Words of advice you remember when learning to drive

[heartsinvisiblefury]

What's the best advice/words of wisdom you were given when learning to drive that helped you?

Always assume the other driver/pedstrian/cyclist hasn't seen you.

Be organised. Accidents happen (most of the time) because of inappropriate speed, so leave in good time and you won’t be rushing.

windscreen wipers on, lights on. And automatic lights won’t necessarily come on if its raining in daytime.

Better arrive late than never at all

If you saw the Queen in full coronation regalia walking down the street, you would still keep your eyes on the road WOULDN'T YOU?!!!! (said to me by an exasperated driving instructor when I kept commenting on various pedestrians . . . I took the hint!)

If you can complete the manuevre as a pedestrian then you have enough time to complete the move in a car.

Look further ahead than the front of your bonnet and anticipate.

Don't rely on other drivers flashing or waving you out, make your own decision.

'Take the back roads and don't get caught' - from my father who taught me to drive at 15!!! (Different country, but still illegal...) Was good advice though...and I've now been driving for 40 years without incident...

Assume everyone is an idiot

Approach junctions as though a fire engine or ambulance is about to cross it as you reach it.

When I'm driving, I get startled all the time as drivers in side roads seem barely to be able to stop at their junction with the main road. It's as though they assume their path will always be clear.

Look where you want to go.

i.e don't look at the car / wall etc you're worried about bumping, look at the road that you want to follow.

I still repeat it to myself when driving through a narrow road with cars parked on both sides!

Also, when approaching traffic lights, a green traffic light means prepare to stop, an amber light means stop, and a red light means you should already be stopping. So, none of the lights mean "go"!

Beware of men in flat caps. Actual advice from my driving instructor 😁 This has genuinely proved to be good advice over the years.

"Feed the wheel".

"Mirror signal manoever".

"Passing your test just means you are safe to learn to drive properly".

"Floor it".

"Mind that fence".

"What goes on behind you is someone else's problem"*

*I don't believe this is a wise word of advice, but came from a commercial traveller who was working post war - at that point of time it was probably wiser.

Mirror, signal, manoeuvre!

Only a fool breaks the two second rule

If you can see any brake lights, your foot shouldn’t be on the gas.

Assume everyone else is an idiot, be aware of motorcycles, remember that lorries have blind spots and may be left-hand drive. Don’t drive too slow for the traffic flow. Speed can sometimes get you out of a dangerous situation.

Expect the unexpected.

Anything or anyone can come out into the road when you least expect it to.

Don't believe other drivers when they indicate. Look at what the car is doing and make a judgment, rather than what it says it will do.

(I've been almost hit more than once by someone who was indicating left, but in fact did not turn left)

When I did something stupid he told me to watch out for myself coming the other way.

Make sure you can stop in the distance you can see.

Don’t believe someone indicating, wait til they actually turn, especially when you are waiting to get on a roundabout.

"Only a fool breaks the two seconds rule"

Give other drivers space then you have time to react when they do something stupid.

Anticipation. Anticipate what other drivers might do

Observation is the most important part of driving.

Mirror, signal, manoeuvre.