How To Overcome Your First Driving Lesson Nerves

Approaching the age of 17 and the thought of finally being able to start driving lessons is an exciting milestone in your teenage years. Everyone makes the “when I can drive…” plans and the absolute independence that comes hand in hand with having your car is an entirely new experience, yet it is normal to have some driving lesson nerves .

Overcoming Driving Lesson Nerves

Although the overall build up to your first lesson is, of course, going to be exciting, there is an aspect of being in control of a car for the first time that is nerve-racking. It is completely understandable that there will be a hint of first driving lesson nerves , for the majority of people it is mostly the fear of the unexpected. The key to overcoming your negative thoughts is preparation. If you are in the build-up to your first driving lesson, or have even already started lessons and need some guidance, our guide will help you to prepare in advance and give you an insight into what you can expect.

Prepare in Advance

The initial step to learning to drive, before you plan any lessons, is to get your provisional license. The good thing about your provisional is that you do not have to wait until you’re 17 to apply for it, you can apply once you pass the age of 15 years and nine months. However, you cannot legally start driving until you have turned 17. The first thing you will be asked for in your lesson will be your provisional license, so if you do not have it, unfortunately, you cannot legally get behind the wheel. You can apply for your first driving license on the GOV.UK website. The second aspect to consider is the strength of your eyesight. As obvious as it sounds you do need a certain level of vision to be able to drive, in your first lesson you will be asked to read a number plate 20 metres away. If you have to wear glasses or contact lenses, it would be highly recommended to wear them when you drive.

Booking a Lesson

The time of the day that you take your driving lessons is entirely your decision; only you know when is best for you. If you are in education or working, your driving instructor will work around your availability. Lessons can be done during free periods, lunch breaks, before or after work/education. Everyone’s brain is active at different times of the day, some people are morning people, and some are night owls. The key is to book your lesson when you are going to be most focused when your brain will consume and store all the new information that you are taught the most. If you are a morning person, book your lesson for the start of your day, get it over and done with as early as you can, then you can carry on the remainder of your day. If you hate mornings and struggle to focus when you first wake up, find an instructor that offers evening lessons. Evening lessons will cost the same amount and can sometimes be handy as driving in the dark is good practice for the future. Driving lessons do go surprisingly faster than you would expect, it is an excellent suggestion to book a two-hour lesson for your first lessons to settle in and get yourself used to your surroundings.

Getting Ready

You want to try and make your first lesson as stress-free as possible and as strange as it sounds, your clothing makes a huge difference. Wear something that will be comfortable to sit down in and will not restrict your movement when driving. Your shoe choice is a massive part of driving, again wear something comfortable, shoes such as trainers will be so much easier to learn in as you will have more control over the pedals. Things like sandals, flip-flops or high-heeled shoes will only cause you problems and make your overall driving experience a lot harder.

Knowing What to Expect

Knowing what to expect from your first driving lesson will always help to put you at ease, it can help you to prepare and even think of questions you would like to ask. Your driving instructor will pick you up from your house and drive you to a quiet location away from traffic, for example, a local industrial estate or car park; you will not be expected to jump straight in the car and drive. Being familiar with your local areas when taking driving lessons in Luton will help to put you at ease, as well as if you are learning in any other area. Once parked up, you will be shown around the car, taught what everything is and how to use it when driving, as well as how to make seat position comfortable for you. As it is your first lesson, your instructor will start you from scratch; you won’t be expected to know what all the pedals and buttons do, so do not stress if you are unsure. It is likely that you will find yourself driving in your first lesson, especially if it is for 2 hours. It will be nothing major, just learning the basics and how to stop and start the car. Always remember that your driving instructor in Luton will have dual controls no matter what car you are learning in, so if something goes wrong they can simply take control.

Summary

Everyone will have first driving lesson nerves ; you are learning something completely different to anything you would have previously faced. Here are some final points to help you with your first lesson:

Don’t be disheartened.

No one is going to pick everything up in their first couple of hours of lessons. Remember the average amount of lessons needed before a test is around 45 hours.

Talk to others.

Everyone who drives would have had to start somewhere; everyone has been in your position once. The good thing is everyone learns in different ways, which means each person would have their own tips that they picked up to make driving easier.

Relax.

Some people find it harder to relax and calm nerves than others, trying simple breathing exercises can help. Relaxation techniques can be done quickly before your lesson, click here for 40 ways to relax in 5 minutes or less.

Keep going.

After a while driving lessons do start to become a chore, especially when you are close to your test. In the build-up to your test, you would have already learnt everything, and it merely is just practice, practice, and practice. Don’t give up because once you have passed, you have a permanent license.

Don’t panic.

Lastly and most importantly, do not panic if something goes wrong, your driving instructor has dual controls to assist you for this exact reason.