Driving is something that many of us will do throughout our lifetime, and whether we learn to drive when we’re young, or we do it later in life, there’s so many benefits and much freedom that can come from owning a car. You can go anywhere you want, and you’re not limited to as and when you go. So here are a few things worth knowing when you want to learn how to drive.
Figure Out Your Budget
Learning to drive is costly, and regardless of when you do it, the cost of driving will still be the same. Depending on who you go with and your area, you could be looking at £20-£30 per driving lesson, so it’s worth knowing what your budget is and what you have to work with. There are also more intensive courses that you can do over a short period of time so that you are in a position to do your theory and pass quicker than usual. These intensive courses can cost hundreds of pounds, and so it’s worth factoring this in if you’re in a position to spend a little more. Bare in mind that you have to factor in purchasing a car, paying for insurance, and any other additional things you’ll buy for your car.
Think about the money you have available now and how much you’ll need to take driving lessons, do the theory and pay for the test. That way, you can help spread the costs with the money that comes in each month. If you’re wanting to drive but don’t have a huge income, then you can always ask friends and family for money on birthdays and at Christmas. There are also some car finance options out there, should you need it.
Research Local Teachers
The teacher you pick when learning how to drive is important because they’ll be with you constantly during your lessons as well as teaching you and assisting you with the theory part of driving. You may want to trial out a few teachers first before committing to them fully. There will be certain driving instructors that you don’t get on with, or you don’t feel they are going to help you in being comfortable when driving. You want someone who you are able to feel comfortable with and that you are confident in being able to ask any questions, no matter how silly you may feel in asking them. Having a good relationship with your driving instructor is essential, so don’t feel pressured to go with the first teacher you come across. They won’t take offence if you say you’re currently testing out a few instructors before you make your decision.
Buy Literature For Learning Your Theory
The theory part of driving is going to take some extra studying that you’ll need to do outside of your driving lessons. Your teacher will give you as much information as they can, but it’s up to you once you get into the test. So you might want to consider buying literature for learning your theory. This is usually in the form of a book or CD, but you can now also find a lot of it online if you prefer to read via your computer screen. Your theory is something you pay to take, so the fewer times it takes to pass it, the better. Get your friends or family to test you on some of the theory that might crop up in the test and make sure you’re familiar with everything that is within these books or information.
Check Your Eyesight
As part of your ability to drive, you need to have good eyesight or be wearing glasses or contact lenses that will strengthen your vision. You may not realise it, but if you’re squinting or find it hard to read signs that are twenty or so meters away, then you might want to take a trip to the opticians. It’s not safe to be driving without correct vision, and your driving instructor will soon let you know if that’s the case as they’re likely to question you on these things. If you have realized before you start driving, book yourself as soon as possible as it might take a week or so to get the glasses in, and that might push your lessons back because of it.
Practice Driving Outside Of Lessons
Being able to drive outside your lessons is really handy, and so if you live with parents and they have a car, or someone in your household already does, utilize it. You can go on your parent’s insurance, and as long as they’re over a certain age and have been driving for a while, they can give you some extra lessons. This is ideal if you can’t afford any additional lessons or you want to top up on extra driving experience so that you don’t easily forget what you have learned that week from your driving instructor.
Image SourceMake sure that you are taking these lessons down roads and in areas where there are little to no cars. Places like empty car parks for example and roads that are off the beaten track. It’s something that you’ll certainly benefit from and that you’ll thank that person for if you’re able to pass sooner than expected. It’s tough if you don’t have someone who owns a car, but you certainly will have someone who drives a car, no matter how far away they may be.
Think About What Car You Want
When you’re driving the instructor’s car, it’s worth considering what type of car you’d want going forward. There’s a lot to think about, and if you don’t know your stuff about cars, then you’re likely going to want to do some more research. Ask your instructor for their advice on what cars are best to start off with. Choosing between an automatic or manual is probably your first hurdle to consider. When learning to drive, it’s a good idea to learn with manual as that way, you can do either manual or automatic once you pass. The next thing is whether you want petrol, diesel or electric.
Think about whether you want to buy a used car or a brand new one. A used one is likely to be better, especially if you buy it, and it’s only been with the original owner for a few months. Cars depreciate heavily in value as soon as they go on the road, so if you’re trying to save money, it’s important to consider this part carefully. The cost of the car has to be factored in too, as well as knowing what you want from a car in terms of its style, running costs, technical abilities, and the size. You may be on your own, and therefore a smaller car is needed. However, if you have a family, then that’s something that needs to be catered for. Think carefully, and you start shopping around for cars once you’ve passed your theory and you have had a lot more driving lessons. You might not pass your driving test the first time, so don’t go buying a car until you have that piece of paper that tells you that you can drive!
Take A Day Off For Your Theory And Driving Exams
Your theory test and driving exam can be a big day for you and therefore, it’s always a good idea to take a day off or just the morning or afternoon. This is because you’ll likely be feeling nervous and want to do extra preparation before your test. Make sure you get a good night’s sleep the night before and that you’ve tested yourself and refreshed your knowledge on the day. Leave early so that you can get to the venue in plenty of time to relax and to do any last-minute prep. The fewer nerves you can have when going into these exams is better.
Having a day off also means you can celebrate if you’ve passed or drown your sorrows if you haven’t. Taking some time to either celebrate the success or look at what went wrong is very important.
Learning to drive for the first time can be an exciting but nerve-racking experience, and everyone is different. Some people take to it very easily whereas others will need a few more lessons here and there in order to get a better understanding of how something works. Try to take advantage of anyone who may have a car to give you extra lessons. Be thinking about the budget you have to see how many lessons you can have each week and start thinking of the car you’d like to drive once you pass. Have confidence and believe in yourself that you can do it, and you’ll be successful!
*collaborative post
