Life is all about phases and achievements. Every teenager’s highlight is the day they get to hold a valid and hard-earned driver’s license in their hand. Earning your P plate is not only a driving license; it’s a green light to independence.
The First Step
Before you can get behind the wheel, you need to obtain your learner’s permit. You must be 15 years and nine months old to do so. You can start getting your learner and provisional licensing when you hit the right age limit.
You can start by signing up for a pre-learner license course (PLLC.) It’s a training course by a registered instructor that can take place online via social networking platforms like Zoom or Skype or in a classroom environment. It’ll depend on where you live and decided by the Safer Drivers Course instructor you pick.
What Will They Teach Me?
These courses are an excellent starting point as they teach you some of the fundamentals of driving alone, such as:
- The basic road rules
- How to make quick and sound decisions while driving
- Problem-solving skills
- Statistics of traffic data
- Research assignments
It all fits together to help you better understand all the responsibilities of being a learner driver.
The Road Rules Knowledge Test
Next up is the assessment test to check your competence and road readiness. It ensures you grasp the road rules, traffic flow, safe driving techniques, and other essential aspects of being a responsible driver. You can only get your Ls when you pass the Road Rules Knowledge Test.
Get Your Ls
You’re now ready to go and get your learners to permit. If you sign up for a safer driver’s course, the instructor will help you. It would be best to log your mandatory 100 hours of driving, of which 20 hours must be night driving. It would help if you used this time to learn and practice your driving skills with your instructor. It enables you to prepare for your Ps and ensure you pass on your first try.
How to Practice With Your Learner Permit
It would be best to have a strategy for the 12 months you hold your learner’s permit in preparation for getting your Ps. Let’s look at some good advice from expert driver instructors.
Take it Slow
Always keep in mind that there’s a lot to learn. Holding a learner’s permit is the start of your journey to becoming a safe driver. Take it slow and learn as much as you can from experienced drivers. Don’t practice in busy streets until you’re familiar with each part of the car. It’s best to practice the basics in empty parking lots until you have control over them.
Stay Calm at All Times
It’s normal to make some mistakes when you learn to drive. You could stall the car on a hill or let it die in the middle of a busy road. The most important thing to tell yourself each time before getting behind the wheel is to remain calm.
If you panic, you’re bound to make mistakes, and making mistakes while operating a vehicle is the last thing you want. Expert driver instructors will greatly help when you learn to drive for this precise reason.
Ask Questions While Driving
While you’re logging your mandatory driving hours with a coach in the car, use the time to ask as many questions as possible. If you see a traffic sign you don’t know, ask what it is and how you should act when you see it on the road. It’s also the perfect opportunity to ask questions when other drivers do things, and you’re unsure what your response should be.
Keep the Motorways for the Last
Only start driving on motorways when you feel confident about handling the car and your emotions in suburban streets. Motorways are fast-moving cars with experienced drivers who know where they’re heading and mostly speed to get there. After mastering the basics in slower traffic, you will feel more confident taking on the busy roads.
Conclusion
It might all sound overwhelming initially, but with an experienced driving instructor, you’ll get through the process and pass your P plate with flying colors.
