Beginners and driving learners all fear three things: big trucks, lost routes, and traffic! These fears are common among newbies on the road, even after clearing the driving test and achieving a license from the learner’s license. It takes practice, confidence, and road sense to get the hang of driving skills and be flawlessly good at driving, regardless of the vehicle or model.
Below are some confidence-building and productive tips you can implement to drive safely, mindfully, and comfortably.
#1 Vehicle Checkup
First, look for issues in the vehicle or automobile you are about to drive. Look for tire punctures and air capacity. Check engine health by ensuring water, engine oil, and fuel before you take off.
For a long route, you should make sure to clean battery terminals from corrosion and check brake pads and discs (if you heard them making noises). Headlights, brake lights, indicators, and reverse lights should also be 100% functional and never dim because they may cause you fines and minor penalties.
As a driver, you are completely responsible for your vehicle’s maintenance; therefore, inspecting air filters for dirt and debris, exhaust systems for noises, rust, or damage, and tire pressure and tire mileage are major monthly checkups you cannot take for granted. They will cost you more if you neglect them; keeping up with the vehicle’s overall maintenance can benefit you in the long run.
Now, if there is any issue, you will at least be aware of it and visit the workshop on time!
#2 Plan Your Route
Thanks to Google Maps and GPS systems installed in our smartphones, we are always aware of locations, routes, shortcuts, traffic sites, and the car’s precise location. Drivers must memorize wherever they drive, especially regular routes. Keep a city map in your vehicle for emergency purposes where no signal or internet data is available.
As a fresher, you can avoid long routes and practice on closer destinations first. It is never a good option to halt in the middle of the road and stare blankly at which road to take as it can disturb the harmony of the entire traffic and infuriate drivers behind you.
#3 Keep Snacks on the Road
Snacks can keep you calm not only for road trips but for regular and random drives as well! Sometimes, car sickness or anxiety can hit at the wrong time, hence keeping bubblegums, candies, granola bars, or biscuits can help ease out tension. Remember to halt at a side before you snack and rest instead of eyeing elsewhere than the road!
Also, keep two water bottles at all times. One for your hydration and the other for the engine.
#4 Avoiding Smartphones
You may set the location before you drive, but avoid attending calls as a newbie. It not only disturbs the entire lane but on Australian roads, can cost a penalty if you are driving above or under the speed limit of the road. Avoiding smartphones can also help concentrate on the drive and save you from unnecessary diversions. You may attend calls by parking to a side or stopping by a free parking site. According to the latest 2024 estimate, approximately 1.6 million accidents occur due to using smartphones while driving. That’s insane!
#5 Practice Often, Practice in Company
As a beginner, taking a professional driver with you during the first few drives is advised to guide and relax you. You can take your friends, family members, or partners and practice driving until you are alone and comfortable with traffic, big roads, lanes, and interchanges.
As they say, practice makes a person perfect; you can always rehearse your skills and keep trying to go solo when possible for shorter, closer routes. Practicing in someone’s company can help you handle anxiety due to driving as a beginner and save you from making irrational mistakes where you forget a rule or get confused.
#6 Practice Time and Place
Avoid practicing in the rain or at night because they can be more accident-prone for freshers. Try familiarizing yourself with regular roads and destinations you visit or pass by daily in the daytime. Try to practice every day and challenge yourself to take the car for short trips to the market or offer drives to friends on weekends. Try polishing your driving skills where there’s some peace and quiet because traffic-prone areas can only make you underconfident and drivers in rushy sites can intimidate and dominate you as well. Learn defense in the meantime!
#7 Knowing Your Driving Style, Fears and Strengths
Everyone has a signature driving style; some drive slow and steady, rebellious or rash, while some prefer to drive more safely, ready for emergencies. You can choose to drive calmly and focus on the road signs as a newbie, avoid music, smartphones, Bluetooth, and even talk if you wish to be extra careful in your beginner months.
After a while, you will understand which conditions make you nervous and which you can easily pass. Some drivers have a strong grip and control on their vehicle; hence they can drive in the rain, calculate when to hit the brakes, and how to park smoothly. If rain makes you nervous, add it to your list of fears and try to practice on open roads whenever it rains to overcome your fear. Take somebody with you to help you along!
Putting the Glory in Your Driving!
If you still feel nervous about driving in Australia and it is hard for you to communicate your issues, then you can choose Glorious Driving School and pick from Driving Lesson Packages in Sydney online. They might help you eliminate fears, get your grip on tracks and wheels, refine your driving skills, and boost confidence in no time.
You can keep learning unless you feel secure driving alone, and you are also safe for other drivers. Keep grinding; you’ll get there!
