Driving lesson

[TheInsanity1234]

So, I had my driving lesson at 12:30 today for 30 minutes (With Admiral Young Driver @ Newbury Showground).

We did the basics - Safety checks, 6 point check, moving off, general driving etc. I even did a turn in the road, parallel parking and a slalom.

Here's the mini report my driving instructor made in my "driver's diary":

Would be interesting to see if you can figure out the acronyms

The instructor told me that I was a very good driver considering the fact I don't even have a provisional and probably have about 3 hours of driving in total under my belt

As it said in the report, I just have to work a bit more on my observation, and I need to reduce my exuberance.
So effectively, if I'm more observant, and take things easy, then I'll be well on the way to being a good driver!

I think the observation thing is merely just because I occasionally forgot to do the 6-point check when starting to move

In my opinion, I actually do agree with him, as I was occasionally too heavy with my right foot, and obviously, I did forget to check mirrors etc when doing manoeuvres every now and then.

But the thing that I'm most proud of is the fact I did parallel parking and reversing etc without stalling once during the whole 30 minutes. There was also no kangarooing at all.

Unfortunately, I have no footage of the lesson, as I didn't have anywhere I could put my phone safely, but I might try to find a cheap dash-cam or something to record me and the outside for the duration of my lessons

So, my mum (who was in the car with me in case I needed an interpreter) is quite happy with my lesson, and she said she would book 6 more lessons for me so I have one 60 minute lesson per month up to my 17th birthday, then I'll have my provisional and I'll be let loose on the public highways!

[fungus]

Would be interesting to see if you can figure out the acronyms

DSSSM. Doors, Seat, Steering Wheel, Seat Belt, Mirrors.

POM. Preparation. Observation, Manoeuvre.

MSM. Mirrors, Signal, Manoeuvre.

TIR, Could be Turn in the road.

RP. Reverse Park.

For a half an hours lesson, you certainly packed in a lot.

[TheInsanity1234]

Would be interesting to see if you can figure out the acronyms

DSSSM. Doors, Seat, Steering Wheel, Seat Belt, Mirrors.

POM. Preparation. Observation, Manoeuvre.

MSM. Mirrors, Signal, Manoeuvre.

TIR, Could be Turn in the road.

RP. Reverse Park.

For a half an hours lesson, you certainly packed in a lot.

TIR is definitely turn in road
It's actually PP I think, meaning Parallel parking Probably could be RP, because I did do reverse parking for the last minute when I was finishing up, and setting the car ready for the next person to go

Is that what people consider to be a lot then? I thought it wasn't that much, but I suppose I did have to drive between different places within the complex

I suppose it was helped by the fact I already have experience of clutch control (A lot of practice in my mum's car in a field with loads of mole hills. You need to be very sensitive with the clutch ), changing gears etc, it's just the more complex skills that I need to learn

The one thing I found odd is that I've never been taught to balance the throttle and the clutch when pulling away by an instructor. All the instructors (4, IIRC) I've had always tell me not to apply any pressure to the accelerator when pulling away, which I find weird, as my dad taught me to always apply revs when lifting the clutch up, to prevent them dropping too low, which you do need to do in a bumpy field.
Also because on level roads/slight inclines, it'd be fine, but on steep hills, you'd need to be able to balance the clutch, as I don't think there's any engine out there that would pull away uphill without any throttle?

[trashbat]

Typically, the smaller the engine, the easier to stall, and the more effort required to balance. I guess it's a combination of low rotating mass and less power to overcome resistance. In general though no-one makes any kind of conscious effort to balance, it's just something you do.

I don't know what it'd take to propel it uphill, but from cold, when the idle revs are higher (by design), my car will slowly drive itself on the flat, in first gear, without any throttle input at all. If you put it in gear and turned the key through the window while stood outside, it would drive away.

Obviously you shouldn't set off without throttle though - it needs input. Not 2,000 rpm or anything like I was originally taught, mind. Don't fuss over it, it all comes naturally.

[fungus]

Previous experience of things like clutch, accelerator, and brake control will make a lot of difference, as will your understanding of what the controls do.

Although it is possible to get a learner driving and taking in junctions etc. on their first lesson, it is quite usual to spend time explaining the controls and practicing clutch control, changing gear, braking etc. Remember that although a learner might want to learn, they may have absolutely no previous knowledge of controls or what they do.

Let me give you an example. Take the clutch. It is the clutch that drives the car in a sense, in that it is your connection via the gearbox final dive and drive shafts of the engine to the road wheels. I have no doubt at all that you know this, but the majority don't. Why is this important? Well when most learners try a hill start they tend to over rev the engine but still can roll back which is made worse at a junction with an impatient driver behind them. Knowing what the clutch does can help them to overcome this problem. They also understand why the engine stalls if they are rough with the clutch. Some might argue that it is not necessary to know this, I would disagree.

As I have said in another post, before my seventeenth birthday I could basically drive because the basic controls and what they do were explained to us in senior school by our science master along with practice on the school playing field. I also had practice with my brother on farm tracks.

[TheInsanity1234]

Typically, the smaller the engine, the easier to stall, and the more effort required to balance. I guess it's a combination of low rotating mass and less power to overcome resistance. In general though no-one makes any kind of conscious effort to balance, it's just something you do.

But that's the thing, I was driving a Skoda Citigo 1.0, and there was no issues with pulling away throttle-less.
In that car, just lift the clutch up and find the biting point, then just smoothly bring the pedal up the rest of the way, and the car will set off without any input from the throttle

Obviously you shouldn't set off without throttle though - it needs input. Not 2,000 rpm or anything like I was originally taught, mind. Don't fuss over it, it all comes naturally.

It doesn't really come naturally to me, it feels rather awkward and difficult to do, which I suppose is what a lot of learners feel too, which might be why ADIs allow throttle-less moving off now.

But I know I don't need to boot the revs up or anything, and that feathering the throttle is often more than necessary to set off, but I find I still seem to rev a bit too much when pulling away.

Well when most learners try a hill start they tend to over rev the engine but still can roll back which is made worse at a junction with an impatient driver behind them.

This is very true, my sister said that hill-starts were the bane of her learning experience, and she loathed having to even attempt to try and pull away on a hill.

I'm lucky because me being more observant than most, I know the process needed to do a hill start, and I've already done 1 or 2 attempts.
All you need to do is just to find the biting point, apply a tiny bit of throttle. After this, you do 3 things at the same time: 1. slowly release the handbrake. 2. release the clutch steadily. 3. maintain the revs as you're releasing the clutch.
Being patient and taking your time is the key to a hill-start, but as you've mentioned, it's difficult to remain calm and steady when there's someone behind you being impatient and getting all worked up.
I would advise learners to just pretend the car behind them is being driven by an happy, smiling little old lady

[trashbat]

I don't know anything about them, but it might be that modern ECUs assist in that sense with some sort of 'stall avoidance' pattern that keeps it bimbling along. I had a quick look and a few people suggest their cars increase the idle revs from about 800rpm to 1000rpm once the car is moving.

[martine]

Well done - sounds like a very fruitful lesson...Keep the diary up as I'm sure many here will like to know how you're getting on.

In my experience the first stage is more about making the car do what you want, when you want and under smooth control. Once you're getting on well with that, your attention can move more outside and dealing with other road users, tricky junctions etc. When you've got that as well then it's time for your test!

[TheInsanity1234]

The reason why I want to do the driving lessons while I'm still 16 is that it gives me the opportunity to learn basic skills and polish them up etc whilst on private ground and no need to worry about the presence of other road users.

This is so when I turn 17, and get my provisional, I'll just be learning how to interact with other road users, rather than learning how to drive completely from scratch AND cope with the pressures of modern driving.

The company do lessons at the Newbury Showground venue once a month, so if I book 6 lessons that'll take me to December, and my provisional

[fungus]

Whilst it is usefull to be able to creep the car on the clutch using no gas, when moving off normally it is important to feed the gas in as you said you would do when moving off up hill. If an instructor allows pulling away with no gas under normal circumstances they are asking for trouble when the pupil needs to move off more quickly.

Diesels will often allow you to virtually drop the clutch and get away with it, and I found that I had to keep on top of it otherwise pupils would move off with no gas. It is for that reason that I have changed to teaching in a petrol car, and although you can creep using no gas if you are very gentle, it will punish you if you try to do more than creep without using any gas.

With reference to up hill starts, an exercise that I do, is to let the car roll back slightly and then lifting the clutch gently, stop it rolling, then gently lift the clutch enough to just creep, then press the clutch down just enough to allow a slight backward roll and lift the clutch just enough to stop the roll.

[TheInsanity1234]

That's the odd thing, the Citigo I was driving was a 1.0 petrol which produces a laws-of-physics-bending 60 hp, so you'd think it would be terribly sensitive with pulling away, but you could engage the clutch fully and have to do absolutely nothing with the gas, and still not stall it.

It was a odd feeling, pulling away with the engine at idle revs. I've got my next lesson booked, and in that one I'm going to try feeding the gas as I pull away and see whether the instructor picks up on it
He probably will, but I'll be able to defend myself by saying that if I need to pull away quickly, then what do I do if I can't feed the gas in?

[Horse]

Sounds to me like he's encouraging you to learn, right from the start, to be smooth with the controls

[TheInsanity1234]

If he is, then I'd much rather he taught me how to be smooth while feeding the gas in, rather than being smooth whilst gently clutching up and doing absolutely nothing with the gas. But I think what he's trying to prevent me from doing is kangarooing, but I'm sure with the correct guidance, I wouldn't do it even with gas applied

Next lesson is booked for 13th August, same venue. Hopefully, same instructor too.
That lesson is a 60 minute one, so I might be able to cover twice the amount I covered in my last one xD

For anyone that's wondering why such a big gap between lessons, it's because the company are only at the showground once a month, because they move around between 6 different venues in the "southern" area: Milton Keynes, Newbury, Oxford, Reading, Southampton, and Basingstoke.
They've got many more venues across the UK, but each "district" is manned by one group, and they have control over 4-6 venues and they move around between those venues every month so people don't have to travel stupidly long distances to get to whichever one is nearest to them.

It's great, but it does mean I only have one lesson a month Having said that, my parents might take me to Cardrome in Essex and I'll be able to try out the Yeti and get used to it before I'm let loose on the roads with it

a 1.0 petrol which produces a laws-of-physics-bending 60 hp

Care to explain?

Merely a spot of sarcasm It's because there's a 75 hp variant, but I don't think you can get that in manual.

[Horse]

If he is, then I'd much rather he taught me how to be smooth while feeding the gas in

If he's just let you find out (whether you've acknowledged it or not ) that you didn't need the throttle, why should you want to? Next you'll be wanting to feed in the gas while braking

Seriously, if you can pull away without using the throttle, that's actually demonstrating good, gradual, smooth use of the clutch. Get that right all of the time and you'll not need loads of throttle to overcome poor control use. You're far better off learning that now rather than trying to 'retro-fit' later - as boring as it may seem.

When braking, the same smoothness of application might, one day, be the difference between wheels locking and not.

Also, from your [future] passengers' point of view, they'll be happier with a smooth journey (and less likely to vomit in your car).

[TheInsanity1234]

If he is, then I'd much rather he taught me how to be smooth while feeding the gas in

If he's just let you find out (whether you've acknowledged it or not ) that you didn't need the throttle, why should you want to? Next you'll be wanting to feed in the gas while braking

Seriously, if you can pull away without using the throttle, that's actually demonstrating good, gradual, smooth use of the clutch. Get that right all of the time and you'll not need loads of throttle to overcome poor control use. You're far better off learning that now rather than trying to 'retro-fit' later - as boring as it may seem.

When braking, the same smoothness of application might, one day, be the difference between wheels locking and not.

Also, from your [future] passengers' point of view, they'll be happier with a smooth journey (and less likely to vomit in your car).

No, he told me not to apply any gas after I tried to do so the first time, so I just went with the flow and I never applied gas when pulling away for the duration of the lesson. Excellent, indeed, but downright annoying when you need to try and pull away quickly.