We’ve all been there. When it comes to one of the most stressful things in the world, taking your driving test is up there. I don’t want to start the article on a downer note, but this is a fact of life. It’s a case of facing up to it. The reason I say this is that it was one of the most stressful things I have ever done. So much so, I didn’t drive for 14 years after passing my test (I am serious!). I can totally appreciate what is going through your mind when learning to drive, but there are ways to get yourself prepared for getting on the road. It’s not a case of throwing yourself in at the deep end, which is what most people say. It’s rather taking baby steps instead. And here are a few ways to get your confidence when getting behind the wheel.
Become An Observant Passenger
Taking the seat next to the driver and looking at what they are doing with a keen eye is a great way just to get the feel of being on the road without actually driving the car. Observing how the driver does it and how they react to situations was a way to calm me about getting behind the wheel. As I saw that they were making simple little mistakes that I could learn from and therefore improve my abilities behind the wheel.
You could do this when the driver is doing a short journey. Like down the road, or just to the local shop. Local area speed limits will tend to be slow, and if you start a journey during the time of day that is a lot less busy, you can gradually build up your knowledge of the roads according to what time it is. So when you go out yourself in your own car, you’ll know when the peak traffic times are.
A little word of advice, though, make sure that you are discreet in your observing. You wouldn’t like it if someone was watching every little move you make!
Practice!
There are many ways to practice without getting behind the wheel. Whether it’s building up to the student driver test by going over key bits of road information you were not clear about. Or even working out how to accomplish the difficult parking maneuvers by playing parking games online, it is all stuff that is beneficial to you in learning the rules of the road. Practising in a car park late at night is a great way to get a feel for the wheel.
You can even build up gradually by just sitting in the driver’s seat. Once you feel comfortable there, you can turn the key. The trick is to build up slowly. It’s exactly the same once you’ve passed your test. Go on smaller roads, and once you feel you’ve tackled those, you can go on bigger and bigger roads. Before you know it, you have done a very difficult thing! So make sure you pat yourself on the back. Good luck! You can do it!
