What you need to know if you want to learn to drive

Learning to drive is one of the most rewarding skills you can learn - not to mention one of the most useful. It helps you command control over your own life, because you won’t be beholden on bus and train times or have to rely on the goodwill of friends and family for lifts. 

It is especially useful if you are planning on having a family, because it will ensure you are both flexible and have the ability to make emergency journeys without delay.

However, there is no denying that it can be daunting to learn to drive. There is an enormous stack of information you need to process, from the act of driving itself, to learning basic knowledge about which car to drive and how to maintain it. 

This is before you take on the challenge of trying to get yourself on the road with competitive auto insurance, which is especially difficult to find if you have just learnt to drive.

This is what you need to know if you want to learn to drive:

You need to know how much it is going to cost

Before you start learning to drive, you need to work out whether it is viable for you financially. 

Owning and driving a car is not cheap, and as a first-time driver you might not appreciate just how expensive it can be. There is the cost of the car, fuel, and any repairs to consider, as well as other steep overheads like insurance. 

For example, auto insurance in Las Vegas is more expensive than much of the rest of the country. Finding an insurance provider that takes your driving history into consideration could save you money on your monthly insurance premium. This is because, if you can find an affordable deal, you could save yourself hundreds of dollars every year.

Make sure you start crunching your insurance numbers before you learn to drive, otherwise you may not be able to afford to insure your car once you’ve passed. 

Find the right teacher for you

If you want to pass your driving test, you need to find the right teacher. You will probably remember how important a good teacher was in school. Well, it's the same with learning to drive. 

Search around your local area and ask anyone you know who has recently passed their test who their teacher was, and whether they would recommend them. This is the best way of finding a teacher who you can gel with. 

Read up on your basic car knowledge

Becoming a motorist is about more than knowing how to drive a car. 

You need a basic amount of knowledge about cars which will help you if you encounter a reliability issue, are searching around for a new car, or want to make sure yours is roadworthy.

Read up on basic mechanical knowledge in books and watch automotive videos on YouTube. You could also ask a friend or family member who knows a thing or two about cars to help teach you.

Having a little mechanical knowledge goes a long way and stops you feeling out of your depth when something goes wrong, or an obstacle crops up – such as when you want to replace your car, or need it repaired.