Hello my question is that I am learning to drive a car and I

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Hello my question is that I am learning to drive a car and I have started with driving in and around an parking lot and looking out for cars and parking my question is since I have learned how to drive in a parking lot area or side steets will it be that hard for me to drive in the normal streets with street lights and street signs I know driving a car would be harder than driving a gold cart because when I was younger I did learn to drive a gold cart in hopes it can't hurt in learning to drive a car also I know people who have learned to drive and they told me they at first learned to park and drive in a parking pot before they drove on the roads and people who have offered to help me tell me this and that the smaller the car the easier it is to handle and that the bigger the car the harder it is thank you to all for you're time ?

http://www.ehow.com/video_5112955_learn ... e-car.html

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Sorry for not replying before although I did read your post when you first posted it. I don't think I'm in a position to answer your question because I struggled to learn how to drive and have given it up. Driving has been a big issue for me because I live in a place where driving is really essential but found it impossible.

I think practicing driving in easier places before trying normal streets would be a really good idea. Surely that practice will help. Driving where traffic is busier can be tricky. And I agree that the smaller the car is, the easier it is for you to handle it. I think you should start with a small car and once you are used to driving you can try a bigger one.

Sorry but I don't think I can say anything really useful. I just responded because I'm struggling to learn to drive, too.

And please don't be offended by my honestly pointing out that your OP was really hard to read because there was no punctuation. I think that (as well as my not having anything useful to say) was one reason why I didn't respond to you initially.

Hi...I've been driving since I was 14 (Florida back in the sixties made us take driver's ed in high school)...I find that using a smaller vehicle is better for me. We learned in an area of the track and in parking lots first. Getting out on the road though is much different. If you have a teacher with you, make sure they are supportive, rather than critical.

My only advice is to make sure that you know all the rules, but realize that many drivers (if not most) don't go by the rules strictly; especially speed and signaling. The most important rules I've found are to:
Maintain an extra large distance between oneself and the car in front of you.
Avoid getting boxed in.
Go with the flow of traffic as to speed.
and NEVER drive when emotionally distressed/ extra tired/ etc. - being upset can be just as bad as being drunk etc.

Good luck...the freedom to go where one wishes = all by oneself = is awesome. I'm extremely glad that I learned to drive and hope to never have to turn in my keys...

last, but not least... take the written test, get your permit practice practice practice..at first on Sunday mornings in the lightest traffic possible.

and dont give up!

It's good to start your learning experience in parking lots and stuff like that because it's a good place for you to get a feel of the car, get used to the controls, and develop your spatial awareness in regards to you behind the wheel and the physical dimensions of the car. On the road is where you learn how to drive safely and to the rules/laws. Wouldn't it be better to tackle the roads when you have a good feel of the car you're driving, rather than enter the road straight away and be faced with the dread of having to learn about the car AND the road at once?

No two makes & models of cars are the same. All cars are going to steer differently. All cars are going to shift differently (if driving a stick). All cars have different engine powers. All cars have different physical dimensions. The main difficulty I know of with larger cars is due to the actual physical size of the car and the difficulty its size creates when parking or doing other tight maneuvers. Pretty much all cars have power steering these days, ABS/EBS, etc etc. Pure road handling regardless of car size shouldn't be too much of an issue if you're not driving outside of suburbia. I have no idea what my small medium car is or isn't capable of performance/handling wise and I'll probably never have the opportunity to find out.

^^agreed. Practice, practice, practice. I passed my driving test at 27 on the third attempt. Now I do about 90,000 miles a year at work.

I have glare problems, but amber lenses make this bearable. If the busyness of the roads is an issue, cycling or a motor scooter is a good way to get used to the general hubbub.

There is, at first, a huge difference between parking lots & roads with traffic on but it's just a matter of acclimatisation, and learning to process the increased amount of info around you. It can be tiring, but having your own transport & freedom to travel in a private environment is AMAZING and well worth sticking at. Once you arrive at the point where your vehicle becomes an extension of your body you'll wonder what the fuss was about, so don't give up hope if it takes a while!

The more you practice, the better you get.

Everyone's anxious at first. From driving in circles in an empty lot, to learning street signs, to the first time you ever need to slam on the brakes, to the freeway. It's all about practice.

I started in an empty lot, hitting the brakes hard for no reason and being terrified, now I drive 550 miles a day, in the mountains and often snow with 22 wheels.

it is much easier to learn in a smaller car, or, at least don't practice in a pickup. A minivan would do fine.