During your first automatic driving lesson, we covered the cockpit drill. After you’ve carried out the cockpit drill, you’ll then move onto the car’s hand controls, foot controls and auxiliary controls.
At this early stage of learning to drive, we concentrate on the fundamental hand, foot and auxiliary controls essential for you to drive safely.
Hand Controls
Your car’s hand controls include the steering wheel, gear selector lever and the handbrake or parking brake.
Here we explain the various steering wheel hand positions that you can use for learning to drive along with what the examiner is looking for on the driving test.
This tutorial explains the push and pull steering method used by driving instructors to teach learner drivers. Step by step diagrams and video guide.
Essential car controls include the automatic gears. These tutorials explain how to use the automatic gears; from the gear lever to the various letters and numbers.
During your first driving lessons, you’ll need to understand how the handbrake or parking brake work. This tutorial explains how to apply and release the handbrake or parking brake in an automatic car.
Foot Controls
Your automatic car’s foot controls include the brake and accelerator pedals.
If you’re asking if you should use both feet when driving an automatic car, or you’re simply not sure, here we explain the best practices for which feet to use for the brake and accelerator.
One very important part of learning to drive an automatic car is of course learning how to safely stop it. These tutorials teach you how your car’s brakes work and techniques for safely using your brakes.
This guide explains how to use the accelerator in an automatic car, from foot position, moving off, moving off on a hill (hill-start), driving round corners, eco-driving and accelerating.
Auxiliary Controls
Your car’s auxiliary controls include the indicators, hazard warning lights, windscreen wipers and washers, vehicle lights, window demister.
This tutorial which includes a video explains where the indicators are, plus how and when to use them. This is usually covered by the driving instructor during the first driving lesson.
Tutorial and video for new learner drivers explaining what hazard warning lights are, how to activate them and when to use and when not use them.
You’ll need to know how the windscreen wipers work not only for learning to drive, but for the driving test too. This tutorial explains how to use the front and rear windscreen wipers and washers, plus what not to do to avoid possible damage.
This tutorial explains how to use your car lights; from where the car lights controls are located, what all the symbols mean (so that you know what each light does) and when you should use them.
Windows often fog up while driving, so you need to know how to clear them. This tutorial explains how to demist the front windscreen, front door windows and the rear window.
Dashboard Gauges and Warning Lights
Your car’s dashboard gauges include the speedometer, rev counter and warning light indicators.
Prior to driving the car for the first time, you’ll need a basic understanding on your car’s dashboard gauges and dials. Here we explain those important gauges and dials.
When you’re setting out learning to drive, you’ll not be expected to know all warning lights, just a couple that are important for driving. Those lights are explained, along with what warning light colours mean.