What advice would you give a new driver?

[Barry]

As per the title, what advice would you give to a new driver?

Ill start with,

Adjust your seat and steering wheel so you’re comfortable. Being crunched up on the steering wheel is dangerous. you can’t steer fast enough in an accident because you have T-Rex arms.

Adjust your mirrors so you can see properly without swinging your head around like a death metal fan.

Put your seatbelt on before you even put the key in the ignition. If any of your passengers don’t want to wear a seatbelt, ask them to get out and walk. Remember most of the damage in accidents is done by dead bodies flying round inside the car. 

Mind your own business. Don’t stare at cops. If you stare at a cop, he will think something is wrong and pull you over. 

Don’t get into road rage. Some people are assholes. Let them go. You’ll spend a whole day being angry, that guy will forget about you in 2 minutes. You’re ruining your day, not his. 

[Gaurav]

What an awesome word of wisdom @Barry

Let me try to add some from my experience:

• Check your car regularly and get it serviced regularly as per schedule maintenance. Seen a few new drivers buying new cars and getting an oil change at 20k kms resulting in gunk - not an engine oil anymore.
• Buy a cheap car in beginning, as no matter how much we tell you about estimates, road rage, no - im not wrong. Time and waiting for cops in 50 degrees + fines will eventually fix this attitude, so you will save your new car after a few scratches or bangs on the used car.
• Try to look as much as ahead you can through the car in front, to plan your brakes as the guy in front may not be attentive enough to give you required braking space at high speed.
• It's good to be scared in beginning and drive on slow lanes on right then jumping on the left fast lane and getting pressurized and do some stupidity because of speed that reduces your reaction time.
• Always add 30 minutes extra to your journey from what google maps says to factor unexpected traffic, finding parking, taking wrong turns etc, so you are prepared for it.

[treks]

How about this- 

Learn to think for the ten idiots around you- one or more of them could cut in front of you unexpectedly,or crawl in the fast lane,or suddenly swerve into your lane to avoid idiot #11 who is doing something idiotic, or suddenly slam on the brakes to answer a cell phone, or even forget that they are driving when they are on the phone, fiddling with the radio, or doing something else equally stupid. Learning to think and read traffic patterns could save your life...