Manual Transmissions -- Tips on Clutch Control

There are few driving issues that confuse learner and novice drivers more than dealing with the clutch and for a very good reason too.  The problem is that the actual purpose of the clutch is overcomplicated by most educators and instructors; they turn a simple mechanical action into something mystical and almost magical.  What this article will attempt to do is to show the clutch up for what it actually is, that is nothing more than a tool designed for a specific purpose, and a very basic one at that.

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There are four different driving tasks which include using the clutch, being: Moving off, Stopping, Changing Gear and Control at Slow Speed.  Quite a diverse list at first glance, yet the clutch is used for exactly the same purpose throughout all those tasks.

There is one reason and only one reason to use the clutch and that is to control the transfer of power between the engine and the road wheels.  That’s it, in each and every instance of correct clutch use it is applied simply to control how much power is being passed from the engine to the gearbox, and then on to the road wheels.

The clutch can be thought of like a tap (or faucet) in as much as the more the tap is turned the more water comes out.  As we all know different jobs require different control with the tap, so if you are measuring a small amount of water into a jug for a recipe you would turn the tap very carefully letting just a small trickle of water out, on the other hand if you was filling a bucket to mop the floor it’s likely that you would spin the tap full on and let it do it’s stuff.

The analogy works really well, consider moving off from a standstill in a situation where you have very little space in front of you, the margin of error is very small so it makes complete sense to allow only a small amount of power to be transferred to the wheels.  Tight control with the clutch is what is necessary here, too much power will turn the wheels too much too soon and we may have ourselves a little fender bender.

Alternatively consider changing up a gear, the road ahead is obviously clear because you have already built up speed to necessitate the gear change, you must depress the clutch to remove the power of the engine and aid the change but once you have selected the correct gear, just get the clutch back up again, no need to be too concerned about being careful with it.

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So the clutch is a tap, sometimes it must be used carefully and other times it can be used with much less concern.  I guess the point is that we must think about these things and act appropriately.

It’s a very simple mechanism and a very simple process that I’ve outlined here, so don’t believe all those overcomplicated books and instructors, with a little more research you’ll find that this simple process and understanding is applicable to every job where the clutch is required.

How to Deal with Junctions -- The Secret of Give Way Lines

Dealing with junctions often causes stress and uncertainty in novice drivers; it seems that there are so many rules to learn and so many possibilities to cope with.  Junctions come in such an abundance of different shapes and sizes that there’s little wonder that they can become overwhelming.

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As with most things however, the problems stem from a lack of understanding.  With a little bit of thought and a true awareness of the main principles of driving you can begin to deal with junctions confidently, and in a short space of time you can banish that horrible tension associated with the thought of dealing with them.

The secret to dealing with junctions is simply to imagine there was no such thing as give way lines.  It sounds bizarre I know, but consider this; you are approaching the end of a road about to turn left but there are vehicles coming from the right.  Regardless of who has priority, would you make the turn until you are sure you can do it safely?

Most collisions on our roads happen because one or more of the drivers involved make assumptions about the actions of other drivers, they continue on their way without much consideration for the actions of others because they assume the other driver will do what they are supposed to do.

So let’s imagine a world without road markings, without pre-defined priorities for us to follow.

Approach a junction at a speed that is appropriate for the amount that you can see, get comfortable with the concept of zones of vision, it’s very straightforward; the less you can see the slower you travel.

Use the doubt factor, the higher the degree of doubt you have about the actions of any other road user the more prepared you should be to hold back.  Be confident you can deal safely with any erratic or unexpected happenings, keep your speed comfortable and cover the footbrake if the level of doubt rises.

Use a certainty of safety as your guide for when to commit to making progress.  Don’t approach junctions as if they require a decision, approach with the mindset that you are not going to go until you are absolutely certain of the safety of your actions, that’s not a decision, that’s acing on a prompt.

Above all be in control of the situation, don’t put your safety in the hands of someone whom you’ve never met and have no idea of their driving skill or attitude.

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Follow these simple and very logical guidelines and dealing with junctions will begin to become a stress free part of your driving life.  Get comfortable with it in your own mind, once you understand the principle of ignoring give way lines you’ll see that driving is made much more complicated than it really needs to be.

The Hazard Perception Test -- Top Tips for a First Time Pass

Prior to taking the UK practical driving test, a learner driver must pass both parts of the theory test.  The test consists of two parts, the first being a multiple choice knowledge based test and the second being the Hazard Perception Test.

The Hazard Perception test has caught many people out, with some taking multiple attempts before passing, but like most things; with a little understanding and good preparation there’s no reason for this test to be a problem.

First of all you must understand how the test works.  You will be required to click the mouse button at the appropriate time in order to score points; there are fourteen clips to assess with thirteen of them containing one scoring hazard and one of them having two scoring hazards.

Be aware that each clip may contain many more hazards but there’s no way of knowing which hazard will be the one that you will be marked on, so treat them all the same.
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When the scoring hazard begins to develop, your scoring opportunity begins.  At this point you can score five points, as the hazard progresses the amount of point you can score reduces until the point where a collision would be imminent and your chance to pick up a point has passed.

Think of it as a scoring window, if you click at the beginning of window you’ll get five points, click in the middle and you’ll get three points, but if you leave it till right at the end you’ll only get one point, or worse!

One of the biggest problems with this test is that you can actually click too soon.  When the test was forced on driving instructors many of them failed because they perceived the hazard too early, clicking before the window opened and scoring nothing.  Some had more than twenty years experience without incident and all of a sudden this silly test was telling them they had poor hazard perception.

So we need to develop a method of safeguarding against being better than the computer, and this is how it’s done:

·         Treat it just like a real drive, scan the road well ahead and to both sides, pay attention not only to other vehicles but also to pedestrians and areas where the view ahead is restricted.

·         Anticipate what may happen and be ready for it, when approaching parked vehicles prepare for doors opening or signs of movement.

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·         Click the mouse at the point of any action in a real drive, if you would need to check the mirrors, cover the footbrake or actually begin to brake, all these things justify a mouse click.  This will ensure you don’t click too early and score zero.

Finally please remember this is only a brief outline of how to deal with the Hazard Perception Test, it will help but this alone won’t get you through, do more research and practice as much as you can.  More than anything though, think about it and make sure you understand how the Hazard Perception Test works.