What to do if you haven't driven for years after getting your license and have forgotten how?
3 Answers
You can quickly get back into driving with some practice. Here are some supplementary materials for getting back into practice: 1. Familiarize yourself with the car's configuration: Get to know the various devices in the car, such as light usage, rearview mirror adjustment, brake usage, etc. 2. Refresh your knowledge of traffic rules: If you haven't driven for a long time, you may have become unfamiliar with current traffic rules, so it's necessary to re-familiarize yourself with them. 3. Seek guidance from an experienced driver: Anyone who has obtained a driver's license will have a basic impression of driving operations. If you haven't driven for a long time and have concerns or worries, you can ask an experienced driver to sit in the passenger seat and give you some pointers. You'll be back in the driver's seat in no time.
I also didn’t touch the steering wheel for three years after getting my driver’s license. Later, when I wanted to practice driving again, I asked my neighbor to be my coach. We practiced on empty roads in the industrial area for five nights after work. My suggestion is to borrow a friend’s car or rent a shared car first and find a closed area to practice starting and stopping. Focus on reviewing how to adjust the rearview mirror angle and lane keeping. You need to develop muscle memory for the accelerator and brake. Practice lane changes and checking blind spots when there are fewer cars at night. Nowadays, many parking lots have simulated road signs. Spending two hours on weekends practicing reverse parking and parallel parking is much more practical than driving school. Current car features like 360-degree cameras and auto-hold are very beginner-friendly. You’ll get the hang of it after a few drives.
Last month, I just taught my cousin to pick up her driving skills again—her driver's license had been lying in the drawer for four years. The best approach is to find a patient experienced driver to sit in the passenger seat. Spend half an hour reviewing the operation of lights and wipers first, then find a flat suburban road to practice driving in a straight line. The key is to overcome the fear of speed—remember that below 40 km/h, you can brake safely in case of danger. On weekends, practice reversing in large parking lots like IKEA, where the ground markings are clear and no one will rush you. Nowadays, real-time lane prompts from mobile navigation apps are more intuitive than the markings in driving schools. After driving three to five times, she’ll be ready to hit the road alone.
