So, you are either in possession of a brand new driver’s license, or you are close to getting there. You probably have lots of ideas for how you’ll make good use of being able to drive, and one of these may be taking a fun road trip to another part of the country. Of course, a long distance drive like this will be completely different to things you have covered in your lessons, so as a new and inexperienced driver can you really handle your next trip like that?
Share the Work
Driving long distances in unfamiliar areas can be quite stressful, and even some people who have been driving for years find it challenging. This doesn’t mean you need to wait years to be ready to do your dream road trip, but it does mean you will get a lot more enjoyment out of the experience and come away from it with newfound driving confidence rather than stress if you go with friends who can drive (preferably who have been driving much longer than you) and share the driving. This is sound advice for anybody planning a road trip, as driving when you are tired can be dangerous, and you do, after all, want to have fun, too, but for new drivers it is unwise to be the only driver on a long distance trip.
Practice Motorway Driving
On the motorway, things are in some ways easier than when driving in town as you don’t have to worry about things like crossings or pedestrians, and most of the time you are just moving forward in a straight line until your exit. However, you will be going at speeds you probably aren’t used to and dealing with the lane system, all of which can be daunting as a new driver. Practice driving on the motorway or consider a motorway driving lesson before you attempt an ambitious road trip where you’ll be on the motorway for hours.
Get Used To Using Sat-Nav While You Drive
If you’ve only driven routes you are familiar with before, you may never have tried driving somewhere relying solely on your sat-nav app or system. It is a good idea to practice this before your road trip, so you can be confident that you can work it without getting distracted from the road. And if that’s the case, click here for a great free mock theory test website that will help you become more confident. This will prevent you from getting lost on your road trip or becoming flustered about working with your chosen system while also doing a host of other new things.
If you practice things beforehand and bring along at least one more experienced driver, then there is no reason why a road trip early in your driving career can’t be safe, enjoyable and relatively stress free. Make sure you plan though – simply getting in your car and heading for a destination hundreds of miles away when you’ve never driven outside of your town before could be a recipe for disaster!