The Worries of a New Driver

Driving may be one of the most nerve-wracking and intense things to do when you first begin. You might constantly worry about being hit from every side of your car, even when you’re parked. Every facet of driving — stopping, accelerating, turning, merging, and parking — will seem dreadfully difficult.  All your fears will turn in to a poised driver with a few tips from an "experienced" new driver.

First, here's my story of my earlier struggles to show that I may not be the best driver on the road.  

I recently got my learner's permit on Sept. 24th and many scenarios went through my head when I walked into the Beltsville DMV:

"What if I fail?"

"What kind of questions could they ask me?"

"Just don't tell anyone you failed, only your family will know."

Letting these doubts get into my head was the worst possible situation. I sat down in front of the bright screen which stated, "Would you like to start the test?" I was a deer in headlights just staring at the "Yes" and "No" buttons.

I flew through the test, getting three wrong. (The limit to still pass was three.)  I finally had my permit and could begin driving.

One day outside a Home Depot, I pulled out of a parking spot and was ready to floor it out. Little did I know the car was still in reverse and I punched it. The car flew backwards narrowly avoiding a crash — Rookie Mistake No. 1.

Now that I have been driving for a month, I'm a lot more confident in my skills.  Confidence is a new driver's best friend.

Knowing your limitations and skill is the best thing to recognize when you first begin driving.  When you fully acknowledge these, confidence will come.  Do not think of confidence and cockiness as the same thing.  Confidence on the road is being able to trust others on the road.  They aren't out to get you or get in a crash. So if you are nice to them they'll return the favor. Cockiness on the road is acting like Speed Racer and switching lanes just to get around cars going the speed limit.  Know the difference between the two and with time you will be a confident driver.

Here are a couple other small tips to ensure a good driving experience:

• Always be comfortable in your seat; adjust your seat so it’s perfect and correct the rear-view mirror to agree with the new positioning of your seat.
• When you see a friend on the road or walking down the street, do not stop to say "Hi!" or you'll be welcomed with a barrage of honks.  When merging, don't come to a full stop when turning into the lane.  Let others know you'll be coming into the lane soon by putting your turn signal on in advance;
• Just remember, no driver is out to get you. Be confident. Don't let the doubts get into your head. You'll have struggles but eventually it'll become fun.  Then when you're old and hate driving you can make your kids do it with the same advice I gave you.