My driving sucks

I am 37 yo living in a lawless country - when it comes to traffic - and for some odd reasons I never needed to learn driving except a few months ago. I went to a driving school , took the course and now I'm hitting the streets "I drive to work 2 or 3 time a week , a 12 kms drive".

I am having massive difficulties dealing with cars around me , I forget the proper use of mirrors , I don't change lanes correctly "not that people care much for lane negotiations anyway...lawless as I said earlier" , the car is turned off at most intersections "nothing mechanical , my poor driving" , I fail at putting the car at 1st gear many times , I can't start driving on slopes "the car slides back a large distance".

In short , I suck at driving and I don't like this because I fear for my personal and public safety " I never drive speedily but people race around me anyway".

My major question ; how can I change this? Friends have suggested that I just keep driving and I would learn anyway on the street. Another opinion suggested driving in suburban empty streets until I get the hang of it "I've actually done plenty of that already and I do very well in empty streets , I don't have a problem with static objects ".

What do you think ? What is the best way to improve my bad driving?

Driving is scary for everyone at first. It will just take getting used to. Give it time.

Practise taking off and shifting in an empty parking lot :)
That's also a good place to go nuts if you feel ike it :naughty:

best way to learn is to practice and to ride with ppl that drive sticks. My parents always drove sticks when i was growing up and by the time i could (legally) drive it was already second nature to me. just drive up and down your neighborhood streets for like a half hour a day and practice on hills. Just remember, its natural to totally feel awkward and freaked out when you are learning. I just taught my bro how to drive stick and i seriously thought he was going to piss himself but he got it in time. just keep at it!

Best way to learn to drive stick is to be forced into it. I had to learn to drive stick when I drove my car off the dealer's lot.

It's tough to learn to drive when you're learning with a stick. You need to learn the subtleties of driving ON TOP of the mechanics of shifting. Not easy. But honestly, PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!! That's the only way to become confident in your skills.

It'll come in time. Just take some time everyday to practice in more empty areas as suggested before. Practice starting and stopping.

If hills are tough, use the ebrake, press the gas until you feel a lurch and let the brake go. I've never used this method, never needed to, but it was one of the suggestions I got when I was learning stick.

Good luck, keep at it!

I see that you live in Cairo.
One fo the worst problems with lawless traffic is that people will drive in an unpredictable manner, and are likely to do anything. It's tough to learn to drive in that environment.

IMO most of the world drives like this, to some extent. One must get used to it and used to predicting what the unpredictable will do.

The last time I went to Britain, I was amazed. There, everyone obeys all the rules of the world and IMO all drove in the same way. You knew exactly what the other drivers were going to do, and driving was easy.
When I got back to Canada, I realise how poor we drive, and how difficult it is for other drivers because of it. (even though most people obey most of the rules of the road. )

You live in Cairo? Most people on here can't relate to how egyptians drive because it's so different from what we're used to. Driving in Egypt is literally like bumper cars. People smack into another car at least once a day. There isn't a single car in Egypt that is dent-free because there is absolutely no regard for other people's property. My advice is to get a beat up car, drive at least as fast as everyone else, and smack in to whatever you feel like smacking in to. You're physical skill at driving will just take practice, and if you come to a stop on a hill, let out the clutch just enough so the car sits still, then when you need to go give a little gas and slowly let off the clutch. It's all feel.

i was pretty much that way when i started driving (im 16) i used to wonder how the fuck am i gonna change lanes, can i weive in and out of traffic like some cars do, i cant drive on the freeway its too hard... now a few months after getting my licenes i can weive in and out of traffic (i dont do it unless im late for work or school) i can totaly drive on the freee way ( had only 1 close call beacuse of a dude in my blind spot) its pretty easy now. give it time it becomes second nature trust me!