I think there's a big difference between learning to drive and learning to fly, in so much as driving solo you feel a bit 'protected' as if things go wrong and you crash, whilst you may be slightly hurt (in todays modern cars) the brunt of the damage will be to the vehicle whereas when flying if things go wrong it is YOUR actual life.
As a student that has covered just 3 hours of solo I can honestly say I follow everything I was taught and attempt nothing new because I know if I mess around and get myself into trouble I do not have the experience and therefore may not be able to get out of it and with all probability I will die as a result!