5 Key Information That A Driving School Teaches Aspiring Drivers And Tips About Them!

Knowing how to drive a car is one of the things that many people (who don’t know how to yet) want to achieve. You can consider it a survival skill or an ability you can use whenever and wherever in the world you are — with a driver’s license, of course. When you have a car and the capability to make it run, you can travel to any place anytime at your own pace! (Driving School)

This piece is for aspiring drivers who are looking into enrolling in a driving school. First of all, you have to choose a high-quality driving school with driving professionals who know everything about driving safely and adeptly. You need to submit the requirements in order to be allowed to learn as a student driver. Follow the instructions in the driving school you are planning to join, and see to it that it is licensed and fully obedient to the driving regulations in your country.

Enrolling in a driving school can help you gain lots of knowledge and skills in driving any kind of vehicle. You will also be introduced to many possibilities in the day-to-day conditions of roads for you to be made ready for various encounters. To know more about what a driving school teaches people who desire to learn driving, check out the list below! Also, expect to read some tips on these key information.  

[1] FUNCTIONS OF PEDALS 

What makes the car go and stop? What makes it slow down to a break? What makes it increase speed? All these you will know if you are taught about the pedals of the car. 

For automatic cars, there are two pedals: the accelerator and the break. For manual cars, there are three pedals: the accelerator, the brake, and the clutch. Your instructor will teach you their names, make you remember their order, and let you know how important they are in a car’s movement. 

The accelerator pedal is in charge of making the car speed up and slow down. When you step on it harder, you are boosting acceleration. When you release it, you are reducing acceleration. Basically, it manages the amount of gas that flows in the engine. That is why it is also called the “gas pedal”. It is usually the right-most pedal.

Obviously, the brake pedal makes the car stop in an instant or slowly depending on how you use it with the clutch pedal. The brake is the pedal in the middle. 

The gas pedal makes the car go fast, but it isn’t the reason why it moves; the clutch is! When you step on the clutch pedal, it unlooses the clutch which ends the transmission of power from the engine to the transmission. It’s like you have to learn how to mix the use of clutch, accelerator, and brake to make the vehicle move.

Learn more from the driving instructor about the effective techniques in making the pedals function. You will also find out that for different car types and brands, managing the pedals is also quite different, so knowing the basics is beneficial indeed.

[2] IMPORTANCE OF GEARS

What’s that joystick-like thing between the driver’s seat and the side passenger’s seat? It’s the gear stick. For some automatic cars, it is a lever attached to the steering wheel. You cannot just drive without it! 

The gear stick is very important to shift into different gears or driving modes. For automatic cars, gear options are in letters D for Drive, R for Reverse, and P for Park. For manual cars, the gear stick is to be used with the clutch pedal. You have to step on the clutch first, then you can shift the gear while pressing down the clutch. 

Different manual cars could have different gear stick styles and features too. There could be seven possible positions: the “neutral” gear, the five forwards gears and the reverse gear. Keep in mind that some reverse gears are tricky; instead of pulling them backward, you have to lift a certain part under the stick and move the stick to the first gear position. 

Gear sticks may truly vary, and your driving instructor can teach you diverse strategies and let you learn distinctions of different sticks from different cars. You will also be taught how to handle and control the speed when you already shift gears and how to determine when to change. One of the toughest things about shifting gears in a manual car is when the shifting does not work immediately or when it is done unsmoothly. Ask your driving instructor if you are having a hard time doing that.

[3] THE POWER OF THE STEERING WHEEL

One of the problems for drivers who did not have proper driving learning is the steering wheel control. When you do not know how to make it straight and to keep focused on holding it, you may get into accidents. When the steering wheel is unstable, so will the whole car feel and be; that’s inconvenient for passengers. 

Driving teachers will teach you the discipline when using the steering wheel. The unsteadiness of the car’s movement might be due to the wobbliness of how you grip it.  There are correct ways to use your hands and arms, so they will not get tangled, and you will not hurt yourself as you turn the steering wheel. You will also not miss the right timing when doing so. 

When you go over restricted lanes with proper line markings, your way of handling the steering wheel could be the culprit. A firm usage is important so you don’t violate road rules and divisions indicated by their respective line-markings. Learn the right and safe ways of turning it while changing lanes, turning right or left, and making several turns such as the most common, U-Turns.

[4] BUTTONS AND USES OF LIGHTS

There are buttons inside the car — a lot of them really! As you enter the car and be the clueless driver, you have zero knowledge of what they are for, but your driving instructor will give you discussions about them too. 

The easiest would be the buttons for the air conditioners and the music player. The most important to know is the buttons and controls for the lights. They could also vary depending on the car brand and design. Usually, there is a lever you can pull towards you to turn the headlights on. The same lever is to be pushed up to turn on the right signal light and down to turn on the left signal light. You will see the arrow blinking behind the steering wheel to signify that you made it function.

You will also discover how the wipers can be activated plus their significant features too.

Moreover, there is a hazard button which you must press in case of an emergency — if you want to go faster than the other vehicles, so they can make way for you, or go slower than them so they can surpass you instead. This is to signify also that you are going to park the car or to get out of your parking space. 

Your driving teacher will make you remember these buttons mandatorily because they are the basic buttons and controls used mostly while the car is moving. While you learn all these from the driving school, you must keep them in mind all the time, so your driving confusion will not happen and you can avoid causing accidents.  

[5] ENGINE PARTS

You will be able to drive a car even without fully comprehending and memorizing the parts of the engine, but knowing them pays off when you encounter mishaps on the road such as sudden low car battery. 

The driving instructors will let you learn in detail the parts of the car engine and its importance. Additionally, learn how to keep them maintained and cleaned for a longer-lasting and excellent vehicle performance. 

LEARN FROM A DRIVING SCHOOL

There are so many differences in the way you drive a vehicle between when you just learn from a family member and when you learn from a driving school. Expert training and study on the basics and the complexities of driving and roads are peerless! 

Again, if you are going for a driving school, be certain to select a reputable one with professional drivers willing to let others learn their expertise! Of course, consider their rates per hour relative to the number of sessions they offer and the learning you can actually get. 

Driving schools are so helpful without a doubt! The above-mentioned key information to acquire from them is just some of the many! Driving schools surely enable you to have a skill that you can utilize for a lifetime and aid you to have the confidence to accomplish it! 

Just bear in mind though that being enrolled in a driving school won’t be forever; it will only take some days. Practicing on your own together with someone close to you who has a professional driver’s license is very important after finishing your driving school lessons! Practice makes driving something you will get used to until you can consider yourself best at it!

NICOLE ANN PORE (FROM THE PHILIPPINES) IS THE WRITER OF THIS ARTICLE.