It's easy to feel gloomy about driving in 2008. If the speed cameras don't get you the parking wardens will. And this of course assumes you haven't been bankrupted just filling your car up with fuel. And it's no better on the move, thanks to traffic jams, never ending roadworks, death-wish fellow drivers, side-swiping lorries, congestion charging, overpriced parking - the list goes on.

But look again. Think laterally and there are still ways of enjoying motoring in the modern age. To give you a hand we've come with our top 10. What's yours?

 

Modern cars are great. They rarely break down, they're warm, comfortable, fast and have great stereos. But they're also dull and desensitised, the technology we've now come to expect robbing us of the thrill of driving. There is an easy answer: buy an old car instead. Old cars might require a bit more TLC but they're infinitely more interesting to drive, whether because they're fun or just a bit more challenging. Having to think about what you're doing makes you a much better driver and without all the electronic aids to which we have become accustomed you need to use your brain again. And that's no bad thing.

We've all got bad habits behind the wheel. But try this instead - try driving as perfectly as you can for a while. Think about your gap to the car ahead, anticipate the ebb and flow of traffic and regulate your speed on the motorway without needing to brake and cause those behind you to do the same. Use correct lane discipline, even when others are not. Look for potential hazards and plan your way around them accordingly. You don't need to be a sanctimonious finger wagger to drive properly - just enjoy the satisfaction that comes from doing something well.

Powerful cars encourage lazy driving and bad habits. Filtering into traffic is a simple matter of pointing and squirting and gradients and corners dismissed with a twitch of the right foot. But try doing the same in an underpowered car and you suddenly find you need to think a bit harder and plan your every move. Suddenly preserving momentum becomes essential factor in your driving, meaning you need to hone every aspect of the way you approach corners, hills, junctions and overtaking manoeuvres. And when it all comes right it can be massively satisfying, not to mention a hell of a lot cheaper.

OK, so if you're in a hurry main trunk roads are probably going to be the quickest way of reaching your destination. But lots of other people think so too, meaning you're much more likely to get stuck in traffic or other hold ups. Set off a bit earlier, use your initiative (or, failing that, your sat nav) and instead venture down the road less travelled. Taking an as the crow flies route might not save you time but you'll definitely uncover some beautiful roads, scope out some great country pubs and perhaps even discover a hidden short cut you never knew was there.

Driving in the open air turns even the most mundane journey into an event and with the roof down you don't have to be driving at silly speeds to enjoy yourself. So do yourself a favour and make sure your next car has some sort of folding roof - metal or fabric the choice is now huge. And having bought such a car make sure you put the roof down at every opportunity. The sights and smells of al fresco motoring make it a far more interactive experience than being sealed in an air conditioned bubble. And if you've never driven a cabrio under a starry night sky you really haven't lived.

The next step on from 'Drive Properly' is looking into the more technical aspects of driving and seeing if there is any room for improvement. Inevitably there will be, most of us having been schooled in passing our tests rather than the actual process of driving a car. Any driver can benefit and often those who claim to know it all stand to gain the most. Do you really know how to hold the steering wheel for instance? Can you heel and toe to smooth out your downshifts? How do you read a road to overtake safely? Whether through extra tuition or just reading up and practising, it's never too late to learn.

Fed up of congested roads? Try getting an early night and attempt the same journey at sunrise. You'll be amazed at how much quieter the roads are if you beat the crowds and how much faster you can get around. This works best on the kind of roads that delight when they're quiet and frustrate when they're busy, namely the fast, twisty A- and B-roads that inevitably clog up with caravans, tractors and Sunday bimblers during normal hours. For a weekend blast it's a great way to blow out the cobwebs without interruption and beating the rush in the morning can slash the time you spend on the commute - a win-win situation.

It's easy to think the grass is always greener elsewhere but when it comes to driving it's inescapably true - and you don't have to go that far to find out why. France has obvious attractions, being nearby and blessed with varied and beautiful scenery in abundance. Quiet and fast péage are great for covering ground quickly, while rural roads offer a more leisurely and scenic alternative. Just beware the Gendarmes' appetite for speeding tourists. Germany meanwhile has its famous limit free autobahns, even if finding a quiet stretch can be difficult, and away from the hotspots any European country can provide a thrilling alternative to the congested grind of UK roads.

Modern cars are so capable you'll be breaking every speed limit in the land if you really want to explore the limits of what it can do, never mind your own abilities. No surprise then that more and more drivers are heading to racetracks to let off steam. Take your normal car or club together with a couple of mates and build a trackday hack out of a stripped eBay hot hatch - the enjoyment is in being able to push yourself in relative safety. Obviously it's huge fun but you'll also learn a lot about how cars handle in extremis, making you a better and safer driver on the road too.

It's easy to get into a predictable groove with the daily commute and use the same route day in and day out. But try awakening your spirit of adventure and spend an evening looking at the map and seeing if there are any alternatives you hadn't realised were there. And whether it's a more scenic route, a fun back road or dastardly and devious short cut every journey can be livened up with a bit of exploring. Get out of that Groundhog Day mentality and you'll find having a few options livens up the journey to work no end, not to mention providing useful escape routes when your normal route gets snarled up.