So you’re learning to drive? I can bet you want to be able to zip as fast as that guy with the pigtails who’s your neighbor or want to overtake the girl in tight jeans while she’s driving that swanky sports car. You want to be one of * them *, right? And as fast as possible!
point number 1.
But wait - the first step in learning to drive is NOT speed, it is safety. It’ll be best if people don’t learn that the hard way. That’s why this piece.
I define being able to drive as -
a. not banging into any object, person or other vehicle, and
b. never letting the engine go down of its own.
c. taking care of the occupants’ comfort.
If you are able to do these three things, you are a good driver. These are the most important things. Remember, once you meet with an accident, while you’re learning or immediately after that, it will shake your confidence greatly. However if you stick to driving safely instead of worrying about speed, it will come naturally to you. You will be able to negotiate the heaviest of traffic and the sharpest of turns, without any problem.
As a personal example, I have learnt driving just 6 months back - at age 28. That’s 10 years of lost time in my country. But I take pride in saying that I haven’t banged my car even once( the fact that I own the car helped). And yes please ignore the incident when I banged into a lady in a crowded market while I was moving at 5mph.( I should have been honking.) The point is, whenever I try to go fast, I make mistakes, like forgetting to change gear, or jerks while I change them, or having to come to a sudden halt.
But when I’m driving with a view to provide comfort to the passengers, my prime concern is - no jerks, no sudden turns, no accidents, no engines getting cut suddenly. And when I’m concentrating on all this, the speed just takes care of itself. Also I realised that when I drive pretending that I’m a student again, my driving’s better and more fulfilling.
Phew! Well, you can understand by now that I’m really passionate about driving. A car is a great machine - think about it - it does everything to your command, takes you places, keeps you comfortable in the process. So firstly, ENJOY driving! That’s possible only if you drive safely and are concerned about co passengers.
It up, it doesn’t matter if you never move to the top gear during the entire journey. What matters is that you have a fulfilling experience.
That was point no 1.
Point number 2.
Practice makes perfect.
Keep driving. Don’t chicken out.
Keep looking for opportunities to hone your skills.
If there’s a particular section that you have trouble with on a particular time of the day, don’t give it up. Remember, there are other people too who drive on that road at the same time. Think of alternatives, think of strategies, move slower the next time, honk more - but you have to make it.
The more you practice, the better you’ll become.
When I first started driving, one hour used to be enough to give me a headache. But I kept driving. Now there’s no headache. Simple as that.
Also take pride in your vehicle, however small, cheap or old it may be. Take good care of it. Wash it. Clean it. Dress it up. And keep using it.
In the final analysis,
my advice:
Don’t worry about speed.
And keep on driving.
And one day you’ll find yourself smiling to yourself while a guy with a pigtail that looks familiar - or a girl in a sports car wearing tight jeans - tries to overtake you.
Your comments invited.