Top Driving Tips for
Beginners
Pic courtesy: www.onboardtraining.co.uk
In our
country, people generally learn driving either with the help of family members/friends
or through a driving school. Normally one assumes that going to driving schools
will help one learn the proper methodology of driving. Added to this they offer
attractive courses for 20 days. The added bonus is that they make sure that you
get your license.
Although, we
are jubilant that we have the driving license in our hands, we very often don’t
have all the skills to drive, and thus are not confident to take the roads.
This is mainly because the co-driver in the driving school has a parallel
clutch and brakes, which he uses while teaching you, so practically it is he/she
who is ‘driving’ the car, leaving you with no real world skills, that you actually
need when you go out on the roads.
This blog post offers a few humble tips
and suggestions to prepare a newbie driver for driving on Indian roads.
1 . First things first. Check if you have
all your documents needed.
·
License
( some states demand original )
·
R.C.
Book
·
Insurance
policy ( 2 types are available)
1. Full insurance covering all eventualities
2. 3rd party covering only
the affected party and not for the people in the car or the car.
2 . Each car
has its own character. There is always some difference from one car to another
car/SUV. So the first step will be to get comfortable with the car that you will
be driving. Get to know the controls like the Clutch, Brake, Accelerator and
Gear controls. Also get used to the controls in your steering column
(Indicator, Wiper, and Headlight controls) and the dashboard controls for the
Air-conditioner, Music system and other electronic gadgets.
3 . Before
venturing into main roads and/or crowded roads, make sure that you are in good
command of your vehicle. Your clutch, accelerator and brake controls should be
fool proof.
·
AMT
equipped cars
will not have a clutch pedal. Comparatively, it will be a lot easier to drive. However,
you will have to use the brakes quite a lot. AMT cars will not have a ‘Parking
slot’ in the gear lever, so you will have to use the conventional hand brakes.
The main advantage is that AMT cars will be more fuel efficient than Automatic
cars, because the system still uses a conventional gearbox for operation
.
·
Automatics/CVT cars will also be easier to drive
and it does not have a clutch pedal. It is less fuel efficient than AMT and
Manual gearboxes. It is equipped with a parking position/slot in the gear lever.
4. Before starting the car for the day, always
open the bonnet. Check for engine oil level, radiator water level, brake fluid,
coolant, windscreen washer level etc. Always keep a watchful eye for any leaks
or bitten wires. Rats usually raid the cars bonnet and chew on something. A
precautious attitude will prevent unwanted breakdowns and costly expenditure.
Modern cars uses lot of electronics and even though it does not require you to
open the bonnet on a daily basis it is better to be safe than sorry.
5. Never
take your eyes of the road while driving. Do not get distracted by anything in
the car like cell phone, videos, etc. It is better to stop the car while
talking on the phone or better still take the call later.
6. Always learn
to use the dip and dim switch provided in the steering column for headlights.
Use dip mode during city driving. It is denoted by a green light in the
dashboard. Use high beam only in highway. A blue light in the dashboard denotes
it. Also it is advisable to use the dip mode when you encounter oncoming
traffic in the night, especially in 2 lane roads. Never drive without dipping
as it can be blinding for you as well as for the oncoming vehicle.
7. If your car
is equipped with central locking facility do not leave the car without taking
the key out. Chances are you might be locked out.
8. Always keep your interiors clean from dust,
sand and food waste. Dust free environment will keep the air conditioner from being
clogged. It also prevents people from allergic reactions like sneezing and
keeps the rats away.
9. Always use the seat belt.
10. Check
your tyre pressure once every two weeks according to the vehicles specs.
11. You will
never know when you will end up with a flat tyre so it is wise to learn to change
your car tyres by yourself. The car jacking / lifting points are usually mentioned in the car
manual.
Tips to remove the wheel:
·
Keep
a stone before removing the wheel, so that it prevents accidental rolling of
the jack.
·
First
remove the wheel caps
·
Try
loosening the nut and in case you are not able to loosen the nut, keep an extra
pipe handy to insert in the wheel spanner. It gives extra advantage to loosen
the nut.
·
Initially
loosen the thread by half rotation in the anti clockwise direction, and make sure
the nuts are not fully loosened before jacking the car.
·
Start
rising the jack. The tyre should not touch the ground and till that point keep rising
If you find it difficult use extra leverage.
·
Remove
the wheel and inset the spare wheel and follow the opposite procedure.
·
If
you can spare the extra money, try buying a hydraulic jack. It should be
secured tightly in the car in vertical position only. If it tips over the oil
will start spilling in your car.
·
Some
fancy car jacks are available in the market like inflatable ones which can be inflated
by the car exhaust gases.
Caution: Be wary about calling strangers for help as it can land you in unwanted
trouble.
12. Check
your fuel gauge before starting a journey. Always keep little extra fuel than
you normally require. Sometimes it will come in handy in case of traffic jams
or detours.
13. Always keep checking your gauges on a regular
basis for overheating of the vehicle. Some manufacturers are stingy and they do
not provide temperature gauges by trying to save some cost.
They provide only
one red light, which comes on only when it is already in the danger zone. Preferably,
stay away from those vehicles.
14. Do not
drive at breakneck speeds inside the city limit. Go along with the flow of the traffic.
Do not be a hindrance to other motorists. Many try to drive smartly by going
into the oncoming traffic after crossing the yellow line. You will find such
drivers especially near signals and they end up blocking the whole traffic. It
creates confusion, delays and heated arguments. Avoid road rage.
15. If you
drive slowly keep to the left and do not drive in the middle of the road.
16. Avoid
overtaking on the left. Overtaking on the left is wrong. If you are forced to
overtake somebody who is hogging the middle of the road, do it swiftly and give
sufficient space for the vehicle in front. This is in case the vehicle you are
overtaking suddenly decides to move to the left, which can cause a nasty
accident.
17. If your
car is equipped with a reverse camera learn to use it. Also always check with your
naked eye, because there are always blind corners.
18. Learn to
park both ways (front and backwards) and master parallel parking. Also, learn
reverse parking- it is especially useful in a tight parking area.
19. Drive
cautiously while entering the main road from the side road and also be cautious
in roundabouts.
20. While
driving in the highway, the key to safe driving is to keep a watchful eye at
all times. Drive along with the flow of traffic. Do not drive in a zig zag
manner. If you are driving slowly keep to the left lane. If you are stopping
for some reason park only in the designated areas. If you are forced to stop
for an emergency, pull completely of the tar road and move to the shoulder.
21. If you
are doing long distance driving take a break once every 1 ½ hours to 2 hours. Take
a tea break to refresh yourself. If you are feeling drowsy, take a cat nap to refresh
yourself. When you are parking, do so only in safe places.
22. Some
safe places to park in highways are near the Toll plazas and some petrol bunks
(do not park in lonely bunks). If you are parking in truck lay by area, make
sure somebody is in the car, always keep the doors locked and turn on the air-conditioner
and then go to sleep.
23. Wet weather driving: The trick of wet
weather driving is to take it easy. Smooth operation is the key (i.e. the clutch
operation, throttle/accelerator inputs and braking has to be as smooth as
possible). Avoid jerky motions like sudden change of directions. Give lot of
space to the vehicle in front. Adjust your wiper setting according to the rainy
conditions. To counter the fogging inside the vehicle balance it with the A/C.
If the fogging inside the car cannot be balanced with A/C, use the heater (if
your car is provided with one). Drive slower than your normal speed.
24. Flooded roads: Do not enter unknown
flooded roads. If the water is up to ankle height, wade your car carefully in
the water. If the water is more than your exhaust pipe level, do not enter the
water. Avoid entering causeways, as they are susceptible for flash floods. Use
extra brake lights provided in the car during rainy conditions.
25. Direction help: if you are driving
through unknown towns ask for directions preferably from policemen, or petty
shop keepers. Do not ask strangers standing on the road mostly they will
confuse you. If you are using your car’s GPS or smart phone’s GPS, use it with
discretion.
26. Entering main roads: Always look in all
the mirrors before moving in to the main road.
27. While opening doors: Always look in the
rear view mirror before opening the door. Keep rear door on the right side in
the child lock mode. Ask the passengers to alight only from the left side of
the car.
28. Hill climbing : Use preferably 2nd or 3rd gear while going up and while coming down use 2nd gear . Do not coast down the hill ,while shutting down the engine, It is very dangerous. do not use only brakes to get down the hill, the brakes will tend to overheat and ultimately it will lead to brake failure Also keep stone behind your tyre for extra safety so that it does not roll down. Always use hand brakes while parking
Wish you a happy
motoring!
