Session 1 Debrief: A Good Start

Today, I took my first-ever driving lesson. This was also the first time I sat in the driver’s seat and ran the engine. The session lasted for about 20-30 minutes and I drove the car through a few kilometers of morning traffic.

In this debrief, I’ve recapped the whole experience to identify what went right and where I need to improve for the upcoming lessons.

Session 1 Recap

When I first sat in the car, my mind was suddenly overloaded with information. The three pedals, the stick, traffic around me, driving signals, and more. It was like I wanted to learn everything in one go.

I guess, this is the reality for most learners out there. Driving a car is a stressful experience, regardless of how handy you get around the wheel.

The positive was that I wasn’t nervous at all. There wasn’t a single moment where I thought my resting heart rate was too much for the situation I was in. Interestingly, the situation I was in was completely new and quite stressful. Thankfully, I have a great instructor.

First, I did a couple of laps in a field. At the beginning of the session, I stalled because I slammed on the brakes to test the sensitivity. Fortunately, that was the only stall, primarily because my instructor assisted me with the shifting.

After getting the nod from my sensei, we rolled onto the road which only had morning traffic, which is even weaker during winter.

Although my clutch control was good (there’s nothing much to master here, really), my throttle control sucked. Perhaps it's because I wanted to drive faster.

My teacher told me a few times during the session to relieve pressure off the throttle pedal, which worked to a certain degree. Another area of slight concern was keeping the car pointed in a straight direction. 

It wasn’t like I was veering the WagonR between lanes, jeopardizing the lives of others. It was tiny and I was correcting it as soon as I was getting aware of it. In some instances, I felt the direct steering feedback (the instructor correcting it, rather than waiting until I did or simply telling me) was unnecessary.

Yes, the veering was suboptimal, but it was me playing slow ping-pong between the white lines, in my lane. Honestly, it is a safety concern as it is enough to get other drivers to react, especially on crowded streets, which is the norm in India.

However, instead of direct steering feedback, I could’ve benefitted more from instructions on how to hold the wheel and where to fix my eyes on the road.

Overall, the session was good. There were zero instances of me getting too close to any other vehicle or obstacle at any time. There were no sudden jerks or movements. The throttle pressure, although not ideal, is manageable. Steering, in my amateur opinion, is complex.

Areas of Improvement

As I mentioned in the recap above, the throttle control is poor. It’s not on the levels of ‘Whoa this guy is gonna kill someone’ but it definitely gives the beginner vibes. 

The point of confusion is the difference in pressure applied in both legs. The left leg controls the clutch pedal, which requires me to press it harder, all the way to the end. However, the right leg requires a feather touch, especially for Indian roads and most civilian driving conditions.

This will take a bit of time to master. I will be entirely focusing on training my mind to limit the pressure applied via my right foot.

Another area of improvement is the steering control. My attention remains on keeping the steering wheel still and in a ‘straight’ position. It should be on the car as a whole. I should keep the car in a straight position by using the steering to make fine adjustments.

It was quickly pointed by my teacher as I was gripping the steering wheel hard.

Apart from focusing on the incorrect aspect (steering wheel itself) when it comes to keeping the damn car in a straight line, I need to drive the car with my feet (clutch and throttle) and keep it pointed in the correct direction with fine movements in a semi-passive manner.

Moreover, you don’t really see the wheels turn while driving a car which kind of makes it a guessing game where you learn via trial and error. Learners, typically, turn the car with the instructor’s assistance until they get a ‘feel’ of the steering ratio.

This is yet another point that demands my attention.

Looking Forward: Session 2 Goals

The first lesson taught me that the initial goals are to achieve pedal control and steering mastery.

The clutch pedal works fine but I’ve gotten a bit impatient with the throttle as I am habituated to rev engines a tad more than necessary when riding a bike. This needs to be unlearned as car driving requires me to engage the clutch fully, making the car quite responsive to throttle inputs.

Hence, for the lesson tomorrow, I will retain my foot at a particular position for the entirety of the session. It would’ve been better if the dashboard of the training car actually worked, some frame of reference for RPM and speed would have helped me, but it is what it is.

Secondly, the goal is to focus on the direction the car is going, not how stable the steering wheel is in my hands. The objective is to turn the car, not the steering.

As I know what to focus on for the upcoming session, I can certainly achieve the objectives easily. I already got a few kilometers of (assisted) driving on day one and there weren’t any nerves. So, I am optimistic.

Until next time,

Tara

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Next Chapter: Session 2 Debrief: Straight Line and Throttle Control

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Index (with Prologue): The Path to Driving License