5 Feels Everybody Has Before They Get Their First Car
The official road safety agency of Western Australia.
One of the hardest times in your journey to safe car ownership is actually the part just before you own your first car: that strange limbo where you’ve passed your test, but you haven’t yet a set of wheels to call your own.
In theory, you should be as free as a bird, but in practice, you are instead dealing with these feels that everyone gets before buying their first car.
#1 Commencing The Search For ‘The One’
Obviously, your first car is a big deal and one that you’ve no doubt been mulling over for a good few years. You’re not going to rush into this decision, are you?
All those hours, searching for your dream car, putting in filters like “cheap”, “not hideous”, “how can I not stick to the seats in summer???” and, most importantly, “SAFE” and “less than $5k” (it can be done!) have finally paid off.
#2 Still Gotta Catch A Lift Everywhere Though, RIP
In that zone between the test and the actual car, you still have to rely on others to ferry you around. It can be embarrassing to be arriving at a gathering in the front seat of your Mum’s station wagon, I get that. And it is hard to explain to people that you actually do have your licence, but you are holding out to get a car that’s equally safe and fly – but until then, I guess you gotta thank your lucky stars that you fam and friends are willing to lend a hand and some wheels (not the AUX cable, though – and fair enough).
#3 Planning A Million Roadtrips
How long have you spent glued to your laptop, Googling questions like “what colour is aubergine?” and “how many windows do I need to be able to open?” (hint: all is best) and “how do I know if a car’s safe?”. This planning inevitably leads you to daydream about all the sick, seaside road trips that you’ll take in summer, with the wind behind you, your friends beside you and a sturdy set of wheels beneath you.
#4 Realising How Much Fuel Costs
You passed the test – congrats! Now you can split your life into two phases: pre-licence and post-licence. And what you will notice about the post-licence adult life is that, as soon as you get those precious P plates, you suddenly morph into a person who is concerned about the rising price of petrol. Every petrol station that you drive past – and anything over $1 – will now give you chills.
In the lead-up to getting your first car, you surreptitiously start squirreling away $20 here and there – because you won’t be able to drive it if it ain’t got any juice.
#5 Nominating Yourself As The Next Friend-Uber (FrUber)
After years of relying on mates and family to get around, it’s time to start to make promises to return the favour. While you’re waiting to buy your car, you send out the group text stating that you passed your test and are like, totally happy to play taxi when you get some wheels. After all, the most important thing is that everyone gets home safe – meaning that buying a safe car will be the best gift you can give your pals.
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There’s a lot of decisions to be made when selecting your first car. Visit How Safe Is Your First Car? to find out more.
This article is supported by the WA Road Safety Commission.