How to Drive a Car?

The first sermon is: A car becomes a part of yourself while you are driving: before we depart on the simple guides and easy acronyms to understand driving, it is necessary to understand that the control of your car goes beyond its steering, pedals, and gears.

While these three are necessary. We need to understand and establish a connection between us using these three controls and their effect on the engine which will ultimately control the car’s speed. In brief, open the door carefully, adjust the seat position with a lever below the seat, and don't forget to fasten the seat belt for the read ahead.

Things to Do Before Driving a Car for the First Time

First things first, it's okay to be nervous. You can take your time to understand the buttons and the features of the car.

Imagine if you have been assigned a task to drive a car right now. There is a car in front of you, and you will have its reins but before you need to check if the tires are in healthy condition and there on you have to use and remember the DSMS(i) routine which is:

• Door: Doors locked and closed before you take off.
• Seat: The seat is adjusted and aligned such that your foot is reading the pedal.
• Mirror: The side mirrors are aligned perfectly along with the interior mirror.
• Seatbelt: Fasten your seatbelt for a safe ride and don’t forget; that it should have a valid car insurance cover.

Yes, the (i) stands for valid insurance cover for the car, as it is mandatory under the Motor Vehicle Act, another necessary aspect is a valid PUC i.e. Pollution Under Control certificate along with your learner’s driving license or permanent driving license along with some professional/ adult supervision before you take off for the first time.

Now before we get on to the ignition and maneuver stages in the coming section, a few safety measures must be taken such as ensuring that your car is free of obstacles, driving in a safe and calm area, and lastly checking for any warning lights.

(Beginner’s fact: There are two types of cars in terms of gear shifting system, manual mode and automatic model.)

How to Drive a Manual Car for the First Time: A Step-By-Step Guide

In layman’s terms manual car is one with a clutch pedal (gear connector pedal), a gear stick (shifter) with a transmission i.e. the amount of power that is transmitted to the engine it can be automatic and manual (in the case of manual, the driver controls it) and lastly with a flywheel (it rotates with engine and helps it run smoothly when the clutch is pressed it separates the transmission from the engine to allow gear change.

Simply put, in a manual car, you are allowed to control the gear change, with the help of the clutch pedal in combination with the gear shifter, and handle how much power is allowed to the engine.

Before we start with the ignition, it is necessary to check if the car is in neutral,(there will be an ‘N’) indicator on the screen or you can just move the gear stick in the central position i.e. move it sideways and let it rest in the central position, which will make the car neutral i.e. it does not have any gear mode for the transmission to relay power. It must be checked to ensure that the car remains stationary when you ignite it so you don’t experience a quick jerk.

(Rule of thumb: A car must be put in neutral mode when it is stationary.)

You must also check if the hand brake is active or not, for us to move with the ignition stage we need the car to be neutral and the hand brake to be inactivated. It is active if it is pulled up and before starting the car, you need to press the button and and apply force downwards with the help of your palms for it to disengage.

Further, cars with manual transmission have three-foot pedals. From right to left, these are the accelerator, the footbrake, and the clutch pedal.

Let us now understand the basic steps to drive a manual car with the help of the below steps:

Step 1: Car Ignition

After you are done checking with the DSMS routine, the starter ignition is normally near the steering column. Most cars have an ignition switch with three positions. The first is an anti-theft lock, the second position switches electrical power to the car’s instruments and the third one operates the starter. Keep your leg on the clutch and simply turn the key in the third position to turn on the car, you should not take the leg off from the clutch pedal, or else the car will turn off.

Step 2: Taking - off

While your leg is on the clutch pedal, ensure the steering wheel is in a straight position. Shift the gearbox in first gear and then you need to set the gas i.e. set the right foot very lightly on the accelerator pedal to get a light hum. Now you have to find the biting point (a point while pressing the clutch pedal such as if it crosses while releasing the clutch pedal, the engine will shut down, if there is no balanced acceleration while releasing the clutch pedal).

Thus, the taking-off stage is all about mastering and understanding the biting point. In general, holding the clutch at the biting point for too long is a fault that will waste fuel and tear the clutch. You have to get a raw sense of where the biting point is and never let the clutch go beyond it by balancing it with acceleration and the right clutch pressure.

The mastery of the biting point is the key to a smooth take off of the car which is by smoothly releasing the clutch and the car will start moving forward slowly.

Step 3: Understanding the accelerator, the footbrake, and the clutch pedal.

Before practicing taking off, it is necessary to understand the balance among the above three, and a standard rule is; that the left foot must be used for the clutch and the right foot for the brake and accelerator. With practice, you should be able to pivot your left foot between your accelerator and footbrake.

Further, before practicing moving off it is important to learn how to make a car creep forward and control it with only a clutch. It is about moving a car ahead with the appropriate balance of the clutch so that it moves a few steps ahead and stops at your desired mark without using a break.

Step 4: Maintaining the minimum speed: Gear 1 and 2

Finally, we now know all the checks and necessary information, now the task is to lift your leg slowly from the clutch pedal so that the car gets momentum, while we are taking off from the first gear.

From here, you have two options either keep your foot over the clutch and continue driving or while the car is in slow motion ahead, lift your leg from the clutch pedal slowly such that it goes into minimum speed mode in Gear 1. Primarily, the task is to learn to drive the car as slowly as possible and control it in lower gears. After you are comfortable driving as slow as possible in Gear 1 you can move ahead to Gear 2 with the same practice.

Step 5: Braking smoothly

Braking smoothly, is a necessary car skill, for a fine driver. It is necessary to push the clutch pedal completely before braking, and the braking maneuver should be such that the car passengers or driver doesn’t experience any jerk.

Again a rule of thumb is to push the clutch completely before braking in Gear 1 and Gear 2 and in reverse and if you are braking in Gear 3 and above gears first the brake should be pressed and followed by the clutch.

Step 6: Reversing

The reversing stage is to be learned after you are comfortable with clutch control and the first two gears. To reverse the car, you need to shift the gear to the R symbol in the gearbox, while you are at it, you should always check first by releasing the clutch lightly to see if the car is in the reverse gear if you are unsure.

Now you can either reverse by looking backward or with the help of side mirrors, slowly lift your leg off the clutch and make sure that your car is going in a straight back while reversing and not deviating.

Step 7: Parking

Parking is the ultimate driving test, it is a mix of precision, estimation, and your reverse and Gear 1 skills. While parking you need to make sure that you don’t excessively use the accelerator as it can lead to reversing accidents.

How to Drive an Automatic Car for the First Time: A Step-By-Step Guide

Automatic cars have a simpler gear-changing system compared to manual cars. There is no clutch pedal and it comprises the below 4 gear modes which you can simply shift the lever to drive:

1.Park

The park mode is to be used while the car is to be parked and the engine is to be turned off. It is necessary to push the brake in automatic cars while you are changing driving modes.

2.Drive

The drive mode automatically controls the gears of the car while it is in motion and it adjusts and handles the gear according to your acceleration.

3.Neutral

The neutral mode is similar to that of the one in the manual, it can be used if you want to park the car for a short duration. If you need to park the car for a long duration of time park mode should be used.

4.Reverse

It is to be used while reversing the car in automatic mode, utmost care should be taken while giving acceleration to avoid any accidents.

Safety Tips for Driving a Car for The First Time

The following are the safety tips for driving a car for the first time:

• Understand and check your environment.
• Have a professional driver beside you.
• Check the seatbelt, handbrake, and mirrors before ignition.
• Learn to drive as slowly as possible.
• Check if the steering is in a straight position.
• Check for hazard indicators on the car screen.
• Learn it with your place: Slow and steady wins the race.
• Don’t forget to push the clutch before braking.
• Don’t let loose the clutch grip, to avoid the car being shut down.

Why Should First-Time Car Owners Choose Coverfox Car Insurance?

Buying First-Time car insurance comes with many questions and queries such as:

• Which policy to buy?
• Should it be a comprehensive or third-party cover
• Which add-ons to subscribe to?
• What is the claim settlement process?

With Coverfox Car Insurance, all these questions simply vanish because we cover everything for you in a simple three-step process:

1.Buying Insurance- Tie-ups with 40+ insurance companies.

2.Managing Insurance- With my account feature you are in the loop with our team.

3.Claim settlement- End-to-end support for claim settlements.

Lastly, you should not forget to have an RTI add-on cover which is Return To Invoice cover beneficial if your car has met with an accident beyond repairs or stolen and not recoverable, the insurance company will pay the whole invoice value i.e. present market value or Insurer Declared value (IDC).

Thus, Coverfox can be your one-stop shop for first-time car owners for seamless choices and smooth customer processes.

Wrapping Up

Driving a car is a thrilling experience, and it is to be done with various driving etiquette such as lane discipline, avoiding tailgating, regular car servicing, and driver awareness. Mastering the clutch, accelerator, brake, and gear change maneuvers along with steering control is the ultimate guide to learning a car and it is a cherry on the top with the right insurance cover you can be steady and secure about you and your vehicle while driving.

Frequently Asked Questions