If you are driving on the road for the first time since passing your driving test, then you know what a nerve-racking experience driving can be. By using the tips below, however, you can be more at ease and learn how to make driving fun.
Adjust the Vehicle to suit your body
The first thing that you need to do is adjust the vehicle so that you are completely comfortable. Before you start the car, you have to make sure that you can see out of all your mirrors. Make sure that the seat is adjusted to your height. This will make you feel more comfortable, and it will make you safer on the road.
Don’t Overthink the experience
Driving is an experience that requires you to multitask. As you sit in the driver’s seat, there are a few things that you need to remember, and when you do it the first time, you may feel as though it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Focusing all of your attention on the road will keep you alive. Use your turn signals at every turn, and watch out for the person that doesn’t use their blinker. If you spend too long thinking about one thing, then you may not notice hazards on the road, and this can cause you to experience a serious accident. Of course, if you ever are in a crash, then you may want to hire a car accident attorney.
Ways to calm your Nerves
It can help you to have a very experienced driver in the car with you. A proficient driver can help you through the learning period, and they can also point out things that you might not have noticed. They might even be able to calm some of your nerves with helpful tips. Your parent might not be a driving expert, but having their support allows you to be more comfortable, and you may even end up having a great conversation with them as well as calm some of your nerves.
Rid Yourself of Any Distractions
When you drive for the first time, you may be tempted to take your friends to the mall or even your little sister to daycare. This is great, but the last thing that you need is a distraction. If you feel as though your friends are going to be loud in the car, then don’t take them out until you have more experience under your belt. You also need to roll up the windows, turn off the radio and put your cell phone away. This will help you to concentrate more on the road, and it will also help you to be more aware of your surroundings.
Stay on Familiar Roads
Now that you can drive, you may feel as though the world is your oyster. This may be the case, but you have to make sure that you stick with familiar roads while you get used to the car. Drive around your neighborhood and go on routes that you are familiar with until you get used to those routes. When you do this, you can be happy knowing that you have acquainted yourself with your car, that you are in your comfort zone and that you know the road signs. Sure, the time will come when you need to go further afield, but you will know the car, and the only unknown will be the roads.
Stay Away from the Highway
Staying away from the highway is always a good idea when you are new to driving. You may feel as though you need to learn how to drive on those roads, but the first time you get behind a wheel is not the time to learn how to merge onto a highway full of cars going 65 or better. You need to wait until you have a good level of experience controlling the vehicle before you put yourself in these situations. You also need to take into account the fact that a lot of people speed on the highway and this may give you less time to make quick decisions. You don’t need this kind of stress when you are new to driving in general, so take your time, don’t push yourself too hard and always try and listen to your instinct.
So there are many things that you can do to try and make yourself feel more comfortable when you are out and on the road. You will feel some degree of nervousness, to begin with, but as you drive more, you will soon realize that there is nothing to worry about and you will learn how to be in complete control of your vehicle.
Leave a Reply