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Have you recently bought your first car? This can be an incredibly exciting time, giving you a new sense of freedom and opportunities you may not have had before.

If you are looking to feel more confident and comfortable as a new driver, the following guide will help.

Know your car

Whether you’ve bought your own car, or you are sharing one with a family member, it is important to get to know it. As the car you are going to be driving is likely to be different from the one you learned in, you should spend some time learning the ins and outs including where each switch is and the exact biting point.

Make sure you are well equipped to drive in bad weather too, becoming familiar with how to operate the wipers and both dipped and full beam lights.

Legalities

When you get your car, it can be tempting to take a drive in it straight away, but you must first ensure you have got all the required paperwork, and everything is in place for you to be driving legally.

Spend some time getting the right car insurance policy for you. As well as this, you must keep up to date with your MOT and service, and your vehicle tax. While you will receive reminders to tax your car, it is your responsibility to arrange your MOT, service, and renew your insurance so it can be useful to set up an automated reminder for these each year.

Skip the road trip

Whilst it is good to practice on weekends and in varying weather to get used to different conditions, do not sign yourself up for any long-haul driving within the first few months as this can be overwhelming and leave you feeling underprepared.

Instead, try to go on short drives often to build up your confidence and prepare yourself for going on longer drives later down the line. That way, when you do decide to venture out on your first road trip, your newfound confidence will mean you can enjoy the experience even more.

Limit distractions

From radios to passengers, many things can cause distractions while driving, which can ultimately lead to road incidents.

While it might be more fun to blast some tunes during your commute, it is wise to switch off the radio during this period while you are still relatively inexperienced. Once you have been driving for a little while, you will get to the point where you can have the radio on, and it won’t cause any problems.

Keep on learning

It is such a relief when you get your licence and no longer have to prepare for your test. Despite this, it is important that you continue to learn in order to not pick up bad habits. The Highway Code is subject to change so you need to keep up with any amendments that will impact you.

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