So many roundabouts!! I passed my test a fortnight ago, and have a car on the go. I went on a small trip today and today drove out of town to a local village/nature centre with DS and a friend and back, which involves a few major roundabouts. The switch from a 1.8ish diesel to petrol has really thrown me. I want to drive a petrol car but in the learner car you could pull of before putting much (if any) gas on at all and I could pull away pretty fast so I was very confident. In this car (a tiny 1.0 Micra) I have to pull away slowly or I stall the bugger. Is it always going to be this hard to drive?? (I'm very safe by the way, and CAN drive but it's just the bite point and being careful not to over-rev when changing gears etc as it's all new).
I'm driving along the M4 next month so want to try and get as up to scratch as I can. 
I had no idea it'd be such a big adjustment from car to car. Trying not to beat myself up as I didn't stall much but I had to pull away a bit slower than the cars around me and just feel like an all around knob 
Does it get easier??
AIBU?
To feel like quitting driving after only two days on the road in a busy SE town + the switch to petrol?? Gaaaah. It does get easier right? Right??
TheOrchardKeeper · 04/07/2015 14:51
To be fair it is a Saturday and there was a tonne of traffic. I found music helped a bit because it makes you relax/ease up a bit but that's it. I got P plates so I don't feel as bad for being obviously a bit 'new'
Thanks. It got better today in the sense that I just stopped trying to pull away super-fast when lights changed etc and that stopped me stalling but I'm hoping to take it out tomorrow without DS to find a quiet road I can practise stopping/pulling away in for as long as I can stand
It almost feels like learning all over again. I don't want to lose the confidence I had though so am hoping to just push through it, if that's actually possible. This car also has no power steering and is so much noisier 
Thank you Spam - cross post 
I think it's a LOT more to do with switching cars than my driving. I'd gotten to the point where moving off wasn't something I worried about at all anymore before my test. I didn't even have to think about it. And I do prefer long stretches. My town is 80% traffic lights and roundabouts so today was 100% stopping and starting and traffic/crawling which is maybe why today has really upset me.
I feel pretty daft to be so bothered about it/stalling again like a learner
Yeah I only realized I even needed to use more gas and sooner in my car to get it going by googling it...
My instructor was fab but never mentioned that a changeover would mean much besides just it being a different size!
I guess just keep trying? I really don't want to be one of those people who's too scared to drive unless necessary. The whole point of me learning was because I'm a single parent and need it!
No you can do motorways as soon as you've passed in the UK. I'm not that worried about the M4 because it's mostly straight and I've been in the car with someone doing it a hundred times+ so sort of know the way to where I'm going already. I hope I do get used to it like you say!
Whoever said that you learn how to 'properly' drive once you pass your test was pretty spot on... And I suppose at least I'm a safe driver. I've not had any near misses and I don't hold people up too much, it's just frustrating when it's you driving/making the mistakes
Practice and within two weeks you won't even think about the biting point anymore. You'll just do it.
And in a few more months you'll be able to pull away in third through sheer force of will (when you realise halfway through you're in the wrong gear) 
I've been driving for 8 years now (passed test at 30, having first learned - and failed - at 17). Just gone from a 2l diesel to a 1l petrol.
OMG...the test drive was HILARIOUS. Kangaroo hops all the way off the forecourt, stalled every time I pulled away from a stop (so traffic lights, roundabouts), was in the Wrong Gear so often the whining from the engine had stopped annoying me!
I've had Posie Flump for about a month now and I tend not to stall very much at all (I did this morning because I forgot to change from third to first when I'd pulled over to let an ambulance past 
)
It takes time. You're right in saying that you learn properly when you've passed your test. Just carry on and you'll be fine. And if anyone beeps you when you stall, stick up your middle finger, take a deep breath, and start the car. No one stalls deliberately but it happens to the best of us at times.
Don't worry about it, it really isn't you? That's the good news...
... the bad is that every single different car you get into will reduce you to newbie drivership. Sometimes for a few days, weeks or, if you are really lucky, just a quick trip or two.
We have 2 cars, DH has been driving for about 35 years, and he still gets that confuzzled look on his face, if he gets into mine for the first time in a few months
And yes, the middle finger gesture is entirely appropriate for beeping twats...
The more you drive your new car the better you'll get at it. Being in the SE you can congratulate yourself on being on the busiest roads in the country! In a couple of weeks time the volume of traffic will drop significantly as the schools break up (usually a slight drop when the private ones finish with the full benefit a week or so later when us common people finish) - enjoy the respite and by September I bet you'll be feeling 100% comfortable with your car.
And 
to you for persevering and having a positive attitude - I know too many people who "can't" drive in rush hour/at night/when it's icy/where they've never driven before !
I wasn't taught to put ANY gas on in my instructors car (until you've started pulling the cluth up anyway) which is where I was stumped with the stalling. So I had to figure out that it needed the gas first and the clutch needed letting up much more slowly/more controlled than in the other car. It's a 1999 Micra to be fair so it's pretty old and well as tiny
But the other stuff is definitely just driving a very different car along with only just passing my test (so slight nerves ).
And thank you Optimist. I sometimes struggle with anxiety (panic attacks etc) and learnt that exposure therapy is the best therapy!! If I started avoiding anything on purpose it became this big thing and I reallllllly don't want that to happen. And what woul I do if I hated driving at night/on the motorway but DS was sick and needed to go to A&E or anything like that....It's just me and him so I'd be cross if I spent all that time and money on something that wasn't useful!
I heard the SE is the worst for busy roads I got some pulling away practice earlier when I was sat in a slowly stopping/starting/crawling traffic jam for 30 mins on the way home today.
Thank you for the replies. I thought I killed the thread...
It's reassuring to know car-switching can be tricky for other people and not just newly-qualified drivers At least I have my P plate now, (some people say they're pointless & I find it a bit embarassing but just have a gut feeling that it's the safer option til I'm over this hump). So I guess I just need to drive as much as I can afford to over the next few weeks!
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My DM learnt at 32 and I remember her being so terrified and now she's really confident and drives in whatever weather, swaps to her partner's car a lot and does a lot of long distance drives for work which I keep trying to remember when I feel defeatist about it. And just making sure I keep a cool head when I have ballsed up Otherwise you just make it worse.
Other people make it look soooooo easy!
Thanks for all the advice. I took my brother to Salisbury Catherderal today (a good 1hr away via dual carriageways and windy country roads as well as driving through the actual city) and did great. 2hrs overall and feel so much more confident. Didn't want to get in the car this morning but dragged myself!
I think I just needed to get out of the town and do some longer stretches to ease into the general driving. I eased up a lot after the first half hour and now don't feel half as daunted at the prospect of driving in general. So so glad I just bit the bullet. I still need fine-tuning but I'm safe and much more confident Thank god for that.
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