If you passed your driving test months or even years ago, don’t worry, you’re not alone – it’s quite a common occurrence! In fact, one in 10 new motorists haven’t driven for 12 months since passing their practical driving test. Here’s what you can do to get back on the road.
It might be that public transport is great in your area that you have no need to drive or the cost of motoring prevents you from owning your own car. Despite these factors, you passed your driving test anyway to get it out of the way, and tick one of life’s milestones off your list.
However, circumstances in life can change, meaning that driving suddenly becomes a requirement. For example, a new job or relocating, but having not driven for so long you’re unsure if your driving skills are as sharp as they were when you first passed. Here are some things you can do to refresh your driving skills.
1) Ask a friend or family member to instruct you
If you own a car, or a friend or family member owns a vehicle, ask them to sit next to you as you rediscover your driving skills. If you’re practicing in a friend or family member’s car, you will need to make sure that you’re insured to drive their vehicle.
Ideally, start off in a quiet location and then plot a route using a mobile phone map app to give you a variety of driving scenarios. For example, town/city driving, country roads, dual carriageways and maybe even motorways.
2) Hire a professional driving instructor
While you’ve had driving lessons in the past, hiring a professional driving instructor for refresher lessons is a great way to get back on the road. Not only will you rediscover your skills, you will sharpen them and boost confidence in your driving ability.
Hiring an instructor is particularly useful if you’ve not driven for several years, given constantly changing road regulations, which are likely to be different compared to your first time behind the wheel.
3) Use P-plates
If you’re taking to the roads alone or supervised, be sure to attach P-plates. Even though ‘officially’ you may have passed your test 12 months ago, if you’ve not driven at all in that time, you are effectively a new motorist.
There are no regulations that say you have to display P-plates – unlike L-plates, which have to be displayed by law – but having them tells other road users that you’re ‘new’ to motoring and they will give you extra grace. Plus, you can keep your P-plates on until you feel confident enough to remove them.
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Tags: King’s Lynn
