Your parents may have had the advantage of learning to drive first and so have years more experience when it comes to driving. However, times have changed and you may not realise it, but you may actually be a better driver than your parents now. For one thing learning to drive considering the traffic situation today gives you an edge, plus in order to obtain your licence you have to take (and retake for some) numerous driving lessons and tests before you are considered worthy of the privilege of hitting the roads on your own.
Learning to drive makes you clock in hundreds of hours of driving in different situations. Practice makes perfect, as the saying goes, and the more practice you have, the better you get at handling your car and being aware of the things around you. Here are five of the best reasons why you are—or will—become a better driver than your parents.
You have intensive driving lessons.
Your parents probably learned to drive from their parents. Now, you may have had your first few lessons from your parents as well, but with driver’s education being part of many schools, you have the edge of textbook and practical knowledge from the best teachers in the field of road safety.
You get to learn not only about how to make a car move but the rules of the road as well. Through the lessons, you become informed about what road signs mean, what to look out for, and what to do when you figure in an accident on the road. Many institutions offer driving lessons in addition to advanced courses in basic troubleshooting and more guided hours behind the wheel in various situations such as rain and snow.
Driving schools provide instructions on technique and guide you in practising your driving skills until you are ready to take your theory and actual driving tests.
Bad traffic is good for you.
Fewer cars were on the road when your parents first learned to drive. Now, you’ll have to agree that the roads have definitely become more crowded with all sorts of vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles and other things you have to be aware of and watch out for. The traffic situation today is vastly different from 20 years ago. Learning to drive in today’s challenging environment allows you to be more cautious and become better on the road.
You know the rules.
Times have indeed changed, and the Highway Code is no different. Your parents may have the same old rules stuck in their heads, and may not be aware of the new road signs being used to direct traffic. Part of your education involves knowing what the new laws are, what signs mean, and how these will affect your driving.
You take advantage of technology.
The unwieldy maps of old have transformed into small and portable GPS and navigation devices that can lead you to your destination without you having to take your hands off the wheel.
Physical maps used by your parents when they get lost can be a problem, especially when you need to focus on the road in front of you. With your own navigation system installed in your smartphone, you would only have to say where you need to go, and your app will tell you where to turn.
You have more opportunities to improve.
There’s always room to grow when it comes to your driving skills. You can take an advanced driving course offered by trained professional drivers. You can also take advanced driving tests that will give you an edge and make you qualify as a professional driver yourself! Your parents may have become satisfied with what they know and what they can do, but you know you can still improve your knowledge and skills with the resources and opportunities available to you. And this, truly, is what makes you a better driver.
