Learn How to Drive a Car Part 2

Do you want to learn how to drive? You’ve come to the right place, as this article is your guide to starting your journey of learning how to drive; here you’ll learn the basics of driving as well as the advanced skills you need. Keep in mind that this article is for automatic cars, so you should read the article on learning to drive a car with a manual transmission in the case of manual cars.

Learn the Basics of Driving

1. Wear your seat belt

Driving without a seat belt is illegal in most countries around the world,[2] so make sure to wear your seat belt to protect yourself from serious injury in the event of an accident.

2. Start the car with your foot on the brake

The car will move immediately if you start it unless you put your foot on the brake; do this in the start position.

3. Start the engine and release the handbrake

Place the car key in its designated place on the right of the steering wheel and turn it clockwise, which is different in some modern cars where the key is placed in its designated place and then press the “Power” or “Ignition” button.

4. Learn how to get your car out of its parking spot

If your car is in a parking lot or garage, you will have to get it out of its place, which may seem scary when you first learn to drive, but you should remember the following instructions:

• Set the gear shift to “reverse” to ensure that the car moves backwards.
• Look over your shoulder while reversing the car and make sure that your vision behind you is clear.
• Lift your foot off the brake pedal and do not place it on the accelerator pedal; this is recommended when you first learn to drive a car because the car will move when you lift your foot off the brake pedal, it will move slowly but it will protect you from causing accidents or hitting someone if you press the accelerator pedal while reversing.
• Keep in mind that the steering wheel directions are reversed in the “reverse” position. When you drive the car forward, it turns to the right with the steering wheel turned to the right and to the left when turning it to the left, the opposite is true when the gear shifter is in the “reverse” position; this means that the car moves to the right when you turn the steering wheel to the left.
• Press the brakes when you want to slow down; press the pedal gently and firmly to slow the car down when necessary.

5. Put the transmission in “Drive” when you are ready to drive the car forward

Put your foot on the brake pedal and then shift your car into “Drive” so that you can move it forward, then slowly release your foot from the brake pedal. Slowly press the accelerator pedal to move the car forward, increase the car’s speed to an acceptable level while moving your foot to the brake pedal if you need to slow the car down.

6. Place your hands on the steering wheel in the “nine and three o’clock” position

Imagine the steering wheel is like a clock, so put your left hand at the number “nine” and your right hand at the number “three”;[3] Do not try to control the steering wheel with one hand if you are a beginner driver or you will cause an accident.

7. Use the turn signal

The turn signals flash red or orange (some cars have red turn signals on both sides of the rear of the car) along with the brake lights. Turn signals are very important when driving, as they alert the cars behind you that you are changing lanes or direction; you will find the signal switch on the left of the steering wheel. Move the indicator up if you want to turn right or change lanes to the right, and move it down if you want to turn left or change lanes to the left.

8. Learn to turn the car using the hand-over-hand method

Turning is very easy once you get used to it, but it is one of the aspects of driving that depends on intuition; all you have to do is move the steering wheel slightly in the direction of the turn while keeping your hands at the nine and three o’clock positions.

• If you are about to make a sharp turn, you can follow the “hand-over-hand” method; for example: if you are turning right, you should move the steering wheel clockwise using your right hand, and when your right hand reaches the four or five o’clock position, you should release it and hold it with your left hand to firmly grip the wheel and continue moving it.
• To reset the car after turning, you need to release your grip on the steering wheel, which will automatically return to its original position; you can move it yourself to speed up the process a little. Make sure to keep your hands steady while the steering wheel returns to its original position.

9. Learn how to change lanes

You will need to change your lane while driving, which you may have to do quickly at times; changing lanes is easy, but it requires you to concentrate and turn on the turn signal. Here are some tips to follow when changing lanes:

• Turn on the turn signal at least two seconds before changing lanes to alert drivers behind you.
• Quickly check your side and rearview mirrors with a quick glance to make sure there are no cars that are not visible to you; do not rely on the mirrors alone when changing lanes.
• Move into the next lane slowly; put your hands on the steering wheel and turn it slowly to change lanes; it will require a slight movement of the wheel, especially in the case of modern cars. It will not take more than one to three seconds to change lanes; If it takes you less than that, it means you are driving too fast, and if it takes you more than that, it means you are driving too slowly.

10. Keep a safe distance from the cars in front of you

The safe distance between you and the car in front depends on your driving speed; you should give yourself between two and five seconds to react in case of an emergency stop or otherwise. Ask yourself whether you will be able to stop in time if the car in front stops suddenly or not, keeping in mind your safety and the safety of the driver in front.

• You can evaluate this safe distance as follows: Wait for the car in front to pass a fixed object on the road such as a billboard, then start counting “one thousand and one, one thousand and two, one thousand and three”; calculate the number of seconds your car needs to pass the same fixed object on the road.