IS ANYONE ELSE LEARNING TO DRIVE

mike77
mike77 Member Posts: 879
edited 29. Nov 2010, 11:16 in Community Chit-chat archive
hI ALL, just interested if the r is anyone else who is learning to drive the same time as me , and who has to get used to the new adaptions on car ?

my first lesson is today , I cant wait ( the only thing that I dont like is the time 4.15pm )

Mike R & Hazel & Mike JR
Mike R & Hazel & MikeJR

Comments

  • valval
    valval Member Posts: 14,911
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    hi if you can drive in this you can drive in any thing it will be freezing again by then if it defrosted in the first place lol good luck sure it will be great val
    val
  • tkachev
    tkachev Member Posts: 8,332
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Mike,

    I had refresher lessons in an automatic car after a break of a few years. I got the guy to help me fill up the car at the garage to familiarise myself again with that routine as well.

    Then I had to drive my brand new car from Sussex to Aylesbury, on the motorways, as my first journey alone. Baptism of fire.

    I have now taken another break of 5 years or so due to too much pain so am contemplating taking some lessons again just to get back in the groove.

    Good luck,
    Elizabeth
    Never be bullied into silence.
    Never allow yourself to be made a victim.
    Accept no ones definition of your life

    Define yourself........

    Harvey Fierstein
  • dachshund
    dachshund Member Posts: 8,899
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Mike Hazel Mjr.
    you go and enjoy yourself you can do it.
    after you will be so pleased.
    joan xx
    take care
    joan xx
  • alanthemanc
    alanthemanc Bots Posts: 512
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hi Mike
    I've been driving just 8 weeks after a break of 30 years or so.
    Believe me, its a jungle out there. You have to have eyes in the back of your head, it's deffo not easy.
    Another thing, if you live in an area that has lots of twists in the roads, the pull and push is not easy to control. You are almost certainly better off using the normal brake. throttle, and then using the adaptions when on a straight road, iff you can.
    Good luck Alanthemanc
  • mike77
    mike77 Member Posts: 879
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    :D:D:D:D thank you too everyone who has read my post , thank god the roads are clear , just hope no more snow falls until I am back home . I tried the ordinary brake as instructor asked me to try as he will have no dual controls in my car altho he said he can use the handbrake but this takes time to slow the car down, the problem is as I put my right foot on the brake and press I get a shooting pain at my thigh , but if needs must just stick it out until I have stopped DONT WANT ANY MISHAPS ON FIRST LESSON.

    but as you all say I will enjoy it a lot

    Mike R & Hazel & Mike JR :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
    Mike R & Hazel & MikeJR
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Stop thinking about all that could go wrong, Mike. If your instructor has any sense he will drive your car to somewhere VERY QUIET, then you can take over and learn how to move off, slow and stop again, with little or no inteference from other dirvers. Tell your instructor that you are nervous and ask him to do this for you - it's the very least he can do until you are feeling a little more confident. Take some pain dullers in good time before you set off too - give them time to kick in and hopefully things won't hurt too bad. I shall be thinking of you - good luck! DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • julie47
    julie47 Member Posts: 6,041
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Good luck with the lesson

    I am sure you will be fine.

    Juliepf x
  • livinglegend
    livinglegend Member Posts: 1,425
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    mike77 wrote:
    the problem is as I put my right foot on the brake and press I get a shooting pain at my thigh
    Mike R & Hazel & Mike JR :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
    The brakes are servo assisted and you may be pressing the brake pedal far harder than you have to. With a new car the brake shoes often need to 'bed in' before they start to grip properly. The brake efficiency will improve over the first few weeks.

    In the meantime, adjust your seat and steering wheel to suit your best driving position.

    Firstly, modern car seats have all sorts of adjustment available and it sounds like you may have it set too far back or tilted at the wrong angle. Take a look at http://csp.org.uk/uploads/documents/csp_publicinfo_csp84.pdf which tells you how to set up a driving seat properly, start at about halfway down Page 4 for the information you need.

    After you have adjusted the seat, only then adjust the steering wheel. That is easy, just move the wheel backwards, forwards, up or down, check it with a hand gripping the wheel at 12 o'clock, while your arm is out straight and you are sitting comfortably back in the seat, ensure you can see the instruments and the road ahead clearly. When set, move your hands to the 'ten to two' position and see how it feels.Make extra sure that all the levers and adjustments are firmly engaged and locked before you try to drive. Nothing can be worse than a seat suddenly sliding right back just as you try to stop.

    Then take a short drive, stopping if necessary to make just small adjustments for optimum comfort. Don't try to adjust 'on the move', that should be obvious.

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