Even if you passed your driving test years ago, getting back behind the wheel can be scary if you haven’t driven for a while. Whether you’ve not driven for a while because you’ve been working from home or recently moved abroad, it’s important to refamiliarise yourself with your car and the road. Transitioning back into driving after a break involves a methodical approach to regain confidence and ensure safety. Begin by reacquainting yourself with your vehicle, checking that it is in good working condition, including tyre pressure, brakes, and fluid levels. Start with short, familiar routes to rebuild your comfort level gradually. Refresh your knowledge of current traffic laws and defensive driving practices to ensure you are up-to-date.

Here’s how you can have a smooth transition back to driving. 

1. Assess your readiness to drive 

Firstly, it’s important to assess your physical and mental readiness before you get behind the wheel. This is to keep you and other road users safe. 

Physically, you should check your vision, hearing and mobility. You should also be mindful of any medication that could impair your ability to drive. 

You’ll need to be mentally ready to drive, too. Try to assess your stress, focus, decision-making ability and emotional state as well as your confidence. 

To gauge your skills and confidence, think about the last time you were driving and how you felt. If you feel like you need more reassurance, you might want to seek feedback from friends and family. 

If you need to take this one step further and undertake a refresher course to regain confidence, check if this will be covered by car insurance.

2. Refresh your knowledge of road rules 

Before you start driving, you should re-familiarise yourself with the highway code and check for any changes in traffic laws, road signs or regulations. 

3. Make sure your vehicle is road-ready 

To give you peace of mind when you’re on the road, it’s a good idea to check your car is roadworthy – especially after a long period of inactivity. 

As a minimum, you should check the battery for charge, inspect your tyres for wear and top up fluids like oil, coolant and brake fluid. You should also examine your lights for functionality. 

If you’re not sure how to give your car a once-over, book in for a professional inspection at a local garage. 

4. Practical tips for easing back into driving 

To start with, try and only do short trips on roads you know, ideally during off-peak hours. This will help you gain confidence before you start tackling rush-hour mayhem. 

As well as driving on A-roads and motorways, you should spend time practicing your parking and maneuvering. It’s no good getting to your destination if you don’t know how to park once you get there! 

In conclusion, transitioning back into driving after a break requires a combination of preparation, patience, and practice. Start by familiarising yourself with your vehicle’s controls and ensuring it is in good working condition. Begin with short, familiar routes to rebuild confidence and gradually extend your driving range. Refresh your knowledge of traffic laws and defensive driving techniques to enhance safety. Consider taking a refresher driving course if needed. By taking these steps, you can smoothly and safely return to driving, ensuring a confident and comfortable experience on the road.

PEMBROKESHIRE Vauxhall retailer W P Lewis & Son is the top for customer care in Wales for the seventh year in a row.

Denis Chick, Communications Director of Vauxhall Motors visited the dealership to present the team with Vauxhall’s 2018 customer excellence award.

The award is based on the results gained from Vauxhall satisfaction surveys sent out to customers and W P Lewis & Son is one of only four in Britain achieve award status consecutively since inception of the awards in 2012.

Steve Lloyd, Managing Director said, “I am extremely proud of our team who work tirelessly to provide the personal touch when it comes to customer care and Vauxhall’s customer excellence awards is testament to the hard work of our small team”.

The company is the only Vauxhall retailer in Wales to have achieved all 7 consecutive awards.

“Much of our team have been with the family business for many years and we certainly see ourselves as one big family. Our team provide a great service to our customers who in turn have provided us with wonderful feedback to Vauxhall which we are hugely grateful for,” added Steve.

Vauxhall Communications Director Denis Chick praised the team’s continuing success, “W P Lewis is a credit to the Vauxhall franchise. Winning the Customer Excellence Reward 7 years running shows that caring for customers is a top priority and one that the whole team can be proud of”.

Steve concluded “On behalf of our Director Margaret Lewis, I would like to thank staff and customers alike for their overwhelming support”.

By Robin Roberts

CAR sales rise and fall, but when it comes to choice there is enduring popularity for the Ford Fiesta, the top seller in Wales and the rest of Britain so far this year.

Nearly 40 possible versions are available to British buyers with three and five-door bodystyles, six trim levels and a choice of petrol or diesel engines with manual or automatic transmissions. Essentially there is something to please almost anyone and residual values hold up well because of this strong demand.

But time doesn’t stand still and the seventh generation Fiesta launched last year is bigger than before and matching the early Focus model which has now been enlarged as well. There is more legroom front and back and a decent sized boot continues, while upfront the completely new fascia display comes with a big infotainment screen and communications system to meet what buyers expect.

But it’s not all forward progress because with the new Fiesta series, Ford has reverted to a traditional automatic transmission and spurned the dual-clutch system it has offered for a few years, citing cost considerations for the move.

That’s not a bad move, however, because the six-speed automatic box is a very easy to use, smooth if not quiet unit well matched with the 100ps 3cyl turbo-petrol engine. It’s not the quickest or most economical powertrain in the range but it means you have a very easy to drive city car for those who simply want to get from A – B or even C.

It will cover distances with ease and fairly economically nudging 40mpg most of the time, with smooth changes and the ability to hold down for more rapid overtaking. The test car also had automatic stop/start to save fuel but even with this its realistic consumption figure was well short of the claimed amount in publicity material based on European tests.

The little engine is generally quiet but push it hard and the effort is heard and overtakes the constant road rumbles from the tyres. Wind and other mechanical noises were very low in contrast.

A lot of effort has gone into the new Fiesta’s ride and handling and both are very good, slightly firm, but generally compliant and responsive with accurate steering and strong brakes. Roadholding is safe and sure.

The secondary controls are straightforward and unchallenging to master and use, with decent sized instruments, a good-sized infotainment display on the upper Vignale spec and reasonable oddments space infront. Heating and ventilation was also comfortable throughout with powered windows appreciated as well.

The five-door style gives very good rear-seat access, much easier than the restrictive three-door shape, and when inside the head and legroom was reasonable. I had an issue with the extremely poor adjustment for the front seats rake and which was almost impossible to select without opening the a door to move the release.

The front seats were big, possibly too wide in the cushion for the cabin space, but they were well padded, shaped and comfortable. A fairly low waistline, big windows, strong headlights and effective wash/wipers meant visibility was generally clear.

Personal taste meant I found hard plastic surfaces unpleasant inside the new Fiesta where so much has been done to lift refinement and keep it ahead of the game.

Rivals are now harder to beat and Ford cannot be complacent with their best seller because buyers have freedom of choice.

At a glance

Ford Fiesta 1.0I VIGNALE E/BOOST S/S 5DR 100PS P/SHIFT

• Price: £21,840
• Mechanical: 100ps 999cc 3cyl petrol engine, 6sp auto
• Max Speed: 111mph
• 0-62mph: 12.2sec
• Combined MPG: 38mpg
• Insurance Group: 10E T2
• C02 emissions: 118 g/klm
• Bik rating: 24%, £160FY, £140SR
• Warranty: 3yrs/60,000 miles
• Sizes: L4.04m, W1.74m, H1.48m
• Bootspace: 292–1093 litres
• Kerb: 1206kg

For: Engine refinement, ride quality, handling
Against: Front seat adjustment, hard int surfaces, some road & engine noises