First car

[Silver]

Ive just brought my first car (a ford ka) and drove it to work for the first time this morning. I have never felt so terrified in all my life…esp cos it was soo busy and I stalled so many times. It was horrible and I just wanted it to be over. I felt so anxious and nervous driving in and now I am scared to drive again. This hasn’t been helped by the fact my car is leaking petrol/oil…not sure which as I know nothing about these things…now I have to take it to the garage at lunchtime and Im really scared. I didn’t want to drive it at all but my dad said it would be ok. In all honesty I want to get the bus in now but Im hoping it gets easier. I dunno, just feel like this is all too much to cope with really especially as my dad and brother are not here to help and I feel WAY out of my comfort zone What was it like when you got your first car?

[IanIan]

Ask someone at work about your car. They'll give you some advice, maybe it doesn't need to go to the garage (I know nothing about cars so I couldn't say for sure).

[Hopper]

It will get easier for you the more time you spend in the car driving so dont give up.

[artist23]

Originally Posted by RDH

Ive just brought my first car (a ford ka) and drove it to work for the first time this morning. I have never felt so terrified in all my life…esp cos it was soo busy and I stalled so many times. It was horrible and I just wanted it to be over. I felt so anxious and nervous driving in and now I am scared to drive again. This hasn’t been helped by the fact my car is leaking petrol/oil…not sure which as I know nothing about these things…now I have to take it to the garage at lunchtime and Im really scared. I didn’t want to drive it at all but my dad said it would be ok. In all honesty I want to get the bus in now but Im hoping it gets easier. I dunno, just feel like this is all too much to cope with really especially as my dad and brother are not here to help and I feel WAY out of my comfort zone What was it like when you got your first car?

yes you did well, but its no good if youre leaking petrol! best to get it sorted, what you need is some experience alone first, maybe when the roads are quiter so you can get used to driving alone, my sister was terrified when she first started but she soon gained confidence, keep your L plates on until you feel confident!

[little jon]

Don't give up on driving, you need to drive more and build up your confidence. The more you drive the more relaxed you will feel about driving.
Ask someone at work to recomend a garage to you but don't take it to a main dealer as they will charge you a fortune.
If it's an oil leak then it will be fine to drive in the short term, as long as you keep topping the oil up, but it really needs fixing.
If it's leaking petrol then i wouldn't drive it as it could easily catch fire!:yikes:

[Diluted]

Every car has a different feel. By the end of the week you'll have no problems. Was it Coventry you were driving in? If you can handle that, you can handle anything!

[CaffeineKing]

Hi RDH, I'm new here. Just signed up yesterday. I passed my driving test just under a year ago now (at the age of 19) and I currently share a red Ford KA with my mother so haven't owned a car a can call my own yet. My mates do say that it is a girly car! I don't care though, I think it drives great and thats all that really matters to me! I haven't had to take it to a garage by myself yet and am not sure how well I would handle it. Sorry, i'm not much use on the garage front!

I personally find that I am a confident driver when I know where I am going but I often fall to pieces when I have to drive somewhere new for the first time (especially with friends as passengers). I also do not enjoy driving when it is busy and traffic is backed up. I do find that in someways my nerves make me a safer driver as my awareness increases.

Hope you get your KA sorted out. You can do it!

[Silver]

Originally Posted by Diluted

Was it Coventry you were driving in? If you can handle that, you can handle anything!

Yep, I even braved the ring road and tbh its not that bad although maybe I was just lucky

[no0ne]

this should be in the trophy room you drove to work for the first time in your first car well done!

[Peasie]

It is a good idea to get the green "L" plates or green "P" plates and stick them on rather than leave the red "L" plates on. If someone sees the red L plates they may think the car owner takes someone else out but on this occasion they happen to be alone - they may think you are more confident than you actually are. I left my green L plates up for over a year - someone stole the back one so I eventually took the front one off as well.

I'm 44 now and only passed my test just over two years ago - SA prevented me from learning before. I still haven't managed to reverse park in between two cars yet. It wasn't required for the test and I've never got round to trying it out yet. Too conscious of people watching me.

Sunday was one of my scariest nights ever driving. I drove down to Asda in daylight through some really thick fog. On the way home in the darkness and fog I approached a car in front which I thought was stopped. Because of the fog in front I wasn't looking forward to overtaking this "parked" car - I then realised it wasn't parked but only doing 20 miles an hour. I was worried a car behind me might drive into the back of me but I didn't want to overtake in case there was a cyclist coming in the other direction as there were still a few on the road at that time of night. But that speed was dangerous to drive at because of traffic from behind. I had to laugh as he must have been following a sat nav as he ended up going into a supermarket - I watched his brake lights go on when he realised he had taken the wrong road.

[Beep]

I was absolutely petrified when I was first on my own in a car. I’ve been driving just over a year now and have travelled from Runcorn to Inverness and to Dover and South Wales since. It gets a lot easier after you get a feel of the car. I’ve even driven up Apple Cross in Scotland which is really scary, it’s a one track road with passing places up a mountain with a shear drop of the edge of the road, don’t even have a fence. I still get nervous driving though city centres though. My advice would be to drive around the quite roads till you get a feel for the car, and buy a Tom-tom; they’re brilliant and leave you to focus on signs and other cars without worrying about getting lost. Scotland helped me a lot with driving because it is just miles and miles of empty roads, and it is a lovely place. To this day I still can't drive through Liverpool on my own.

[BlackSwan]

Originally Posted by Random Boo

To this day I still can't drive through Liverpool on my own.

Keep your doors locked and your windows rolled up and you should be ok.

[Tailgate]

I was very nervouse when I first started driving. The more experience you get the easier it becomes. Nowadays, when driving somewhere new, I've no problems with just printing soem directions off of the AA website & driving off. The only thing I struggle with is driving with passengers, I become a bag of nerves inside.

I'm currently 5 weeks into a 9 month ban; it's gonna feel weird driving again in August.

[βetty]

Originally Posted by Cynic

Well done for braving the roads Rach. It may seem nerve wracking at first, but like others have said, take some time on quieter roads, get used to the feel of your new car and it will become second nature. While I felt ok on most of the roads in the city, I found the motorway really daunting when I drove on it and that was almost 16 years ago! It will get easier with time and eventually you won't worry too much.

I echo this Rachel. We've just got a new car and when I first went out in it, it was like I'd forgotten how to drive! You need to get used to the feel of the car. Heading out into the morning rush hour is brave! You managed that so after you've driven about a bit more you'll be fine.

[ponder]

It gets much easier with practice, though rush hour is never exactly fun. You could try getting practice driving at less busy times until you get more experience, that way heavy traffic will be less nerve-wracking.

[black_mamba]

If it makes anyone feel better the first time I was on the road on my own I ended up going the wrong way down a one way street.

[mattty]

Hi, like others have already said it's natural to be nervous and make a few mistakes when you first drive on your own. After all passing your test doesn't mean you're suddenly expected to be an expert driver. The DSA party line is that passing the test means you've reached the standard needed to continue learning on your own.

[Reddix3]

Congrats RDH

The more you drive the more relaxed and confident youll become. As Peasie said I would definately recommend getting the green plates on the go, as it will let other drivers know your new and might make the odd mistake! Though you will come across @rsehole drivers still, in this event drive slower

I love driving and am on the road for 3 hours a day on average, I learnt in Australia though and by law you have to have the green plates on for the first two years, you also have to complete 100 hours supervised driving after you have passed your test (State of WA anyway) and I have to say the scariest driving was when I first came over here and all I had to do to get going on the road was get a car and eventually pay thirty quid for a uk license! All good now though

[pAuL1974]

I was terrible at first, but the confidence will grow very quickly.

As mentioned elsewhere, I would definitely recommend the green "L" or "P" plates, it will hopefully make others more aware of you. I kept mine on for a month or so.

[Spectrelight]

Just drive to different places on different types of roads and you'll get better at it quite quickly.

You don't really learn to drive with an instructor anyway, you learn once you've passed you're test and driving on your own.

I wouldn't bother with P-plates though, I think it makes people more likely to assume you're a bad or unconfident driver and they could do things like pull out in front of you because of it, that's what my instructor told me when I passed anyway.

[Jaaames]

Originally Posted by RDH

Ive just brought my first car (a ford ka) and drove it to work for the first time this morning. I have never felt so terrified in all my life…esp cos it was soo busy and I stalled so many times. It was horrible and I just wanted it to be over. I felt so anxious and nervous driving in and now I am scared to drive again. This hasn’t been helped by the fact my car is leaking petrol/oil…not sure which as I know nothing about these things…now I have to take it to the garage at lunchtime and Im really scared. I didn’t want to drive it at all but my dad said it would be ok. In all honesty I want to get the bus in now but Im hoping it gets easier. I dunno, just feel like this is all too much to cope with really especially as my dad and brother are not here to help and I feel WAY out of my comfort zone What was it like when you got your first car?

Everyone is nervous at first, and you made your first journey when it was really busy so it was always going to be difficult. But after a while you'll really enjoy it (until your money starts disappearing). I think you need to get out in it again as soon as possible, maybe when it's a bit quieter, to stop the anxiety from growing out of proportion. Best of luck.

[Beep]

Originally Posted by justcallmephil

I wouldn't bother with P-plates though, I think it makes people more likely to assume you're a bad or unconfident driver and they could do things like pull out in front of you because of it, that's what my instructor told me when I passed anyway.

My instructor said the same thing.

[Reddix3]

Originally Posted by justcallmephil

I wouldn't bother with P-plates though, I think it makes people more likely to assume you're a bad or unconfident driver and they could do things like pull out in front of you because of it, that's what my instructor told me when I passed anyway.

Originally Posted by Random Boo

My instructor said the same thing.

As I said before you still get @rsehole drivers, this has been the minority in my experience and would probably pull out on you even if you didnt have the green plates!

[Peasie]

I used the green plates more for my own confidence. Had I not used them and made a mistake then I'd have been worried of drivers thinking "what an erse" . Whereas with the green plates it lets them know in advance why I'm an erse.

[artist23]

Originally Posted by Peasie

I used the green plates more for my own confidence. Had I not used them and made a mistake then I'd have been worried of drivers thinking "what an erse" . Whereas with the green plates it lets them know in advance why I'm an erse.

also green plates are handy when theirs a horrific car crash on the motorway, the police can find whos responsible quicker.

[Beep]

I must admit if I’m in a rush for work and there is a learner driver in front, all I’m saying to myself is “please don’t be going the same way as me, please not left, not left, Bastard! He went left” They are a nightmare at roundabouts too. Seeing the newbie’s stall always brings a smile to my face though, because I know what that is like. When the lights go green and you stall, and by the time you’re ready to go, the lights go red again. lol

[artist23]

Originally Posted by Random Boo

I must admit if I’m in a rush for work and there is a learner driver in front, all I’m saying to myself is “please don’t be going the same way as me, please not left, not left, Bastard! He went left” They are a nightmare at roundabouts too. Seeing the newbie’s stall always brings a smile to my face though, because I know what that is like. When the lights go green and you stall, and by the time you’re ready to go, the lights go red again. lol

a lot of people in runcorn have jumped from the bridge to avoid learners

[Reddix3]

Originally Posted by Random Boo

I must admit if I***8217;m in a rush for work and there is a learner driver in front, all I***8217;m saying to myself is ***8220;please don***8217;t be going the same way as me, please not left, not left, Bastard! He went left***8221; They are a nightmare at roundabouts too. Seeing the newbie***8217;s stall always brings a smile to my face though, because I know what that is like. When the lights go green and you stall, and by the time you***8217;re ready to go, the lights go red again. lol

I know what you mean, but have patience! I have done a lot of longish journeys and have, like many people broken the speed limits and most of the time the additional 10-30mph extra your doing counts for nothing as you only ever end up maybe what 5-10 minutes earlier at your destination?
I am more amused by the reckless gits who overtake 3 cars on a B road and you end up behind them at the next roundabout
and as you said if your in a rush for work you need to get up earlier, lazy Boo
Learners stalling does bring a smile to my face, it reminds me of when I stalled three times in a row, my mum was in the car and I refused to drive got out and walked home

[Beep]

Originally Posted by artist23

a lot of people in runcorn have jumped from the bridge to avoid learners

They’re jumping of the bridge to avoid Runcorn lol

[Beep]

Originally Posted by Reddix3

I am more amused by the reckless gits who overtake 3 cars on a B road and you end up behind them at the next roundabout

I know, see that a lot