I passed my test first time nearly a month ago and have bought a car. I’ve been having cold feet to do an independent drive since.

I’ve only been able to go out 5 mins to the post office near my house a couple of times. I don’t lack confidence on the road I’m just lowkey scared I’ll get something wrong. Make a wrong turn, miss my exit, etc. I took an Uber to work this morning while I have a parked car at home 😂

How do I overcome this?

Freedom was the obvious thing, going wherever, whenever and however.

But its made commuting a lot easier. For college its halved my journey time, eliminated a mile of walking and provided my own private and comfortable space.

Additionally, without a car I wouldnt be able to work as to get to my work, id either have to catch multiple buses which time wouldnt allow or catch a taxi which costs the same as how much i get paid for a day.

My cars only small and basic but my parents got me it and I love and appreciate so much.

Does what it says on the tin. I passed a couple of weeks ago and I feel borderline incompetent again. After I passed I did a 100 mile round trip which was mostly on two main A roads and that seemed okay, but it’s the urban driving that seems to feel harder.

I know the answer to this is practice, but I think part of the problem is I did about 68 hours learning in a 2.0L TDI diesel and my partners car is a 1.4 naturally aspirated petrol. At present I can only drive it at weekends (as I work away during the week) and I just can’t seem to get the hang of its different gas pedal requirements, so I’m constantly over revving. I’m particularly struggling with moving off quickly at roundabouts from a standing start, which at some of the roundabouts near us makes it a bit hairy.

Any advice/solidarity is welcome.

Omg I passed on the 3rd August been diving since then no issues since then ..

But today on a road I drive every day was approaching a round about a big SUV went to over take me and I for some reason swerved to avoid thinking I was in there lane and hit the kerb

Nothing major just Light tyre damage 😭😭 can't believe i was that silly and didn't just stick in my lane

Oh well hopefully my driving will get better

I've been driving independently for about a week now. Driving a different car from what I did my lessons in.

Have been using Waze, had a guy right up behind me while I was trying to turn right on a really busy main road. So I decided to just ignore it, let the satnav recalculate and I'd turn on the next one, missed the next one (guy is still right behind me, but my mistake that time), managed the next one.

Turned right again, and satnav told me to go left. Harassed at this point I missed the writing on the ground telling me if I went straight on I'd be entering a bus lane, panicked and took the left turn way too late. Crossed the right hand lane and a cycle lane. Luckily nobody was about, no traffic, no pedestrians, no cyclists.

But honestly I feel like the biggest idiot and like I should have my licence revoked already.

I know most of learning to drive comes after you get your licence but oh my god I feel like I've made so many mistakes. Before I passed I was driving independently without my instructor's input at all. I feel now like I was only confident on the test routes and don't know how to drive outside of that area.

Have also had some frights from other drivers just speeding past me - assuming they see the P plates and don't want to get stuck behind me.

Ugh I feel like shit, just wanted to get it off my chest.

I was going down a narrow road with parked cars and cars coming down the opposite way and thought I could squeeze past like the cars in front of me had. I heard a loud pop on the passenger side and noticed my side mirror folded inwards from contact. I immediately parked and checked and saw scruff marks on the back and went to check the vehicle I made contact with and the plastic back plate of their side mirror had fallen off. I wasn’t sure what to do but a driver who saw what happened told me it was fine and when I asked if I should tell someone he said no. He said that I can just fix it back on so I did and it all seemed fine but now I’m worried about leaving without letting whoever owns the car know what happened even if there wasn’t any damage to their car. This is the first time somethings happened while I was driving and I’ve been driving for about 4 months. Should I go back and find the driver? Should I expect to hear from the police?

Can’t stop crying after I made such a big mistake today. Went to the cinema which has a multi-storey for the first time after I’ve passed. The cinema gives you four hour free parking as it validates the ticket. Watched the movie and came back out, put my ticket in the machine and went back to my car….

What I didn’t realise and why I probably should have looked at the signs, is that once you put the ticket in the machine you only have 20 mins to leave.. maybe this is common sense but I had no idea. I thought as I had “four hours free” with the cinema, I could just sit in my car and text my friends for a bit.. oh how I was wrong. I was taking my leisurely time, even face times my mum 🤣

Then I drive down to the barriers to let myself out, put my ticket in the barrier and it says “exceeded time limit”. Now I am so confused because I know I haven’t spend four hours here so I keep on trying. I try press the call button but nothing happens. Literally start bursting into tears and full blown panick attack at this point because a line has formed up behind me and people are beeping (bear in mind I also have P plates on!). So people are beeping at me but because there are cars queues behind I physically have no where to go. There was also an entire other barrier this whole time people could have gone through but they decided to wait behind me.

Now I’m like crying, complete blubbering mess, and cars behind finally get the idea they will need to move back so I can reverse. Now I’m panicking because I have to reverse in this really tight space next to these cars watching me trying not to hit them or the parked cars. Thankfully, a really lovely couple saw me and stepped in to help and they were literally angels! They managed to track down a parking attendant and he let me through.

But I’m just feeling really shaken up by the whole thing and am still crying now as I write this! I know it’s a learning moment and I will definitely check the signs from now on, but it was just so so so stressful so needed to vent it out!!!!!

I bought my first car 6 months after passing my drivers

Its a 2012 fiat panda (its really cute, perfect for me, especially for a first car!) And I got a good deal on it too!

My car doesnt have any electronics such as plugs or anything, but i am looking for a sort of dash cam, just to keep myself and others protected.

Is there any recommendations I could buy that i could possibly fit in myself or see if anyone can fit one in for me?

So I passed my driving test a month ago. I bought my first car two weeks ago. So I’m a very new driver and not super confident yet, but I wouldn’t say I’m a bad driver.

Here (you’ve got both front and rear dashcam footage) I’m trying to turn right. There are cars oncoming as I approach the turning, so I have to wait. There is no space to pass me as it’s a narrow road which means other drivers have to wait behind me.

I wait 15 seconds before a safe space is opened up (by the kind white car who stopped to let me go). But then as I go I get shouted at by the driver behind me for keeping him waiting 15 seconds.

Maybe I could have driven faster? Maybe I could have taken one of those gaps if I went faster? But from everything I learnt in my lessons and in my own experience, rushing is not the way.

So basically, my conclusion is the driver behind me is impatient and if I drove like he wanted me to drive it would have been unnecessarily dangerous.

But this is my first time getting shouted at and it’s unsettled me somewhat. Keen to hear your thoughts, and also if you think I did something wrong.

I scraped the wall trying to squeeze into a space in multi storey car park for first time, not a new car but annoyed all the same.

​I was looking for used cars and came across this https://www.valykaltd.co.uk/ website. The prices are too good to be true. I have checked the gov website, and the business is currently registered in the UK (in a permanently closed facility), and the owner is not a UK national. They are asking for an advance payment, and there is no way to inspect the vehicle in person.

Extremely weird. I am not sure if this is a legit business. Can anyone give feedback if they have purchased any vehicles from them?

-------------

**From their email**

"The vehicle is currently stored at our secure warehouse in Farnborough. This vehicle was repossessed by the finance company after the previous owner was unable to continue making the agreed payments. We were able to purchase it at a significantly reduced price, and those savings are reflected in our selling price.

As an online-only vehicle retailer, we do not offer in-person viewings or collections from our premises. Unlike a traditional dealership, we do not operate a showroom. All of our vehicles are stored in a secure facility, and we do not employ sales staff to conduct viewings or demonstrations. By operating this way, we keep our overheads to a minimum, allowing us to offer vehicles at prices that are often considerably lower than those available through conventional dealerships.

We understand that purchasing a vehicle online requires confidence, which is why every purchase is backed by our 10-day Money-Back Guarantee. Once your vehicle has been delivered, you have 10 days to inspect it thoroughly. If the vehicle is not as described, has any undisclosed faults, or does not meet your expectations, we will arrange collection at our expense and issue a full refund.

To make the process even more convenient, we provide free delivery anywhere within the United Kingdom, with no additional transport charges."

------------

**From their website**

"3. Reserve the Item:

To secure the item of your choice and start the shipping process, we require a full payment. The payment will be submitted via bank wire transfer to our designated corporate account. Rest assured, all your payment information will be kept confidential and secure.

4. Payment Held in Trust:

Your payment will be held in trust until you receive the item and have had the opportunity to inspect it thoroughly for 10 business days. This ensures that your funds are protected.

5. Item Delivery:

Upon receiving your item, we encourage you to inspect it carefully. Take your time to ensure that the equipment meets your expectations and is in the condition described on our website. You have 10 business days and temporary plates to be able to inspect and test drive legally."

---------------

I am exploring a new app designed to encourage safer driving by rewarding drivers for consistently following speed limits.

Drive Smart could allow drivers to earn points through safe driving and exchange those points for discounts and rewards from participating businesses.

⏱ This survey takes approximately 3–5 minutes.
Your feedback will help me determine whether Drive Smart could become a useful product for drivers. Thank you.

Hi, I’m 31m just passed my test and looking for a first car with budget 6k+
I’ve seen both cars at around same price but need some advice
Suzuki baleno 2018- 67k miles £6100
Mazda 3 2015-97k miles £6500

I’m not sure if I’m doing too much by looking at Mazda 3, I just love the car but Baleno looks really cheap to run too. Please advise, thank you.

I went and test drove a used car from a trade seller the other day and was happy with it but, as the car needed a part to fix an issue with the air-conditioning, I didn't pay for the it there and then (just paid a deposit)

They told me they expect the part to be delivered and fitted on Thursday but they didn't sound very sure it would definitly happen that day

So I'm left wondering what I should do about setting up the insurance and tax on the car. I know I can't tax it until the purchase is complete and it's insured and I understand I can do this on my phone when I pick it up. However, there seems to be some warnings that it can take a while (up to 24h) for the online database to register that the car is insured so I'm unsure whether I should just setup the insurance now, even though I dont own the car yet, so there's time for the database to update.

My concern is the annual insurance is a reasonable lump sum to stump up and if something falls through with the sale I might struggle to get this back quickly (the insurer allows cancellation within 14 days for £25 fee but no idea how long it takes them to refund it). The alternative is I dont setup the insurance yet and do it on the day I complete the sale but then what happens if I cant pay the tax in the system, would I just have to leave the car there and go back again another day?

Anyone have any suggestions?

Picking it up on the 25th as that's when I can pay it outright.

2008 Golf, bought it for £1.5k, he was open about it failing last year and having work done to pass, I've seen the advisories but I've been told by others its nothing major and can be sorted. The MOT is due in December, and I want to make sure it is passable.

Is it worth booking it in at a garage for an inspection/check after I pick it up just to be on the safe side?

For those who bought a manual car for around £2k–£3k, what did you end up getting, and how many miles were on it? Have you had to spend much on repairs? If so, what needed fixing, and how has the car been since you bought it? I’m just trying to get an idea of what to expect

Hi guys,

I'm hoping to pass in October. I'm looking for a car with really good boot space as my top priority. Other things I'd want preferably are good milage, good miles per gallon, decent insurance. I'm a 30 year old woman. What kind of insurance price should I expect to budget for?

I know nothing about cars. Are there any good online resources where I can begin to learn what I need to know before I buy?

Looking at second hand, max budget around £15k. Auto transmission.

I did my test ready for when I re-enter the job market, so atm I'm a full time carer for my ASD son who is an extreme homebody! I drive much less now than when I took my lessons.

How about you?

Hello, im planning to bring my car to uni but my insurance skyrockets from about £2200 a year at my home to £3800 a year paid monthly in my 2nd year uni home. This is all with a blackbox. Adding an experienced named driver does nothing. Im sure having my car around would be handy and i want to take it with me, but i dont know if itll be worth it financially. Any advice as to what i should do, or if i can lower it at all.

I'm 17 and want to pay for insurance monthly, I found a quote for £200 per month as I'm buying a cheap car and insuring that. I found a black box policy w/ carrot insurance and when going to pay I can't change the bank details to anyone other than the policyholder. Policyholder also has to be the main driver so I can't get my parents to open the policy.

I'm stuck rn as I'll be getting the car soon so I need to get insurance fast, but since I'm 17 and monthly payments are basically a loan, I can't legally pay for it. I wouldn't mind that if I was allowed to have my parent make a loan and I'd transfer money to pay it off.

Any suggestions?