What New Drivers Need To Know

Being a new driver can be daunting, even scary. If you are in this position right now, then there are a lot of things that might be going through your mind. It’s something that you should be able to get to the bottom of easily enough, but it can certainly be helpful to think about some of the things that you might need to know.+

With that in mind, we have here put together some of the things that new drivers will generally need to know. As long as you have thought about the following, you should find that you can much more effectively be the kind of driver you want to be, which will benefit you as well as all of the other drivers on the road you come into contact with.

You’re Still Learning

In some respects, the moment you pass the test is the moment you truly begin learning. From here on out, you are on your own in the vehicle, quite literally, and all of the decisions you make on the road will be your own. This is why it’s such a great learning opportunity, and something that you are really going to need to bear in mind. In other words, don’t expect to be an expert just because you have passed your test – it really doesn’t work like that.+

Allow yourself to improve gradually over time, and make sure you are extending a good amount of patience towards yourself. Experience teaches things that no manual or teacher ever can, so make sure you are staying humble out on the roads as well. Every trip you take is yet more practice.

Really Know The Basics

It’s amazing how easily you can pass the test and still be lacking in certain basic understanding. You might find yourself forgetting some of the rules of the road after you have passed your test – this is very common, and accounts for much of the poor driving that you see on the roads. As such, you might want to challenge yourself to be better than that. You could do that by ensuring you stay sharp on things like speed limits, right of way rules and proper following distances.

Then there are other basics that you should definitely know, such as how to use your mirrors properly and checking for blind spots. Make sure that you continue doing that stuff – it remains as important as ever.

Never Use Your Phone

Increasingly, drivers are making the potentially fatal mistake of using their phones while driving. This is a huge mistake. Distracted driving kills a lot of people every year. Make it a rule that you never text, scroll or call during a drive, even if only for a moment. Even if your vehicle is stationary, you might need to respond to something happening on the road quickly, so it’s important that you are not looking at your phone. If you really need to take an urgent phone call, pull over in a safe place if possible. If it’s not possible, it will have to wait.

This might sound obvious, but a lot of new drivers get into the bad habit of using their phone while driving, so it’s important that you are not making this mistake.

Avoid Aggression

It can be all too easy to get upset or angry when you are behind the wheel of a car. But you should avoid aggression at all costs. It doesn’t achieve anything – it just means that you are going to be putting yourself in a more dangerous situation. If anything, you’ll want to make sure you are being defensive in your driving, rather than aggressive. This is going to mean that you avoid most of the trouble with other drivers that people tend to run into.

As part of this, remember that people can see you – so be careful about what you say, mime or sign to them. There is no use in getting into a brawl on the road.

Make Sure You Are Insured

Insurance is a legal necessity, so you should make sure that you are doing everything you can to keep on top of this. If you are not insured, you simply shouldn’t be driving until you get it sorted – even just to drive down the road. As a new driver, you might be able to qualify for young driver car insurance, depending on your age, and that can end up saving you some money, so that might be something to think about. But however you do it, just make sure that you are not overlooking this and that you do insure your vehicle.

If you are found without insurance, the consequences can be dire, so this is really something that you will want to avoid if at all possible.

Learn Basic Car Maintenance

This is another thing that is always going to be important. You will feel a lot more confident behind the wheel if you understand how to look after your car in a basic way. You don’t need to become a mechanic – just make sure that you know some of the essentials when it comes to your car being looked after. That means knowing how to check the tire pressure and the oil levels, and keep them as they should be, as well as filling up windshield washer fluid. You should also learn how to jump-start a car, because you never know when that might be necessary. Also, learn what the dashboard warning lights all mean, so you know what to do about them – and when to pull over safely.

As you can see, there is a lot to know when you are a new driver, but you should find that it’s all relatively simple to pick up over time. Above all, you should try to relax and enjoy the experience as much as you can. Driving can be a lot of fun.