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How did you gain confidence to drive after passing your test?

I passed my test a few months ago and I am finding getting use to a different car so hard! I live in a busy town and find myself waiting till 11pm to practice as I absolutely hate driving near other drivers whilst I am not use to my car. I still feel like my car controls me and it scares me! How did you feel when it come to driving by yourself? I just don't want to annoy other drivers but I don't want to rush and cause an accident either! :smile:
how do you get confidence in driving ?

by driving , without time pressures , if you live somewhere where you can get to some reasonable country roads go and practice there - it;s what people do when they are doing prep for advanced and what the emergency services driver trainers do with middle of the course drivers ( when response techniques are introduced )

if you are struggling for confidence etc then pass plus or similar becomes an even better idea than it is for the 'ordinary' driver ( pass plus should have the biggest effect on the two extremes of drivers i.e. the nervous and the recklessly over confident )
Reply 2
Original post by louisefuller21
I passed my test a few months ago and I am finding getting use to a different car so hard! I live in a busy town and find myself waiting till 11pm to practice as I absolutely hate driving near other drivers whilst I am not use to my car. I still feel like my car controls me and it scares me! How did you feel when it come to driving by yourself? I just don't want to annoy other drivers but I don't want to rush and cause an accident either! :smile:


I got my driving instructor to come back again in my own car and he just watched me drive and said I was fine because I took my parents out beforehand and they rushed me and kept telling me off which decreased my confidence but he just told me to ignore my parents. I live in London aswell so I don't need to explain how difficult it is driving in London but I've been driving for 4 months now and I'm only 17 :smile: get your driving instructor to come back. It may feel abit embarrassing but it's really helpful


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Reply 3
Passing my test would give me the confidence to drive...
Original post by louisefuller21
I passed my test a few months ago and I am finding getting use to a different car so hard! I live in a busy town and find myself waiting till 11pm to practice as I absolutely hate driving near other drivers whilst I am not use to my car. I still feel like my car controls me and it scares me! How did you feel when it come to driving by yourself? I just don't want to annoy other drivers but I don't want to rush and cause an accident either! :smile:


Believe it or not, you actually need to make mistakes to gain confidence. Making mistakes to deal with them & make sure you don't make them again is what improved my confidence on the road. You've been deemed capable enough by an examiner to drive safely & responsibility on the roads.

Don't feel rushed, if you're unsure on anything take your time. Sod what other motorists think, we were all new drivers at some point too
When I first passed my test, I didn't get a car straight away and it was over 6 months till I eventually got one. I was so eager and excited to finally get one, and I got in it and I was just overwhelmed like. Uh oh. I used to imagine my driving instructor was still in the car and her voice was in my head coming up to traffic lights and roundabouts etc. I just imagined what she would tell me to do so it felt as though I was still being supervised. This helped a little and I also did what you did and went out when it was quietest, just to get used to the car.

When you do though, it'll be like you've been driving that car since forever :biggrin:
Reply 6
The only way to gain confidence is to drive. I passed my test in November last year, and since then, have driven my car every day, I've also done a few runs to Scotland and back (I live in London). You will make mistakes, and you'll learn from them, but the more you drive, the more confident you become.
I had an issue with parking after I passed my test, it used to take me ages to get into bays, now I'm so used to doing it, I don't even think about it any more.

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I ****ing love driving and do so whenever i get the chance. There's nothing like feeling the power of a potential killing machine under your control. Just gotta jump into it.
A few days is normal. A few months is probably not normal!
Original post by Silver Arrow
I ****ing love driving and do so whenever i get the chance. There's nothing like feeling the power of a potential killing machine under your control. Just gotta jump into it.


lol what?!
Original post by ZolaCFC25
lol what?!


Basically, if i'm driving, stay off the ****ing roads.

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