Learning to drive? Driving is an incredibly useful life skill to have and one that can open up a whole new world, so it is easy to see why there are around 1.6 million tests a year and a constant supply of new drivers on the road. The pass rate is less than 50%, though, which is why it is helpful to be aware of a few tips that should help first-time drivers.
Obey All Traffic Rules
When you are first learning to drive, it can feel a lot like juggling as there is so much to remember. One thing that you must never forget while driving is the traffic rules, so you must always know what these are and obey them at all times. This is so that you can stay safe behind the wheel as well as protect other road users (and obviously from a legal standpoint as well). This means that you should learn the traffic rules before you drive in traffic and understand the Highway Code.
Slow Down
The faster that you drive, the less time you have to brake and this is a common cause of accidents with new drivers. This is why you must always obey the speed limit and allow enough distance between the front of your vehicle and the rear of the vehicle in front. You can also drive too slowly, so you need to pay attention to how fast other motorists are driving.
Maintain Your Car
All motorists need to know basic maintenance so that they can keep their cars in a roadworthy condition and reduce the chance of breaking down. It is a good idea to learn these tasks early on so that they can become a habit. This will include things like:
- Topping up fluids
- Changing the engine oil
- Topping up tyre pressure
- Checking tyre tread depth
- Changing the air filter
Wear Your Seat Belt
It might seem obvious, but the importance of wearing your seatbelt cannot be overstated. People are twice as likely to die in an accident if they do not wear a seat belt and it is young drivers that have the lowest seatbelt wearing rate. This is why you must put your seatbelt on and tell anyone else in the car to put theirs on before starting the car. Contract gap insurance is useful when learning to drive in case you have an accident and write the car off.
Avoid Distractions
Distracted driving is one of the primary causes of crashes and endangers the driver, passengers and other road users. For new drivers, it is a good idea to avoid driving friends around until you have built confidence and you may also want to turn the radio off/keep the volume down.
Hopefully, these tips will be useful and help you to learn to drive safely and build your confidence.
