Teaching Learner Drivers - Will I Die?

[wilorichie]

Afternoon guys

So my mate has asked me to teach/supervise him for his L's. I'll be taking him for drives super early on Saturday mornings before the traffic hits in.

We have had a few laughs so far, and I think I'm just about on the verge of whip lash - he's just jumped in a car for the first time in his life and hes trying manual straight up.

Some find it easy of course, but he is finding it a bit difficult. He's done plenty of skids on his new rubber haha.. he gets too nervous with the clutch even when no one is behind him lol.

So anyways, if anyone has any really good pointers and tips, would highly appreciate it. I'm just taking him for the normal drives around the local areas, getting him to do a crap load of start and stops and the usual stuff. I'm sure some of you have found a few awesome out of the box tips and tricks for the new manual drivers.

Stories - I'm sure some of you have some funny ones to share!

[BOOZTJUNKEY]

What area are you teaching him in?

[sneakey pete]

Get someone else to teach him on an auto licence, get him to do his full 3 years of P's and a year on his opens, then teach him...

That's what's worked for me and my mate at least. Luckily he doesn't fit in the skyline though. I honest to god would be scared at the thought of having to teach someone from scratch how to drive, obey the road rules etc though. My parents got me started off driving in a bush basher on a property back when i was a kid so it wasn't that bad for them, can't imagine how someone who's never touched a car in their life would go for the first time on a road.

Edited November 25, 2011 by sneakey pete

[wilorichie]

I'll be taking him southside areas (algester/forest lake).

Haha, no doubt he is difficult to teach. He has his own manual camry on his L's... so of course wants to learn in that. I've taken him for about 5 hours in total now, and I am able to sit in the car.

I've basically been taking him to massively long roads and just start and stop start and stop to learn how to get off first gear. He's getting there slowly but surely.... but I'm sure you guys would have to have some awesome tips that you made up yourself!

[The Bogan]

I've taught heaps of people on manuals for their Ls, you really need a large open area to start them off in, a few witches hats or boxs, first and second gear stuff, lots off reversing and emergency stops, then move into a closed of area or a low traffic area.

I find it good to have them do some reading on basic mechanics so the understand what their actions are actually doing, at work we get them to service the vehicles and go over every nut and bolt, cable and wire.

When on the road we also get them to tell us what they are doing when driving, i.e

Course; correct position on the road to negotiate the turn/stop ect

Mirrors and signals; looking for others, signal intentions

Speed; correct road speed to corner safely

Gears and mirrors; correct gear and road speed for that gear, look for others

Evasive action; stopping, cornering, obstacles

Acceleration; regard road surface and traffic conditions

And a lot off emergency braking on a wet and dry road, tell them that you are going to get them to do a emergency stop by yelling, stop stop stop, get them up to about 50 and the stop them, make sure they don't lock the brakes, if it doesn't have ABS get them to pump the pedal to avoid lock up.

Also skids, I kid you not , in a safe area where there is no one around or nothing to hit get them to do figure 8s or dirt or grass so they work out understeer, oversteer,counter steering, only if safe to do so, private land is good as the police will more than likely not be impressed.

Have fun and be safe.

[wilorichie]

Ah man, thanks for that reply.

That is pretty tops. I'll bring some witches hats out to so he gets used to how far away the left side and the front of the car is.

Thanks man, def a good read.

[Messiah]

To help him master the clutch park him on flat ground, some place really quite. Then teach him to get the car moving using only the clutch, no gas. One he can do that with no problems manual is a doddle.

[wilorichie]

To help him master the clutch park him on flat ground, some place really quite. Then teach him to get the car moving using only the clutch, no gas. One he can do that with no problems manual is a doddle.

I think I'll also add this to the schedule man... Great tip

[Beelzebub89]

I just started teaching my little brother how to drive manual. Pretty much everything was covered by mlr. Just remember to keep yourself calm and not panic them if anything goes wrong. My dad used to get me to commentate on everything that was happening in front of me and whatever I was doing. Approaching roundabout, indicate, car entering round about on the right, 60km/hr sign etc etc. Gets you thinking about everything that you should be looking for unconciously.

[The Bogan]

I'm not a fan of slipping the clutch to much, you can cook the clutch and hot spot the fly wheel, I would be more inclined to just get a good take off with minimal clutch slipping and low rpm ensuring the car is not laboring.

It may be usefully to get him to find the friction point buy releasing the clutch pedal slowly with the hand brake on but the locking device depressed, let him feel the point when the engine speed reduces to show there is slight loading then gradually release the hand brake and with a slight increase in engine rpm release the clutch fully and move off.