Learning to drive: the beginner’s guide

You don’t have to drive – it’s not a mandatory requirement in life. It’s pretty cool, though, and pretty necessary if you want to navigate around independently and conveniently. When you’re able to drive, you can literally hop into your vehicle and go wherever you want – whenever you want.

No matter if you want to drive a lorry or a car, there are plenty of driving instructor options and training courses out there to help you learn. From L&T Transport for lorries to local car instructors, all you need to do is take the step of booking your first session. How exciting!

In order to get your driving licence, you need to learn how to do it, obviously. You need to get some practice under your belt, and then you have to show the examiner that you’re ready to do it all on your own. It sounds pretty simple, but that’s because it is! There are a few bumps along the way, however, so it’s wise to be proactive during the learning period. Here are a few things you can do to make the whole journey simpler.

Accept that you’re going to be terrible at first

Whenever you begin anything in life, you begin with a terrible ability – that’s just how it goes. Nobody hopped in a car for the first time and behaved like a professional rally driver. You’re going to make silly decisions. You’re going to struggle to get the car running properly. You’re going to have issues keeping straight.

As humans, we have an innate ability to become disheartened or embarrassed by mistakes. Possibly because we know others have the capacity to make fun of them. Don’t worry about making errors – errors are always the basic steps we take before progress.

Never panic

Chill out when you’re behind the wheel. Concentrate (obviously!), but relax. Being nervous in a car will not help anyone. If your idea is that you’re trying to avoid a crash, then you’ll be likely to actually crash. Slow, steady, and simple – that’s the way to do things. Your instructor will probably give you all the guidelines, but it’s up to you to have the actual mindset.

Buy yourself a car!

You’re going to need a car to drive once you have that driving license. Many people pass their test and then never even bother. Some haven’t driven in decades – that defeats the entire point, doesn’t it? Hop online and look for some motors that would suit you. If you aren’t exactly rolling in money, then you could, of course, look at some Used Cars online or at a dealership. It’s best to get this sorted sooner rather than later as the whole ordeal can get a little tedious. If you want to get going immediately after you’ve passed, then you’ll need to have an actual car waiting on your driveway!

Plan things for when you pass!

Whether you get it done immediately, or whether you take a little while, you’re going to eventually pass your test. It will all be for nothing if you don’t utilize your car while you can, right? Create plans with friends and family – head something on a long-distance drive! Or you could just plan a trip somewhere on your own to boost your confidence behind the wheel even more.

** This is a collaborative post