Tips for New Drivers

General

Passing your driving test is an exciting and often incredibly relieving experience. It doesn’t matter whether you passed on your first attempt or it took you numerous tries, you’ve done it and now the open road is yours for the taking. It’s normal to feel nervous though. After all, this is the first time you will be driving completely on your own. Here are some tips to help you feel more at ease:

Don’t offer lifts straight away

As soon as you have a driving licence and access to a vehicle, there are always people that ask for lifts. If you find having friends in the car is distracting, then put them off until you’re feeling more confident. The risk of a young driver dying in an accident is double when they have friends in the car. You’ll have plenty of time to take your mates out and about once you’ve spent a little more time getting familiar with driving on your own.

Turn off your phone

It is illegal to use your phone while driving, but even if it’s on the passenger seat, the sound of it can still distract you from the road. Put it on silent or turn it off, so you can’t hear it or even think about it. A quarter of all road traffic collisions are said to involve drivers distracted by their mobile phones.

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Understand your obligations

There’s more to owning a car than simply getting in and driving where you want to go. Make sure you’re aware of when your tax is due, that you have valid insurance and know when your MOT is due. Once you’ve got your licence, the last thing you want is to get into trouble, get points or even lose your car altogether. For an MOT Gloucester, visit https://www.123carandcommercial.com/

Practice makes perfect

Facing your fears is the only way to overcome them. The more you get in the car and drive, the more familiar it will become. Perhaps you could consider taking a Pass Plus course which includes an extra 6 hours to further boost your skills and confidence. You could always ask a trusted person, maybe a sibling or your parents to accompany you for the first few times, even if it’s just to pop to the local shops.

Stay calm

Perhaps you have something that helps you relax, such as playing the radio or chewing gum. If certain music helps to make you feel at ease, then by all means try it, just don’t have your music so loud that you can’t hear approaching emergency vehicles or to the point where it distracts you from driving.

Written by suNCh8

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