Car Driving is not only an exhilarating experience but also an essential life skill. Whether you need to visit some place for emergency requirements or need to get back home late at night from work, the ability to drive is a huge security. However, driving is not only about learning the basic mechanism of driving a car. It entails a lot of other skills that help you navigate the road with confidence. There are some key car driving tips and techniques for beginners that you need to follow.
These include following traffic rules, keeping pace with other cars around, having the ability to anticipate the moves of the other cars, avoiding road hazards, having full control of the vehicle and so on. These are actual challenges that beginners struggle with. However, with some key tricks and tips you would be able to acquire real competency in driving. The following section discusses the best car driving tips for beginners that would help you gain competency in driving.
The best car driving tips for beginners would be to know your vehicle well. Every vehicle has some unique features and being knowledgeable about those features is extremely important to keep the vehicle under control while driving. Check out the steering wheel, the lights, the accelerator and the brakes so that you can position yourself comfortably while driving. You should also make some adjustments to identify the best position for you.
For instance, identifying the right position of your hand on the steering wheel is essential to have a good grip on the vehicle. If you consider the steering wheel as a clock, some driver feels comfortable with their left hand at 10 and their right hand at 2 positions, while others feel comfortable at 9 and 3 positions. You need to understand what works best for you.
Adopting safe driving skills is the basis of your driving lesson and the most essential car driving technique for beginners. Top-class driving education courses emphasize safe driving and impart all the basic to advanced safe driving techniques. The first step of safe driving is checking whether all your car parts are working smoothly or not. Some of the things to look for include:
Lights-Your vehicle’s lights have different function that assists you while driving. For instance, the low and high beam headlights illuminate your path to offer adequate visibility without distracting other vehicles on the road. So, it is important to learn each light of your vehicle and how to check whether they are in working condition or not and maintenance procedures.
Fuel- It is mandatory to check whether you have ample fuel to drive your car and also to determine how long you can drive before you need to refuel your car. This would help you to avoid sudden fuel crises while driving. Learning the indicators, such as fuel gauge reading, and the signals, such as engine fluttering, is important to know whether your engine is running out of fuel.
Seat Belt- A seat belt is one of the most important safety equipment in your car. With the seat belt on, both the driver and the passengers can avoid severe injury in case of unfortunate road accidents. So make sure your vehicle’s seat belts are in good condition.
Oil- Engine oil and brake fluids are important components that ensure that the engine runs smoothly and the brake is working fine. Changing oil at a regular interval is also important to keep your vehicle in good condition. So make sure you know the indicators of insufficient oil problems.
Tires – There are different types of tires depending on the car type. Since tires are the most important parts of the car, you must be knowledgeable about the types of tires and how to identify problem areas and proper maintenance and repairs.
Yes, you can make necessary adjustment to be comfortable behind the wheel and it is extremely crucial to make some nuanced positioning to drive the car comfortably. These include mirror adjustment for a better view, seat adjustments such as adjusting the height for flexible positioning and clear view, steering wheel and hand position and so on.
Without this adjustment, you might feel uncomfortable while driving and get distracted. Thus, make sure you identify your comfortable and flexible driving position and required car alignments before you start driving.
Speeding over is a common tendency among teenagers and young divers. Overtaking, lane jumping, and breaking traffic rules are common traits of teens’ driving. It might be exhilarating to show off your high-speed driving skills and daring maneuverings. However, careless speed driving is not the smartest thing to do. The best car driving tips for beginners are safe driving and speed control. As a responsible new driver, you must not exceed the recommended speed limits.
On the other hand, as a beginner, you might feel overwhelmed and tend to drive slowly. However, if you feel anxious you must drive on the roads that you are familiar with and avoid lanes that require you to maintain a moderately high speed, until you gain confidence in high-speed driving. Slow driving is equally dangerous as high-speed driving. Maintaining speed parity and a safe distance from other vehicles is crucial to avoid collisions and accidents.
Using indicators makes your driving easy and is an essential car driving technique that you must learn. Indicators help you to alert other drivers on the road about your moves and make the transition smooth and safe. You would find a lever under your steering wheel, which you need to locate before getting on the road.
By pushing the lever in a certain direction, you illuminate specific lights on your vehicle as per the turn direction you want to take. Learning these moves would help you to communicate with other vehicles and avoid unwanted road incidents. However, as beginners you might feel nervous and signal out some wrong indication. This could confuse other drivers, leading to road hassles and tussles. The best car driving tip for beginners is to make it a habit to check the rearview mirrors during turns and lane changes.
Being alert and vigilant while driving is an important car driving tip that will save you from unwanted road accidents or collisions. Driving is a matter of alertness, multitasking and coordination. You need to be aware of other vehicles on the road and make use of car components to drive steadily. Any distraction would hamper this coordination. Many people tend to drive with their headphones on or to talk to other passengers. These road distractions are a major cause of accidents and road casualties. Avoiding distractions also helps you to learn faster and gain confidence in driving. On the other hand, if you are stressed for any reason, it is recommended that you avoid driving if you are mentally disturbed.
While driving, you need to have a broader road view and map the road to the farthest distance possible. It would help you to predict the movements of the other vehicles and make prompt movements if any vehicle arrives. As per experts, you should check your car mirrors continuously in short intervals after taking a turn or changing lanes. Additionally, you must be alerted with horns and other signals from vehicles around you to make prompt moves.
Parking is not an easy task and involves different techniques. Collision while parking may lead to road altercation and troubles. Thus, make sure you master all the parking skills, such as parallel parking, angle parking and reverse parking.
One of the important car driving tips is to keep essential papers available all the time. It is beneficial to carry certain essential things while driving. The first important thing is to carry your license card or if you are a learner keep handy the learner’s permit. Failing to show a proper license or driver’s permit may lead to legal hassles if you get caught by the police, and you can also defend yourself confidently in case of foul play from other drivers. Additionally, carrying tire gauges, spare tires, jumper cables, extra fuel, and a first aid kit would be helpful in emergencies.
One of the important car driving tips is to keep essential papers available all the time. It is beneficial to carry certain essential things while driving. The first important thing is to carry your license card or if you are a learner keep handy the learner’s permit. Failing to show a proper license or driver’s permit may lead to legal hassles if you get caught by the police, and you can also defend yourself confidently in case of foul play from other drivers. Additionally, carrying tire gauges, spare tires, jumper cables, extra fuel, and a first aid kit would be helpful in emergencies.
As a driver, you need to be aware of all the legal rules related to driving. From following the traffic rules to other road rules, it is important to stay compliant with legal rules to drive safely and avoid legal hassles. Being aware of the consequences of DUI and rash driving are some important factors that you must be aware of.
These are punishable offenses and may lead to serious legal troubles and might hamper your social life. On the other hand, you must also understand car insurance and tax laws to be legally compliant. Obtaining a Ministry Approved Driving License would help you to understand all the nuanced legal responsibilities in detail.
Driving for the first time might be daunting for any beginners. Following the best car driving tips and techniques for beginners discussed above would help you to master driving skills faster and gain confidence. Make sure you follow all the safe driving techniques and essential road rules to drive safely and avoid legal and road hassles.
However, you must obtain your driver’s training and license from a reputed institute such as Safe Hands Driving. Top schools not only equip you with the essential driving skills and knowledge but also follow the guidelines of MTO-approved rules and techniques.
Driving for a first-timer is undoubtedly a daunting task. Even though not all learners feel nervous, it is quite common for beginners to be scared to drive alone for the first time. However, you can try certain car driving tips and techniques to help yourself out to not feel anxiety while driving. For instance, you can practice some breathing exercise to reduce stress and anxiety level.
Another important thing is to practice alertness and mindfulness, as these two factors are the most important aspects of safe driving. You need to check out hazards, keep track of vehicles around you and follow traffic signals, all at a time. Losing focus can turn out to be dangerous.
Additionally, the best car driving tip for beginners to overcome nervousness is to practice the driving techniques in remote areas or around places where you feel comfortable. This would help you to identify what aspects of driving make you nervous and to address those things first. Lastly, the best way to move on to increase the difficulty level is to drive with an expert driver who can guide you continuously.
Any age above 16 is considered as the appropriate age to drive. However, if you are above 80 years, you need to ensure you are physically fit to drive safely. Generally, people above 80 suffer from poor reflexes and eyesight and also other health issues that might be a hindrance for them to continue or learn to drive. However, in Toronto, you will get special driving lessons to overcome driving challenges due to geriatric issues. The only difference is that you need to renew your license every 2 years to keep it valid.
The best car driving tip for beginners is to know your vehicle thoroughly before getting behind the wheel. Just as you learn the different parts of a computer before operating it, you need to have solid knowledge about your car’s features and parts. Check out the position of different lights, indicators, accelerators, and so on. You must also check the position of the seat to ensure that you feel comfortable in your seat.
As a beginner, it might be risky to take your car out during heavy traffic hours. Navigating heavy traffic is quite challenging for beginners for a number of reasons. You might fail to respond promptly to traffic signals and may get confused. Moreover, in heavy traffic, the cars are parked too close to each other, and drivers need to predict the moves of the other drivers to keep pace with them.
All these skills require considerable expertise that you might lack as a beginner. So, the best car driving tip for beginners is to choose low-traffic areas and practice during low-traffic hours, such as early morning or lunch hours. On the other hand, visibility is extremely important for safe driving. So, the best car driving tip for beginners is to drive in clear weather conditions.
Driving requires general fitness and determination. However, if to single out one important requirement for driving is clear eyesight. Poor vision would hamper your ability to follow road signs, check dashboards and point out road hazards. The best car driving tip for beginners is to ensure that you have no issues with visibilities to drive safely.
