Skip to content

Driving#

Resources#

  1. https://www.rsa.ie/road-safety/road-users/car-drivers
  2. https://www.rsa.ie/docs/default-source/services/s3.2-adi/making-your-mark-marking-guidelines-for-the-driving-test.pdf?sfvrsn=548e1e7d_7

Cockpit check#

  1. Seat adjustments
  2. Mirror adjustments (side mirrors should see just the very side of your vehicle, and the rear view should see behind you well)
  3. Steering wheel adjustments
  4. Tug on seatbelt at top and bottom

Taking off#

GOSHO:

  1. Gears - Put yourself in first gear after pressing in the clutch.
  2. Observation - six point observation (left, left mirror, front, front mirror, right mirror, right).
  3. Signal - indicate to turn out.
  4. Handbrake - Release the handbrake.
  5. Observation - points 5 and 6, so right hand mirrors.

Turning#

  1. Observe
  2. Signal
  3. Observe
  4. Move (Postion and speed)
  5. Look ahead
  6. Turn

Junctions#

If you can't see on both sides of a junction, you must stop.
If you can see, you can merely slow (yield).

Taking off to move#

  1. Place on clutch and set gear to 1.
  2. Place foot lightly on accelerator.
  3. Release lightly from clutch, and hold it.
  4. Then remove from the clutch.
  5. If the car is jolting or bouncing it needs more speed, so you can go in on the gas a bit more, or you came off the clutch too fast.

Changing gear in movement#

  1. Release accelerator
  2. Press clutch
  3. Change gear
  4. Press accelerator
  5. You can also brake while changing gear if going down gear
  6. When changing gear down you can do the same though, you don't need to brake
  7. Keep good control on the wheel with the right hand.

Breaking to a stop#

  1. If more than 25feet away, lightly break.
  2. When within 25 feet, press in the clutch.
  3. Then slowly press the brake to come to a stop.
  4. Can change to first gear in this process to be ready to go.
  5. Note, you don't want to stop in a high gear (or break).
  6. So you could, for example, come down into 2nd or 3rd gear, and then after that go into the stop.
  7. If need to go full stop from there, just clutch and brake as usual.

Road positioning#

  1. Look directly ahead of you to help you go straight, don't look at the obstacles as you tend to drift towards them or away from them.
  2. Keep in the centre of the lane, but lean left when turning left or right when turning right.
  3. Looking ahead (where you want to go - in the centre of that) also helps when taking bends.

Roundabouts#

  1. Always yield to traffic on the right.
  2. This means look ahead to your right to see what is coming.
  3. Reduce speed coming into a roundabout (yield).
  4. This means slowing down into 3rd (or 2nd) a bit before the roundabout.
  5. Left lane for left, or straight.
  6. Right lane for straight, right, or all the way around.
  7. Signal left when coming off, and right to keep going around.

Speed control#

  1. Look ahead of you to predict what is coming next.
  2. In that way you can slow down or speed up ahead of time.
  3. Remember to give a bit of extra gas going up a hill.

Right of way#

  1. You do not have right of way when changing lanes.
  2. On roundabouts, cars to the right have right of way.

Slow moving take off#

  1. You can clutch start alone (clutch control), if not on a hill.
  2. or you can give a bit of gas and come to the bite, then stay on the bite and you will only move slowly.
  3. To stop moving, go back in on the clutch.
  4. You can move in reverse in the same way.

Reversing around a bend#

  1. Go into reverse gear by pressing in on the gear stick.
  2. Using clutch control, reverse slowly.
  3. When you don't see the curb, turn the wheel left.
  4. When you can see the curb, turn the wheel right.

Auto hold / hill starts#

To hill start without auto hold:

  1. Set the handbrake.
  2. Go into first gear.
  3. Put your left hand to the handbrake.
  4. Come to the bite while on the accelerator.
  5. When on the bite, release the handbrake and give a little more gas.
  6. Come off the clutch slowly.

With auto hold, you need a bit more gas.

  1. Set the handbrake.
  2. Give a good amount of gas and come to the bite.
  3. Give an extra gas to get going.

Mirrors#

  1. Check all mirrors before take off (twice) - see GOSHO.
  2. Check left mirror when turning left. (also when signalling)
  3. Check right mirror when turning right. (also when signalling)
  4. Check rear mirror when signalling.
  5. Glance in left and right mirror to help road positioning.
  6. Use left, right, and rear mirror when reverse.

Car checks#

Need to name where these are:

  1. Brake fluid
  2. Engine oil (and how to check it)
  3. Coolant
  4. Window wiper water