How to Drive a Car

Adjust devices accordingly. Before you begin, you must adjust the mirrors and seats to be ready for the road. Do this before driving instead of driving while adjusting for safety and concentration. Here’s how to do it:

• Check rearview mirror and side mirror for proper adjustment. Make sure you can clearly see the vehicles to the side and the vehicle behind. Do not adjust the mirrors while driving as you will lose focus.

Make sure your body and the car are ready to go. Before you put your hands on the wheel, it is important that your body and the vehicle are ready for the adventure on the road. Here’s what you should do:

• Lock all car doors. This will prevent outsiders from entering the vehicle (such as carjackers) and reduce the risk of the door opening in the event of a crash. ^[2]
• Fasten seat belt. Depending on where you live, traffic laws generally require you to wear a seat belt. Violation of this rule will not only result in a fine, but the risk of injury and death in a crash is much higher.
• Check the dashboard. Make sure the vehicle is ready and there are no warning lights indicating that the vehicle needs servicing.
• Adjust the seat so that you can step on the brake and accelerator easily, observe the road conveniently.

Limit sources of distractions. To be on the safe side, you should minimize distractions before putting your foot on the gas pedal. Remove obstacles that prevent you from focusing on the road. Here are some tips:

• Put your cell phone away. Don’t get behind the wheel while you’re still busy texting with friends. Let’s say you’re going to have to drive and will talk later to end the conversation. You can even power off your phone if you’re easily distracted.
• Reduce music volume. Turn on soothing and relaxing music to help you focus better.
• If you need to brush your hair or put on makeup, don’t do it while you’re driving — get everything done before you stick the key in the ignition.

Start the car. To start the car, you must do a few simple steps in sequence. Here’s what you need to do:

• Insert the key into the switch and turn to start the machine. You will hear the engine start up.
• Put your foot on the brake pedal.
• Release the handbrake.

Start gearing the car. Since you’re learning to drive an automatic, you’ll either be in D (normal speed) or R (backward) gear, depending on where the car is parked.

• If you want to run forward, put in D.
• If you want to reverse to get the vehicle out of the driveway or parking lot, you must engage R.
• If reversing, you must first check the rearview mirror, then put your hand on the passenger seat and turn your head to the right to look behind.

Take your foot off the brake pedal and feel the car move. Congratulations you are driving!

• Slowly put your foot on the gas pedal to accelerate.

Speed up the car. You should increase your speed to reach the speed limit in the area. If you are driving on the freeway, you need to pay attention to the speed limit but must follow the flow of traffic.

• If other vehicles are traveling much slower than the speed limit due to heavy traffic, you must drive at a corresponding speed to avoid a collision.
• If other vehicles are traveling much faster than the speed limit, you don’t have to break the law but should speed up a bit so as not to obstruct traffic too much.
• Remember that driving too slowly is just as dangerous as driving too fast.
• Accelerate the car calmly. Don’t step on the accelerator too hard or the car will jump faster than you intended. Each type of car has its own acceleration.

Control the steering wheel properly. Proper steering wheel technique will give you a smoother driving experience and help avoid the risk of a crash. You can turn the steering wheel to turn your head and position the car in the most convenient position. Here are some tips on how to turn the steering wheel:

• You must hold the steering wheel with both hands.
• Hands should be at 8 o’clock and 4 o’clock, or higher at 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock, depending on your preference. In this position, you can safely control the steering wheel and cannot make too harsh turns.
• When you need to change the direction of the car, pull the side of the steering wheel on the side you want to go down and push the opposite hand up. This is called “pull-push” steering wheel rotation.
• To turn the vehicle at a slow speed, you should use the cross-arm rotation. To cross-arm, you perform a push-pull rotation but pass the pull-arm over the push-arm to continue turning the steering wheel in the desired direction. ^[3]

Understand your car’s brakes. You need to know how long it takes for the car to come to a complete stop when traveling at different speeds.

• Always drive the vehicle at a distance of at least the length of the vehicle in front of the vehicle in front. You will avoid the risk of hitting the vehicle in front if you have to make an emergency stop.
• When traveling at faster speeds, you need to maintain a distance longer than the vehicle length to be able to stop safely, so you must understand and follow the two-second rule. This rule requires you to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front, equivalent to two seconds of driving at a minimum. Take into account weather and road conditions.
• Try not to stop suddenly unless there is an emergency. Stopping suddenly can cause the vehicle behind you to crash into the rear of your vehicle.

Turn on the signal light when changing direction. Remember, the driver behind you cannot know what you are thinking. They don’t know which direction you’re going to turn unless you signal. You should turn on the signal light in the following situations: ^[4] :

• When the car is still about 30m away from the position to turn (turn left or turn right).
• Before you change lanes, remember to turn on the signal lights at least 5 seconds before.
• Before driving out or pulling into a parking spot on the side of the road.
• When changing the direction of movement.

Use lights. Car lights help you see the road better and avoid hazards. You should turn on the lights when it is dark, rainy or foggy.

• The general rule is when you ask yourself “Should I turn on the lights now?” then the answer is always yes.
• Watch for other cars on the road. If most of them have the lights on, you should too.
• Remember that some vehicles have lights that turn on and off automatically under certain conditions. If your vehicle is not one of these, you must turn off the lights when you stop the vehicle; otherwise, the battery will run out of power.

Use wipers. Learn how to use the windshield wipers before it rains. You can control the wipers to move back and forth at different speeds depending on how heavy the rain is.

• There are some states that require you to turn on the lights every time you operate the wipers (regardless of what mode the wipers are in).
• You can also use the wipers to wipe away dust and dirt from the windshield.
• Do not drive if the wipers are damaged. Driving in a rainstorm without windshield wipers is extremely dangerous.

Change lanes legally. Change lanes safely according to traffic rules. There are four rules you need to follow when changing lanes. ^[5]

• OPEN SIGNALS to alert surrounding vehicles that you are about to change lanes.
• Check the MIRROR to ensure ventilation.
• LOOK over your shoulder to make sure it’s still safe to change lanes.
• START TRANSFER.

Park the car properly. Once you arrive, you must turn off the engine and park the vehicle safely. End the driving session as follows:

• Find a good parking space and apply the brake to stop the car.
• Set the shift lever to “P” (parking).
• Turn off the car engine.
• Pull the handbrake.
• Turn off the light if the light is on.
• Car lock to prevent theft.
• Get out of the car and check to see if it is properly seated.

Remember that many of the basic principles apply to both automatic and manual cars. While there are some differences between the two, many of the basic principles apply to both. That is:

• Preparations before driving, such as adjusting mirrors and avoiding distractions.
• The principle of opening signal lights.
• Rules for changing lanes.
• Use lights and wipers when needed.
• How to put your hands on the steering wheel.

Learn to use controls. Most people think that a manual transmission car is more difficult to drive than an automatic car because it requires more steps to be taken when driving. However, many people also find that driving a manual transmission is more fun and more experiential, as you will be more involved in the driving process. If you have a manual transmission car, it is necessary to recognize and use two additional control tools. That is:

• Clutch : The clutch controls the linkage between the engine and the transmission. Pressing your foot on the clutch pedal separates the engine from the transmission. Release the pins and they will reconnect through the clutch. When the clutch opens, you have put the car in a free state regardless of whether the car is in gear or not. When the clutch is closed, the car will be in the gear you previously selected.
• Shifter : You change gears by moving the gear lever or shifter. Transmission numbers vary from model to model, but the “default” position is “N” (free), then gears 1 through 5 or 1 to 6, and finally “R” (reverse). car).

Start the car. Starting a manual car is a bit more complicated than an automatic, requiring you to focus more. When starting out, you should practice in an isolated place to prevent errors. Here’s how:

• Start depressing the clutch pedal. Most manual transmission vehicles will not start if the clutch is not engaged.
• After starting the vehicle, apply the foot brake and release the handbrake.
• If you want to go forward, put in 1st gear. If you want to reverse, put in reverse (“R”).
• As you slowly release the clutch pedal, begin to gently depress the gas pedal.
• The engine will grow louder and you will often hear the clutch “clutching”. When the car goes forward without the engine turning off, you have succeeded! You have started the car and the car is running in 1st gear.

Change gears to match the speed. Change numbers the same way you changed from N to 1 to move to higher numbers. Before starting to change numbers, you need to remember the following points:

• You must change gears in the following sequence: Open the clutch by pressing the clutch pedal, change gears with the shift lever, close the clutch by slowly releasing the clutch pedal while keeping the accelerator pedal pressed. .
• Imagine that the clutch and gas pedals are under inversely proportional pressure. They will work together as smoothly as the movement of a seesaw board. When one end goes up, the other end goes down.
• Slowly ramping up the throttle while the clutch is closed will make gear changes smoother. It takes practice, but once you get used to the feeling of stepping on the clutch and gas pedals, this will become your natural reflex.

Shift to higher gears for faster speeds. Each vehicle has its own speed range for each gear. Some people recommend changing gears only after the engine reaches a certain number of revolutions.

• Listen to your car and change gears when it thinks the engine needs the change.

Brake properly. Depress the clutch pedal and shift to N when braking. Shift the vehicle to N to ensure that the engine is no longer pulling the transmission and to prevent stalling when you decelerate while braking.

• You can probably save gas and extend the life of your brakes by shifting to a lower gear when decelerating. However, this takes practice so you should start with using the brakes.

Parking. Once you’ve found the right place to park your car, there are a few key rules you must follow to park a manual transmission properly. Here’s what you should do:

• Do not change back to N, but keep the running number. Normally the car will be in reverse or 1st gear. If you shift to N, the car will not stay still.
• Remove the key from the switch.

Take the necessary steps to obtain a license. Once you’ve got your probationary license, mastered automatic and manual driving skills, and been on the road for a while (six months required in some states), you’re ready to start driving. Apply for a driver’s license! A driver’s license allows you to drive alone at any time, and to drive with more than one passenger in the vehicle. To apply for a permit, you need to do a few things depending on state requirements:

• Pass the written test.
• Pass a short driving test where they’ll test your basic driving skills, including parallel parking and K turns.
• Pass the vision test.
• Check your state’s DMV requirements for the exact age and what to do to get a license.