Learning anything new is undoubtedly a challenging task. Whether you are playing video games, making a movie, or even learning to play a musical instrument, at first, it could get intimidating. The case is similar while you learn to drive. People get anxious for the first time they are advanced to take a driver’s seat.
If you are a beginner just learning to drive a car, you have come to the right place. The Drivers Knowledge Test helps beginners pass the driver’s permit test with the utmost knowledge you need to take on the road. The test enables you to understand most of it to prepare for the test correctly. It highlights understanding the test, practicing the test, confirming the booking, and actually passing the driver’s license test.
Besides, here are some of the essential tips every beginner needs to reckon with.
Tips 1: Know your vehicle
Driving a car is a piece of art; not everyone can master it. Get comfortable with your vehicle before you start driving it. Only drive a car if it has every controls functioning like headlights, sidelights, fuel gauze, speed meter, AC, windows, windshield, and many more. In case you drive your friends or family member’s car, don’t forget to read the manuals.
If you are confident driving your vehicle, it should not be a problem even when you are pulled over. Thus it would help if you familiarize yourself with all the controls you have in your car so that you don’t get muddled at the time of need.
Tips 2: Avoid disturbances and distractions
While you drive a car, there are distractions everywhere. Never drive a car if you have a terrible temper, which may lead to an accident. Keep your mind occupied with things that relate to driving while you sit on the driver’s seat. Phones are a significant distraction these days, causing hundreds of mishaps daily. Streaming music in loud volume on your smartphone is often considered substandard while driving. Consider putting your phone away until you stop the car at the destination.
Also, a friend or family sitting at the passenger seat could result in another distraction while you drive. Avoid traveling with a friend who blabbers a lot. Choose a passenger wisely as you are a beginner, just learning to drive a car.
You might as well get distracted with your ergonomics making you uncomfortable to drive; in that case, change to cousins.
Tips 3: Carry safety kits
No matter where you are driving, to the countryside, or around the city, safety kits are essential anywhere you go. You never know when a machine fails. Unlike humans, machines do not panic and make loud noise giving a signal of their failure. It could fail right next to your house or at the office parking lot.
Similarly, you could do nothing if you drive your car unnoticing to a ditch unless you are prepared with safety kits. The safety kits are reported to rescue millions of lives every year on the road. These kits include 8-gauge jumper cables, LED flashlights, spare tires, zip ties, tire iron, air compressor, and many more. Likewise, you should have basic things like blankets, a water bottle, a compact refrigerator, and some snacks if you got stuck on the road for hours.
Tips 4: Traffic signs and signals
What could be essential than learning to read traffic signs and follow the signals? There are dozens of traffic signs to watch for. Pay good attention to traffic signs while you turn your vehicle or drive through sharp corners.
It’s not a good sign of a disciplined driver to park the car anywhere possible, and you might get your car towed away or get a ticket.
Traffic signs are generally classified into three categories, viz. regulatory, warning, and guide traffic signals. The shape, images, and color of these signs are essential to memorize.
Guide traffic signs
- The red octagon sign with STOP written on it means you cannot drive through the area until you get a green signal. You usually get to see stop sign at a crossroad, school areas, and intersection
- R-R sign with a black cross on it aware railroad crossing/
- Normal left, right, diversion, sharp corners tell you to go in either direction carefully.
Warning traffic signs
- A yellow-painted mark down the road warns drivers to look out for potential hazards.
- Highway ahead signal is given by a T-shaped sign.
- Animal signs are often put at the protected sites where you might encounter animals passing by.
Tips 5: Watch out for other drivers
Focusing on your driving is essential, and it’s equally crucial to be aware of your surroundings. Everyone is aware of turning on blinkers while they take directions. As a driver, it’s important to look out for those blinkers while you cross any roundabouts or turnings.
Pay close attention while you spot vehicles slowing down and slowly apply brakes. Hard braking may cause jolting or breaking your car if you don’t see a car’s signal as they turn directions or lanes.
While you are in heavy traffic, look in every direction for cars. Further down, look for heavy vehicles, which gives you a clear view of the road situation. If you happen to see a roadblock due to an auto accident or road maintenance, follow the rules and change the lane.
Tips 6: Maintain your vehicle properly
Every day your car may experience issues but unnoticeable. Maintaining a car to its top condition daily is not easy. If the minor problems turn into major ones, then it’s a nightmare for a driver; it’s the loss of both of your time and money.
Know your car properly before you can maintain it. Check for air pressure, fuel gauze, and essential fluids every day so that your vehicle doesn’t break while you drive it to your office. Also, washing a car time and again keeps its shine, giving you a breath of fresh air while you drive. Some of the necessary yet straightforward maintenance you can often perform at your home includes:
- Change important liquids regularly
- Check tire condition and its pressure
- Maintain battery health
- Check for lights and bulbs
- Clean windows
So what do you think of the following tips? The above tips come from experience and research every beginner needs to follow while they hit the road. If you follow them wisely, you turn yourself into a safer driver and keep everyone safe in your surroundings.
