How to...Drive a Car

We will cover a variety of topics to help the learner and those supporting them (parents and friends) to make the right decisions.

First steps:
How to...Clutch Control.
A driver will use clutch control to enable them to move their vehicle from a parked/stationery position, under full control and at the speed that the driver wants.

First a brief explanation as to how a clutch works. The clutch has two plates; the first is linked to the engine and is rotating all the time the engine is running. The second plate is linked to the vehicle's wheels and will only rotate when the two plates are held against each other (when the clutch pedal is up). When the driver depresses the clutch pedal the plates will be forced apart. When the clutch pedal is depressed (down) because of the gap between the plates no power is being transferred between the engine and the wheels.

Next we need to look at the Biting Point (Bite Point) which is the point when the two clutch plates begin to make contact/come together. By controlling the amount of contact, by either slightly raising or depressing the clutch pedal, the driver will be able to control the amount of power being transferred through to the wheels. Whilst the driver can depress the clutch pedal as quickly as they want/need, if the clutch is raised too quickly it will cause the clutch plates to come together too suddenly, which is likely to cause the engine to stall, or the vehicle to jump forward out of control.

Finally, practising clutch control will help the learner to be able to move the vehicle under full control, which is essential for safe driving and passing the driving test. The learner should practice this control by selecting 1st gear then raising the clutch pedal to the biting point, holding the pedal at this point then depressing the pedal again. This is best practised somewhere quiet and level. The learner can then, without the handbrake engaged/on, slowly raise the clutch pedal until they feel/hear the bite point. As they are on a level section of road, if they cannot feel/hear the bite point the learner will be able to judge this point by the fact that the vehicle starts to move forward.

More information can be found on my website:
http://www.your-online-driving-school.co.uk/

I will be adding further articles on learning to drive in the near future so please check back again soon.