Learning : A big task @ anyplace, any time. Review on Learning to Drive

Hi all,

Here is my experience with learning a four wheel driving.

I had a thought to learn driving from our own vehicle. So when we got our Indica xeta.(dealer person drove that to my home). I asked my brother to sit with me and tried to reverse the car; and as soon I got into service road; one car came and parked at my place, second car came and stood 10 meter ahead of me, I was unable to start the car in Gear. My brother said “bhaiya stop it & get down from car, we will toe it to the parking and try some car driving school first”. Ha.Ha…Ha….(But seriously I died by 100 deaths, How come a Leo listen such words? Shame!:-( Anyway matter resolved somehow)

Than after two hours I took my daughter, put her in co-driver seat. Tied her seat belt(only she could believe on her learning father and sit besides becoz she is just 2 year old) and slowly took car outside. And here it is ……………… after 8 loops of my colony I called my wife to sit with us. Again made 8-10 loops of 500 meters each and by 13.30 in night(after four hours of that situation) I was comfortable behind steering(& my wife besides me)

After running car for 400 Kms, I can say that I learned driving without motor trainer and only in 10 Kms drive.

Here are some measures and precautions I took during learning with my new xeta(Damage in new car is like mini heart-attack)

Better to learn drive with new vehicle as it will have all control properly adjusted and you don’t need to worry about car performance.

If you know geared driving then it helps you. Right hand driving is better suited to lefties(I had Advantages) as left hand can do multitasking easily.

You learn the things from cerebrum(upper forehead) – you have to instruct it properly. Than this learning is transferred to cerebellum(Back part of head) – this part perform the task based on previous learning experience so does not require much instructions.

Prior to drive just go through some driving tips, tell them loudly in your thinking and instruct ‘yourself’ to follow them during drive. You may not feel but your body starts following your instructions during drive.

I had generalised those commands, which I given myself before driving(Logic in bracket). Analyze & utilize them if found effective.

1. Properly adjust seat first, be comfortable put your both hand on 10:10 position on steering.

   
   




2. Put one leg on Clutch and another on brake, forget Accelerator sort of thing for now(New vehicle is adjusted for speed and does not stop if clutch released slowly)

   
   

3. Never press your right leg under any circumstances(hitting Accelerator is more dangerous than not pressing brake during hap-hazard)

1. Always start your car slowly(I advise never to press accelerator during initial start-up) as slow run will give an indication of front tyre position, if they are in turning position then you have sufficient time to adjust the steering during slow start-up

5. During night if you are unable to identify all corners of car, start all blinkers -Big red button on dash board.(You will get all round vision, your corners’ position and other will alert that you are in trouble)

1. While driving Assume that all small bush, bricks or such thing as big object as Trees, walls. And try to pass them as close as possible(Logic – If you hit the object, you had lost, do it again and try to get control of car during turning, sharp by-pass)

   
   




2. Religiously, if you hit a small bush or brick or such object you and your car will be safe but remember if that is a big object, you lost; so learn from smaller mistakes you will avoid bigger on.

   
   




3. First press clutch(left leg) then right leg(even if you press accelerator car will not be out of control)

   
   




4. Take a empty road having potholes, put the car on 2nd gear and forget everything regarding car function, just put both hands on steering, left leg on clutch and right leg on the floor, now car will run slowly and smoothly towards pot-holes. Now assume each pothole as a living entity and try to save them as much as possible(by rotating steering correspondingly). Then try to select the pot-holes which you want to cross, do that and analyze yourself for your success rate(success rate means whether car followed the same track, you had decided.(Logic- here you learn to take control all four wheels of your car, pot-holes are better & safe measure to visualise your car contact with road)

   
   




5. Try to visualise action of your tyre when you are reversing the car(sometimes it is reverse then what we thought)

   
   

11.  Always welcome the sound in the car, say if somebody is talking or music or something but always avoid the talk “directly addressing” to you it will divert your attention.

12. Most disturbing thing during drive(as per me) in chronological order. They are many more but I feel tem max disturbing

I. Talking on mobile(Self)

II. Person advising you for driving(left le lo, right deko, sambhal ke, peech truck hai! Are baba! let me drive or leave the car.)

III. Anybody touching you or car control(pressing some button or trying to press indicator, music system, horn) but hand brake is exceptional, one can press that when he feel insecure)

IV. Any talk addressing to you.

V. Sound in boot-space.

VI. Any unusual movement in co-driver seat

Remember good driving start well before when you start running the car. You have to be mentally prepared(it is learning and as difficult as alphabets for a kid. After learning them, kid can write on any surface, any angle, and in any mood. This is true for driving also. After learning you can you can drive in any situation but at initial stage every small task(pressing the horn also) is a big job and you have to do it with caution