What to do if you haven't driven for years after getting your license and have forgotten how?

[OMargaret]

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.

[McIan]

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.

[VanPreston]

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.

[ChristianDella]

All the stay-at-home moms I've coached follow this routine: First, practice moving forward and backward in an open area of the neighborhood, using water bottles as cones. The key is to regain a sense of direction—count the turns when steering wheel is fully locked and then return it to center. Practice passing on narrow roads when there's less traffic at night, rolling down the window to listen for tire sounds when crossing the line. Nowadays, rental cars offer beginner insurance packages, and Shouqi's shared cars with collision warnings are a great fit. Focus on reviewing new traffic rule changes, like yielding at crosswalks and speed limit adjustments. After three sessions with a coach, they can drive alone to the supermarket.

[JacksonAnn]

The new guy on the construction crew is in this situation, so I had him practice driving the pickup truck at the construction site. The focus is on reviewing blind spot locations and judging the vehicle width. The freight yard is full of gravel, which is perfect for practicing hill starts. I recommend buying magnetic arrow stickers to attach to the front of the vehicle to practice turning angles—they cost just over ten yuan on Taobao. After work, practice lane changes under the overpass to get the timing right with the rearview mirrors—the streetlights make the lane markings especially clear. Nowadays, dash cams come with trajectory assist lines, making it much easier to drive than the pickup trucks at driving schools.

[CarmenLynn]

A colleague's child underwent intensive training for two weeks before returning to work: practicing reverse parking in the company parking lot at 6 a.m., where the underground garage was empty and monitored for safety. They downloaded a driving test app to study the subject one question bank, focusing on memorizing new signs and markings. Special attention was given to practicing sharp turns on narrow roads, using a pack of tissues on the passenger seat as a reference. Nowadays, most new cars come with automatic parking, so using it a few times in mall garages helps overcome fear. Driving slowly around the Saturday morning farmers' market is the best way to build mental resilience—after five tries, they were ready for the commute.