Low confidence - should I get P Plates?

[Nolarbear]

I passed my driving test last month and bought a car 2 weeks ago. I didn’t get P Plates because I was told that they just make you a target on the road, and besides I felt confident enough that I didn’t need them.

I’ve been out in the car doing short trips and all has been okay. But I feel more nervous than I thought I would and not as confident without my instructor there.

Last night I decided to go further and try my drive to work in the evening when it was a bit quieter. I made a little mistake, it wasn’t really a big deal but there were people around in there cars who saw and I held them up trying to sort myself out. I care too much about what people think. I felt so embarrassed because I could imagine they were all thinking “what is she doing?” Or thinking I shouldn’t be driving, because as far as they’re concerned I’m just a shit driver. At least with P plates on they know I’ve only just passed and may make some mistakes. My boyfriend and mum don’t think I need p plates, they just said don’t worry about what other people are thinking, but it just makes me more anxious not having them because people will expect me to drive like an experienced driver. It’s knocked my confidence now and I feel really disheartened and like I don’t want to get in the car without my boyfriend with me. Should I just put them on to make me feel more at ease or is it really a bad idea? Because it’s really only the thought of making a mistake that’s giving me anxiety and low confidence, and having people beeping at me or swearing at me etc. Having the plates will ease my mind that people know I’m new

Do it if it will make you feel better, but I've only ever seen people being more impatient with cars with them.

I don't think P plates will change what people think of your driving - people make mistakes driving all the time, as long as you didn't endanger anyone with the mistake, the likelihood is people didn't notice or just thought "oh no!" rather than anything else.

People will beep / swear at anyone, people with L plates, people with P plates, people with no plates! That's because they're often idiots. That has no bearing on how well you're driving or not, it's a them issue often. The P plates won't protect you from that and if anyone ever did react to your driving in that way (unless you've done something absolutely horrific!) that's a them problem, not a you problem.

Keep up with the later evening and earlier morning drives, that did wonders for my confidence 😊

I am not the most patient driver, but if a car has P plates, I tend to give it more room and maybe expect the driver to be more erratic. When a 17 year old (looked about 12) relative passed her test I suggested P plates and a dash cam.

I know it won’t make a difference to my driving but for some reason it just helps me not be so anxious because people can SEE that I’ve only just passed. If I made a mistake while learning, I didn’t care. I just thought ‘oh well, I’m learning and people can see that, so they’ll have to wait’. And I feel like I’ll have the same mindset with P plates which will calm my nerves.

However I have heard that people practically bully you with them on so wanted to see what other people thought

You could try but in my experience, people drive more aggressively towards those with P or L plates. You get people cutting you up, overtaking aggressively, beeping if you don't move fast enough.

You will make mistakes and people will judge you for it. That's just life. You'll still be making them in 10 years time. Sometimes it holds them up or sometimes someone will hold you up by getting flustered. Just raise a hand or flash hazards in apology and they will think nothing of it.

To be honest, I thought P plates were mandatory for the first year of passing your test. I can't validate that with anything, it's just what I thought.

Anyway, if it will help you feel a little more confident, get some.

The confidence will come in time. And that will include ignoring the knobhead drivers on the road - they'll always be around.

I’d get some, what’s the worst that could happen?

At best you feel more confident, people give you more room and time. Personally I gave P and L plates more space and mentally forgive errors quite happily.

At worst you get hassled and so you take them off.

You’re still the same good driver who passed their test either way.

We all make stupid mistakes. I made two really stupid mistakes recently. It happens and you will see other drivers do the same occasionally as you start driving more.

My experience of driving is P plates mark you out as someone for dickheads to cut up, harass, tailgate and occassionally brake test

I can't see it doing anything other than make you more nervous and doubt yourself more.

I also personally have found people are way angrier and less patient post covid so i think the p plates are a doubly bad idea because of that

I passed at the end of March and use p plates. I heard all the stories that it makes you a target but I've not found that at all. The opposite probably. I feel very self conscious about making mistakes so feel better having p plates.

Find your nearest Institute of Advanced Motorists and get some lessons with them.

I had been driving 20 years when I got my motorbike licence. I did a 6 week course with IAM and learnt things, even after 20 years of driving.

Well worth the small cost!

I’m a driving instructor. Part of my job is to challenge negative thoughts my learners have about other drivers. It’s very easy to home in on the bad drivers but for every one of those there’s a good few who will let you out and be patient. It’s important to see that there aren’t huge amounts of awful and aggressive drivers, you’re just especially noticing the minority that is. You also have just as much right to the road as anyone else. Also do notice experienced drivers who aren’t brilliant, quite often we’ll see people do all manner of odd things, things that my learners would not dream of doing.

You have just passed your test, that makes you inexperienced but also good enough to pass. Many experienced drivers would not pass that same test without tuition. Have confidence in that.

Put your P plates on, there isn’t a small army of cars out to get you once you slap them on, and they’ll make you feel better.

Im going to let you in on a secret, your instructor would have been thrilled you passed, but it’s always a bummer knowing that the person you’ve spent many hours with has gone. I miss seeing my ex students because I have got on with each one. So if you have a problem pick up the phone and say how you’re feeling to your ex instructor, I'd be more than happy to have a chat if one of my ex learners was feeling like this. We want to see you out enjoying the road! I saw one of mine recently confidently going out of the village and its a great feeling.

Get the P plates - it gives you a little bit breathing room and other drivers should make allowances for your inexperience. Don't be embarrassed. I kept mine on for months 😁.

You're human. You're always going to have bad days. I'd been driving 10 years, was having a bad day and stalled twice at a roundabout, having not stalled for probably years before that. Whoever was behind me may well have thought I was an idiot but 🤷‍♀️.

In my experience plates makes a select few drivers behave like absolute tossers. I remember learning and some twat couldn't bear to get stuck behind a learner (that was doing speed limit, and was actually 2 weeks from my test). Did a dangerous overtake, hit central island and spun out and off the road. I'd thankfully seen him and could tell he was driving aggressively and was prepared and managed to avoid getting hit.

Yes do it

When I passed I made a few mistakes like getting in the wrong lane around spaghetti junction etc. with p plates you get beeped and some people give you a hard time. Other drivers made similar mistakes and didn't get the same level of grief.

I stopped using them and got a dashcam to go through my driving errors instead.

I passed almost a year ago and I used P plates initially, and I used them again when there was snow and ice because I'd never driven in it before and although had about 3 months, it was the first time in those conditions on my own - incidentally I got some good advice when I posted a thread here about winter driving.
There was little difference in how others were with my P plates on tbh, I stalled twice at a set of traffic lights on a hill and then tried to start it again when I'd already done it and just basically royally fucked up, I stuck my hazards on but still got beeped - the only time I have been, and I think I would have been whether I had the plates on or not.
I think anyone who's going to be like that is going to be regardless of an L or P plate or anything else, but, if it would give you confidence then do it because it's about your mindset more than the other drivers - I care less now about what other people are going to think, but I did feel like you do at first.

If I see a car with P plates I feel a lot more patient with the driver. We were all starters once (I made lots of mistakes when I'd just passed 😬).

I give P drivers more space. They only cost a few pounds, so it is worth giving it a try. Chances are if you feel more confident with them on, you’ll make fewer mistakes anyway.