Learning to drive is a big deal in anyone’s life. Some people start when they’re teens, and others learn later in life, but regardless of when you learn, you’re likely full of questions, concerns, nerves, and excitement. It’s okay to feel stressed out, everyone was at some point when getting behind the wheel of a car for the first time, it’s a natural experience.
What isn’t normal is thinking you can learn to drive all on your own. While some might be naturally inclined behind the wheel, it’s very rare, so it’s always good to get advice and helpful tips when learning a major milestone in your life. If you’re learning to drive and need help, here are some things to keep in mind.
Pick a Good Driving School
No one knows driving better than instructors at driving facilities. They have been teaching all kinds of people, of all kinds of varying skill levels for years, which make them some of the best resources of all. Choosing a good driving school is simple, and the signs of a good one are easy to spot. Friendly and helpful instructors, plenty of learning courses to help you figure out the rules of the road and the driving techniques, a good track record of student success, and a commitment to excellence. Find these qualities and you will have a much better time learning to drive.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions
As mentioned, it’s a very stressful time learning to drive because everything might be brand new. Hearing about rules of driving or hand positions on the steering wheel might as well be an alien language, but the best advice for this is to never be afraid to ask questions. If you’re confused about something, you should always seek clarity because driving is an incredibly serious matter. You’re sharing the road with others and if you don’t know what to do in a certain situation, you could jeopardize yourself and those other motorists. Don’t be shy and ask your instructors, your friend, your parents, or anyone who is helping you learn when you have a question.
Practice Often
One of the keys to becoming a better driver is repetition. You didn’t learn to ride a bike on your first go. You probably fell down a few times, used the wrong brakes, or veered off course plenty of times to learn what was right and wrong, and the same applies to cars but tenfold. Driving can be easy and fun, but only after putting in the time to fully comprehend the scope, it takes to be good at it and enjoy it. Practice as much as you can in between lessons to grasp the feeling of being behind the wheel.
Stay Calm and Patient
In a very similar vein to piping up when you have a question about driving, you need to control your emotions to be a competent driver. There’s a reason why road rage is taught so much in drivers’ schools, it’s because it leads to unfortunate incidents on the road. Mastering your emotions is part of the driving process, so calm and patient drivers will be much less likely to be involved in an accident on account of the fact that they aren’t reacting in a rash manner to things that happen around them. Focus on being attentive, safe but not overly cautious, and confident over anger and egotism on the road.
Learn On Quiet Roads or Parking Lots First
Your instructors will have you drive on closed courses, then eventually populated streets, but a good place to learn in between or before that is on quiet roads and parking lots. Find residential streets to help you learn to control a vehicle for things like 3-point turns or parallel parking, and parking lots are great for backing in and other maneuvers. These are good places to practice what you’ve learned without the worry of other motorists.
Studying the Written Material Is Important Too
It might seem like everything there is to know about driving occurs behind the wheel, but the truth is that a lot of the most valuable information is in the written material. You need to learn the rules of the road, learn parts of the car, and other educational material that isn’t about the actual act of driving. When you can learn this and combine it with the actual driving skills, you’ll be a more complete motorist.
Learning to drive is not hard, but it’s also no walk in the park either. It takes years of practice before you get good, but with these useful tips, your learning process will be enjoyable and educational.