You have your category B driving license but haven't driven in a long time? If you need to start driving again for personal or professional reasons, some precautions are necessary before getting back behind the wheel. Here are 5 tips to ease back into it and regain confidence.
It is quite common to stop driving, even when you have a Category B license, due to an accident or illness, for example. After a more or less extended break, it's normal to feel less confident behind the wheel. But this situation is not irreversible.
The first of the 5 tips to get back up to speed before hitting the road is, of course, to review the basics of driving and the traffic rules, especially if they have changed since the last time you drove or if you have doubts about the location of the different pedals...
Over the years, road signage evolves and is enriched with new signs. Before resuming driving, you should therefore update your knowledge and take these new developments into account. This refresher for the Category B license will allow you not to be caught off guard and to avoid fines.
Another tip for safely getting back to driving is to take a driving aptitude test. This type of test, aimed at assessing your driving reflexes, is offered by driving schools as well as associations like Mobilité Club France.
Even before considering a refresher course for the B license, it is essential to undergo this type of evaluation and/or seek your doctor's advice if you are a senior. Depending on your age, you may now need glasses for driving.
On the Mobisenior page of the Mobilité Club France website, you will find practical information, aptitude tests, and self-assessments to measure your visual and auditory capabilities (see the link below).
The third tip for preparing to get back behind the wheel after a long break is to book a few driving hours at a driving school.
Many things may have changed since the last time you drove: some road signs, of course, but also traffic density, the types of vehicles on the road (including quieter electric and hybrid cars), and automotive technologies.
For all these reasons, a refresher course for a category B license at a driving school can be very useful. These practice hours with a professional instructor can, for example, help you relearn how to shift gears and parallel park, in short, to regain your autonomy behind the wheel!
Between 1 and 3 hours of driving (starting from €39 per hour) may be sufficient to regain your reflexes and readjust comfortably to driving. Moreover, if you are still working, you can use your personal training account or CPF to finance this driving course.
In order to resume driving safely after a long break, you should also learn about new automotive technologies. Nowadays, vehicles often feature a connected dashboard and an integrated GPS, electronic door locking, and sometimes an automatic transmission. All these innovations should not overwhelm you or prevent you from getting back behind the wheel. They contribute to vehicle safety and improved driving comfort, provided you know how to use them!
The last of the 5 tips for getting back on track when you have a driver's license is, of course, to get behind the wheel! But it's important to plan this return to driving smoothly and progressively...
Don't be too ambitious for your first trips. It's better to avoid long distances and rush hours while you get used to the traffic density and new road users like scooters and electric bikes!
You can even do a little preliminary scouting on foot to know where you can drive in your city or neighborhood, between bike lanes, bus lanes, and tram tracks...
However, all these precautions do not exempt you from staying vigilant at the wheel. Vigilance is THE golden rule to remember because other users can exhibit dangerous behaviors. An electric scooter can go up to 25 km/h (its maximum authorized speed), and users of these devices do not always respect traffic lights and traffic directions. Take note...
Author Audrey on 27 December 2022
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Author Audrey on 06 November 2023
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