01
Set your driving position
Adjust the seat, head restraint, steering wheel and mirrors. Make sure you can press the pedals fully without stretching and see the instrument display. Find the handbrake or parking-brake switch before you need it.
02
Locate the basic controls
Try the lights, indicators, wipers, washers, demister and hazard lights. Learn how reverse is selected and whether the car has an automatic stop-start system, keyless ignition or electronic gear selector.
03
Understand the car’s size
A borrowed estate car or SUV may be wider and longer than your usual vehicle. Check the view through the rear window and how the parking sensors or camera behave. Give kerbs, gateposts and multistorey ramps more room.
04
Insurance comes before practice
You need cover even for a short familiarisation drive on a public road or in a public car park. Arrange it before moving the vehicle. A quiet private area is useful only if the owner has permission for driving there and the land is genuinely private.