able1st ,  Worthing driving lessons

Moving off and stopping safely

If you are new to driving then read over this page before your first driving school lesson.
Think of how long you would need to be parked at the side of the road in order to discuss these details. Wouldn''t you rather read before your lesson, gain some understanding, then enable your actual driving of the car to start sooner.
You don''t need to understand all the details. As your driving instructor I will always assist in your understanding of driving.
Never attempt to move a car off without knowing how to stop the car.
For the following details, to keep in line with ''The Highway Code; Rule 239'', the left roadside is used for parking.
worthing driving school
Eco-safe driving tips are included.
The details on this page are designed to help those who are intending to take/are taking driving lessons with an ADI.

How to move a car off from the roadside. Think of POM - Preparation Observation Manoeuvre.

• Preparation
• Push the clutch pedal fully down.
• Select 1st gear.
• Raise the clutch pedal to the bite point.
• Observation
• Observe as for moving off from the roadside.
• Manoeuvre
• If it is safe to move off, signal right if necessary, release the parking brake and at the same time press sufficiently on the gas pedal.
• As the car starts to move off, steer away from the kerb.
• Ease the clutch pedal through the bite allowing the car to pick up more speed. 
   

Clutch - operated by the left foot.
The ''key'' to moving off a car during your driving school lessons is knowing how to control the clutch and you don''t need to be a mechanic to understand this.
The clutch is made up of two flat plates that are brought together as the clutch pedal is raised. With the car stationary and the engine running, one plate is turning while the other isn''t. As the clutch is raised (with the car in gear) the two plates are brought towards each other until they meet face on, this is known as the ''clutch bite''. Now the turning plate will try to cause the non-turning one to start turning (this can be thought of as the wheels of the car trying to start turning). The clutch pedal should only be raised enough to start the wheels turning. As the car picks up speed the clutch pedal can be raised a little further (forcing the plates tighter together thus helping to turn the wheels faster) and when the car reaches approximately two-three miles per hour the clutch plates should now be fully engaged (turning at the same speed) and the clutch pedal can be brought fully up.
Note: -

• With practise, the control of the clutch pedal from floor to bite, then through the bite to fully up (engaged) will take only a second or two when moving off for most situations during your driving school lessons.
• Don''t simply throw the clutch pedal up when trying to move off, this will only cause the car engine to struggle or stall.
• Eco-safe driving - easing the clutch pedal correctly through the bite (i.e. not too fast) will cause the car to move off smoothly thereby causing less engine wear and reducing fuel consumption.

Gears - operated by the left hand.
Your driving school instructor will teach you the ''Palming'' method for gear changing. This method makes gear changing easy. As a general guide for your able1st car: -

• 1st gear should be used for moving off and at very low speeds e.g. 5mph or slower.
• 2nd gear should be changed into at 10-15mph.
• 3rd gear should be changed into at 15-20mph.
• 4th gear should be changed into at 35-40mph.
• 5th gear should be changed into at 45-55mph.

• Eco-safe driving - changing up into the next gear within the ranges indicated will help to produce smooth gear changes and prevent ''over revving'' of the engine. Both of these will help to reduce fuel consumption. Remember - sometimes it will be necessary to delay your gear change until a higher speed is reached e.g. up hill.

Observations - operated by the eyes (sorry, I couldn''t resist that one).
Before moving off during your driving school lessons, you MUST ensure that it is safe to do so. You should observe as follows and in that order.
Observations: -

• Front window - be aware of any other road users (or anything) blocking the front of your car or the immediate path you will be taking with your car.
• Left mirror - be aware of any other road users on your left and pedestrians, they could move/step out in front of your car just as you attempt to move off.
• Main mirror - be aware of any other road users behind you who my move out to pass you.
• Right mirror - be aware of any other road users who might already have moved out to pass you.
• Right shoulder blind spot - be aware of any other road users who might be moving off from the other side of the road or pedestrians who might be crossing.
• Front window - again, be aware of any other road users (or anything) blocking the front of your car or the immediate path you will be taking with your car.

Parking Brake (Handbrake) - operated by the left hand.
The parking brake should only be used while the car is stationary. The parking brake only uses friction to hold the car therefore the steeper the hill that you park your car on the more pressure you need to apply to the parking brake lever. Too little pressure and the car could move (roll).

• Eco-safe driving - make sure that the parking brake is fully released (all the way down) just as the car is about to move off. This will help prevent unnecessary wear/damage of the parking brake. Your able1st school car warns you by sounding ''beeps'' if the parking brake has not been released properly.

Gas - operated by the right foot (the brake pedal is also operated by the right foot).
How far down you press the gas pedal is determined by what you are trying to do during your driving school lessons i.e. how slow or how fast you are trying to move.

• Eco-safe driving - only use sufficient gas to move off safely. Too much gas and all you''ll be doing is using up more fuel and causing increased wear of the engine. Remember - if it is necessary to move quickly then more gas should be used, safety always comes before eco-safe driving.

 Steering Wheel - operated by both hands.
The recognised way to steer for your driving school lessons is known as ''The Push Pull Method''. I could give a description here of how to use this method but the description could be confusing without actually showing this method while describing it. Practising this steering method (using a round item similar to a steering wheel) before your first driving lesson can make a difference to your lesson. The simplest way to learn before your first driving lesson is to ask to be shown by anyone that you know who can drive.
Signal indicator - operated by the left hand  but can be the right hand in other cars.
When parked at the roadside and moving off, the right signal indicator should only be used if it would help other road users and MUST be used if it WOULD help other road users during your driving school lessons.

Stopping at the roadside

 Observations - again, operated by the eyes
Before starting to stop during your driving school lessons, you MUST ensure that it is safe to do so. You should observe as follows and in that order.
Observations: -

• Main mirror - be aware of any other road users behind you who might move left as you attempt to do so.
• Left mirror - be aware of any other road users already to your left who might attempt to undertake you (pass on your left side).
• Front window - be aware of where it would be safe to move over and to park.

 Signal indicator - operated by the left hand (for your able1st Driving School car) but can be the right hand in other cars.
When stopping at the roadside, the left signal indicator should only be used if it would help other road users and MUST be used if it WOULD help other road users during your driving school lessons.
Foot Brake - operated by the right foot (the gas pedal is also operated by the right foot).
When using the brake pedal to slow the car during your driving school lessons, you should first gently press on the brake pedal then continue to increase the pressure on the brake pedal to the point that the car is slowing sufficiently. Just before the car comes to a stop, you should ease off the brake pedal (but not fully off) so as to bring the car to a comfortable stop. If you don''t ease off the brake pedal then the car will come to an abrupt stop, which is uncomfortable for you and your passengers. As soon as the car comes to a stop, press firmly on the brake pedal until you have applied the parking brake (this will prevent the car from moving between the time that the car stops and the time at which the parking brake is applied).
The amount of pressure applied to the brake pedal during your driving school lessons is determined by how quickly you need to slow down the car.
Clutch - operated by the left foot.
When stopping a car, there comes a point when, due to the reduced speed of the car, the clutch pedal must be pressed fully down and remain down. This is determined by the gear the car is in at the time (and varies from car to car). An example would be the moving off of the car. From the description above, you know that when the car reaches approximately two-three miles per hour you can take your foot fully off the clutch pedal. Therefore, when stopping, the clutch pedal should be pressed fully down and remain down before the car speed reduces to three miles per hour. Do not bring your foot off the clutch pedal until you have selected neutral gear, to do so could cause the car to lurch forward or cause the car engine to stall.

• Eco-safe driving - the clutch pedal should not be pressed down too early because while the clutch pedal is up (and the car is in gear) the engine uses less fuel (sometimes none) while it helps to slow the car. But, don''t be too late with the clutch or the engine will start to struggle or stall.

 Parking Brake (Handbrake) - operated by the left hand.

• Eco-safe driving - never use the parking brake before the car has come to a complete stop, doing so will cause unnecessary wear on the parking brake or damage it. Always use the footbrake to bring the car to a complete stop, then, apply the parking brake.

 Gears - operated by the left hand.
When slowing the car to pull up at the side of the road there is no need to change down through the gears as the car slows.

How to stop a car at the roadside. Think of MSM - Mirrors Signal Manoeuvre.

• Mirrors
• Observe as for stopping at the roadside.
• Signal
• Signal left if necessary.
• Manoeuvre
• Press on the brake pedal to start slowing the car.
• Increase the pressure on the brake pedal to that which is sufficient to slow the car appropriately.
• As the car slows, steer towards the roadside.
• Just before the car is going too slow for the gear it is in, press the clutch pedal fully down and keep it down.
• Just before the car stops, adjust the brake pedal to bring the car to a comfortable stop and approximately 6inches from the kerb.
• When stopped, press firmly on the brake pedal to hold the car still while you apply the parking brake.
• Select neutral gear, cancel the signal if it was used, then release both the brake pedal and the clutch pedal.

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