So...I started learning to driving.

[Cycling Dan]

As the title says, I have started to drive.

I'm doing my lessons in a Ford Fiesta 2012 model. A nice car, personally it was the car I wanted to learn in.
I have been on my second lesson. I went into 4th gear up to 50mph and luckily enough got to drive home.
I only stalled once on that second lesson and it was a rookie error. I forgot to put to car in neutral before taking my foot off the clutch. It happened right as I pulled outside of home. I guess it was a good thing no one seen

Already 2 lessons in I have noticed the blind spot on your right which is the frame of the car leading to the roof. I didn't know how large this blind spot is until I started going round right hand corners. I think its a bit mad as it blocks out a shocking amount.This has also awakened me to the issue in my cycling and I'm somewhat more wary now purely as I didn't notice how big the blind spot was. Lastly I have seen the blind spot to your right over your shoulder where the mirror cant see, although not something I didn't already know from cycling videos.

In relation to cycling I cant see the big fuss about overtaking cyclists. Its relativity straight forward. I personally didn't find it challengeing given the two times I did it . Although one should bare in mind that it was not a city road but the main road along the coast from whitey bay to the lighthouse if that means anything to the locals and the second one was by Tynemouth. I am yet to use a city road. It helped that they were in not too many words competent cyclists. Whom were blessed with plenty of room of course

The main issue I have come across is getting the clutch right during a stop start. I can get the biting point but I always lift the clutch up too fast so its not smooth at all. Its not terrible but its certainly not smooth. It feels rather unnatural to me. Pet hate= The clutch during a stop start. Its fine during gear changes though, so I am not a complete failure as of yet.

So far I have really enjoyed learning to drive and it felt a bit weird hitting 30mph with me not having to work at all hard for it ha.
The instructor is really nice and chatty. She is also fluent and clear in instruction which I think has allowed me to get stuff first or second time round.
So in conclusion I am enjoying myself so far which is the main thing.

 

[postman]

You will have good days and bad days.So don't get down.My first lessons the car jumped it's way along Alwwodley Lane.Then weeks later it all fell into place.Only disaster was when i ran over the foot of the bloke with the flag infront of the horseless carraige.

 

[bobcat]

All very good, but essentially driving is a waist of time, stick to cycling and save money and heartache!

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

About 150 yards from where I took my test I actually mounted the pavement, giving my instructor serious doubts.

And then the examiner led me to a completely double-parked primary school run and I spent the main part of the test completely stationary. Without showing any impatience, of course. I judged it unsafe to move out because there were literally no sight lines.

I still stall cars occasionally but that's not because I can't lift my clutch foot slowly, it's because I've not put enough revs into the engine with the right. But, oddly for a right-handed world, the most delicate part is the left foot.

 

[Cycling Dan]

About 150 yards from where I took my test I actually mounted the pavement, giving my instructor serious doubts.

And then the examiner led me to a completely double-parked primary school run and I spent the main part of the test completely stationary. Without showing any impatience, of course. I judged it unsafe to move out because there were literally no sight lines.

I still stall cars occasionally but that's not because I can't lift my clutch foot slowly, it's because I've not put enough revs into the engine with the right. But, oddly for a right-handed world, the most delicate part is the left foot.

Clutch- the enemy of progress ha

 

[Custom24]

I have noticed the blind spot on your right which is the frame of the car leading to the roof. I didn't know how large this blind spot is until I started going round right hand corners. I think its a bit mad as it blocks out a shocking amount.This has also awakened me to the issue in my cycling and I'm somewhat more wary now purely as I didn't notice how big the blind spot was. Lastly I have seen the blind spot to your right over your shoulder where the mirror cant see, although not something I didn't already know from cycling videos.

It's a good idea to get your instructor to walk round the car while you look ahead, and in the wing mirrors. By noting where the instructor cannot be seen in the mirror or in your direct vision, you can get a feel for where the blind spots actually are. They may not be as big as you think.

 

[Cycling Dan]

On stop starts do you keep the revs at the same about until the clutch is fully up or do you put your foot down on the accelerator as you lift your foot off the clutch?

 

[Custom24]

To be as kind as possible to the clutch, I leave my foot off the throttle and raise the clutch until I feel it bite. Only then do I gently apply the throttle. Again, to be kind to the clutch, don't leave it at the biting point very long - keep releasing the clutch.

What you want is to avoid significantly raising the revs only to have the clutch release drag them back down again. You can tell from the sound if that happens. On the other hand, you need to give enough throttle so that you don't stall.

Some cars have anti-stall, which makes it easier to pull away from rest and to be kind to the clutch. In this case, leave your foot off the throttle altogether until the clutch is up (otherwise you disable the anti-stall system as it assumes you know what you are doing)

I don't know if the Ford Fiesta has this. If it stalls when you release the clutch past the bite without any throttle, then it doesn't.

 

[Tyke]

With regular use of all three mirrors many of the things in blind spots can be seen moving before they enter the blind spot. A turn of the head will enable you to see most of what the mirror misses out. Just take your time and it will all fall into place, there is a lot to take in when first starting, but the most important thing to remember is to keep riding your bike after you pass your driving test.

 

[slowmotion]

You can pretty much eliminate the blind spots by leaning forward to look at the wing mirrors ( as well as looking at them from your normal seating position).

 

[Silver Fox]

Sounds like you have a good instructor. She'll have probably mentioned this to you but just to reiterate. If you're sat at a junction waiting to pull out never, ever assume that because a driver / rider is indicating to turn left that's what they intend to do, always wait for some other confirmation of the intended manoeuvre. So many T bone collisions are caused by drivers assuming wrong.

As for blind spots, shoulder checks both left and right can literally be life savers.

 

[asterix]

Apropos of that..

Have you ever tested your peripheral vison?

It's an important faculty when driving. As I rediscovered when someone on the inside lane of me very abruptly decided he wanted to turn right whether I was in his way or not. Luckily I could avoid him, like on a dodgem ride.

 

[Whiskey88]

I passed my test first time, but to this day I don't know how.

Doing the 3-point turn, I forgot a crucial element: putting the car in reverse. I even turned to the examiner and said "Sorry, it hasn't done this before" before trying 3 more times. Eventually, the examiner reminded me that the reverse gear is a bit of a necessity when trying to do a 3-point turn.

 

[YahudaMoon]

I failed my driving test in 1988, I hated every minute of every lesson

I was determined at passing my test though as all my friends were taking driving lessons at the time

Though I thought 'why am I doing this' I was doing it because everyone else was taking driving lessons, I thought 'no', I'll never drive a car EVER.........

And got on my push bike, one of the best decisions I ever made in my life

 

[Cycling Dan]

Sounds like you have a good instructor. She'll have probably mentioned this to you but just to reiterate. If you're sat at a junction waiting to pull out never, ever assume that because a driver / rider is indicating to turn left that's what they intend to do, always wait for some other confirmation of the intended manoeuvre. So many T bone collisions are caused by drivers assuming wrong.

As for blind spots, shoulder checks both left and right can literally be life savers.

A lot of my road or situation awareness/sense has already been developed through my cycling I would argue, I just have to apply it to driving.