Driving Made Easy – Different Types of Steering (Copy) (Copy)

Hand position

9 to 3 (clock hands position) is recommended since the introduction of airbags in the steering wheel. This is so your hands are thrown out, rather than up when the airbag activates.

Keeping your thumbs on top of the steering wheel is recommended rather than wrapped around the wheel. This is because if you hit a solid object with your front wheel which suddenly forces the wheel right or left, it would cause the steering wheel to suddenly spin right or left and break your thumbs.

Arm over Arm

This is like pulling a rope towards you. Releasing one hand from the steering wheel and placing it over the other hand and taking hold of the wheel, and then doing the same with your other hand.

Push/Pull

Shuffle

Dry Steering

NEVER STALL A MANUAL AGAIN!

The video link below covers the following list:

• Have your feet in the correct position for the pedals.
• A moving demonstration on how the clutch works.
• How to find the friction point using a slight roll on a hill.
• Stalling and how to prevent this from ever happening
• Next step after finding friction point - revs, then start turning the wheels very slowly whilst listening to the motor. If the motor is struggling, then don't keep letting the clutch out or it will stall. Keep the clutch where it is and give the motor more revs so it has the power it needs to turn the wheels and then start to release the clutch again.

• Never stall or bunny hop

Click Here to View Video on how to find the clutch friction point and never stall again.

We should rev the motor to a nice sound by listening to it, not looking at the rev counter as this only tells you a number and you're also taking your eyes off the road.

Always listen to the motor, that's whats going to tell you whether it can do the job or not. If the motor is revving, then go up a gear, if struggling then go down a gear and if neither and sounds good, leave it where it is.

Rev the motor to get enough speed up to change into the next gear so you don't loose too much speed and also not engage the accelerator until completely off the clutch.

Good way to test if you're in the correct gear is to hit the accelerator to the floor and if you find the car sluggish or not immediately responsive then you're in too high a gear. You won't have the power to get out of dangers way.

Work out where you are going to turn or move and make sure you have Mirrors/Indicator/Head Check all done prior to reaching the spot where you will move or turn.

Mirrors - check where other vehicle are prior to touching indicator

Indicator - Only indicate if you have a car in the lane next to you either far enough away they can see your indicator or they are next to you so they can't see your indicator so we don't scare them into thinking you are going to move into them. We know what we are going to do but must tell everyone else well before we do move. Indicator should operate for a minimum of 3sec, but ideally, indicator should operate long enough for other drivers to firstly notice your indicator, then for them to work out what you're planning to do so they can then work out what they can do (need to change lanes, stop, etc), which keeps both you and them safe.

Head Check - Should be done just prior to moving to ensure no one is in your blind spot (mirrors don't show - demo of watching car approach in side mirror and it disappearing in the blind spot)

Keeping gap all the time

Interior Mirror - seeing entire windscreen/headlights of vehicle in other lane

• Reverse Parallel Park
• Bay parking - to the left - mirror line
• Bay parking - to the right

Reverse Parallel Park.

Click Here to View Video on how to follow this simple formula to make Reverse Parallel Parking so easy.

SIMPLE STEPS TO FOLLOW:

Identify a parking spot and then check your mirrors and left indicator.

Clutch in (disengaged) and roll up, stopping with your left mirror next to the parked cars right mirror.

Place in reverse gear (others will see your reversing lights and know what you are doing), find the friction point (without moving) and enough revs so the motor can move the car once you have finished checking for any cars that may overtake you from the front or rear using mirrors and then checking over both shoulders looking for any movement from driveways/shop doors etc for vehicles or pedestrians.

Turn the steering wheel hard left, move very slowly until your car is pointing at 2 o’clock (time on your watch face) or a 45degree angle from the left kerb and stop by pushing your clutch back to the friction point (which will hold your car).

Straighten your steering wheel and then look over both shoulders for any movement up and down the road and from driveways/shop doors etc for vehicles or pedestrians, then move very slowly until the rear left wheel is about 3ft or 1metre from the left kerb and then stop.

(Knowing when you’re approximately 3ft or 1metre from the kerb - Look at the left kerb out the front left of your vehicle and visualise the continuation of that kerb past your vehicle, then look over your left shoulder and think about where your left rear wheel is (just behind the back door) and then visualise how far you think that back wheel is from the kerb and stop when you think it’s at the right spot. If you hit the gutter then you have gone too far back so next time stop a little earlier. Keep experimenting until you are stopping at the right spot and not hitting the gutter or being too far from the gutter.)

Turn the steering wheel hard right, look over both shoulders for any movement up and down the road and from driveways/shop doors etc for vehicles or pedestrians, then move very slowly until you are parallel to the kerb. Keep it slow so you can ensure the front left corner of your car clears the back of the parked car. As your front left wheel nears the kerb, look in you left mirror and stop once you can see the kerb running all the way up the road behind you and the side of your car is in the same line as the kerb. If the back wheel touches the kerb prior to the car being parallel to the kerb, then turn the steering wheel hard left and keep it there until the front wheel touches the kerb, then straighten your steering wheel and move forward very slowly until you can only see the top half of the bumper bar of the car in front.

Then make the car secure by leaving in first gear and hand brake on. (If drive test, then leave the gear stick in neutral as you’re not turning the motor off, and handbrake on).

Dot Point:

• Mirrors and left indicator.
• Pull up level with parked car.
• Reverse until back wheel is passed the parked car.
• Turn wheel hard left and stop when car is pointing at 2 o’clock.
• Straighten wheel and reverse until back left wheel is 1 metre (3 feet) from gutter.
• Turn wheel hard right and stop when left side of car is parallel to gutter.
• Straighten wheel and move forward until you can only see the top half of the bumper of the car in front. Make car safe.

Rear Wheel Position Whenever Turning

(image of mirror line & bay line, driveway line)

3 point turns - mirror line

Parallel Park

Driveway

With Trailer etc

Slow enough that if you make a mistake you only nudge a person rather than seriously injure or kill, or just touch a fixed object (pole, car, tree, gate, building, etc) so there's minimal or no damage at all to both your vehicle and the fixed object rather than massive damage.

• Driving is simple and safe if you keep it that way.

• Learn not to hurry. Keep it simple, is it safe to go or not?

Don't look at the gearstick, learn to feel where it is.

Gear changing - keep revs as they are until clutch starts to disengage and then start to come off the accelerator. There will be jolting if you come off the accelerator prior to commencing the disengaging of the clutch or still on the accelerator once the clutch is disengaged. (use lathe the demo this)

Always place your hand on the gearstick prior to disengaging the clutch. For 2 reasons, you know which gear you're in and where you need to move it to. Secondly, if you put light pressure on the gearstick while accelerating (won't come out of the gear) and when you go to change gears and commencing to disengage the clutch, the gearstick will drop into neutral and as the clutch completely disengages you can slip the gearstick straight into the next gear without losing much speed (great for steep hills, otherwise you will end up back into the gear you just came out of).

Click Here to View Video on how to downgear without having to go through every gear.

Gearing Down To Stop?

Do we need to gear down to Stop? Not necessarily!

The cars of today have excellent braking power whereas prior to the 1960’s they didn’t and you needed to use the motor to slow the vehicle down as well as the brakes. Parents continue to teach their children to gear down as that’s what they were taught.

We need to think about the reasons for doing this, rather than just doing it.

In the cars today there is no need to gear down as the brakes are power assisted by the motor and much more effective in stopping.

You would still gear down if carrying/towing a heavy load or the vehicle is heavy, where you need the motor to help the brakes to slow down or come to a stop.

In todays cars, you only need to listen to the motor and stay in the gear you are already in when you start to slow down with the brakes, and only disengage the clutch just prior to the motor struggling and selecting the gear appropriate for your speed. If the lights change to green and you can then keep going, select the gear appropriate for your speed, it may be 2nd or 3rd gear (depends on how much you slowed down). If you know you are stopping, sit the gearstick over 1st gear with light pressure and once the vehicle has slowed down enough, the gearstick will drop gently into 1st gear before you come to a stop.

The motor is still helping to slow you down without you having to down gear. Don’t disengage your clutch too early, only when it’s getting close to where the motor is going to struggle, otherwise you will be rolling and not having proper control of the vehicle, plus you will feel the vehicle speed up when disengaging the clutch too early as the motor is no longer helping to slow the vehicle down.

Every time you use your clutch, you are wearing it. Is it cheaper to replace a clutch or brake pads?

Again, there is no right or wrong answer. You can continue to do either.

Equal distance from gutter & line

2 sec distance from vehicle in front - allows for better visibility and time to pull up. 3 sec in the wet.

Road wide enough for 2 vehicles in same direction without line markings other than centre of the road line, must keep near the kerb to allow cars to overtake. Any movement from the kerb to the white centre line or the reverse, M/I/HC is required as your vehicle has moved a whole car width. Visual the missing white line that would seperate the two lanes you're travelling in and you would then know you had to use your M/I/HC.

Any movement of your vehicle to the left or right and the movement is a whole car width, then it's classed as a lane change and M/I/HC required (as detailed above or going around a big truck that's parked).

A good rule: Prior to reaching the actual intersection, can we see far enough up the intersecting road in both directions to see if it is safe to continue or not. If not, always stop (kids on bikes on footpath - give example. Cars going around parked cars)

Looking miles up the road

Looking at every road sign

Looking for movement always, to see if it relates to you or not

Feet under cars

Cars entering through stopped line of traffic

Check mirrors every 4-5sec

Visualise white line up the middle of your road and know you must keep to your side of the white line at all times and only can you go onto the opposite side of the line if there's an obstruction on your side of the road and it's safe to go onto the opposite side of the road to get around the obstruction and that any oncoming vehicle should not have to stop or give way to you as it's their side of the road and you have misjudged the timing if they have to.

Giving way to oncoming traffic on a narrow road/street (as per above)

These are only guidelines in assisting you to learn how to drive safely.

We take no responsibility for any of your actions as any driving are your own individual actions and it is your responsibility to drive safety and with due care.

Head Check - Should be done just prior to moving to ensure no one is in your blind spot (mirrors don't show - demo of watching car approach in side mirror and it disappearing in the blind spot)

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