8 Things Every New Driver Should Know Before They Hit The Road

Driving a car ought to be a great responsibility upon the driver who must be eligible for the job before hitting the road to keep the smooth functioning of road interactions.

Nowadays, every new day experiences a generation of teenagers who have just completed their driving training or education and get on the roads to explore the pleasures of automotive.

Beyond learning essential driving norms and defensive driving techniques, there are lots of other things that new drivers should know before having direct contact with vehicles and roads.

The article is all about a driver’s learning process. If you’re a new driver and blessed with a car to drive for personal purposes, and anxiously looking to get on the long lavish road paths, you need to know 8 immensely important things from amongst the many as a precursor to healthy road contact.

1. Get familiar with your vehicle:

Before going for a casual drive, primarily one should have the necessary knowledge about the important components of the vehicle like the working of engine, tires, front and side-mirrors, indicators, and headlights.

Your teen does not have to be a car mechanic but knowing how to handle the operational features of a vehicle helps a lot. It also reduces anxiety since many teens rely on their parents to handle car repairs and other technical aspects.

What about going through a driving theory test? This will allow you to learn the basic skills of driving and will assist you in clearing your driving test.

2. Create a checklist:

Before hitting the road, every new driver should create a checklist of things that ought to be verified regularly. He must check whether the radiator has enough water, the tank has enough fuel, wheels are properly balanced, front and side mirrors are clean and clear, headlights are working or the indicators are indicating rightly.

3. Ensure working of rear cameras:

Technology has revolutionized man’s life with more ease and comfort. Fresh driving aspirants need to exploit the use of technology to avoid road inconvenience. Rear cameras in cars are one such blessing that undergoes two primary functions. Firstly, giving the driver a clear view of what's behind the vehicle and secondly, to protect children and animals from being accidentally hit or run over. One must ensure the proper use and working of rearview cameras.

4. Buckle up your seat belts:

One of the fundamentals but the most ignored rule is to buckle up your seat belts before starting driving the car. In case of unusual happening, your vehicle’s seat belts will protect you from severe physical damage. The belts keep your body tied with the seat and prevent any contact with the vehicle's front or side body parts. The rest of the protection is ensured by the safety airbags.

5. Maintain Safe Distance:

Another important rule is to learn to maintain a safe distance from the car next to yours fulfilling a three-second rule of experts. This will allow the driver to react to a sudden event by taking the proper time and using a sensible approach. Most of the usual accidents occur by avoiding this basic principle of driving. Thus, avoid haste and ensure safety.

6. Learn to Change a Tire:

Each driver should be prepared to tackle some basic repairs to keep their vehicle running and perhaps the most obvious mechanic skill that every driver should learn is how to change a tire. Annoyingly and frequently, cars still run on rubber tires and still suffer punctures despite the advances in motoring.

In such a scenario, one should be capable of changing a tire to face the difficulty with courage and to save his time and money. However, avoid changing it in case of severe breakdowns.

7. Expect the unexpected:

While driving on the road, one must be attentive enough to drive properly from his side and to protect himself from irresponsible drivers and lost pedestrians as well. Expecting the unexpected, he should be ready to react to sudden unwanted conditions and maintain the balance of his vehicle.

He might be faced with a car coming from the wrong way or a pedestrian not following the road rules.  So, being in one’s senses avoids lethal incidents in such cases.

8. Say No to Cell Phones:

Another most important rule that driving aspirants should make a habit of is to say no to cell phones while driving the car. Perhaps, the most recursive factor responsible for destructive and life-paying road accidents is the sudden or unnecessary use of mobile phones while driving.

Doing anything on your phone when you should be concentrating on the road is dangerously distracting, and in many areas is completely illegal. According to an AAA poll, 94 percent of teen drivers acknowledge the dangers of texting and driving, but 35% admitted to doing it anyway.