There is always quite a difficult transition between passing your test and learning to drive your own vehicle. The lack of an instructor alongside you, who has the ability to control the peddles if necessary, is one thing. Another is potentially driving a completely different type of car. Switching cars right after passing your practical exam can feel like learning to drive all over again. Much of what you have just got used to is discarded and must be re-learned. This is especially the case if you have been taught in a diesel car and are now driving a petrol one.

For those who are not entirely familiar with the mechanics of owning a vehicle, petrol cars have a significantly different style of driving to diesel ones. Cars all have different biting points for the clutch, for instance, and this is always something you have to get used to when you change vehicles, but the bite on petrol cars is much lighter to that of diesel ones. New drivers making the transition may notice they are stalling significantly more often. You can, however, attempt to remedy this by putting more emphasis on the accelerator before lifting the clutch. It might make cars alongside you think you are asking for a drag race, but it will help ease the process!

In fact, you will have to give your petrol car more revs in any situation. Compared to a diesel vehicle, petrol ones require a bit more of a wallop in order to get them up to speed. They aren’t quite as smooth as diesel cars, even if they are much quieter. This will be especially challenging for when you are tasked with performing a manoeuvre such as turning in the road or parallel parking. Whereas diesel cars didn’t need much gas at all – you could probably do it all with just clutch control – petrol ones will.

These are the main things to be aware of if you are switching from one type of car to another. However, do not worry. With practice, you will become comfortable behind the wheel of your new vehicle and prove yourself worthy of that pink licence.