Maggie Evans 
Learning anything new is usually challenging. From learning to play musical instruments to learn how to drive a car or to fly a plane, consistency, diligence, and determination are some of the qualities that make it possible.
While learning how to drive a car is usually exciting for most people, some fear it. Whichever category you fit into; you will find these tips very helpful.
One can be taught how to drive unofficially by friends and family; however, it is advised that learners go to registered and licensed driving schools. This is because these institutions not only teach learners how to drive but also teach them all they need to know to be safe motorists.
Road signs and traffic regulations are some of the useful information that is taught to new drivers. One can easily find a licensed tutor without having to leave one’s home, driving schools use to create an online presence.
Know the Vehicle
Like you learn the various part of a musical instrument and how they work before learning to play it, you should do the same before learning how to drive. Getting to know all the parts of a car and its function makes you more comfortable and confident, making the learning process much easier and more fun. The use of functional parts of a car like an accelerator, brake, and clutch among many others should be well understood by a learner before moving on to the next steps.
Find Your Preferred Seat Setting
Many learners are unaware that the seats in a vehicle, especially a driver’s seat, can be adjusted to make driving more comfortable. You can adjust your seat so that you can reach all the important controls like the pedals, gear, and steering. Modern cars now have seats that can be adjusted for shorter drivers to have a better view of the road. Learners will benefit a lot from finding the seating setting or position that is most comfortable for them.
Start Slow
Remember that you have to learn to walk before running. So, being new to the whole driving experience, starting slow will save you from getting into any accidents. No doubt, the thought of flooring the accelerator pedal can be very tempting, even very experienced drivers still struggle to overcome this temptation.
This is because when driving at high speeds, all your senses are required to be fully awake to make quick decisions. For learners who are still learning to react to various situations on the road, driving at high speeds can be very dangerous and so should be completely avoided until they are confirmed by a registered tutor to be capable of such.
Never Tailgate
Inculcating early the habit of maintaining a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you will save you from getting into accidents. It is recommended that drivers maintain a two-car distance to avoid running into any objects if the vehicle in front makes a sudden turn or worse, gets into an accident.
Use Your Indicators and Horn
While driving, the car indicators and the horn are your only means of communicating with other motorists and road users. Therefore, you must be able to use them correctly to keep everyone on the road safe. In a driving school, you are taught how to properly use these means of communication for various situations. For instance, you are to turn on your indicators when making a turn, as well as changing lanes.
Avoid Distractions
This is a no-brainer if you want to avoid getting into accidents. Driving requires absolute focus and concentration because there are other road users and motorists on the road. While you may be doing everything right, another motorist may not. So, you have to be focused to avoid any unfortunate incidents. Eating, making phone calls, and texting while on the steering should be avoided completely.
Look Far Down the Road
Never keep your line of sight limited to the vehicle in front of you or just in front of your own car as this is very dangerous. In driving, it is important to get a bigger picture to be able to react to any circumstance. Always look as far down the road as possible so that nothing takes you by surprise.
You can find more helpful driving tips as a beginner here.
Conclusion
It has been found that many drivers become too confident after learning to drive. This is largely the cause of most auto accidents as these “confident drivers” begin to ignore road safety rules like not texting while driving. As you get more comfortable driving, remember to always abide by road safety rules because driving in and of itself is considered dangerous.
