Session 12 Debrief: An Hour Long

The latest practice session got me more than an hour behind the wheel. I drove about 30 kilometers in different terrains and traffic conditions. This was a much-needed experience in the journey to becoming a complete car driver.

There were many challenging moments throughout but overall the training hour was easier than expected. I guess the most important part of driving the car is to keep the engine running and give feather touches to the throttle pedal.

Let’s get straight into it.

The Gameplan For the Hour

Last night me and the boys decided to get me another hour of driving this morning. For whatever reason, I couldn’t get much sleep. Perhaps I was too excited or anxious for the drive. Maybe it was just exhaustion as I had a tough Monday and my mind was running wild.

Either way, I mustered a few minutes to strategize for the drive that was about to be. I decided to turn the car from where it was parked and go for a regular morning drive.

Turning the car in my colony or street can be tricky due to multiple things placed on the damned road and narrow clearances. This is also foundational to my night drives, whenever they might arrive.

When it comes to the regular morning drive, I desired to get more familiar with the car controls, such as the gear shift, brake pedal, and steering wheel. 

Surprisingly, the actual session was much more productive.

Session 12 Recap

I had to flip the car in the opposite direction. The strategy was to drive a bit straight, reverse right into a by-lane, and then straight left. My friends were giving me directions to ensure I didn’t damage the bodywork by scrubbing the machine against the walls and other obstacles.

However, it fell short because, during the straight-left maneuver, I scrubbed the front right tire against a thick slab of concrete on the ground. It didn’t register in my mind to check the ground.

Anyway, we switched drivers and off we went to find a less-crowded street. 

I drove straight for a while, a few corners here and there. There were various overtake opportunities where I experimented with upshifting and flooring the car. It provided a decent understanding of the car’s accelerating tendencies.

While returning the boys urged me to go through a patch of uneven terrain. It was a great experience considering I had to maintain a crawling pace. Anything more and the vehicle bounced like crazy and also posed a threat to others as maneuverability became complex.

After the end of the rough patch, we ventured into narrow lanes in residential neighborhoods. 

Everything from speed breakers to ill-placed electrical poles and stray animals had to be avoided on the journey. The most critical thing about all this was maintaining a consistent pace, avoiding sudden movements, and ensuring proper clearance on both sides.

One major mistake in the whole session was letting the vehicle go backward while braking up an incline. 

Sometimes drivers need to brake while on an upward incline due to traffic or other obstacles. In those moments, it is pivotal to hold on to the brakes and release them after partially engaging the clutch. 

Unfortunately, it took me a few instances to learn how to perform it correctly. Thankfully, I didn’t run over anyone during those moments.

As the drive was sunsetting, I encountered another hairy moment — stalling on the incline. This time, I held on to the brakes and wanted to launch it from there. My friends advised otherwise, so I let the car go back (no one was behind) and climbed up again.

That stall occurred for two main reasons: too little momentum going up and doing so in second gear. I should’ve downshifted to first but hindsight is 20/20.

Areas of Improvement

First and foremost, I must enhance spatial awareness with respect to the mirrors. This is pivotal for executing tight turns and steering maneuvers in narrow spaces. One of the boys told me to look at the left mirror while reversing right, which immensely helped.

The way I hold the driving line is suboptimal because it eliminates the majority of clearance on one of the sides of the vehicle. This is okay in highway driving among other four-wheelers, maybe even larger vehicles, but not on Indian streets where motorbikes reign supreme.

It is better to place the car in the middle of the gap. This not only gives adequate clearance to both sides, protecting the vehicle from any sudden moments and giving room for any potential adjustment but also discourages bikers from attempting ambitious overtakes.

Another focus point is to prevent the car from rolling backward while accelerating up an incline in a quantized manner. Before releasing the brake, I must engage the clutch partially. And must give a bit of throttle while lifting my foot off the brake pedal.

I can practice that during my night drives for mastery as well.

Finally, steering through sharp turns and tight spaces. When negotiating sharp turns, like 90 degrees left or right, the wheel needs a 180-200-degree turn in the relevant direction.

When stepping the car out of tight spaces or turning the car around within narrow lanes, I must go beyond 360 degrees. My estimations suggest it to be about 500-540 degrees in the desired direction. Yes, the goal is to turn the wheels to the max.

Looking Forward: Getting the ‘L’ Taped

New drivers get a red-colored ‘L’ taped on the front and rear windshields to inform others around to stay as clear as possible because the driver is a “learner.” Cars that have this sign discourage other drivers (including motorcyclists) from attempting risky overtakes.

I haven’t prioritized this because I got my license in the good old-fashioned way.

Regardless of the fact that I already have my driver’s license, I still need to improve my driving skills further, as the debriefs so far relay. Hence, this has to be done the next time I take the wheels out for a ride.

However, that may not happen tomorrow as I will be taking a break. There are a few chores around the house that need to be done and the content creation pressure has been piling up.

I am thinking of writing a Formula 1 article about the ongoing tensions between George Russell and Max Verstappen ahead of the 2025 season.

Until next time,

Tara

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Next Chapter: Session 13 Debrief: By the Sea

Previous Chapter: Session 11 Debrief: The Car Feels Good

Index (with Prologue): The Path to Driving License