Yes, you the new driver must manage anyone who is kind enough to allow you to practise. Your practise person, the copilot, is gold. They are providing a great gift in allowing you to drive. Please protect this gift and ensure the well-being of your copilot. Here is how:
Plan the time from start to finish to ensure that your first impression is wonderful.
- Your copilot drives you to a quiet starting area like a huge parking lot or a quiet low traffic low-speed square 2 or 3 blocks residential area. THEY DRIVE THERE AND BACK – NOT YOU.
- You review google maps and plan the area that is away from traffic, knowing exactly the end of your blocks and turn arounds, stopping, three-point turns, two-point turns, making sure you know how to stay in your planned/safe area.
- You end in the safe zone to ensure a successful positive first impression which is ever-lasting. Do not scare the copilot the first time you drive. They are too valuable. Create success and stay in the planned safe area.
Minimize the straight line A to B driving most drivers do.
- Most drivers have a powerful habit of driving from home to work, or point A to point B – DO NOT GET CAUGHT IN THIS HABIT
- MAKE A WRITTEN LIST OF MANEUVERS – A new driver needs low speed, no traffic, left turns, right turns, pull over to the curb stops, reversing straight, two-point turns, three-point turns, stall parks, parallel parks, narrow laneways, odd corners, turning in unusual bending quiet roadways. You the new driver must bring this plan and a list of activities. If you don’t, you will end up driving A to B on high-speed roads in straight lines.
- “You are driving too slow!” is the most common critique you will hear from your copilot. WHY? It’s usually because they are pushing you into higher-speed roadways that you are NOT READY FOR! You need control and accuracy of your car and its positioning on the road. YOU DO NOT NEED SPEED YET! You need to master 200 lefts 200 rights 200 stall parks 200 two point turns etc…. GOT IT?
Know when to stop and give back full control.
- Copilots sit in the passenger seat experiencing stress, boredom or frustration – because they have near-zero control of the car. This is a difficult position for them. You must help minimize their stress.
- Practise giving them VOICE control.
- BRAKE They speak the word BRAKE and you will move your foot to push the brake. Repeat this 3 times at the start of the drive.
- GAS They speak the words GAS and you will move your foot to the gas and push the gas. Repeat this 3 times at the start of the drive.
- TURN MORE OR LESS They say these words and you will steer as directed. Repeat this 3 times at the start of the drive.
- Practise giving them PHYSICAL control.
- BRAKE Some cars have a parking brake between the seats. Practise and pull it up slowly holding in the pin. It will gently slow the car down. Repeat this 3 times at the start of the drive.
- TURN MORE OR LESS Place their hand on your steering wheel above your hands or underneath your hands, keeping your own hands on the wheel, three hands in total. Repeat this 3 times at the start of the drive.
- Stay with your plan and STOP the session in your planned SAFE zone
- Make them drive you back home away from the safe planned area.
CREATE SUCCESS with your COPILOT
Comments are closed