New driver and nearly crashed.

[Raineve]

I've been on the roads for less than a week and already made a stupid mistake. I'm so cross at myself.

I had my husband and kids in the car, driving at night. I have crap vision but should be 20/20 with my glasses or contacts. I have anti glare coating on my glasses. I still find driving at night a lot harder vision wise, the glare from headlights really gets to me and I just am a lot more on edge judging gaps and things..

Earlier I was on a 40 road, windy and dark. I clocked the speed limit signs coming up saying 30. I focused on checking my speed and started to brake. I then clocked, just as my husband says a bit worriedly "you need to brake!", a give way to oncoming traffic sign (with the small /bigger arrows, our side being the small) . The sign was half knocked over and not very reflective. I had to brake harshly and just about stopped in time before I would have bumped the raised area . The poor driver coming through had slowed down and must have been on the edge of their seat wondering if I'd brake in time..

I feel really guilty that I spotted it so late and I keep thinking what would have happened if it was a few seconds later and I'd gone into the sign. Luckily I wouldn't have hit another car I don't think but would I have injured my children or husband.
Should I even be on the road?

I will absolutely be more aware now, especially when driving at night. But I'm so worried in my ability. I'm so anxious as it is.

Sorry for this post as I'm aware it's entirely my fault but I guess I'm hoping some one can tell me they've done similar and gone on to be an OK driver.

You're way overthinking this. It was a near-miss. It'll happen again at some point but you'll learn everytime. Even if you had hit the "raised bump area" it would not likely have been a serious accident. More a pain in the arse! Try to stop fixating on things (near-misses, speedometer...).

Don't worry. You won't be the only person to have nearly had an accident. I think driving at night is more challenging. You need to build up experience.

Thank you. I just don't understand why it took me so long to see it. I never had a problem on lessons, but they were mostly in daylight which I guess is why.

Congratulations on passing your test! Don’t beat yourself up. The day after I passed my test I drove onto a large roundabout and just crapped myself, so I just carried on driving straight on, up onto the grass, across the centre of the roundabout and off the other side. 🙈 I still cringe nearly 30 years later! You will get better with experience, I promise!

Well done on passing your test 🏆
Drivers don’t really learn how to drive properly until after the test, and you’ve learned a good lesson there - I was the same when I was a new driver too. Don’t panic! Keep going! And feel free to drive a bit slower on dark country roads when you’re not familiar with them.

Oh gosh that must have been terrifying!! I'm absolutely worried about getting to a big unfamiliar spiral roundabout and messing up. I really struggle making split second decisions sometimes. I just hope the sat nav helps 😩

Night time driving can prove challenging for even long term drivers OP.
Just keep driving, experience counts for so much.
I’ve always maintained that the real learning starts after you’ve passed your test!
Try not to overthink as pp said. The more you drive your car, the more instinctive it will become.
Hope you’re feeling better now x

All drivers make mistakes - as long as you have time to correct the error then usually no harm is done. It will just make you more aware - that is the experience gained as you drive more and gain more confidence. So don't beat yourself up about it.
If you struggle with glare at night time - would polarised wraparound glasses help you? You can keep them in the car and pop them on over your glasses/contacts.

Every time I have a 'near miss', I thank my lucky stars for it. I've been driving a long time and they don't happen very often BUT every time it does (whether my fault, the other driver or something else) I see it as a good wake up call to not get too complacent or over confident.

Another driver making a mistake or being a dick. I'm still alert enough to avoid the worst case scenario. A animal or, even worse, a child running into the road. It happens - and every time it does, it reminds you that no one is perfect and that, at least this time, you have reacted in time and averted a potential tragedy.

Congratulate yourself that you did react in time and remind yourself that no one will never have a difficult situation.

I think the easiest driving is good conditions, mid afternoon, simple road layout. Dark with kids in car is a few rungs down the list.

As people said, you learn as you drive - you have to be able to block out what's going on in the car and focus on the road. But one week in, I'd be practicing going out by myself at easy times, or maybe with kids in daylight, without them at night etc until your confidence is built up.

I wouldn't beat yourself up about it, just keep going but be sensible about your limitations as a new driver.

Never rely 100% on the Sat Nav.
They are brilliant to help you 'navigate' but road conditions change. It won't warn you about an accident that has just happened, short term road works or other people being dicks or making mistakes. Many people have ended up in bother through relying to much on them. Modern ones are better and more immediate but not perfect.

And they don't always tell you the right lane to be in.

If you are going somewhere new it is always worth checking the route on Google first. I still do this despite my many thousands of miles driving both in the UK, Europe and Australia (I got my only speeding ticket in Oz - annoying)