One of the main drawbacks of not passing your driving test and securing your license until later in life is the clear fact that you won’t be on the road. You won’t be able to enjoy your own vehicle, or make your way outside of public transport or the generosity of friends, relatives and colleagues.
However, if you’re willing to accept that, or perhaps you just haven’t had the need to learn to pass thus far, it’s important to remember that doing this as an older learner isn’t a bad experience. Some people may find themselves worried that they’ve put it off so long, and that it’s embarrassing they haven’t qualified yet. You don’t have to feel like that, because when all is said and done, you get to make the decision for when you qualify yourself.
After all, there are many justifiable reasons for why you may not have prioritized this thus far, but you don’t have to justify them to anyone.
So, if you’re a little nervous about qualifying later in life, consider some of the benefits that come with doing so:
You’ll Have More Money & Time To Pass
If you’re learning to drive later on, there’s a good chance your financial situation is in a better spot than it might’ve been when you were a teenager or just out of school. That obviously helps, because you’re not scraping together the change between rent and coursework or trying to make your part-time hours stretch far enough to cover a lesson a week.
You can book more sessions when it suits with that money in your pocket, you’re not stressing over the cost of fuel every time you go out to practice with a relative or friend, and you’re not sitting there wondering how you’re going to pay for the test itself let alone the lessons leading up to it. That’s not to say everyone who is above 25 suddenly has a huge amount of disposable cash to throw, but odds are you do have a little more security if you’re working full time. The only downside is your free time, but many instructors will work in the evenings too.
You Can Relate More Closely To The Instructor
It’s a little more grounded to have a conversation with someone closer to your own age, especially when they’re guiding you through something as personal and stress-inducing as learning to drive. Now, we’re not saying you should be best mates with the instructor, just that the dynamic changes a little when you’re not a teenager and neither are they. There’s a mutual understanding, and it makes the whole thing feel more relaxed. Odds are you may be respected a little more instead of spoken down to, like some mature instructors can fall into.
Older learners also tend to ask better questions, not because younger people aren’t curious, but because when you’ve been a passenger for years and you’ve seen how others drive, you tend to notice more about what’s happening on the road. Instructors can help you better that way.
You’ll Have The Patience & Safety-First Focus
Now, driving is about route setting and getting there of course, but it’s also mostly about reading situations, managing your reactions, and thinking two or three steps ahead. That kind of focus is much easier to come by when you’ve had life experience that’s trained you to keep calm and not overreact to every inconvenience or suffering from the teenage anxieties you might have hda before. You’ve likely spent years in work environments, family situations, or general life moments that forced you to stay cool under pressure, so someone being unfriendly on the road isn’t going to throw you off that much.
You’re also less likely to feel the urge to show off or take risks, because you’ve got a bit more perspective and a better grasp of what’s at stake. Again, not all young people do this, but it’s just more common at a younger age. Moreover, because you have more patience, you’re more likely to use a driving license practice test just to make sure you’re ready, before rushing on with the final test before you should.
With this advice, we believe you’ll feel more confident and capable.
