At the ripe old age of 28, I started my first driving lesson. Yes – 28. A lot of the people I know from my hometown and people I knew at university, for many they had already got their driving lesson. For me though, driving wasn’t a necessity and it wasn’t something I needed to have in order to enjoy and live life. To be honest, I’ve probably saved myself thousands of pounds over the years but now, it has come to a point in my life where I need to start driving. Here are four things I’ve learned as a learner driver.
*This is a collaborative post.
*This is a collaborative post.It’s Harder Than It Looks At First
Learning to drive is something that for some reason, I thought would be exactly like go-karts. However, that’s not the case, and driving a vehicle involves a lot more work not only inside it but around it too. There are a lot of things to understand and so getting yourself a good driving instructor is essential. I would suggest going with a company like Drive Test Success if you’re struggling to find anyone that matches your needs and your personality at the end of the day. Or alternatively, you might want to find someone independent, which is what I did.
I decided to find a woman instructor. I mean I have nothing against male instructors but I feel as though I’ve heard of a few horror stories in which some have taken advantage of their position in the past and I just felt more comfortable opting for a woman instructor. My instructor is amazing and she’s been adamant from the start that she won’t take her drivers or make her drivers do anything that they’re not yet ready for, which I think is important.
There Are A LOT Of Bad Drivers
OMG – me and my instructor say this pretty much every lesson. There are so many bad drivers out there that likely have years of driving experience but have picked up insanely dangerous bad habits or just become so impatient when on the road. Poor learner driver Natalie has to battle a daily onslaught of London drivers who have no time for learner drivers whatsoever, which is annoying because they were learner drivers once too. If you’re driving for the first time, then you’ll soon realise how bad some people are. It should be mandatory that everyone takes a driving test or lesson every year to five years in order to refresh their knowledge and to iron out any bad habits.
As much as you’d hope to never claim against it, that’s why having insurance is absolutely essential. It’s also important to have the right type of insurance too. It’s worth it to go through a motorcycle insurance comparison site for the best price, particularly for motorcyclists as they face bigger dangers on the road. For car drivers, comparison sites are a really good way of saving money whilst getting the right cover.
You Need To Have Eyes EVERYWHERE
My instructor has said this a lot and it’s true. Just like I mentioned about bad drivers, you need to have eyes everywhere and not just on your mirrors but in regards to what’s around you and in front of you. From kids running out into the road to car doors opening in a heavily congested area. There is so much going on that being distracted is not going to be helpful whatsoever. I’ve certainly learned a lot so far on the road and I’m sure there’s a lot more that I’ve yet to learn. At the point of writing this, I’ve felt the speed of fourth gear and got myself on a dual carriage way. GO ME.
It Takes Time
And finally, it takes time when learning to drive and you shouldn’t compare yourself to others when it comes to how quickly or how slowly it takes for you to pick it up. For me, I would consider myself average and I’m in no rush to cut corners or race to get a driving test. I don’t think it’s necessarily going to benefit me in my confidence as a driver to rush the process. Be patient with yourself and know that there are going to be those who pass before you and those who take even longer. It’s completely normal to go at your own pace.
If you’re reading this and know someone who wants to learn how to drive, then driving vouchers can be a real help for those who have a birthday coming up or perhaps for a seasonal gift.
What tips would you suggest when it comes to helping out a learner driver? Let me know in the comments below.
*Disclaimer – This is a collaborative post. This post has been pre-written.
