This is utterly fantastic news, and I am so pleased that you have managed to get through the nerve-wracking testing process! However, although you may think you have got through the hard stuff and you are now a qualified and professional driver, you still have so much to learn and are really only at the beginning of the learning process. Driving takes years and years to master, with plenty of near misses, driving errors and mistakes to be made along the way. The only true way to be a professional driver is by practicing as much as you can and making sure you understand the laws of the road to become a better driver. Here are some great tips!
Practice
Once you have passed your test, it is your green light to get on the road and practice as much as you can. You should try and drive your car at least once a day when you have just passed as this will give you the experience you need in a shorter space of time. It is also advantageous to drive in different weather conditions as well as times of the day, as this will help you learn how to react to these natural differences. Make sure that you note down your faults, as you can keep practicing the ones you aren’t as confident with to get them up to a decent standard. The key to becoming a better driver is practice and the more you do, the easier it will become for you.
Learn the Highway Code
Many people find the Highway Code a very boring and uninteresting book that doesn’t have much real-world use. If you are one of these people, then you are very wrong as the Highway Code not only helps you get from A to B more easily and with more accuracy, but it also helps you become a safer driver. Imagine what would happen if you didn’t understand the one-way signs, you could end up going down a one-way system the wrong way and potentially causing a crash. If you didn’t understand what a no-entry sign meant, you could end up going down a road that is private causing all sorts of upset. Make sure that you study the Highway Code as much as you can, as it is very important to the safety of your driving.
Avoid Distraction
One of the major causes of accidents is simply being distracted. When you’re not paying attention to the road, but to other things going on in your vehicle, it’s very easy to be involved in some other kind of accident. One great rule for everyone to follow is to turn the cell phone off when you get in the car. Texting is a major cause of accidents today, and talking on the phone can make you just as distracted. If you absolutely must use the phone, opt for a hands-free choice and limit the length of phone conversations. Furthermore, it’s easy not to give full attention to your driving when you’re trying to figure out where, exactly, you’re going. If you’re going to be taking an unfamiliar route or visiting a place for the first time, make sure you get directions before you go. For best results, don’t rely on written directions or traditional maps, which will cause you to glance down. Instead, have someone read the directions aloud to you or, better yet, invest in a GPS that will speak directions out loud, step by step, allowing you to keep your focus and still get you where you’re going. These tips are probably some of the most important things you should do to become a better driver after your test. Practice, learning the Highway Code, and avoiding distractions