cars, the longer you leave an issue, the worse it will get and the more expensive it will become to fix. Check your car regularly and get it serviced twice a year to keep on top of it, especially if you use it every day. If you do not use your car very often, you should still stick to regular servicing as problems can arise from not using a car enough.
Get Used To The Size Of Your Car
If you have been stuck in a narrow road with someone who thinks they cannot fit through a gap, then you know what we are talking about here. Learning the actual size of your car and what sized gaps you can fit through will help in many situations.
Knowing the size of your car will help you judge parking spaces, get you through narrow roads, driveways and passing places where another driver might panic.
Always Carry Useful Stuff In Your Car
You can never be too prepared; however, most people cannot fit all the stuff that is recommended to carry, in their cars. The RAC recommend 33 different items! So, although a portable pressure gauge, Swiss Army knife and an empty fuel can are great items to keep in the car, most people do not want to sacrifice the space for their shopping. The Police also warn against keeping lots of stuff in cars to make them less attractive to thieves.
Instead, think about the season and journey then plan appropriately. If you mostly just drive 10 minutes to work in a city every day, then you can avoid keeping a snow shovel in your car. However, do get one if you are planning a drive through Scotland at Christmas.
Jump leads are a good thing to carry if you regularly drive long distances, and some sort of spare tyre or tyre repair kit is a good idea to always have.
For definite though, never drive without a first-aid kit, car fire extinguisher, drinking water, safety blanket, hi-vis, warning triangles, pen and paper, the numbers for your breakdown service (on paper in case your phone runs out of battery.
A bit of further advice on this, if you use something remember to replace it. Nothing is more annoying than going to reach for something and it is not there because you forgot to replace the one you used!
You’ve Got this
If you are a new driver, follow these tips to make a success of it:
- Practice driving to get more confident
- Learn how your car works
- Look after your car
- Understand the size of your car
- Keep useful items in your car
Owning a car is a journey in itself. You will soon become accustomed, relax and enjoy driving as you become more confident. When you’re ready to get your car serviced or want to talk about repairs, you can book to come and see us here.
