How I Changed My Outlook on Driving

I’ve made no secret of the fact I’m not a born driver. And unfortunately for me, I also wasn’t born to be driven. As great as that would be, I can’t exactly afford a chauffeur for the rest of my life. My fiancé took up the role without complaint, but I hated relying on him for everything. So I took five million lessons and eventually passed my test (after five attempts) in February.

Since then, there have been a lot of tears and moments of panic behind the wheel. I have to be in the right mood to drive somewhere new or go out in the car alone, it takes a while to mentally prepare myself and I often end up shaking uncontrollably for a good half hour after the ordeal is over. Such fun!

I got a little Clio and have a bit of a love/hate relationship with it. But recently, an opportunity came up that completely changed how I feel about driving – and it led me to a decision that I know will make life on the road a whole lot easier.

A new challenge for this nervous driver

In a wild stroke of luck, Bristol Street Motors Nissan contacted me to ask if I’d be up for test driving a vehicle of theirs for a week as part of a campaign to promote their range of current offers. I have to admit that I was hesitant to accept the campaign. After all, I haven’t been driving long and the thought of trying to get used to another car, especially while I’m still not quite comfortable with my own, gave me cold sweats. Add to that the fact that I’d suddenly made driving part of my job (albeit just for a week), and I was really feeling the pressure.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from driving (aside from the fact that rocking P plates really helps me feel like people won’t beep at me when I mess up), it’s that the only way to overcome my fears is to force myself to face them. So I pushed myself even further outside of my comfort zone and said yes. A few weeks later, Tom and I were en route to the Bristol Street Motors dealership in Darlington to pick up my new wheels.

My Nissan Micra 1.0 IG-T Tekna review

And my, what wheels they were! I’d been told it was an ‘Energy Orange Metallic’ car and to be honest, the colour didn’t excite me but when I saw it in real life, I was in love. At the end of the week, I just felt like the car was SO me, if that makes sense?! It really suited me!

Driving my Nissan Micra 1.0 IG-T Tekna for those seven days was an absolute pleasure. In fact, it was the first time I’ve ever actually enjoyed driving.

It has five doors, a rear-view camera, parking sensors and keyless start. The interior is just as slick as the exterior and those clever sensors made parking – something I’m still very scared of – a breeze.

It made my little Clio look and feel like a nightmare!

The biggest difference, aside from all the fancy features, was that the Micra I had on loan was an Automatic. I learned to drive in a Manual and the car I usually drive has a gearstick. I purposely asked for an Automatic car for this campaign so I could see if I liked it, because every time I tell someone I’m a nervous driver they ask me why I haven’t just switched to Automatic.

I’m very stubborn and was determined to keep doing it the hard way, but one week in an Automatic Micra changed that.

How choosing an Automatic car helps nervous drivers

I honestly can’t believe I’ve tortured myself with gears for so long. If you are at all anxious when it comes to driving, I can’t recommend switching to Automatic enough. Sure, I have a Manual license and will always be able to drive with a stick if the situation presents itself, but I’m buying an Automatic car as soon as possible.

Seriously though, if anyone (especially my fiancé) dares to say I told you so….

I was worried the lack of clutch would confuse me, but I got used to keeping my left foot stationary almost immediately.

The benefit for me was that without a clutch and a gearstick to struggle with, there is SO MUCH LESS to panic about while driving. A lot less can go wrong inside the car, so I’m free to focus more fully on the road itself. Hill-starts, slow moving traffic and the like are just a lot easier in an Automatic and I felt my confidence soaring a little bit higher with each mile I drove in the Micra.

People keep pointing out to me that anything that helps me feel more positive about driving is worth doing, so I think it’s time to listen to their advice. I’m one of those people who has to do everything the hard way and I tend to beat myself up about stuff, so that’s why I didn’t just go for Automatic sooner. But I’ve seen the light and I don’t want to go back!

That week, I didn’t need my P plates to put my mind at ease. I even drove through Newcastle City Centre at rush hour and to the Metrocentre and back in the Micra – something that would have taken me about a year to talk myself into with my Manual. I was so proud!

One of my biggest motivations for learning to drive was the idea I’d be able to explore the UK on my own terms, but I just couldn’t picture myself driving long distances when I finally passed. It was all I could do to make it to Asda and back! Once I got behind the wheel of that Tekna though, I was suddenly envisioning long coastal drives with the wind in my hair.

Taking that snazzy little Micra back to Bristol Street Motors hurt, I’m not going to lie. In fact, the lady practically had to prise they car keys out of my hand.

Now, I’m off to browse those offers that I was supposed to be promoting, so I can bag myself a new whip…

You can follow me on on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. You can also subscribe to my Youtube channel.

This post is sponsored by Bristol Street Motors but all opinions are my own.

Pin this