First, I want to say how eye-opening it is seeing people sharing their thoughts about driving in general. I don't blame others for feeling anxious when they get behind the wheel, especially if it triggers flashbacks to some. You shouldn't be pressured into getting a driver's licence if you have no need for it or don't feel comfortable driving a car.
I got my driver's permit in early 2018 after failing the written test for the first time. In Ontario, that would be the G1 licence (and I'm still in that class as of this post). Because of the restrictions of being in G1, I can't drive on my own (though, I can see where that rule is coming from). Moreover, I didn't take driving school classes until somewhere in 2019 due to school. When I first started out, I can tell you from experience that I was really nervous! And as with all things when done for the first time ever, you're bound to make some errors, and boy did I make mistakes indeed! Thankfully, my driving instructor pointed out what I did wrong and figured out what NOT to do should I be in a certain situation again. On top of that, I got comfortable eventually and felt happy every time when I did something right in a safe manner.
If I recall correctly, I had to drive ten hours in total in driving school before taking the G2 test. Unfortunately, the pandemic hit and really put a spanner in the works which suspended driving tests to advance to G2. Because of this, the backlog for people taking the tests piled up meaning that mine kept getting pushed back a few times. I've had to wait well over a year just to be able to book an appointment for the test and thankfully, my driving instructor was able to book one at a much earlier date compared to the original. I'll be taking my test in a couple of weeks time and hope that I'll pass in one go. I'm constantly practicing my parking when my dad doesn't have work, so this is sure to help me out! I've been reviewing some things as well and watching this one Youtuber recently about driving on the roads. While their road system is totally different compared to Canada, there are still some points to take away from that's worth learning.
I think I should also take this opportunity to share some miscellaneous thoughts about driving, with most of them about defensive driving and keeping others safe. My goodness, the driving standards of some people from where I live are terrible. I won't list every single thing that grinds my gears, but not signaling, cutting people off in a lane, and trying to beat the light is one of the many dangerous things I've noticed being in the passenger seat while my dad drives. Let's not also forget that having bad driving behaviour puts everyone else in danger. Don't even get me started with road rage. We've all got to do our part. You're driving a hunk of metal that weighs at least a ton and it's not pretty at all when you hit people with it. Apparently, there's a beef between cyclists and drivers that just reeks entitlement, but I don't want to go down this road. Seriously, is it worth shaving a few seconds off your commuting time when you've just narrowly hit someone? I do not approve of this kind of behaviour at all, so when I get behind the wheel, I'm going to do my absolute best to stay focused on the road and not getting stuck in a rocky situation. Honk at me all you want impatient drivers, but I ain't caving into your horrible driving standards. If you're going to brake check me, you shouldn't be driving a car at all.
Mini rant: I don't get the mindset from some people who think women can't drive or just being angry at them for no reason. They don't bat an eyelid when someone drives until they see a woman behind the wheel. Uh, what? It's not like having bad driving behaviour is exclusive to a single group. What if that person is still getting used to their driving? C'mon, don't make ridiculous assumptions like this. Mini rant over.
As a person who plays racing games (and likes cars), I personally love to drive if others aren't being a pain in the butt lol. When I play Gran Turismo and I'm on my own at a race track, I either go for time trials or go for a slow drive to ease my mind. I still don't have my G2 yet, so this is a nice alternative as it's readily available and that I don't need a licence to play racing games. While the racing environment is far different compared to public roads and that I'm playing on a controller, I feel like there are a few things that I can apply to real driving. It's helped increase my awareness and reflexes somewhat, so this should be helpful whenever someone makes erratic movements on the road. I've also been driving in first-person view recently to help get a better feel of where I should put my car on the road. Dip a tire in the grass? No problem, I'll make a small correction and make mental reference points on the car where it can and can't go before hitting something. My car is about to spin out? Ease off the throttle and steer in the direction you want to go (hard to visualize in words, but I hope you get my point). Of course, each car is different, so they will all have different characteristics in some way such as drivetrain, weight, horsepower, braking performance, etc. I will admit, though, that despite using the manual option when changing gears, I actually don't know how in real life since I only press buttons. On top of that, many cars today have automatic transmission, so it doesn't give me opportunities how to drive a car with manual transmission. Trust me, I really want to learn how.
For people willing to learn how to drive, it's important to have a driving instructor that constructively points out your mistakes in a calm manner. Shouting at people learning to drive just isn't going to make things better, on top of some drivers on the road having no concern for others but themselves. If anything, the person learning how to drive will only get more nervous and lose focus! It's important that we should bring each other up to be better drivers and show a good example. And take the time to watch videos on how to drive safely and parking correctly as well. Remember, we all start somewhere when trying things for the first time!
My apologies for this huge post lol. I tend to get passionate about driving since it has something to do with cars and not acting like an idiot towards others.