There have even been cases where drivers have been run over by their own cars when starting them by band. This preliminary attention to the gear-lever should be cultivated as a habit, because even if you are never so careless yourself as to leave the gear in mesh, it is a safeguard against the possibility of someone else having moved the lever.
Steering is by far the most important art in good driving
because it is a continuous operation and is the key to safety if
danger comes. When learning to steer make a practice of looking
well ahead. At only 30 miles an hour even a big car travels more
than twice it's own length in a second: in a matter of 3 seconds
you are virtually on top of an object that was 50 yards away when
you first saw it. Nevertheless it is a mistake to sit so low in
the car that you cannot see the wings because there are times
when you want to see them in order to manoeuvre the car to an
inch. Nowadays, it is necessary to learn to feel comfortable when
driving with one wheel virtually in the ditch, in order that
other less competent motorists may retain their security on the
crown of the read.
When manoeuvring the car in a restricted space be sure to choose
for each successive position one that will leave plenty of room
for the next movement of the front wheels. Never get against a
curb or a wall when you intend to reverse; there is no room for
the next movement of the front wheels. If you want to turn round
by reversing, remember that you must have plenty of room in which
to get the car broadside on. If a gateway provides the only
available extra width to the road, it is better to back into the
gateway than to drive in bonnet first. The reason is, once again,
that when the car is backed into a gateway the whole of the road
is available for the movement of the front wheels, whereas, when
the car goes in bonnet first the next movement of the front
wheels may be restricted. On the other hand, be sure to keep the
rear wheels on firm ground.
Gear changing is apt to be regarded both by beginners and by drivers of some experience as a disconcerting business, but this attitude of mind is due more to neglect of a little initial practice than to any inherent difficulty in the act. Being by tradition