More and more, driving is becoming a necessary part of life. Public transport is increasingly unreliable and expensive, whereas owning your own car opens you up to a greater degree of freedom. The freedom afforded by personal transportation allows you to get up a little later for work, plan trips out, and makes shopping much more convenient and more manageable. Not to mention, the rain and bad weather will no longer mock you.
Passing your driver’s test is easy for some and difficult for others, yet most will eventually get there. Once you have obtained a license, the act of driving can be daunting at first. You no longer have the comfort of an instructor at your side and will share the road with experienced, responsible and irresponsible drivers alike.
Prepare Your Legal Documentation
Part of your responsibility is to ensure that all of your documentation is up to scratch; this includes insurance, road tax and licensing. Insurance is essential since it covers you and anyone involved in a collision and is a legal requirement. In addition, uninsured drivers are the cause of premium increases year on year.
Since you are more likely to be involved in a crash in your first 6 months of driving, you should go out of your way to find suitable cover. This can be tedious, but fortunately, comparison sites and independent insurers alike offer easy-to-use car insurance quote tools. In most countries, you can apply for road tax or a similar service online. The prices are usually the same for everyone.
Let Others Know You are New
Most drivers are responsible, but there are some less considerate people out there. When going out on your own as a new driver, it is necessary to let other road users know that you are new to the roads. This will allow responsible drivers to engage with you respectably. Similar to “L” plates when learning to drive, you can install magnetic “P” plates on your vehicle to signify that you are inexperienced.
The “P” plate is designed to signal that you are, in fact, a newly passed driver and most motorists will give due consideration to a new driver. Such concerns are made when executing a complex manoeuvre, parking or joining complex road systems. Although “P” plates aren’t a legal requirement, they are highly advised until you feel experienced enough to remove them.
Practice, Practice and Practice
As with anything, practice makes perfect when driving. Go out as often as you can and make short journeys to get a feel for your own vehicle and learn your local roads. When you feel confident enough, you can progress to more complex road systems such as junctions and highways. You will be on road trips before you know it.
Of course, there is a lot more to driving than navigating roads. You should try to learn as much of the highway code as possible as you continue to drive and practice essential manoeuvres such as parking techniques and advanced turns. You should also try to stay aware that not all road users are considerate. Lousy driving, intoxication and disregard for road safety are always potential hazards. Why not check out KJ PCO hire cars.
I was so chuffed when I passed my driving test! There are so many great and key pieces of advice in this post that I know will really help new drivers!
Rosie
I was so happy to pass my driving test. This is great advice. I recently had a car accident and your legal documentation is so important. These tips are great, thank you for the reminder!