New learner driver - manual or auto

Manual. Just gone through the process of teaching one of my offspring to drive. Drilled hill starts and emergency stops on repeat for the first 3 days. So much fun. *makes big eyes face.
Next up hand brake turns then J-turns.
 
Jet-Fighter7700 said:
still hill starts, with electronic handbrakes, still emergency stops with ABS and ESC cars,
car technology has advanced quite a bit since then. is it still necessary to check it in the Driving test?
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And yet most people don’t know how to use ABS.

The whole thing should he turned around on its head.

You should complete an advanced driving course first which will then ALLOW you to sit a learners test.

The entire idea of writing a purely paper based test and then being allowed to drive a murdering piece of heavy machinery in public is pure insanity.
 
SauRoNZA said:
The entire idea of writing a purely paper based test and then being allowed to drive a murdering piece of heavy machinery in public is pure insanity.
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agree, but how should it be tackled? with a PC based test? click on the Hazards sort of exam to teach logic and prediction?
and thats my point, the test is from the 80-90's and is outdated in a big way, even the requirement for auto/manual
 
SauRoNZA said:
Okay that’s the way it read so makes sense now.

Did he need to redo a learners out of interest?
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His learners from the first test was still valid so he didn't need to.

If it had already expired he would have had to redo the learners (you need a valid learner license to make an appointment for a drivers license)
 
Bro...manual.

Auto is for old people or people who have learnt the benefits of an auto after building thighs in a manual. But to limit him to auto life? No way. Why condemn him to a lifetime of being single?
 
On another note, always felt it odd how foreigners are allowed to drive in many countries without any sort of screening or orientation.

I drove all over N America with my SA license and more than once found myself on the wrong side of the road.

I had no idea what driving in snow was all about either until I had a few close calls and had to learn very quickly.

Somewhere in Canada there's a speed limit sign that I uprooted and sent flying off into the distance while I was adjusting to how a vehicle reacts on snow and ice.
 
To answer the original question, my view is that it depends on whether you have access to a manual transmission vehicle to practice. A couple of lessons with the driving school doesn't cut it - to produce a decent driver you need to spend the necessary amount of time (50 hours?) driving the thing around with an experienced driver accompanying you.
 
Only problem i have with auto is the split second lag that many of them have when "putting the foot done". Just drives me crazy. otherwise fine with Auto. But overall preference is manual. Quick gear change and you off to overtake once you decided to make the move.

Current and previous Auto's owned was driven by SO. Secondary car (cheapie rundowns usually) always manual and only driven by me.

When daughters got their license they also practiced on my cheaper since it cheapie and easy to repair. SO wont allow them to drive her/family car anyway
 
Norrad said:
Then you will probably never have a woman want you quite as badly as when you drive a manual, hold her hand, never let go of her hand but rather just guide her hand on the gear stick as you change gears :sneaky:
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Sounds as romantic as a night out in Brakpan
 
AfricanTech said:
His learners from the first test was still valid so he didn't need to.

If it had already expired he would have had to redo the learners (you need a valid learner license to make an appointment for a drivers license)
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I suspected something that stupid to be in play.

Typical.
 
AfricanTech said:
To answer the original question, my view is that it depends on whether you have access to a manual transmission vehicle to practice. A couple of lessons with the driving school doesn't cut it - to produce a decent driver you need to spend the necessary amount of time (50 hours?) driving the thing around with an experienced driver accompanying you.
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I reckon those 50 hours apply more to driving in general and can be done in the auto.

Learn how to space yourself on the road and manage the stress of driving etc.

Once that is sorted then jump on a manual and learn the mechanics of it.

If anything I think that would be a better way to teach anyone rather than jumping straight into a car park and learning to pull away and change gears.

First get a degree of comfort with driving, then fine tune it.
 
Jet-Fighter7700 said:
agree, but how should it be tackled? with a PC based test? click on the Hazards sort of exam to teach logic and prediction?
and thats my point, the test is from the 80-90's and is outdated in a big way, even the requirement for auto/manual
Click to expand...

I don’t mind the test itself, I think it does a good enough job.

My issue is that learners test is enough to go out on the road before any private area competency is proven.

I reckon it should be..

1. Competency training in a closed off area.

2. Learners to now apply said competency in the real world.

3. Actual drivers test to give you permanent approval to be on the road.

So many people perpetually rewrite their learners because they never learnt to drive well enough to pass their license and it’s an easy way to legally stay on the road.
 
If you have a auto only license you can’t drive a car. Only automatic cars.

Send him for a couple of those driving classes where the uni student who gives the lessons lets him do the test in his car.
 
SauRoNZA said:
Jeez you bring back memories.

I learnt to drive on a manual Mazda bakkie where the gears were behind the steering wheel and not a stick shift in the centre console.

Now that was an abomination.
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I started off with a Fordson Tractor and then gradated to the Chevrolet Bakkie sitting on my dads lap.
 
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