When you are a new driver, there’s a lot to learn and retain. Even as we become seasoned drivers, there’s always room for improvement. Some maneuvers — like parallel parking or making your away around a roundabout — can still feel intimidating, no matter how experienced you are behind the wheel.
In operation since 1935, AAA Driving School trains around 7,000 new drivers annually, so our driving instructors know firsthand about the challenges drivers face most behind the wheel.
Cherie Pease and Lisa Gauvin, AAA Driving School instructors in Massachusetts, offered their best driving tips when it comes to mastering situations that tend to trip up young and experienced drivers alike.
Three-Point Turn
A three-point turn is a driving maneuver used to turn your vehicle around on a narrow road where a U-turn is not possible. The first point is a sharp left turn, the second point is reversing and the third point is shifting back into drive to complete the turn. Some may also know it as a K-turn because of the shape the car moves in when visualized from above.
“It’s much easier to turn your wheel all the way to the left before moving your vehicle. Most roads are narrow, and if you don’t do this first, you may not get fully across the road,” said Gauvin. “You must always look behind you while you are in reverse, so one trick is to just let the car roll and count to three while you are looking back. Stop and look where you are. Your vehicle should be pointed slightly left and your body should look like you are sitting in the middle of the road. You may go back farther if necessary and pull forward if needed.”
Left Turn
“The biggest mistake people make turning left is that they don’t yield,” said Gauvin. “At every left turn you should be asking yourself, ‘Am I protected — is there a green arrow?’ You are only protected from oncoming traffic with a green arrow. No green arrow means you must yield.”
When pulling into an intersection, drivers should be careful to enter the gap and avoid crossing over the center yellow line.
“You can fail your road test for driving over lane markings,” said Gauvin. “Left turns should be made at a sharp 90-degree angle. If you don’t have lane markings, you should pass the first lane and wait until your driver’s side mirror lines up with the middle of the road and then make your turn. It’s important to only enter your lane.”
Listen to Our Podcast
Tips for passing your driver's test with ease. Listen to Episode 16 of our podcast, Merging Into Life: How to Pass Your Road Test.
Tune InWho Goes First at a Stop Sign?
“The right-of-way is something you give, not take. You need to show extra caution at intersections,” said Pease. “At an intersection with stop signs in all directions — a four-way stop — vehicles must proceed in the order in which they stopped. The first to stop, is the next one to go.”
You must yield to:
- Oncoming vehicles.
- Any vehicle already in the intersection.
- Pedestrians or bicyclists crossing your intended path of travel.
“Try to make eye contact with the drivers of other vehicles to judge their intentions and avoid crashes,” suggested Pease. “If in doubt, give the right-of-way to the driver on your right.”
Parallel Parking
“Among the most common mistakes that drivers make when parallel parking is rushing because of passing traffic and forgetting key points to help angle the car,” said Gauvin. “Don’t rush. It doesn’t matter that cars are waiting. They can wait.”
In this quick tutorial, a AAA Driving School instructor demonstrates how to parallel park:
How to Use Cruise Control
“You only want to use cruise control when you have plenty of room to do so. You do not want to use it in high traffic volumes or inclement weather situations. You also do not want to use cruise control when you are tired, as you may not react appropriately or swiftly if you start to drift out of your lane,” said Pease.
“Using cruise control is a great way to maintain proper speed when driving on the highway. This will help you avoid going over the speed limit and getting a ticket. It can reduce leg strain and fatigue when used properly. Setting your vehicle’s cruise control on a reasonable speed will also reduce fuel consumption by preventing sudden accelerations and decelerations. Each driver should check their owner’s manual for specific instructions on how to properly set the cruise control.”
Roundabouts
“Roundabouts can be tricky; be sure to always go right. You must yield to anyone coming around at you. If no one is there, head right out,” said Gauvin.
- If someone is coming around the roundabout, and they are not halfway around, then you have time to go. If they have passed the halfway mark, then stay put.
- Pay attention to traffic. If you see someone exiting the roundabout, that’s a great time for you to get on, as long on there isn’t a car right behind them.
- If exiting at the first exit, stay right. If not, move over to the left lane until your exit comes up. Be sure to signal and check blind spots.
“Bottom line: If you hesitate, then you wait. Something in your gut made you wait. Trust it,” encourages Gauvin. “Never let cars behind you make you jump the gun.”
See how a AAA Driving School instructor safely navigates a roundabout (aka rotary) in this helpful driving demo:
Tips for Driving an EV
Electric vehicles are still uncharted territory for a lot of drivers. To help new drivers get used to some of the differences, AAA driver training programs offer some of its students a chance to learn on an EV.
“Probably the biggest tip for driving an EV is understanding the range of your car and checking the battery life regularly. If you are taking longer trips, you may need to do a little extra planning on where to charge your vehicle along the way,” said Pease.
Additional EV driving tips:
- The higher the temperature, the more an EV’s range decreases. Drive at a steady speed to maximize the battery range — the faster you go, the faster you drain the battery.
- Use regenerative braking around town; you want to avoid hard braking and fast acceleration.
- Keep your tires properly inflated. Low tire pressure consumes more energy due to resistance.
- Do not leave your vehicle plugged in after it is fully charged.
If you or someone you know is ready to learn to learn how to drive, sign up for AAA Driver Training School, available in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
What challenges you most as a driver? Do you have any driving tips to add? Tell us in the comments.
Ellen is a content producer for AAA Northeast, covering automotive, finance, public affairs and electric vehicle news. She is a former newspaper reporter with experience writing for print and online publications about everything from higher education to sustainability. She recently returned to her native Long Island after living in Connecticut for 20-plus years, and has never met a beach she didn’t like.
Related Articles
Trending Articles
NEWEST ARTICLES
6 Thoughts on “Pro Driving Tips From AAA Driving School Instructors”
Leave A Comment
Comments are subject to moderation and may or may not be published at the editor’s discretion. Only comments that are relevant to the article and add value to the Your AAA community will be considered. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.
Everyone driving in New England in the autumn should be aware of wet leaves collecting in the gutter on the right side of the road. When you drive over the leaves at a higher rate of speed your vehicle has a tendency to slide to one side causing you to hit the curb or another vehicle driving on the opposite side of the road. Always be aware of the road conditions at all times.
I worked my way through college as a driving instructor. There is one thing that people ignore when making a left turn. While waiting for an opening so that you can proceed, always keep your wheels facing straight ahead. That way, if a car behind you doesn’t stop and hits you, your car will be pushed forward. If your wheels are turned to the left, if hit from behind, you will pushed into oncoming traffic. That could cause a head-on collision. Having your wheels turned to the left might save you a fraction of a second, but could cost you your life. I’ve seen too many cars waiting to make a left turn with the wheels turned to the left while waiting to turn. As a driving instructor, I taught motorcycle, so I’ve learned there are many equally important tips for staying alive on a bike.
When making a Left turn at a traffic signal, pull into the middle of the intersection and keep your steering wheel straight. When safe, turn your wheel to the Left and proceed.
I was trained at a 4 way intersection the driver on your right goes first. Not who got there first
Like to find driving instructor to help me start feeling confident on highways again and driving distances as ive gotten older ive become very nervous on highway and unsure of myself and I hate it..
Where can u test one and what does it cost