Lesson 1.

Using an Automatic Transmission

When you begin driving, you will need to start, move, and control your
vehicle
Transmission: gears that you use to move the vehicle
Purpose of Transmission
The transmission takes energy from the engine and
moves it to the wheel, enabling the vehicle to move forward or backwards.
Starting an Automatic Transmission
5 Steps:(safety check, seat, mirrors, belt)
1.Put your right hand on the gear selector lever and
make sure the car is in park. Vehicle will start in only park or neutral.
2. Make sure the parking brake is set. (optional if car is
on flat land. Necessary if parked uphill or downhill.) If your car has fuel
injection, you will not need to step on accelerator before starting the vehicle. See
pg. 92, for steps if your vehicle is not fuel injected.
3. Turn the ignition key to the start position and start the
vehicle. Release the key as soon as the engine starts.
4.Release the accelerator and let the engine run by itself
(idle).
5. Check all gauges and warning light to make sure all
systems are working.
Putting the Vehicle in Motion
Press down firmly on the brake pedal. Use their right foot to brake.
Use your right hand to shift the gear selector lever to Drive or Reverse,
depending on which way you want to move.
Release emergency brake (if set).
Before moving, check for traffic in your rearview and side-view mirror.
If you are backing up, look back over your right shoulder to check traffic out the rear
window,
Turn on your directional (turn) signal to indicate the direction you plan to
move
Look over your shoulder in the direction you plan to move to check blind
spot.
Be prepared to accelerate into the desired lane once the roadway is clear.
Remove your foot from the brake, and gradually apply to pressure to the accelerator to
move the vehicle.
Cont.
Working the accelerator properly takes a little practice if you use your
right foot for both accelerating and braking
For best control of both pedals, rest the heel of your right foot on the
floor in position that lets you keep it there while pivoting back and forth between the 2
pedals.
Lesson 2: Speed Control
To be a safe driver, you must be able to maneuver your vehicle properly.
You can do this by knowing your vehicles limits
Ex: when changing lanes or passing you need to have an idea of how
much time and distance your vehicles requires to move ahead of other vehicles.

Learning to judge the time and space on each maneuver will help
minimize your risk, as will adjusting your speed based on visibility, traffic and road
conditions.
How are acceleration, deceleration and speed related?
Acceleration- vehicle is able to increase speed relatively quickly
Rate of Acceleration-the amount of time it takes to accelerate from one
speed to another
Deceleration- decreasing speed or slowing the vehicle down
Rate of deceleration- is the amount of time it takes to decelerate from
one speed to another
Monitoring Your Speed
Checking speedometer every 7-9 seconds
Most of the time (but not all the time), it is safe to drive about as fast as
the traffic around you.
As a new driver, you may find it difficult to control the speed of your
vehicle simply by observing the speed of traffic around you.
Smooth Braking and Braking to a stop
FOr smooth braking, you will need to develop a sense of timing
You want to stop your vehicle gradually not abruptly.
Your goal is to stop just at the right spot, neither overshooting nor
undershooting your targeted area. This will make for a safer, smoother ride for you and
your passengers.
Also, stop behind the thick white line.
The amount of foot pressure needed to stop the vehicle depends on the
speed.
The faster you go, the longer you will need to brake.
For effective control of brake pressure, position the heel of your foot
between and in front of the accelerator and brake pedal.
Smooth Braking cont.
Steps when preparing to brake to a stop
1. CHeck your mirrors for any vehicles that may be
following you. If a vehicle is following you, lightly tap the brake pedal; you
flashing your lights will warn others that you intend to stop.
2. Apply smooth, steady, firm pressure to the brake
pedal, easing up slightly as you come to halt.
3. If your car stops, then it stops. (idk he went to fast.)
Lesson 4 steering a vehicle
takes less time and space to move away than to stop
Steering could be the only way to prevent collision
Steering a Vehicle
Holding the steering wheel
10 and 2
9 and 3
Chapter 7: General sight
Visual acuity- deals with whether or not objects or hazards in your
driving path are sharp and clear
Distance Vision
your ability to see in the distance. If your distance vision is poor, you
may not be able to see hazards until it is too late to react safely

 Depth perception- the ability to judge the relative distance of objects correctly...to pass
and change line
Peripheral vision- able to see to the sides
Color vision- you must be able to recognize traffic signs, signals and pavements
markings, vehicle turn signals, hazard warning lights, backup lights and brake lights
Night vision- the ability to see in low conditions. also, you must be able to recover
quickly from the glare of coming headlights
glare vision- the ability to see when there is a rapid increase in light.
Examples: driving into the sun, oncoming headlights, water, snow
Glare recovery- the ability of your eyes to quickly adjust from headlights back to the
dark.
It can take up to 5 seconds for your eyes to adjust to darkness and lowlight settings after being exposed to glare
Glare danger
Here are some ways to deal with the danger of nighttime glare:
Do not look directly at the headlights of an oncoming
car. Instead, look beyond them and direct your attention to the right edge of the
roadway, keeping the approaching car in peripheral vision.
Reduce your speed if you are momentarily blinded by
glare.
Keep alert to possible glare situations that may arise, as
on curved or hilly roads
Tips for New Drivers
When driving at night:
Drive more slowly
Keep your eyes moving
Make sure you windshield and headlights are clean
Use your headlights wisely
Avoid driving near your usual bedtime.
Pitch and Roll
Backward Pitch
when acceleration is applied, weight or center of mass is
transferred toward the rear of the vehicle
Forward Pitch
when brakes are applied, eight or center of mass is
transferred toward the front of the vehicle
Scanning, Searching, Sensing
CHecking the center of travel path, about 20 seconds ahead
Scanning, searching, listening to what is happening in the traffic scene
Chapter 8