With many people spending less time on the roads than usual, it can be quite easy to fall out of practice when it comes to driving. Before long, you can lose confidence and not find driving as enjoyable as usual.
Thankfully, there are some things to do to sharpen up behind the wheel. Let’s take a look at some of the key ones.
Take time to plan
Planning makes a huge difference when it comes to driving. Take a little extra time to plan ahead and you’ll find your journey to be smoother and a lot less stressful.
You can do this in a number of ways. You can utilise an in-car satellite navigation to plot your route, or try a smartphone app. The latter is often updated frequently to show traffic or roadworks on your planned route, which can prove important later on. Or, if you’d rather, break out the old-fashioned map to work out which way you’re heading.
Get comfy
Being comfortable behind the wheel is central to a relaxing journey, so give yourself some time to find a driving position which is right for you. Try this: make sure you’re within reach of the pedals and that you can depress them fully with a small bend in your leg - you don’t want to be at full extension.
Then, rest your wrists on the top of the wheel - you should have a small bend in your arm when doing this. If not, adjust the wheel and seat until you’re in the spot which is right for you.
Get rid of distractions
Distractions can prove disastrous when it comes to driving, so it’s best to get rid of as many as you can. Put your mobile phone on silent and leave it somewhere out of reach. Not only will this stop it from distracting you, but it’ll also get rid of any temptation to use it - avoiding the possibility of points or a fine.
Tidy up
A good clean never does a car any harm, so sprucing up your vehicle’s interior is definitely a worthwhile thing to do. Remove any loose items like old water bottles or wrappers and give it a thorough vacuum out. You’ll find a tidy car to be a more relaxing place to be, that’s for sure.
Look ahead
It might sound a little obvious, but one of the best habits to get into when driving is looking ahead. It can be easy to get caught up with looking at the car ahead, but casting your eyes further along will mean you’re better prepared for cars slowing down, or even a pothole in the road.
Smooth things up a bit
Making sure your gear changes are smoother is an easy way to make your journeys a little calmer. It’s not a tricky thing to do, either, simply shift a little earlier than you might ordinarily and you’ll find the whole car will settle down. You’ll also save some money on fuel.
In addition, try to be more progressive with your brakes. Slow down earlier and smoother and you’ll likely find the whole experience of driving less stressful.
Give others more space
One of the most common reasons for low-speed prangs is not leaving enough space. It’s easy to rectify too, by simply backing off from the car in front more than you feel you might need to.
You’ll be able to deal with traffic slowing down ahead more effectively and it’ll mean you won’t have to use your brakes as often in order to keep a distance from the car ahead of you.
