Guide to Learning Manual Cars for Beginners

Manual Car Driving Guide for Beginners - Since the advent of automatic cars or automatic transmissions, more people have switched from manual cars to automatic cars. This is because driving a car with an automatic transmission is considered more comfortable, especially when driving in heavily congested urban areas. However, manual cars certainly still retain their market share. If you are still a beginner in the field of manual cars, you should pay attention to the steps to learn manual driving below.

Here are the steps to learn manual driving:

1. Recognizing Features in the Car

For beginner users, recognizing the features in the car is very important. You need to memorize each feature and its position. The goal is for your hands, feet, and body parts to work automatically when needed. Important components of car features that must be recognized are the clutch, brake pedal, and gas pedal.

Make sure you do not misidentify the pedals to avoid mistakes. Other elements you should pay attention to are the horn, turn signals, and others. Also, recognize the gear shift positions of the car, which consist of numbers one to five. Also, recognize the neutral position. For reverse, use the R position. The gas pedal is on the right, the brake in the middle, and the clutch on the left.

2. Starting the Car Engine

To start the car engine, you need to check the car's condition first to see if it is in neutral or not. Then turn the key to start the car.

3. Get Used to Using the Gas and Clutch

The main characteristic of driving a manual car is getting used to using the gas and clutch. The combination of these two components must be well integrated by the driver. Getting used to using the clutch and gas applies not only to those who are learning manual driving from scratch but also to those who are already quite "skilled" in driving manual cars.

You should get used to accelerating by pressing the gas while releasing the clutch. Many drivers tend to excessively press the gas when releasing the clutch. The correct way is to release the handbrake and the clutch while also releasing your right foot from the brake pedal. Next, the driver should feel the momentum of the car's movement before gradually pressing the gas pedal.

4. Key When Shifting Gears

One of the challenges for most people trying to learn to drive a car for the first time is how to shift gears. Many people are confused about shifting gears because they feel the gear shift is very rough. The way to make the gear shift smooth is to set it at low engine RPM.

It is true that you can shift gears at high engine RPM, but the effect of that gear shift tends to be rough. You are advised to shift gears at a maximum RPM of 2000 to 2200. Meanwhile, when decelerating, it should be done when the RPM is below 2000. The advantage of doing this when shifting gears is that it can save more fuel.

5. Adjusting the Appropriate Speed

Driving at low speed is not always good. If you are driving in congested streets in the city at too low a speed, it will certainly disturb many people behind you. Therefore, drive at a normal or standard speed according to the conditions.

6. Practice Changing Lanes

Train yourself well, especially when you want to change lanes. This often becomes a bad habit for drivers in Indonesia who do not pay much attention to road conditions when wanting to change lanes. For beginner drivers, they must understand that when they want to change lanes, they need to check their mirrors to ensure that it is safe to do so.

When you want to change lanes to the right, check the mirror on the right side. Understand that the side mirror serves as a tool to help you know the road conditions behind you. After feeling safe when checked from the mirror, turn your head back to check the blind spot.

7. Practice Using the Steering Wheel

Try to get used to turning the steering wheel. You need to carefully recognize the condition of your vehicle, especially when using the steering wheel. You should be able to integrate the steering wheel's rotation with the movement of the tires so that the turning movement is not too wide or abrupt.

You can practice using the steering wheel in an open field or on the road. However, for beginners, it is better to practice in an open field for safety. Turn the steering wheel smoothly when turning. Next, the driver can feel the momentum of the car turning. If the turn is not enough, you can increase the rotation of the steering wheel.

8. Get Used to Driving for 90 Days

For beginners who want to be able to drive a manual car after obtaining a driver's license, they must get used to driving for at least 90 days. Even though the beginner may have passed the driver's license test, which means they can drive a manual car, it does not mean they are already skilled and safe when driving directly on the road under different conditions.

The key to learning manual driving for beginners is getting used to it. The function of getting used to it is so that the driver can be more confident. When someone is confident, they will no longer be nervous when driving a car. Additionally, drivers will also become more familiar with the characteristics of their vehicle, making them more accustomed to driving.

Learning certainly requires patience and seriousness, including in learning manual driving. Ask for help from someone who is already skilled in driving manual cars when you are learning to ensure safety while driving on the road.

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