I Passed My Driving Test: 10 Things to Do Now for a Lifetime of Safe Driving

When you finally pass, let it sink in for a few days. I was so happy, so so happy. I got my license, happy, let it sink in for a few days. But remember, the journey is just beginning. Even if you’ve struggled with anxiety about driving, feeling like “what about if I hit someone, but if I hit cars, what about if I can’t be driving motorways fast and coming into that lanes and doing all that and roundabouts,” you have overcome it. That’s the reason why they teach you how to drive.

2. Buy Your First Car (Carefully)

Got my license, I’ve been sitting there for a few days now, I want to come find a car online. Boom. I drove all the way from where I am to Wembley which took two hours. Got to Wembley, pulled up, jumped at the car, went in all excited.

However, things don’t always go to plan. The seller said, “Yeah, just sold the car.” I was in my bedroom. Zero. That’s a zero. The nice and positive went out the window at this point.

I had another one on my phone that I’d looked at as well. So I’ve called them up. For me, it was in Slough, 40 minutes away. Boom. When I bought the car, happy days. Drove the car home. Enough happy.

So, be prepared. You might have to drive hours to find the right vehicle. Don’t let one setback stop you. I drove the car home and I was so happy that it’s opened up a lot more doors for me.

3. Understand the Value of Persistence

My story wasn’t easy. I booked my theory test, went there, and I failed the first time. I failed, no problem. All right, book it again. Second time I went there, these were like COVID times. I went there and it just had a sign on the door said, “No, yeah, not today.” I had to ring up the company they said yes rebook it. Nothing I could do, COVID, one of them mad COVID moments.

So I had to book it again. It’s the first time I’m booking my theory but I’ve only done it once. Got to the theory, went into the theory, done the theory, come out a pass. Wicked.

You gotta keep going, man. If you want something, you can get it. And sometimes you feel like giving up. But yeah, you can’t give up even at like how much it drains your body and your soul and your money and everything. You keep going. Consistency. Just keep if you fail, boom, book it again. Boom, book it again.

4. Respect the Process of Learning

After six months, I finally got my driving lessons. I actually got in the car and I said that I was I wanted to do automatic and he was like, “You know this is manual, innit?” and I was like, “Let’s just let’s just do it.” So I’m learning in a manual.

But things happen. I got up to my test and at that specific day where I was doing my last lesson to my test, I got in the car, we drove around for an hour or two hours, we got back, we sat down and he was like, “You’re not ready.” At that point, the anticipation of doing my test and everything building up, I weren’t happy.

There’s a way of dealing with people. If you’re a driving instructor, make sure you inform people. Remember, say it’s bad news you’re giving them, give it to them the right way. Talk to them the right way. Make sure they get in, but before they do that lesson make them know that you ain’t gonna be ready yet. Don’t just drop it on them like that.

I acted unprofessional and he acted unprofessional. But I lost my temper badly, he lost his temper. Instructors, while you listen, no one there, if you’re doing your lessons, try not to lose your temper man because you’re just gonna have to book it again. There’s nothing you can do. You’re just gonna have to book it again so there’s no point getting angry.

5. Adapt to Changes (Manual vs. Automatic)

I cancelled the test. Then, in January, I got a new instructor. I got my test booked for a couple months. He said, “Look to be honest with you, I only gonna need a few lessons. Let’s go.”

Hey, so I’ve done my first driving test and I failed it. Obviously angry. Second time went to book it again. He said, “Yeah, come book it but the only problem is my car is being fixed so we’ve got it’s going to be a brand new car you’ve never drove before.” Okay, so we’ve had to do a two-hour lesson the day before driving a brand new car I’ve never drove before. Next day gone to do my test. I failed.

Now, both of these times was kind of like I knew that I failed. The first time I was in the left lane, went right at the roundabout, done, finished, forget it. Second time, that time there I was a big roundabout and it was loads of cars coming around and I was trying to find my gap.

But the third test… This time was the last time I could do it in manual because my instructor is now changing over the business to automatic. So I will make a decision: stick with my guy, do it in automatic (I know him, he’s a good instructor, I feel comfortable with him) or find a brand new instructor.

I chose to stick with him, do the automatic. And I really felt comfortable because this automatic is so easier to drive man. So if you find driving hard, just call me man.

6. Be Patient with Learners on the Road

This is another key point I want to make clear. If you’re driving on the road and you’ve got your license, don’t run with the learners them. Leave them be. You know, go easy with the learners them on the road. I mean I’ll tell you that because you don’t understand you when you’ve got your your pass and you’re just driving around normal and you’ve got this learner in front of you and you beat that bread out at the roundabout and that really gets away and pulls it up like I did.

It’s a fail. I failed my test because behind me was getting impatient, he beeped me, I pulled up and I shouldn’t have pulled out. It was the car coming. So if you’re doing your driving lessons, just take your time and don’t worry about nobody around you and just concentrate on what you’re doing. And second of all, if you’re driving on the road and you see learners, go easy with them because it ain’t easy. That one little thing that can mush up their their hope. That’s not you’re just trying to get somewhere faster, you just mashed up their whole thing.

7. Don’t Let Deadlines Panic You

At this point people, which is the crucial crucial thing, I’ve got one month left on my theory test until it’s done. Remember the story, you know, from six months trying to get a test from my past my theory, all that time doing the lessons. I’ve got a month left until my theory runs out. That’s gonna go back, I’m gonna have to do my theory again.

And I’m telling you I said to myself at that point if I have to go back and do the theory again I’m not doing it. That’s the end of driving. It’s not gonna happen now. I am not going back to do the theory and then do it all again and book a test. Not not doing it no.

So I had a choice. I managed to get a test, give thanks. I need to get in the car because I don’t know where the lights are, I don’t know where to to clear the windscreen anything I don’t know all the little bits and bobs in the car so I need to have a two hour lesson the day before. Done that, learned the car whatever.

8. Stay Calm During the Test (and After)

As we’re driving around, I mean we started at 9:54, I was driving around. Let me look at the time, it’s a 34 minutes past 10. Says to myself I supposed to finish soon. And the maneuver that it was the same woman you know. It was the same woman as the week before without me when she walked out at the beginning. Oh my God anyway. She myself I’m gonna be honest with you. A little chat boom.

I managed to mention in a casual way I’ve only got a month left until my theory runs out. I think she went easy on me because the maneuver she was like pull over on the right reverse two cars easy done boss move on to that already been done so I knew I was good at that point.

It’s 34 minutes past 10 she said go left at this roundabout right up that’s the road where the test center is it’s time. Drove in the test center sat down she said congratulations you pass. Why people now Tennessee I I was so happy so so happy you got me.

9. Gain Confidence Through Experience

To anyone who don’t drive yet because I used to be a person yeah like thinking about driving was like give me anxiety you know what I mean. It’s all to the more the drive the more you go on the roads they slowly build you up to it so you just get that confidence and gain that confidence and confidence before you know it you’re doing things that you forgot like before you know what I’m saying.

So I know there’s people that are out there that don’t drive to anxiety but want to drive. Go for it man honestly your body and your mind will change along the journey you get me to say stay strong and just do your thing you understand.

If you ever feel lonely on this new journey, remember that missing someone is a common feeling, but your new freedom can help you reconnect.

10. Enjoy the Freedom

My car anything you want in a life can happen and some things you feel like it might not ever happen but yeah we’re here we’re driving what you you know what I’m saying. Yeah I’m so happy that it’s opened up a lot more um doors for me like and I can just get to places a lot easier I can do a lot more work loads of things do you know what I mean.

The Road to Success: A Summary Table

Here is a quick breakdown of the journey to passing and what to keep in mind.

So yeah man, big up yourself people. I hope you got something out of this. You gotta keep going man if you want something you can get it. Persistence is key. Consistency just keep if you fail boom book it again. And once you pass, enjoy every mile.