We all know that driving a car is a skill you need in the modern world, but it’s also a skill you are going to be perfecting your whole life. The moment you sit behind the wheel, you become responsible for your own life, the lives of people who are in the vehicle with you, as well as the lives of others on the road. It’s a lot of responsibility and cars can be dangerous, especially if you’re not confident in your driving skills (or if you’re too confident). Here’s what you can do to significantly improve your driving skills: 

Don’t get distracted

It should go without saying that texting while driving is off the limits. Not only is it dangerous, but it’s also against the law, and you don’t want to end up paying a fine or hurting anyone. Of course, it’s possible to use your cell phone safely while you’re driving by using remote control function or headphones, but it’s for the best to keep your phone in your bag while you’re behind the wheel. You also shouldn’t eat while you drive nor should you keep fiddling with the radio. If you’re not sure where you’re going, plan your route before you start the car so you can follow the directions easily instead of looking around. 

Refresh your driving skills

Driving lessons are the best and the safest way to improve your driving skills, but sometimes, people who have their license don’t want to take lessons because they think it’s something just for beginners. Luckily, that’s not the case, and there are many schools that will be more than happy to schedule a couple of hours for you so you can brush up on your rusty skills. Sometimes, all it takes is a couple of lessons for a person to feel confident enough and get back behind the wheel, but even if takes longer, it’s best to go through with it with a licensed instructor by your side. 

Learn to drive a manual vehicle

Even though most cars in Australia and the US are automatic, there are also manual vehicles, and knowing to drive one is a really useful skill these days. You should ask around to find a driving school such as EzLicence that has a lot of manual driving instructors who can help you learn how to drive a stick shift car. Fortunately, most driving schools have cars that have dual controls, so you will find it easier to learn to drive with a stick shift this way. 

Park like a boss

Parking is one of those skills that takes a very long time to master and gives people headaches, especially when it comes the time to parallel park in a narrow and busy street. If you’re not confident in your backward driving abilities, it’s best to take some time and practice in an empty parking lot before you try it in the street. Fortunately, there are a lot of simple and useful instructions online on how to successfully park parallel, reverse, and forward.

Go over your must-dos 

The moment you get into your car, you must put on your seatbelt and make sure your mirrors are in the right position so you have full visibility of the street and the cars behind you. This is especially important if more than one person is driving your car because everyone will adjust the seat and the mirrors the way it suits them best. Only after this, it’s safe for you to start your car and drive on. In addition, you have probably learned that the right position to keep your hands on the wheel is 10 and 2, but when you’re driving for a long time, you will learn that 9 and 3, as well as 8 and 4, are much more natural and comfortable, and equally safe. 

Simply put – if you’re hoping to become better at driving, you should drive more and drive often. Still, there so much more than sitting behind the wheel that makes a great driver: you should be careful and mindful of your surroundings, and you should drive more conscientiously. Driving is a skill that gets rusty if not used, and you shouldn’t take it for granted but rather work on improving it at all times.