Driving me crazy! The perils of driving after a long time out of the seat

There are three groups of people when it comes to driving, the people that are learning, the people that have passed their test, and then there is the forgotten breed. Don’t know what I’m talking about? I’m referring to the people that have passed their test, many many years ago but haven’t done anything with it since. If you don’t believe those types of people exist, then think again. This post has been provided by someone who can speak first hand about it. So enough from me, I’ll let you enjoy the article.

Just to give you some back story here. I’m 34 years old, and I passed my test when I was 19! Having only driven for 11 months, people always ask me why I didn’t drive after passing my test. It wasn’t because of money, it was because I had such a stressful time learning to drive and I didn’t want to get behind the wheel ever again! I was so relieved after passing my driving test, not because I passed it. But it was the fact that I never needed to drive ever again! Then just over a year ago something happened in my life which is a bit of a game changer, my partner fell pregnant. I had spent so many years of avoiding being an adult, now I had no choice but to join the group, and the first port of call was to get a car. I shall tell you what I’ve learned in getting back into the driving seat (reluctantly)!

Relearning is okay

Essentially after passing my test and not having driven for so long I wondered if I was able to remember everything I learned. Getting back into the driving seat is a huge task for anybody. So I just did as much research as I possibly could, and eventually, I got the courage to book a driving lesson. Another thing that people can do you uses to get insured on a friend or family member’s car. Being insured on someone else’s car may take the pressure off you instead of having your lesson so you can learn at your own pace. I was worried that so many things have changed since I passed my test, it turns out all the signs are the same! Who’d have thunk it?

Buying a car is difficult

When you passed your test, and you’re 17, buying a car is all about getting the fastest and the sexiest. When you’re 34, and you’re buying a car, the dealers expect you to know what they’re talking about, when in fact I didn’t have a clue! My advice when it comes to this is to take a friend or a family member to point you in the right direction. Here’s a little tip, men love talking about cars! So get as much information as you can.

Get a feel for the road
 
Whether as a passenger or buying a bike, getting a feel for the road will be half the battle when it comes to getting back into the swing of things. If you feel like getting a bike is a nice way to build up to driving a car, visit permit.bike if you are looking to get your bike license. As a passenger, I spent a lot of time observing people and their habits, and it put my mind at ease when I saw that people made mistakes many years after passing their test, not that they caused any collisions!

Driving for the first time by yourself

So you found the car, got the insurance and feel slightly confident in your ability to put the foot down on the accelerator for more than 10 seconds, congratulations! Now here is where the fun starts! You may feel daunted by such a small journey from the dealership, but remember to take your time and to break the journey down into smaller chunks if that is easier for you. After you get home, you may need a stiff drink, but remember not to go out after it!

When you’re ready, take the car out for your first journey. The best advice I can give you is to keep to the roads that are local to your area. That way you know the roads and you can get home quick if you feel stressed! With each time you go back out, drive a little further away. Before you know it you have driven five miles, then 7 miles, and then you will have driven for 50 miles without a break and didn’t even realize it!

If I can do it, then anybody can do it. I’ve never realized how great driving is. It is a cliche but people say that you have so much freedom when you drive, I understand what they mean now. So if you have a friend that is in the same predicament, heed my words!

** This is a collaborative post