Ready to be confident behind the wheel every time you drive?
New drivers spend their time studying for and taking the driver’s license test. They memorize all of the rules and practice parallel parking until they’ve done it a dozen times correctly. But do they understand the car they’re getting behind the wheel of? Nope. That important bit gets skipped way too often.
And that’s the problem:
When drivers don’t know how their vehicle works, they freak out when something doesn’t work correctly. Panic leads to bad decisions.
Knowing your vehicle and how it works is key to safe, confident driving
But here’s the good news. You don’t need to earn a degree from your local mechanic. If you take the time to learn from a good classroom driver training course, you’ll pick up all of the info you need to know before you start driving. Pair that education with some hands-on experience and you’ll be set.
Here’s what you’ll cover:
- Car basics: Understanding how your vehicle works
- Important car systems you should know
- Why classroom driver training gives you confidence
- Maintenance checks you can do to stay safe
Car Basics: Understanding How Your Vehicle Works
Let’s start with a statistic that should grab the attention of every new driver…
43% of drivers in their first year of driving are involved in a car crash. That’s almost half! Many of those accidents are caused by driver error or lack of vehicle knowledge.
Say your car’s dashboard lights up. You don’t know what it means, so you either ignore it or freak out. Both reactions can lead to an accident. Classroom driver training from a reputable driving school in Massachusetts teaches students how to identify dashboard warnings and how to react accordingly.
Makes sense, doesn’t it? By knowing how your vehicle works and what everything does, you prepare yourself for the unknown. Whether that be understanding braking distance or reacting to a flat tire at 70 mph, knowledge is power.
And it isn’t just about knowing what to do in an emergency. Drivers who know how their car works tend to take better care of their vehicles. This means fewer breakdowns, less unexpected trips to the repair shop and overall safer cars on the road.
Important Car Systems You Should Know
Modern cars are complicated machines. However, they are built around the same basic systems. A comprehensive classroom driver training course will teach you everything you need to know about these systems.
So what should you know?
Brakes
This cannot be stressed enough. Brakes save lives. New drivers should understand how to properly use their brakes in both an emergency and non-emergency situation.
They should also understand how an anti-lock braking system works. Here’s the deal…
When your ABS kicks in and your brake pedal starts pulsating, IT IS NORMAL. Many drivers who aren’t aware of this fact will release the brake pedal when it happens. Then they’ve lost all their braking power.
Engine and Transmission
Nobody expects you to be able to rebuild an engine. However, knowing the basics could save you from making a very expensive repair down the road.
Manual drivers should know basic shifting patterns. What RPM your car should shift at and what sounds to listen for if your engine is stressed are good things to know.
Automatic drivers should know what each gear on their car actually does. Park, reverse, neutral, drive. All of these settings have their time and place.
Steering and Suspension
As touched on a little bit above, knowing how to properly steer your vehicle is another important lesson you’ll learn in driver’s training.
Good driver education courses teach proper steering techniques, how to correct steering failures like oversteer and understeer and how suspension affects your vehicle control.
Here’s another one for you…
Your car handles differently when its suspension is worn. Stopping distances are increased. It may pull to one side or the other when driving in a straight line. If you know how your car is supposed to drive, you’ll know when something is wrong.
Tyres
Your tires are the only thing about your car that touches the road. As such, they are very important. Understanding how tyres work and how to properly care for them is something every driver should know.
Did you know that low tyre pressure can increase braking distance? It’s true. Giving your tires a quick kick before you drive to check for pressure and tread wear is a fantastic habit to get into.
How Classroom Driver Training Gives You Confidence
There is a huge difference between drivers who have been trained properly and those who learn as they go.
Researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln conducted a study involving more than 150,000 teen drivers. What they discovered was that drivers without driver education were 75% more likely to receive a traffic violation. They were also 24% more likely to be killed or involved in a serious crash.
That’s some pretty scary data.
Driver training courses work because they teach students about the why of driving. Not just how to operate a vehicle, but the reasons behind every driving rule and technique.
If students know why it’s important to keep a safe distance from the car in front of them, they are much more likely to do it.
Good driver training also teaches the basics of defensive driving. Defensive driving is about predicting the actions of other drivers and preparing yourself for their mistakes. Most people don’t learn this instinctively. They need to be taught.
Last but not least is the mental aspect of driving. Confident drivers are safer drivers. They don’t freeze up at green lights. They aren’t worried about merging onto the highway. This confidence comes from knowing you’re prepared. Prepared by way of a good driver education course and lots of practice.
Maintenance Checks You Can Do To Stay Safe
Part of understanding how your vehicle works doesn’t stop after driver’s education. There are some basic maintenance checks you should be doing before and during every trip. They take less than 5 minutes and could help you avoid big problems on the road.
Check your:
- Engine oil — Low oil can cause severe damage to your engine
- Tyre pressure — For safe braking and handling
- Coolant — Your engine can overheat without enough coolant
- Brake Fluid — So you can stop when you need to
- Lights and indicators — Lets others know where you intend to go
Each of these checks require no special knowledge or tools. Drivers should make these checks a habit. Having it drilled into them during driver’s training is a great way to make these checks stick.
Wrap Up
Knowledge is one of the most powerful tools a driver can have. Unfortunately, it’s something that often gets overlooked when learning to drive.
Let’s review…
- Learn how your vehicle works. All of it. Before you start driving
- Don’t scoff at driver’s training. Science says it’s effective
- Do basic maintenance checks on your vehicle. It keeps you safe
- Nothing beats confidence. Be a confident driver by knowing your stuff
Take the time to understand your vehicle. It can help you avoid accidents, save you money and maybe even save your life.
