Tips for your first driving lesson

17/08/11

Do you remember your first driving lesson? We all do – the first time getting behind the wheel, nerves and excitement rushing…only to stall the blasted thing straight away. And that’s before you’ve even pulled out of the driving school car park!

With September around the corner, lots of students will be taking the driving plunge before long. Learning to drive is good fun, but it can be tough as well. There’s so much to get used to at the start – co-ordinating your hands and feet to work in perfect harmony is surprisingly difficult, never mind when you have to take into account all the obstacles and hazards on the road.

We’ve heard plenty of horror stories, from wrong gears and scratched bumpers to injured pets and soaring insurance premiums, so here are a few top tips on making sure that all important first lesson goes as smoothly as possible.

Empty bladder, clear mind

This may sound daft, but believe us, driving while desperate for the loo is a total nightmare. Jigging your leg to keep your bladder at bay is all very well when you’re in the passenger seat, but you just try that while you’re driving…and you’ll be stalling even more than usual!

Don’t expect to be Lewis Hamilton

We’re not all child prodigies, and while Lewis probably swanned into a car and sped off at 80mph first time, it’s probably best to accept that you will much more likely find yourself on a quiet side road in nothing more than second
gear at best. Baby steps!

But equally…you’re not the worst driver in the world

Believe us, your instructor will most definitely have seen it all before, so no matter how badly it goes, keep cool. Don’t give yourself too much of a hard time if you don’t make it further than the end of your…driveway.

Don’t be hungover

Now we all know that the trendy young things like to go out and have fun at the weekend, and who are we to stop them. But if your lesson is on a Saturday or Sunday morning, take it easy the night before. Hangovers are horrid, and first driving lessons are pretty scary too – you don’t want to combine the two!

Pick your time and place

You’ll be nervous, so the last thing you need is lots of people watching you. Avoiding rush hour is an obvious one, but steering clear of friends and family is also worthwhile. A quiet residential estate where you have no friends is a good plan; outside the school gates or your workplace is not recommended.