🚗 Basic Driving Tips for Beginners

---

Essential Driving Skills: Step-by-Step Guide

---

1. Adjust Seat and Mirrors Properly

Seat Adjustment:

• Sit with your back fully against the seat
• Your knees should be slightly bent when pressing the pedals
• Your arms should be slightly bent when holding the steering wheel at the 9 and 3 o’clock positions

Mirror Adjustment:

• Rearview mirror: centered to see directly behind the vehicle
• Side mirrors: angled slightly outward to reduce blind spots

---

2. Understand Basic Vehicle Controls

Pedals:

• Right foot controls the accelerator and brake
• Left foot is used only for the clutch (manual transmission)

Gears:

• Automatic: P (Park), R (Reverse), N (Neutral), D (Drive)
• Manual: Learn the H-pattern gear layout

Indicators & Lights:

• Use turn signals for every turn and lane change
• Use headlights during low visibility or poor weather

---

3. The “Cockpit Drill”

Before driving anywhere, complete the cockpit drill while the vehicle is stationary:

• Seat and mirror adjustment
• Seatbelt fastened
• Correct foot placement on pedals
• Gear in neutral (manual) or park (automatic)
• Check surroundings using mirrors and blind spots

---

4. Smooth Acceleration and Braking

Acceleration:

• Press the accelerator gradually to avoid jerky starts

Braking:

• Apply brakes smoothly and progressively
• Anticipate stops early to reduce sudden braking

---

5. Steering Techniques

• Hand-over-hand: Used for sharp turns and tight spaces
• Push-pull method: Hands slide along the wheel for smoother, controlled steering

---

6. Turning Maneuvers

Left and Right Turns:

• Signal well in advance
• Check mirrors and blind spots
• Turn smoothly without swinging too wide

U-Turns:

• Check traffic carefully
• Only perform U-turns where permitted

---

7. Stopping and Starting on Hills

Manual Transmission:

• Use the handbrake to prevent rolling backward
• Release the clutch smoothly while applying gentle acceleration

Automatic Transmission:

• Keep the brake applied until ready to move
• Accelerate gently when releasing the brake

---

8. Lane Discipline and Road Positioning

• Stay in the correct lane for your direction and speed
• Maintain a safe following distance (2–3 seconds)
• Adjust lane position when approaching curves

---

9. Parking Practice

Parallel Parking:

• Check mirrors and signal
• Align with the parked vehicle
• Reverse slowly while maintaining control

Angle and Perpendicular Parking:

• Approach slowly
• Align wheels correctly
• Center the vehicle within the space

---

10. Defensive Driving Tips

• Scan the road 10–15 seconds ahead
• Anticipate the actions of other road users
• Avoid distractions such as mobile phones or adjusting controls while moving

---

← Back to Resources