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The first months after getting a driver's license: instructor's tips for a smooth start

After getting your driving license, the most important journey begins – one in which you learn not only to control the car, but also yourself. As driving instructor Saulius Gerdauskas says, first you need to realize the basic principle: safety is always more important than speed. You will learn to drive fast on your own, and you become a good driver by consistently repeating the correct actions. Your goal for the first few months is to create a calm routine so that the basic movements become “muscles”, and your gaze and attention are directed to the environment.

Most new drivers forget the same things in their first few weeks: turning on the turn signal too late or forgetting to turn it off, not checking the mirror or looking over their shoulder when changing lanes, keeping too little distance from the car in front, and choosing their speed based on the maximum speed limit sign, not the conditions. Ignoring the logic of “who has priority?” at intersections. When approaching pedestrian crossings, the driver’s eyes do not scan the sides enough, and when parking, they lack patience and slow, smooth movements. This is normal – a novice driver still focuses a lot of attention on driving. The good news is that consistent work quickly fills these gaps.

Routine and habits help avoid mistakes

Start with five minutes of preparation before each trip. First, choose a route and have one alternative for unforeseen situations. If you use navigation, set it while still standing. Assess the weather: rain, fog or the sun on the horizon means that you will choose a safer speed and distance, and sunglasses should be at hand. Quickly check the car – whether there are no warning lights on, whether the windows and mirrors are clean, whether there is enough fuel. Finally – ergonomics: adjust the seat, steering wheel and mirrors, fasten your seat belt. Turn on the “do not disturb” mode on your phone. This little routine immediately reduces the risk of mistakes and the reason to rush

On the road, use one simple gaze tactic: look far away, then medium distance, and only then close – as if you were taking a slow panorama with your eyes. Every few seconds, you quickly run through the mirrors, and when changing lanes, first signal, then check the mirror and blind spot with a look over your shoulder, and only then make a maneuver. Keep the distance to the car in front of you at least two to three seconds; increase the distance when it is raining, snowing, or foggy. If in doubt, take your time. There is no such turn that you need to “predict at all costs.” Failed? Drive straight and turn around in a safe place.

After you finish your trip, take two minutes to do a quick self-assessment of your trip. Tell yourself clearly one thing that went well and that you will repeat tomorrow. And one thing that you will do differently next time: for example, you will start changing lanes earlier, enter the roundabout more slowly, take more time to watch for crossings. Write it down on your phone or in a notebook. Small notes like these can quickly turn into good habits.

Six-week plan

To make progress tangible, plan the first four to six weeks. The first week is dedicated to slow maneuvers and parking: yards, parking lots, reversing, trajectory control, maneuvering movements between parked cars. The second week is intersections and roundabouts: pre-selected lane, signal from the moment of decision, exiting the roundabout with a signal and paying attention to pedestrian crossings before the intersection. In the third week, move on to faster roads: merging into traffic, constant speed according to conditions and discipline in keeping your distance. Let the fourth week be night and rain: you learn to control the lights, understand when fog lights are really needed, and consolidate the habit of slow, smooth movements. In the fifth and sixth weeks, challenge yourself more seriously: drive on unfamiliar routes, practice perpendicular parking in narrower spaces, try to stop on an uphill and downhill slope so that the car remains stable and does not roll back after starting.

If the tension is too much

Stress and fear of driving often arise unexpectedly, especially during rush hour or in unfamiliar places. The rule here is simple: reduce the goal to a size that you feel safe with. Choose times when traffic is lighter, shorten routes, choose only one learning goal for one trip – today I’m practicing parking, tomorrow – roundabouts, the day after tomorrow – merging into faster traffic. If you want company, let the passenger be a calm observer, not a commentator. When you feel stressed, a few simple breaths usually return your heartbeat to normal and allow you to think more clearly.

There are several situations where patience is most useful for new drivers. When it is raining or on slippery surfaces, do all actions more gently and earlier – start braking a little further away, increase the distance, and turn the steering wheel without sudden movements. In fog, use dipped headlights, front fog lights only when they really help, and rear fog lights only in heavy fog and when you want to remain “visible”. If the sun is low and shining in your eyes – take care not only of your glasses, but also of the cleanliness of the windshield, especially from the inside: dirt additionally scatters reflections and significantly reduces visibility. On the highway, do not forget the essence of the acceleration lane – in it you reach the flow speed before the merge, not after it; slow merging poses a danger to you and others.

In everyday life, good skills are developed by little things. Turn on the steering wheel as soon as you decide – not when you are already turning the steering wheel. When approaching pedestrian crossings, move your foot from the accelerator to the brake pedal – you will be ready to react. And another trick of the instructor – silent “talking to yourself”: “a roundabout is approaching, I need a second exit; I will turn on the signal before the exit, check the mirrors”. Such a sequence of thoughts helps to organize actions in your mind and reduces the risk of surprises.

It's not your speed that shows your progress.

During the first nine to twelve weeks, progress usually looks like this: after a couple of weeks, parking and roundabouts are no longer a big deal; after a month, faster roads and lane changes become smoother; after two months, you feel quite calm at night and in the rain, driving on unknown routes; by the third month, everything merges into one calmer, more conscious ride. The most important thing is not to compare yourself to others and not to judge your progress by kilometers or speedometer numbers. Progress is not shown by speed, but by how calmly you can perform the same maneuver the second and third time in a row.

A quick reminder for calm driving

Finally, create a mini-memo on your phone and read it before you start until the habits “stick.” There can be three simple points left there:

  • before driving – seat, steering wheel, mirrors, seat belt, route and weather, phone “do not disturb”;
  • when driving – look far away, keep a distance of at least two to three seconds, use the turn signal before maneuvering and regularly glance at the mirrors;
  • After the trip – one success and one lesson for next time.

This little discipline structures your day so that driving becomes a peaceful habit, not a lottery.

If you put these principles into your own words and repeat them every day, you will very quickly notice that the tension has subsided, the movements have become smooth, and the decisions have become clear. This is how the driver we would all like to meet on the road is born: not a daredevil, but a predictable, polite and safe-minded person who chooses peace over haste every time.

Palygink draudimo bendrovių siūlomas kainas per kelias minutes!

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