Learn
to Drive Properly
Anybody
who has been out on the road as a pedestrian, a cyclist, or in a car,
will have seen examples of bad driving. Nobody wants to be a bad
driver, so how do we learn properly and make sure that we don’t
become poor drivers?
Most
importantly, choose a really good instructor. A good Driving
Instructor will teach you how to drive well. At times you may think
they are slightly obsessive about tiny little things like hand
position and mirror checking; what they are doing is making sure that
the little details that make you a better driver become ingrained as
habit. If you are learning to drive from a friend or family member,
and want to learn to drive properly, then it’s important that they
are picky too. If they allow you to learn sloppy habits then you
will always have those sloppy habits and you will be a worse driver
as a result.
Learn
to drive in the right order and take your time. No driving
instructor would take a brand new learner to a large roundabout on a
dual-carriageway without first spending several hours learning car
control. Car control is about setting off, getting the car moving,
slowing down and stopping, steering and manoeuvring. It’s harder
than it looks to combine different pedals, steering wheel and looking
in mirrors. Learning to do so takes time and practice, but
eventually becomes second nature. Without spending adequate time
teaching these foundation driving skills and allowing time for your
brain to embed and assimilate them, you will never be confident on
the road. We’ve all seen the car that bunny-hops as it moves away,
or stalls at every junction – this is the driver who has not yet
spent enough time developing control of the car.
Once
you have good car control, then you move on to road-craft and driving
theory. In your theory you’ll be learning the rules of the road,
road signs and markings and what to do at roundabouts, junctions and
other situations. During your driving lessons you will encounter all
of these in real-life driving, and be able to put your new theory
into practice in every lesson. You’ll be developing the ability to
spot and react appropriately to potential hazards, and getting broad
experience of lots of different traffic conditions, road types and
weather. The more practice you get with a competent and experienced
instructor beside you at this stage (still being picky about little
details) the better driver you will become.
Learning
to drive properly is not about being able to drive fast and it’s
not about being able to carry out all those tricky manoeuvres they
ask you to do for your test. Learning to drive properly means being
able to drive safely, not just during your test, but whatever the
road conditions, whatever your emotions on any given day, and
whatever those other lunatic drivers might throw at you. Learning to
drive properly means that five or six years down the line you’ll
still be thinking about your own driving skills, you’ll be noting
any bad habits that have crept in, and you’ll be correcting
yourself and constantly looking to improve your driving, making it
safer and more efficient. That’s what learning to drive properly
is all about.
If you would like
to learn to
drive in Glasgow contact TX Driver Training now on 0141 764 1213.