Driving lessons make a welcome return!

capefear

Any students back doing lessons? How are you finding it?

Airyfairy12

J_R wrote: »

Hi

Sorry, but that is why you are prone to stalling,
Correct method
Clutch down, car into gear.
Set the gas (Rev the engine slightly)
Release the clutch slowly until you hear the engine note deepens, (or rev counter drops)
(You have found the Bite point)
Now hold that position.
Do your obs checks, if clear, if necessary, indicate
Release the handbrake, holding your feet still.
The car should start to move slowly,
Increase gas and smoothly fully release the clutch.

There are numerous reasons why your "method" leads to stalling.

A car is not actually designed to move off without increasing the power. When a car engine is idling, that is no gas, to minimise fuel consumption, noise and air pollution the idling speed is set to the bare minimum, but with a safety margin. It is this safe margin that you are using to move almost a ton dead weight.

Also you may be releasing the clutch smoothly but the clutch plates may not be tracking as smoothly, especially in the lower priced marques, model cars,

You may be on a slight incline or you may have a turn on the steering wheel, both of course need more power.

To Stop

Brake first. then clutch.

I am a retired instructor. By far my favourite pupils used to be the nervous ones. The more nervous the better.

On your very first lesson you should have been taught proper car control. Moving off smoothly under full control. And of course stopping safely,

Perfecting clutch control by practising on a slight incline creeping slowly forward, coming to a halt. moving off again, even allowing the car to roll backwards, catching it on the clutch etc etc

All easily covered in the first lesson, usually bit of gear changing as well.

When you can control the car and most important know that you are actually in control, then you should have started on junctions, other traffic etc

Thanks for this, it's really informative. I do get the bite first, should have added that in my last post.

Yes I felt she was moving way too fast for me. I don't think she was used to have very beginner drivers with no practice in between lessons. I definitely should have mastered control of the car before taking on a main road and junctions.

J_R

Airyfairy12 wrote: »

Thanks for this, it's really informative. I do get the bite first, should have added that in my last post.

Yes I felt she was moving way too fast for me. I don't think she was used to have very beginner drivers with no practice in between lessons. I definitely should have mastered control of the car before taking on a main road and junctions.

Hi,

Learner drivers can only learn and assimilate fully one new aspect at a time. Especially nervous ones as their brain is furiously calculating all the possible (and impossible) things that might happen, go wrong, This leaves very few brain cells free to take in something new.

So if an instructor throws them into a situation where they must learn several new aspects at once their brain overloads and they end up learning little or nothing. And they have to do it again and again. And strong possibility they may develops a fear complex about that situation.

However if the instructor breaks everything down, concentrates on teaching just one new aspect at a time they learn quickly. One step at a time.

Before hitting a junction with traffic a learner should have first covered and be happy with, car control, moving off, stopping, speeding up, gear changing, slowing dwon, road positions, junctions free of traffic then and only then junctions with traffic. (And obs and mirrors)

Regarding first lesson. I always brought my pupils to a road. Nice wide, relatively quiet one, I believed it had several advantages over car parks or housing estates.

A nervous driver will see a nice open road in front, so they can concentrate solely and fully on moving off. Not be distracted, worrying about stopping or avoiding some obstacle they would see in a housing estate or car park. With empty space in front they will move off with confidence, not afraid of giving the car gas. Stalling ? what's that ? Never happen.

But first I explain about sharing the road, cars coming from behind are free to overtake. If they get blocked by oncoming traffic then they must wait, just the many joys of motoring. Don't worry about them.

So they immediately learn the proper road position, not end up driving down the middle of the road the way some driving instructors appear to be teaching their pupils. (Which is against the very basic Road Traffic Bye-laws on road position)