Amazing Guide to Becoming a First-Time Driver

Becoming a driver for the first time is a fantastic achievement. But it can also be a long and daunting process. You need to know the ins and outs and be aware of what you’ve got to prepare for when you become a driver. It’s a little like taking a step into the unknown. You might have observed your friends and family driving, but it’s a different process when you’re involved.

There’s often not a lot of guidance for aspiring drivers to help them onto the right track. It’s important to know what the process involves. And it’s also important to have tips that make the transition easier. So here’s a comprehensive guide to becoming a first-time driver, what you can expect and ways to deal with it.

Save Money

The first thing you’re going to need to do is save up money. Owning and running a car is expensive, and that’s not always apparent until you own one. It’s going to be an added expense in your life that might put a strain on your financial situation. But you can take measures to preempt this problem. If you start saving money as soon as you can, you can build yourself up a car ‘nest egg’. This gives you something to fall back on if becoming a driver starts to get pricey, which it will. It also means you can pay for the running of your car, and you won’t have to take out a loan or slide into debt.

Shop Around For Insurance

Car insurance is often a pain in the proverbial. All drivers hate having to deal with it, and it’ll no doubt be the same for you. Because the process is such a pain it’s going to be tempting to take the first insurance premium you’re offered. But this isn’t always the most sensible thing to do. You need to shop around for insurance. There are plenty of price comparison sites online that will do the grunt work for you. Through these, you can find the cheapest and best deals for your car insurance. When shopping onine, online security is important. Consider using a VPN when making payments. Even the cheapest VPN will help! You can read online VPN reviews to find the best ones.

Take Enough Lessons

Lessons are a vital part of the process of becoming a driver. You need to learn how to drive. You have to get to grips with the basics, but also build up experience at the same time. Once you’ve taken enough lessons, you’ll be in a position to take your test. But you need to make sure you take enough lessons that you’ve built up confidence and experience. A lot of people try to rush the process and take their test before they’re ready. Make sure you don’t do this. Be honest with yourself about how many lessons you think you need. Speak to your instructor too if you’re unsure.

Consider Leasing

When it comes to getting your car, you might be overwhelmed by the cost. You need to get yourself a good, reliable and good quality car like a Honda. But buying a car brand new might not be affordable for you. You may not want to buy used either. Well, the good news is that there are other options. You can go for a contract hire or lease agreement. Pick a reputable dealership and look at what works best for you. For example, Listers contract hire options allow you to pay monthly installments to hire a car over a set period. This is ideal if you run a business and you need a car. There are plenty of personal leasing and contract hire options around as well so look out for these.

Choose a Reliable Car

It’s important to choose a car that’s dependable and reliable. As a new driver, you don’t want to worry about your car breaking down every few weeks. You’ll have enough on your plate as it is, and this might overwhelm. It can be particularly daunting if you don’t know anything about cars. So you want to have a reliable car that you can depend on. One that’s going to get you around when you need it to, and that’s going to last you years, not months.

Give Your Car Regular Maintenance Checks

One of the best ways to ensure your car remains reliable is to give it regular maintenance checks. If you or a family member have a little car knowledge, you might be able to do some of the checking yourself. But you should also take your car into the garage to get it serviced. If you get it checked by professionals on a regular basis it prevents the buildup of problems. It also means that any problems that do appear can be taken care of straight away before they get worse.

Image Source

Try to Increase Efficiency

You should try to do as much as you can to increase the efficiency of your vehicle. This might mean switching to a different kind of petrol, or changing the tyres. You need to try to keep as much weight out of the car as you can too. This will cut down on the fuel consumption costs and save you valuable pennies. You could always try to buy a car that’s fuel-efficient already, but these are techniques you can apply to any car.

Don’t Go On Motorway Until You’re Confident

As a newly qualified driver, your biggest fear might be driving on the motorway. This is what many people cite as their biggest fear as a new driver. It’s intimidating because it’s noisy and fast and full of experienced drivers. If you’re worried about driving on the motorway, it means you’re probably not ready for it yet. Stay off the motorway for the time being and build up confidence and experience behind the wheel. Once you feel more confident, you can go about tackling the motorway. You might still want to take a friend with you for the moral support though!

Image Source

Weatherproof Your Vehicle

Something a lot of new drivers overlook is the importance of weatherproofing their vehicles. Don’t forget that a car is fragile and needs to be treated with care. It’s vulnerable and susceptible to damage from the elements. When the winter hits, you need to protect your car from the cold and wet. You may want to think about changing the tyres to winter tyres and keeping the car undercover when you’re not driving it.