Currently, as it stands the majority of the world’s population lives in either a town or city. Whether you’re living in the western or the eastern world, you are more likely to be living in an urban dwelling and as most economic growth is concentrated in and around a major city this trend is set to continue.
Living in a major city has its challenges, whether it’s finding accommodation, a job, or even a partner, city life can get complicated at times and one such area that can often be difficult to manage is learning to drive. It’s tough as it is for learner drivers to get to grips with a vehicle when they’ve had no previous driving experience and this task is made doubly difficult when you attempt it in a major town or city.
If you’re planning on learning to drive and you live in a big city or town, here are our tops tips to help you learn how to drive in an urban setting.
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Choose a Local Driving Instructor
When looking for a driving instructor to teach you how to drive, it’s always best to find a driving school in your local area. A local driving instructor should have good knowledge of the local roads and therefore be able to keep you away from the really complex roads and notoriously hard-to-navigate areas, which should make your initial lessons a much better experience.
Use Your Mirrors as Often as Possible
It is good practice to look at your mirrors as often as you can while driving, however, this point takes on added significance when learning to drive in a major city. On busy roads potential hazards lurk on every turn, whether that’s a pedestrian exiting a parked car without looking or a cyclist not signaling before turning, at any moment the unexpected could happen and to ensure you are prepared for the unexpected, it’s really important to use your mirrors as often as you can.
Get as Much Independent Practice as You Can
Major city roads are very complicated and there is always a lot going on and many things you need to be aware of. While learning to drive you to need to be constantly aware of your surroundings and the best way to increase the speed you learn is to practice as often as possible. Practicing with a family member in between your normal lessons will help you get used to the busy city roads at a much faster rate.
Ensure You Remain Calm at All Times
Drivers in major cities are notoriously aggressive and will often break the law or defy convention while driving. It’s relatively easy for the actions of other road users to annoy us and cause us to lose our temper, however, it’s important while learning to drive that you remain calm at all times, as annoyance can quickly descend into road rage on a busy city road.
Learning to drive in a major city can be challenging but hopefully, the tips in this guide will help you navigate the urban roads while you get to grips with the car.
