Driving for beginners. Review on Learning to Drive

Driving is a serious matter and should not be taken lightly. In fact, it is said over 70% of accidents happen in the backseat of cars! So all those reading this, should take this seriously.

I?ve been driving for a better part of 7-8 years now. And like any normal person, I think that makes me a grand old man of the road and ready to give advices on driving, especially to these crazy young drivers(defined as, anyone who does not drive like me!)

Let me first list out the basics?.

-Cars are 4 wheelers. They are not means to hog the two wheeler lane(the left side of the road) and try and see how many pedestrians they can scare doing so. As any old timer will tell, one slight hint of a bump and the offended pedestrian would scream attempted murder, assault and robbery, all in one. Then God help you and your car?especially if the pedestrian happens to be a lady!(Note: The truth that the pedestrian was walking in the middle of the road and refused to budge despite your honking like a steam engine is not an valid excuse according to the Indian Bashing-up Crowd Law!) Besides you can always get your fun honking at two wheelers who insist on driving at 30 kmph on the right side of the road!

-Secondly, traffic signals are there for a reason. As much as it sound tempting, they are not meant as a starter gun for a drag race if you are in front of the traffic line! Red is for?stop?; Yellow is for?Slow/caution? and Green is for?Go?. This holds true for all places except Hyderabad. Where the lights are a nice decoration item by the side of the cross roads, as no one bother to even look at them, forget about knowing what they stand for! Hyderabad is truly a democratic city!

-Ok. Now for the lesson. I have given quite a few driving lessons to friends and acquaintances. This I guess proves that I never learn my lesson! First of all, step into the car, as it is really hard to drive if you are not sitting in the car?.and yes, into the driver?s seat. Unless you prefer to be a back-seat driver! Sit down and get acquainted with the various nice looking levers and button. Feel free to see what they do. Don?t worry, they will not bite! At most you would set off the car alarm, and have the wiper scratch its way up and down the dry glass.

-Now that things have become quiet, get used to the pedals and gear box. There are 3 pedals in most cars. The left pedal is called the clutch. It should ALWAYS be used when changing gears?.that nice looking handle at the bottom left of your seat.(unless you are driving the good old Ambassador, then God help you for starting to learn driving with that vehicle!) If the clutch, is not pressed while changing gears, then you will soon have to change gears by dishing out lots of cash for the gearbox replacement! The middle pedal is the brake pedal, and is one of the most helpful pedals for a driving instructor, as it makes the lovely vehicle slow down and stop. The right pedal is the accelerator and it is used to make the driving instructor attain octaves he never knew he could reach!

-Ok. Now that you have mastered the basic controls instructions, you can start the car. Important note: The car is started by turning the ignition key for a few seconds till you hear the engine start, after which you RELEASE the key! You do NOT keep holding the key at that position just because you like the sound of the DJ beats that is produced by the engine by doing so!?.Oh yes?.I always remember telling this after the car has banged into a wall/post or tree in front? ensure that the car is in Neutral gear before starting the engine! Press the accelerator, to rev the engine a bit.(

-Instructor?s tip? I always insist the trainee does this as I can gauge how forceful he/she presses the accelerator and can thus decide whether to fake an important call and cancel the driving lesson or not!) When you are ready, you press the clutch and shift the gear into the first gear, keeping the clutch firmly pressed! Don?t worry, it usually takes others too, 6-7 times before they remember to keep pressing the clutch while shifting the gear! Now, sssllllllooooowwwwwllllyyyyy release the clutch while keeping the accelerator slightly press?.(yes, I can understand, you did not know what?slightly pressed? meant. Don?t worry, it is just a paint scratch!) Let us try again. Shall we?. Keep the accelerator pressed till you can hear the engine sound a bit louder than when it is in neutral. Got it? Lovely.

-Now, release the clutch slowly?(After 2 mins, I?m still waiting for the clutch to be released!) Ok, got you have now got the car moving, and it is moving and moving?and for heaven sakes, slow down!(NEVER scream?release the accelerator?, or?press the brake?! Take my word for it!) Good, now we are moving along?. Like a drunk, but moving around nevertheless! Remember to keep the wheel steady and straight.

-Do NOT hold the steering wheel rigid like a frozen zombie! Let the natural feel of the road guide your hands. It is perfectly normal for first time drivers to swing left and right and all over the road.(Instructors- Be sure to take sickness pills, though!) Practice starting and stopping a few times, as it build confidence and gives the instructor a chance to bail out of the car if need be. Once you have got enough confidence, you are ready to drive for longer distances? that is, if your instructor has not fainted yet!

Some useful tips:

1. Fix a point on the road. It can be the lane divider paint, and try and drive along that line. It helps in building steering control confidence.

   
   




2. Always get the feel of the controls before starting the car. Once you start moving, you will have no time to think.

   
   




3. Always practice starting and stopping first. It is important!

   
   




4. This is something my dad said?.Don?t get intimidated if a vehicle behind honks. Just carry on driving slowly. The other car will over-take you on its own.

   
   




5. Never lose your cool. At the same time, do not think this is a game of road concentration! Be aware of what is happening around you. You know our lovely country! Anyone and anything can suddenly jump in front of your vehicle!

   
   




6. Never try driving without an experience person to guide you.

   
   




7. This is important. You HAVE to be comfortable with the person instructing you, as you may get shouting and scolding from him/her. I usually find that husbands dislike teaching their wives, and wives don?t like being taught by their husbands, as the husbands are usually(Not always!) very critical about their wife?s driving.