How many kilometers should a beginner drive to develop a sense of the car?
2 Answers
Due to the varying learning abilities of novice drivers, the time it takes to develop a sense of the car can differ. Generally, it takes about 1 month to become familiar with the car's feel. Below are some related points: 1. Familiarizing with the car's feel: Novice drivers should control their speed while driving and try to stick to familiar routes. Staying focused while driving helps in better car control. 2. Mastering driving techniques: Whether driving in the city or on the highway, maintaining a safe distance is crucial. Using rearview mirrors to monitor the traffic behind and combining speed, distance, and visibility helps in developing an initial sense of the car. During turns, coordinating the car's speed with the steering wheel's rotation angle is essential. With more driving experience, one can better judge how much to turn the steering wheel to position the car correctly.
After getting my driver's license, I drove for almost a year and covered about 5,000 kilometers before I truly developed a feel for the car. The first three months were spent driving in the city, mainly getting familiar with the pressure needed for the accelerator and brake—back then, I would still cross lane lines when changing lanes and had to adjust multiple times when parking. Later, after a few highway trips, I realized how crucial speed perception is—judging the distance from the car ahead at 100 km/h feels completely different. I even deliberately practiced driving in the rain, as wet roads make it easier to sense changes in tire grip. Looking back now, simply accumulating mileage isn’t enough; you need to intentionally challenge yourself with scenarios like passing on narrow roads or driving at night to quickly build sensitivity to the car’s dimensions.
