Young person driving a car.
For young drivers, getting your licence caps those driving lessons and burnt weekends.
It’s a joyous time to finally be set free on the roads and enjoy the freedom a car brings.
Getting your licence also represents a sort of coming-of-age, since you are now free to enjoy a good night out without worrying about transport.
However, the roads are not to be taken lightly.
Errant drivers and weather conditions can all play a part to make your journey a hazardous one.
In addition, even if you have become well-versed in advanced manoeuvres like parallel parking or filtering onto a highway, always exercise extra caution.
For young drivers, here are some driving tips to keep yourself safe on the road:
- Remember all traffic rules and regulations and obey them, even if the situation looks clear. Things like stop signs are there for a reason and always obey them even if the coast is clear.
- Don’t speed. The worst thing to happen to a young driver is to have your licence taken away for speeding, not to mention getting into an accident where people are hurt.
- Check to see your mirrors are adjusted correctly. You should adjust your mirrors so that less than a fifth of the mirror is taken up by your car. You should be able to see the entirety of your car’s rear, and do it when you are seated in your usual driving position.
- Adjust your steering wheel and seat. Don’t just jump in and go. Make sure to take the time and adjust your steering wheel and seat to find the optimum seating position. Your arms should be slightly bent and you shouldn’t have to stretch to reach the pedals.
- Never use your phone while driving. It is illegal and you risk a rear-end collision if you’re not paying attention to the road, or worse, end up knocking someone down. Keep your phone in a storage compartment, or if you really need to use it, place it in a phone holder and only use it at a stop light.
- Lower your rear view mirror when driving at night. If your mirror isn’t self-dimming, it will have a tab on the bottom. Push it to change the mirror to night mode to avoid being blinded by the car behind.
- Get used to the width of the car. Many drivers, even seasoned ones, sometimes can’t gauge how wide their car is and end up keeping too far to the left or right of a lane.
- Keep up with the maintenance on your car. If you’re the one servicing your car, keep up with the scheduled service intervals. In between intervals, keep watch for things like oil leaks on the ground.
- Be prepared for things take a turn for the worse. A tyre puncture will happen when you least expect it, as will myriad other things. Make sure you know where the breakdown triangle on your car is kept, where the jacking point on your car is and the number for a towing service.
- Never drink and drive. Don’t be tempted to, even if it’s a short journey, or if you’ve only had “a few” drinks. The consequences could be severe.
Above all, take note of these driving tips, and happy motoring!
