Help a driver get back on the road after a lengthy time out

For any new driver, the right car is imperative. There’s a new breed of driver coming up the side lane. The one that passed their test many moons ago and hasn’t driven since.

For a lot of people, money is a major roadblock to getting their own car. As such, they haven’t seen the point in driving! But, for these people, life has dictated that they have to get the car.

So if you were to impart any wisdom on someone that remembers the golden age of B-plates, or that a Mini Cooper is pretty new, what advice would you offer them?

Save up a lot of money!

Not just for the car, but the insurance! People mistakenly believe that holding a licence for a long time means that they will automatically get a cheaper insurance premium, but if they haven’t been insured on a car before, this will cause a lot of headaches! Instead, save up enough money and make life easier.

The “right car” is subjective

It’s all about how comfortable they feel. While there are plenty of used car salesman out there, it’s important to get as much real information as possible.

You could go to a car dealership like the Holden Group and go through all of the different payment options, but if you’re not comfortable in a certain car, despite all the mod cons, there’s no point in signing on the dotted line.

A lot of people that haven’t driven for years, and so it could be about getting into a car that bridges the gap. There could be a very good reason why this person hasn’t driven for a long time, perhaps they don’t like driving, or found it physically demanding in the first place.

An automatic is one of those good ways to bridge the gap. They’re easy to drive, which means that the stress is greatly reduced. But beware, automatics are more expensive than manuals, and you’re looking at around an extra £1000 on the price tag.

The roads are different

The way it used to be, there was one car to a household. Now you’re looking at least two, or maybe more if you’ve got a few petrolheads in the household!

Driving used to be a lot more enjoyable, but now you will encounter an idiot around pretty much every corner. Perhaps this is the reason that they were put off driving in the first place, but there are ways around this.

It’s all about planning the journeys, especially if you’re going further afield. People are pretty ruthless on the road now, but this is offset with stricter rules, and the fact that there’s an abundance of dash cams able to catch out those idiots on the roads, those people will always get theirs.

Driving can be very stressful now, and part of it is about knowing the roads, but it’s also about not feeling that pressure if a driver is up your rear end, expecting you to go over the speed limit!

As driving is a completely different entity now than it was 10 or 20 years ago, a big shock to the system for someone that passed their test that long ago. Impart thine own wisdom!

** This is a collaborative post