With the help of a great driving instructor and your own hard work, the day will come when you pass your driving test and earn your full driving licence.

Once you cut the L-plates off of your car, you have a blank slate to drive your car however you like, within the law of course.

However, at this early stage, you should be careful to avoid picking up any bad habits that, whilst not illegal, can still get you in trouble if you are not careful.

Signal Early And Often

Using your turn signals and hazard lights goes without saying, and not using them can sometimes be illegal if a court rules you were not driving with due care and attention.

However, just flicking on the indicator in the middle of a turn is not really in the spirit of actually signalling to other road users what you want to do, so get into the habit of clearly signalling at the most appropriate time that you intend to turn, and turn them off when you are done.

Driving Too Slowly

Whilst people are understandably more concerned about speeding, which isn’t so much a bad habit as a crime, overcompensating and driving too slowly can be just as dangerous, and timidity is a bad habit that needs to be broken.

Besides potentially being dangerous in its own right if you are driving at such a slow pace that drivers behind you attempt reckless overtakes, it also is frustrating for other road users. If you are not comfortable driving too quickly and a queue has piled up, pull over somewhere safe and let people by.

Turning Too Tightly

Generally, unless you are a racing driver, you should avoid hugging the apex of a corner if you can. Your turns should be wide, sweeping and give you as much visibility of the road and potential oncoming traffic as possible.