Confessions of a First-Time Driver : The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

You know that feeling when you are on public transport or an Uber and you see people driving their cars, and you wish you were the one behind the wheel ...yes that feeling. I felt that every time I was on the road.

Back in 2012, I learned to drive a bit, but it was not a success. Fast-forward in 2021 I enrolled in a driving school, and driving was not as easy as it seemed. What they don't tell you is that you do not be an expert driver only through driving schools; those schools just give you the basics of the driving world, the real experience can be attained by driving in real life.

I successfully completed my Driving Schools course and got my driving license ( cool, right ?), so I got to learn the road signs, starting a car, and a little bit of car reverse. And thereafter I would drive a little bit to keep my knowledge intact. Then I stopped for a while., but all this time I had never driven solo, I always had an Instructor on the side.

My First-Time Driving Solo: Day One

It's in 2023, am a 20 something years old girl who wants to drive to work with no instructor. You know that feeling when you are anxious, and you feel as if your tummy is warm and all that. That is how I felt that night before.

But guess what I did it, I got to work safe and sound, did not kill anyone or drive into a road ditch. And I got back home safe. Despite the few challenges like asking a neighbor to guide me while reversing or the diagonal parking or parking with my front tires facing sideways, I was still proud of myself.

Tip for first-time drivers :

• Choose a road with less traffic, that is what I did and it made it much easier
• Go with your speed, if one is in a hurry let allow them to go ahead. I remember not going higher than 40km/hr.
• Get a comprehensive Car Insurance
• Start with a car with affordable maintenance, there might be several mishaps

My First Road Accident(s).

Yes, it was just not one, there were four of them. They were not major accidents as I was not harmed and the car just got minor damages.

Accident Number One

Just got back from work, I always got out early to avoid the dark. So am at a junction and I indicated that I wanted to right-turn then in a flash of a second there was a motorbike in front of me. 

At that moment I panicked, my mind was stuck and my leg pressed the accelerator instead of the break. 

Let me tell you what happened in those few seconds

• I hit an advertisement banner on the road, 
• The car's front tires entered a ditch, 
• One tire got a puncture, 
• There were people all around me

It took a minute or two for my mind to get back to life and that is when I pressed the break and turned off the car. Good thing I got help from the people around to change the tire and went home in shock.

Accident Number Two

I really hated driving at night, because the lights distracted me and it was so hard to focus. So in this scenario, I was driving at night and to make matters worse it was a rush hour.

So am at a junction , and there is a car beside of me ; we both want to go to the main a road , unfortunately we did it at the same time ( I did not know to communicate well with fellow by then or to time my movements ); and I heard a scratch and the ignorant me did not know what it was and just kept moving

After a while I notice that car still following me and continuosly honking , and once again I panicked. But we settled it , and I still got that scartch on the car bonnet.

Accident Number Three

• On the same night of Accident Number Two, on another juction as I want to enter the main road I failed to commmunicate and the fron plate number got crushed. And yes my mind stuck and  I stayed motonless for a few seconds before starting to move again.

So in the following month  I had to drive with an Instructor to maser the driving skill before I started driving solo again.

Accident Number Four

Well this one was not my fault , it was at a junction too in a motning rushing hour. This one driver was in a hurry and scratched the car I was driving

Challenges of a First-Time Driver

1. Driving at Night

2. Handling rush hours

3. Parking Straight

4. Reverse

5. Talking to a person feels distracting

6. Sitting comfortably is a challenge

The Lessons I have Learned as a First time Driver

It's four months later and am getting better at driving  . Here are my little achivements;

• I can go upto 80km/hr
• I can overtake when necessary
• I can now drive at night with less effort
• Am now immune to car honks ( these used to make me panick )
• I still struggle to park and resverse but am getting better

So every mark on the bonnet of the car am currently driving has a story to tell . What is your story ?