Many teenagers look forward to the freedom of having a driver’s license. But we all know it isn’t as easy as it sounds. You have to pass the license test, but before you can even think about that, you’ve got to pass the permit test. Once you pass that, then you can start thinking about learning how to actually drive and not crash. After a lot of practice and many mistakes, you can finally think about taking the license test. In this article, MODG students have shared some tips for learning to drive and some stories of what not to do when learning to drive. Maybe this will help you avoid the mistakes that we have made and help you to pass that test!

This is what not to do when learning to drive:

–I almost crashed into a car one of the first times I drove because I was getting used to the steering wheel in a parking lot and a car came from nowhere and if it hadn’t been for my dad grabbing the steering wheel so quickly I would have crashed into the car – Belen M

–I was driving with a friend for the first time and I was nervous, so I backed out of the parking spot and thought I was in reverse, so I let off the brake, but the car wasn’t moving. Instead of checking what gear I was in, I gave it a little gas. Well turns out I was actually in drive and I completely ran over the parking curb thing. Don’t do whatever that is called! -Aimee S

—First time driving on the interstate with my mom:
Mom: Ok, so remember you always have to shoulder check. There are cars that go 90mph and they aren’t always looking. Oh, also make sure you use the rearview mirror after you pass a car
Me: Um…ok
During a ride in a traffic jam
Mom: Make sure you always use your turn signal when you switch lanes. (Guy in the left lane going 85mph drives onto the grass to try to pass someone and almost runs into the bridge.)
Me: That guy didn’t use his turn signal (in a joking voice)
Mom: What was he thinking? He almost hit the bridge. Stay away from him.
Me: Just laughing
Second time driving on interstate (with dad)
Gets on interstate
Dad: You should’ve done a better shoulder check, but that’s fine.
Moral of the story. Moms always think you’re going to crash when you first drive. Dads always just sit relaxed and casually remark if you make a mistake. – Andrew F

–I was driving my mom and me home from North Carolina, and she had me take over the driving at a gas station. Well, we pull out and I sorta look around, but not all the way and we almost got hit. My mom was on the phone so she didn’t know what happened. (P.S. When she’s on the phone, she is one with the phone) -Mel W

–Funny story… so a few weeks after I had gotten my license, I was going to an art class at our art museum, and the parking is a little tricky there, so I crossed the street to park (I parked on the left side of the road, facing traffic)… so I come out of class to find a delightful little ticket on my car apparently, there’s a “right” and “wrong” side of the street to park on, so do watch out for that! – Wini B

–Don’t make a joke or say something funny because you will swerve on the road from laughter! -Jules M

–Don’t rely on technology such as backup cameras, cruise control, lane control, etc…. While it can be helpful, sometimes they break or glitch out. Take it from me: my backup camera froze and I hit a car trying back out of a parking lot xD -Olivia S

–Do not press the gas pedal when you meant to hit the brakes… – Lilly M

–All I can say is don’t do what I did lol:
If you’re driving with your instructor on the highway and he tells you to go 65, don’t go 80.
When you push hard on the brake pedal as you start your car, make sure it’s the brake pedal and not the accelerator.
When you back out of a parking space and shift from Reverse to Drive to move forward, make sure you didn’t shift to Neutral instead.
Watch out for Wrong Way signs. I was fortunate.
When you take the DMV, check your mirrors, stop at stop signs, use your directional when you turn or merge, and don’t crash your vehicle; I’m pretty sure that’s an immediate failure
When you park your car and get out to walk somewhere, make sure you turned your car off. -Adam

–Don’t ever plan to change drivers at an intersection to a highway even if you are on a road where almost nobody is driving. I made that mistake and instead of getting in the passenger’s seat before we got on the main road I ended up driving on the main road after only driving in a parking lot a few times. A car came up behind us right as the light turned green and I almost freaked out but I turned onto the road. But of course I couldn’t find my blinkers and I turned on the windshield wipers and turned off my lights. Imagine seeing a car driving down the main road going slower than most cars at 9:30 at night without lights and you’ve got the picture. Anyway for the most part I stayed in my lane with a little help from my Dad. Just a few minutes later we got to our turn and we stopped again to change drivers but of course, another car came up behind me and started blowing its horn at me. I was frantically trying to put the car back in drive and take off the emergency brake I had just put on. I ended up pushing the brake and the gas at the same time while turning on the windshield wipers. Anyway, I finally turned, pulled over, and switched with my Dad. That was quite the drive. -Luciana K

This is what to do when learning to drive:

–Top tip: Stop, look, listen- check and double-check, it never hurts to be extra careful, it’s always better to be late than to be dead! lol
(and remember: you’re driving a two-ton killing machine)- Wini B

–Trust me….No. 1 rule. Look both ways before crossing the road. I was turning left when I was learning, and never looked to my right. I nearly got T-boned from the right and a heart attack for my mom. XD – Joseph T

–Tip: Road rage is real XD- Gabriella T

–When we started driving, we’d already been driving since we were like seven (mowers, tractors, gators, four-wheelers, dirt bikes, go-karts, cars not on public roads etc) so starting to drive on roads was a relatively easy transition. Of course, this is not available to everyone, but it would still be helpful to even go to a golfing and drive the golf cart, or go to a four-wheeler racing place to practice, driving cars in private parking lots/roads, etc. I have friends whose first time behind any wheel was on the road, and they have said that they wish they at least had driven something beforehand. – Anna S

–Find a prayer that you say before driving. Driving is fun but it also can be pretty dangerous, it’s important (and reassuring!) to pray some kind of protection prayer (I say the Guardian Angel Prayer).
Practice driving in all different types of weather (or at least the weather types you can encounter in your area) with a parent in the car. You’re going to have to drive in the rain, snow, sleet, etc at some time in your life so you might as well get it over with when an experienced driver is sitting next to you. – Olivia S

–For me, I grew up riding some farm equipment so the transition wasn’t terrible. However, what I did do (I am very thankful that I did it) is practice driving in a parking lot. From just going around in circles, testing out braking, to practicing different parking methods, it was really nice to take things slow at first. After a couple of times of that, I drove out on some country roads, nothing too busy.
And also a good tip for anyone who’s wanting to get their permit, really study for the quiz XD XD. You’ll have people saying it’s super easy, and relatively it is, however, there are some key points of knowledge that any new driver wouldn’t know without studying all the sections in the drivers manual. Just random things like “speed limit in allies” or “stopping requirements for funeral processions or elderly care buses” XD -James C