Driving Tips From Gurus To Beginners Like Me

[Sidd7hartha]

I am quite a novice driver. You all know how crowded are the cities nowadays. I humbly seek some tips regarding parallel & perpendicular parking in tight space.
These are required for road & shopping mall parking.
__________________
Regards'
Sidd7hartha

 

[appus]

Parallel parking.
You have to have at least 1.5x times car length to do this way easily.
Parallel Parking is a must if you want to get an US license. They start the test by doing 'Parallel parking' and then take on road.
Make sure no vehicle is coming behind you. Stop parallel to the car which is in front. Back tire matching your car's back tires.
Turn your steering wheel all the to one side (left or right depending on which side you got parking). Be slow. Once you see the whole rear car in the mirror, make your wheel straight. When your rear windows are near to the front vehicle's bumper, turn the steering to the opposite side. Again - dont speed. (if you have a friend, he can help you getting down and seeing it for you). Once it is reversed, see the distance to the front/back so that others wont be disturbed by your parking. I think you do get some youtube videos. Practice makes it perfect.

Perpendicular parking:
I take extreme left when i wanted to park on right side, and take Extreme right to park on left side. I normally make sure 70% of straightening happens before entering between cars. If I have parked too closely to one side, I make sure that i reverse and correct my mistake and park correctly.

EDIT : A video from youtube (slightly different from what mentioned)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMrO_-bsooQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7InCPo7ickY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYXjDyFtBJw

 

[Prads]

I saw a guy in a brand new Honda Amaze parallel park into a length just big enough for his car,he reversed in straight (he blocked the road doing so) into the center of the space & then did 3 maneuvers to fit the car in. I feel such a video would be an accurate parallel parking representation,cos this is India

Since we are on the topic please make sure the other car has enough space to pull out when you parallel park or a frustrated or clumsy driver will leave marks of his efforts on your car.

I remember an incident that happened to me in 2009,I had parked my car on Lavelle road in Bangalore.The Santro in front had space to pull out so i parked closer to him & left space for car behind me & myself to pull out later.
When i came back later a Ford Ikon had parked behind me leaving no space for me but enough space for himself which is just a stupid driver.
The nearby watchman said some couple came in that car & i was fuming about the carelessness of these lovebirds.I had to sit for close to one & half hours until the Santro owner who was parked before turned up & pulled out.
At this moment i was tempted to deflate the tires from the stupid drivers car(Ikon),being a live & let live person i decided to move on though irritated being more than an hour late for lunch with my cousin

 

[Sidd7hartha]

Once you see the whole rear car in the mirror, make your wheel straight

Nice help. Thanks for the videos too. Pl tell which mirror you are taking about?

 

[appus]

Nice help. Thanks for the videos too. Pl tell which mirror you are taking about?

If you are parking right side, see thru the left mirror. If you are parking on left side, you see the right mirror (You cant see the full car in other mirrors )

 

[Arijitb]

How to measure if the parked car is bigger than mine/user , Say a big SUV or TATA 407 Truck.

Youtube video is good but the road and parking spot is fantastic comparing to India.

 

[Sidd7hartha]

How to measure if the parked car is bigger than mine/user , Say a big SUV or TATA 407 Truck.

Youtube video is good but the road and parking spot is fantastic comparing to India.

You have to guess whether the space adequate enough to fit your car. So no need to measure the length of parked car. Yes in India driving & parking both requires extra skill.

 

[Sidd7hartha]

Dear friends,
Please give some practical tips for stopping on a slope and starting.I see some tips on different sites,but I seek some suitable for a novice.

 

[Bopanna]

What kind of car do you have Siddhartha ?

 

[appus]

Dear friends,
Please give some practical tips for stopping on a slope and starting.I see some tips on different sites,but I seek some suitable for a novice.

I too read few . Hand-brake , half clutch etc.

If i am at a signal which is on a slope, I do this.

I start the vehicle few seconds before it actually turn green. Then, I keep right leg on brake and release the handbrake. Later, I press the clutch, change to first gear. I find a biting point where vehicle want to move but could not due to brake. Leaving it at the same clutch position (without taking my leg fully off from clutch), i release the brake slowly and vehicle start moving. By the time, signal would have already turned green. Later, I release the clutch fully and start accelerating slowly. Once i am in a comfort position(may take few meters), I move to second gear and proceed further.

For some guys, handbrake solutions also are easy. They just get the biting point, release the handbrake/clutch and accelerate at almost same time as their right leg is free. I tried few times and end up over accelerating. So, I prefer the half-clutch method.

For me, first one gives much less stress than the handbrake ones

 

[Sidd7hartha]

What kind of car do you have Siddhartha ?

Mine is Ritz Vxi

 

[Bopanna]

Half clutch works well for most petrol hatches. Try this with Ritz on an empty incline :

1. Stop car on the incline holding down the brake with right leg.
2. When starting off, keep right leg on brake.
3. Depress clutch with left leg, engage first gear.
4. Leave clutch very slightly until you reach an equilibrium point, you will feel the engine strain and can feel the slight vibration on your left foot.
5. At equilibrium, leave the right foot from brake. If done correct, the car should remain stationary just with left foot holding clutch steady at equilibrium point. The car should not move ahead nor back.
6. Press the accelerator with right foot while leaving left foot from clutch slowly

My driver who taught me to drive gave an additional tip - while practicing, try to hold the car in state #5 above as long as you can. In reality, it burns the clutch plate, but once you can feel the equilibrium point well, the hold time in state #5 will become very less.

In case of diesel, engine has more torque; so same process works but equilibrium point is not so narrow, the torque gives us have more range. And no need to even press accelerator, car will move just by leaving clutch.

 

[sethumurugan]

I saw a guy in a brand new Honda Amaze parallel park into a length just big enough for his car,he reversed in straight (he blocked the road doing so) into the center of the space & then did 3 maneuvers to fit the car in. I feel such a video would be an accurate parallel parking representation,cos this is India

Since we are on the topic please make sure the other car has enough space to pull out when you parallel park or a frustrated or clumsy driver will leave marks of his efforts on your car.

I remember an incident that happened to me in 2009,I had parked my car on Lavelle road in Bangalore.The Santro in front had space to pull out so i parked closer to him & left space for car behind me & myself to pull out later.
When i came back later a Ford Ikon had parked behind me leaving no space for me but enough space for himself which is just a stupid driver.
The nearby watchman said some couple came in that car & i was fuming about the carelessness of these lovebirds.I had to sit for close to one & half hours until the Santro owner who was parked before turned up & pulled out.
At this moment i was tempted to deflate the tires from the stupid drivers car(Ikon),being a live & let live person i decided to move on though irritated being more than an hour late for lunch with my cousin

Even I have been on such situtation in past. But luckily did not waited for 1 and half hours. Really sorry prads about it.

From then on when ever I park in that situation, i make sure I have enough space both in front and back. Even either car is taken and new car is parked closely I will have one side free which allows me to take my car out.

Possibility of both car is driven away and two new cars are parked closely to my car also. But it is very less. So no worries.

Dear friends,
Please give some practical tips for stopping on a slope and starting.I see some tips on different sites,but I seek some suitable for a novice.

I do this tech which was thought my father as well as trainer when I learned car driving in a driving school.

if you are in a slop [either climbing up or climbing down] and supposed to stop car due to traffic, balance accelerator and clutch in half way so that the vehicle will not move as well ready to move. when the traffic moves just leave clutch and apply accelerator. when the traffic stops do this in reveres.

Hope this helps you.

 

[sethumurugan]

After posting the above post on Parallel parking I found this funny video related to parking. How about trying this?

Who told Girls Cant Park - YouTube

 

[Sidd7hartha]

balance accelerator and clutch in half way so that the vehicle will not move as well ready to move.

When I stop I have to press clutch & brake. As far I gather from your advice, I have to bring clutch to biting point hold it there and simultaneously use accelerator leaving brake. Seems difficult. But I will try.