These tips and advice should make you or your teen a better first time driver.
Pick which parent you want to teach you how to drive. This is more important than it sounds because you don't want someone who has bad driving habits to pass them on to you.
Practice backing in and out of your driveway to get a feel for the car. You need to have an idea how big your car is and how heavy it is in order to be able to drive it safely.
The gas pedal is VERY sensitive. Just the weight of your foot on the pedal can get a response from the engine. You will have jerky starts when beginning, but you'll get the feel for it very quickly. I remember going about 50 m.p.h. and not even realizing it because my foot was barely touching the pedal.
If you start to go over the speed limit, or want to slow down for a red light in the distance, don't slam the brakes. Just letting off the gas will slow you down quite a bit because of how heavy your car is.
Get comfortable with driving an automatic transmission before learning to operate a vehicle with manual. The extra pedal (clutch) and having to shift while driving with one hand takes much more concentration and coordination.
Make sure you take Driver's Education. It gives you not only more experience and knowledge, but also a decrease in insurance rates. Every rebate should be taken advantage of because all insurance companies are going to charge a lot to insure new drivers.
Another rate reducer is your grades. Keep a B or better average in school to further lessen your (parents) expenses.
I hope these tips help you become a better driver. Just keep practicing and you will get the hang of things very quickly.
