Don’t expect to come back from your first lesson ready for your test.  Do expect to come back from it stressed, confused and slightly hyper.

Things to do before your first driving lesson

• Read up on car controls, moving off and stopping and left turns.  There are plenty of good books.  You could use one of the two BTECs in learning to drive.
• Make sure you know where both parts of your driving licence are.  Your driving instructor will need to see both parts. 
• Make sure you have the money to pay for the lesson.  Most driving instructors will say no money no lesson
• Find comfortable shoes with a thin sole and a little grip.  It will help you feel the pedals
• If you wear glasses make sure that they are clean

The start of the lesson

When your instructor arrives, they will introduce themselves and ask to see your driving licence.  They are checking your entitlement to drive.  You can expect them to check your eye site.  They might ask you to read the number plate of a car.

When you get in the car, check the front windscreen.  All official driving instructors will display a pink or green badge in the front windscreen.  If you cannot see the badge, ask the driving instructor to show you it.  If they cannot show you their badge, they are not a real driving instructor.  You should cancel the lesson and tell the DSA.

Once you are in the car your driving instructor will need to ask you three questions.    Can they have the money for the lesson?  This gets you in the habit of having the money.  Where do you want to finish the lesson?  You might want to finish at a friends house.  Your instructor needs to know so they can plan the drive.  Is this time slot going to be Ok for you?  They need to plan their workload and keep the space open.

Your instructor will probably drive you to an area where the roads are nice and quiet.  It makes the first lesson a lot easier if the roads are quiet.

The lesson

You have arrived at the place where you will start to learn to drive. 

Your driving instructor will ask you sit in the driver’s seat.  That is all they want you to do.  You are about to learn how to set the car up for your use.  

The instructor will teach you how to check the doors, seat, steering wheel, seat belt and mirrors.  Get into the habit of checking these every time you get into the car.

Once the car is set up for your use the driving instructor needs to explain what each of the car controls do.  Some driving instructors may do this as they drive you to the safe area.  Either way it is very important that you listen to this part of the lesson.

Make sure that you understand how to use the steering wheel, brake, clutch, gas, signals and parking brake.  

Once your driving instructor has explained how to use the car controls they will explain the commands they will give.   These are the instructions they will use when you are driving.  Cover the… foot over the pedal.  More – press it down, less – let it come up.

Its now time to get the car moving.  Have fun

Rule number one sates “Everybody else on the road is a complete and utter fool.  Treat them as such.  Stay well away and tell them what you are going to do”.   Staying away from foolish drivers is easy.  You need to develop the habit of good hazard awareness.  Try to see what the other driver is about to do well before they become a problem.

Even the best drivers are caught out occasionally.  They will have to react quickly to prevent an accident.  This article explains how to stop in an emergency.

Ask your driving instructor if you can practice the emergency stop.  You should practice it with in a driving school car.  Other drivers expect you to stop suddenly.  The driving instructor knows when it is safe to stop suddenly.

You should only use this technique to prevent injury to yourself or another road user. 

You are driving along a country road and a small bird flies out of a hedge six feet from you.  You would not carry out an emergency stop, it is not going to hurt you or damage the car.  If a sheep ran out six feet from you then you would need the emergency stop.  The impact will hurt you and the car. 

You are driving in town and a little Scottie dog runs into the road a few feet ahead.  You would not do the emergency stop.  It is not likely to hurt you or the car.  A German Shepherd Dog would need an emergency stop because that impact will hurt you and the car.

This does not mean that you should run over dogs or birds.  If you can stop in time then stop. 

What if a child runs out in front of you?  What if a car pulls out in front of you? 

You will need to practice the manoeuvre.  Only your driving instructor or driving examiner can insist on you doing this exercise.  We are trained to decide if it safe.  If you are practising with a relative, you both must decide if it is safe.

The Controlled Stop

The emergency stop is best described as the controlled stop.  You want to stop quickly and under control.

Do not check your mirrors.  There is no time.

Hold the steering wheel firmly.

Brake followed straight away by the clutch

Firm fast breaking to a halt

Secure the car and check no one is hurt. 

Move off as you normally would.

Skids

Skids are caused by driver error.  The driver was not driving to the road and traffic conditions.

If you are skidding, lift your feet off the pedals

If you are skidding in a straight line just keep the steering wheel straight.

If you are skidding to the right steer to the left until the car is straight.

If you are skidding to the left, steer to the right.

ABS

Most modern cars are equipped with ABS.  This is a system of sensors.  If the wheels are locking under hard braking, the sensors make the car take over braking.  The car will pump the breaks faster than any human can.

ABS allows you to steer in an emergency.  IT DOES NOT PREVENT SKIDDING.

If, when braking in an emergency, you feel a ‘thump thump’ under the pedals it is the ABS.  Just keep braking.