One of the most common fears that new drivers have is driving on the highway. Faster, long-distance highway driving can be intimidating, especially if you’re still getting comfortable behind the wheel. At Ambitious Drivers, we’re dedicated to helping our students become confident in a variety of driving scenarios, including highway driving. Here are some tips and suggestions for getting comfortable driving on the highway from the team of experts at Ambitious Drivers.
Bring Along a Passenger
It’s a good idea to take along an experienced driver on your first few trips on the highway as reassurance. They can advise you as you drive and make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible. If you need to stop driving for whatever reason, have an experienced driver in the car who can take over for you if need be. Avoid taking a whole carload of people with you on your first highway drive as they may be distracting and could jeopardize your safety on the road.
Keep to the Right
Once you’ve successfully joined the highway, it is proper etiquette to stay in the right-most lane unless you are overtaking slower traffic. Look out for cars trying to merge onto the highway while in the right lane and give them the space to do so. If you decide to overtake, use the ‘mirror, signal, maneuver’ procedure when changing lanes and don’t linger in the middle lane, especially if you notice cars passing you on either side. Watch out for larger vehicles when changing lanes—they have larger blind spots than regular-sized cars, so make sure to give them plenty of room.
Driving on the highway can be nerve-wracking, especially for new drivers who are still getting comfortable behind the wheel. At Ambitious Driver, we’re here to help you become a safe and confident driver. If you want to build your experience as a driver on the highway, our trained staff can help you develop the skills necessary to become a steady and safe driver. For more information and to register for one of our courses, contact us today at Ambitious Drivers.
