Driving after your practicl driving test
This article is concerned with the things that you need to know about driving after you have passed
the practical driving test
After the driving test has been passed a number of people seem to think that all of the expensive training that they have received is behind them and that
they no longer have to bother with what they were taught
Your instructor has taken a great deal of effort to make sure that you drive safely.
Do you really want to drive any less safely now? Driving any vehicle on the road is a great responsibility and not one that should be undertaken lightly. This article will try to tell you why you should continue to drive safely and hopefully answer a few questions usually posed by the critics of safe driving. The critics of safe driving are usually those who, upon realising that driving safely requires a modicum of effort on their part, decide that they will not bother!
Why should I keep up what I learnt now that I have passed?
In response to this question I would simply ask the question, 'How safe do you want to be?' There are many drivers out there who simply get into the car and aim it where they wish to go. They know where they are going and how to get there and no more than the minimum amount of observations are carried out at any time. It is hardly accurate to say that they are keeping themselves safe, they aren't. They are merely relying on the rest of us not to hit them. Surely you do not find this a satisfactory attitude.
When you passed your driving test you proved that you are perfectly capable of driving to the minimum standard. In that sentence lies the clue to this article. The minimum standard. From here on in you are actually expected to get better. Ask anyone that you know if they would pass the driving test now and they will nearly all say no. Shame really. Surely they all observe much better now that they have acquired the extra experience. They can certainly operate their vehicle with a confidence unknown in learners and their spacial awareness is greater so they know instinctively whether or not they should drive through a gap in traffic or whether they should wait for a larger one. The truth behind what they are sayong is that yes they are more experienced and better at operating their vehicle but they cannot be bothered to wait here and there or to drive that bit slower for safety or, heaven forbid, to give way to oncoming traffic. They are not however going to admit this to you.
If you keep trying to drive properly you will find that you will complete your journey stress free. You will have the satisfaction of knowing that at no stage in your journey has another road user resorted to cursing you. You will live with the knowledge that your no-claims bonus is safer and that any passengers that you may carry with you in your car are more relaxed with your driving than they are with others. Your loved ones will be happy to drive with you and not tell their friends how bad you are. You will present absolutely no danger what so ever to others and will be able to smile serenely when these other drivers talk about stress whilst driving. Snug in the knowledge that you are doing it correctly and they are not.
What is different after the driving test?
There is one big difference in driving after the driving test. You are all on your own. Fro the first time you sat behind the wheel on your first lesson your instructor has been in control and responsible for your actions whether you realised it or not. You are now responsible for the safety of yourself, your passengers and all those around you. You will have to make all of those driving decisions on your own now. The passenger seat is empty. It is your insurance premiums that are at risk if you do not drive safely. Sometimes this responsibility hits home a little hard. It depends upon the person.
When you were in the instruction vehicle you would not have been aware of it but people do leave a little extra time for people who are obviously learning to drive to do things. Once you are out on your own the otherroad users usually expect you to drive and make decisions in a split second. An ability that though they may have had it for years is one that you have yet to develop. Don't get me wrong here. Your decision making abilities are as good as theirs. It is just that they have years more experience and are more able to arrive at a conclusion quickly.
I want to do it my way!
Why? There is in existence a perfectly acceptable method of driving which will get you where you want to go in a safe and timely fashion and what is more you have already proven that you can do it! All that you have to do now is follow it. If you drive differently then you are lessening the likelihood that other people will know what you are doing or why.
Less observations seem to be the norm amongst people who want to drive their own way. I cannot imagine a single reason for not wanting to be aware at all times of what is going on around my vehicle. Certainly any pupils of mine need not bother trying to justify such a driving style change to me.
Unsuitable speeds are another key weapon in the armoury of the people who want to do drive their own way. I used the word weapon on purpose because that is what they have turned their car into. The prospect of driving at a speed greater than that at which I can stop within the distance that I can clearly see horrifies me.
A challenge for any would be irresponsible drivers:- As a fully qualified and approved driving instructor I believe that I know both what I am talking about as well as how to do it. If anyone is confident enough in their own driving to convince me that not noticing what is going on around me whilst driving too fast for the circumstances on the road is a good thing then I will take out space in the local newspaper and tell the whole town that they have a better method of driving than me. Somehow though I feel quietly confident that my pride is safe.
In Summary
It took a lot of work by a lot of professional people to bring about the modern teaching methods that were used to teach you to drive. They were evolved over decades and continue to evelve. If you think that you can do better by living on the edge or not being bothered with the procedures that you were taught then you are wrong. You are a danger to those around you and a hazard on the road.
On the other hand, if you practice driving well and make a point of keeping up your observations and enhancing your skills as you gain experience then it is my pleasure to drive on the same roads as you. Now that you have passed your test as long as you apply the correct attitude to the principles and procedures that you have been taught you should be able to maintain the aim set by the Driving Standards Agency of 'safe driving for life'.
