kripstoe
Expert Member
Are... were you a nervous driver?
Nice in traffic, but I still prefer manual.My SO is a nervous driver and I doubt an automatic would change that. She just doesn't like driving.
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Nervous when driving
- Thread starter Mr_M
- Start date
Are... were you a nervous driver?
Nice in traffic, but I still prefer manual.My SO is a nervous driver and I doubt an automatic would change that. She just doesn't like driving.
Fazda
Honorary Master
Are... were you a nervous driver?
My SO is a nervous driver and I doubt an automatic would change that. She just doesn't like driving.
I become a nervous driver the second I have to face the Durban Hell Run every day!
DominionZA
Executive Member
Are... were you a nervous driver?
My SO is a nervous driver and I doubt an automatic would change that. She just doesn't like driving.
No. First Audi just happened to be auto. Fell in love with the easy drive and became a requirement on future Audi's.
Can switch to manual if required so best of both worlds.
Thanks for all the replies.
I drove for an hour today and stalled once when trying to park into a space (I don't want to park lies a **** and end up in that "bad parking" thread). I stalled on a steep uphill stop/start but managed to keep calm and pull the handbrake then take off slowly again. Improvements are noted (slight) but improvements nonetheless
The clutch on my Renault is so high and tight, for want of other words. There's not much of a "sweet spot" compared to the car I learned to drive in which was an old Mazda - which makes me stall a lot until I get used to it I guess.
Again, thank you for giving me some confidence with your posts. Any criticism or further advice is most welcome.
I drove for an hour today and stalled once when trying to park into a space (I don't want to park lies a **** and end up in that "bad parking" thread). I stalled on a steep uphill stop/start but managed to keep calm and pull the handbrake then take off slowly again. Improvements are noted (slight) but improvements nonetheless
The clutch on my Renault is so high and tight, for want of other words. There's not much of a "sweet spot" compared to the car I learned to drive in which was an old Mazda - which makes me stall a lot until I get used to it I guess.
Again, thank you for giving me some confidence with your posts. Any criticism or further advice is most welcome.
DominionZA
Executive Member
Nervous or over confident... No middle of the road? (pun intended)
Hehe, yeah, 'nervous' is not quite the right word, but it works in a literary sense, given the question, I think :/ "Alert"?
OP: As much as I rage behind slow/laggy/indecisive drivers, learn to take the time you need. Don't feel too much peer pressure from the angry faces and long queues loading up behind you. You will be able to better afford to take the time you need as you develop the skills of reading the road ahead and predicting the behaviour of the mob of crazy idiots all around you.
Also, if you think you can stomach it, watch the footage of the crazy Durban truck/multi-taxi accident at a big intersection that happened recently, and internalize that that possibility is always immanent.
JerryMungo
Honorary Master
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Get the L sign up in the back window - people might cut you more slack. That and practice, practice, practice. The more you drive, the better you get at it.
That and get your clutch adjusted, if you prefer it lower, there's no reason your local mechanic can't arrange that.
Last edited by a moderator:
Update:
I got the "L" sign as you chaps recommended. I'm driving cautiously around the area during off-peak times and slowly getting accustomed to driving. One thing I just can't seem to master is taking off smoothly from 1st gear. i am prone to sometimes stalling the car, and in an incline thats a bit dangerous. Can't seem to get the clutch to hit that "sweet spot" and take off nicely.
I got the "L" sign as you chaps recommended. I'm driving cautiously around the area during off-peak times and slowly getting accustomed to driving. One thing I just can't seem to master is taking off smoothly from 1st gear. i am prone to sometimes stalling the car, and in an incline thats a bit dangerous. Can't seem to get the clutch to hit that "sweet spot" and take off nicely.
Fazda
Honorary Master
That's great to hear.
Maybe I can help on the pull off. Every time I teach someone to drive, I force them to pull off using the hand brake.
What you do is pull the hand brake up, and then put the car in first, and slowly start letting the clutch out until you can "feel" that the car wants to pull past the brake - at that point you drop the brake and slowly pull off - hope that makes sense.
NeonNinja
Neon Resident
Let go of clutch. Floor the accelerator.
Practice
Fazda
Honorary Master
Bollocks
Venomous
Honorary Master
this.
you need to find the balance of what you need to do with your feet while your left hand controls the handbrake, and your right guides the direction of the car. Yes, your limbs need to learn how to function independently, yet as a team.
best place for this is an empty parking lot. drive stop/start over and over.
Car is new so i suppose it's mechanically ok. Power steering and tyres are pressured correctly. You're right about the confidence and practise, that seemed to help.