So, it's time to move up in the world. You're probably some young whippersnapper who is ready to buy their very first car, and needs to become a licensed driver. The most important thing before obtaining your drivers license, however, is learning how to operate a motor vehicle. Luckily for you, it's pretty easy to drive a car. Just follow this walkthrough and you'll become an excellent driver in no time at all.
If you haven't operated a car before, take a little bit of time out of your day to go motoring with a friend or family member. Bring a pad of paper and carefully watch what the person does as they drive around town. Write down things that you have questions about, such as, "How do I make the car go backwards?" or "How far away should I stay from the car in front of me?" Taking quick notes and noting down questions may seem dumb, but will help you get your ideas together, and in the end will make you a good driver.
After you have written down some questions and ideas, ask the friend or family member to teach you how to drive. They will most definitely walk you through all the easy stuff, like turning the car on, parking the car, and driving at a safe speed limit. These items may sound obvious, but a lot of people get intimidated the first time they start up a car, and in turn forget all the simple things that they were taught. Reviewing these simple things will help you remember when you actually get in the driver's seat.
Before starting the car, you should practice good safety by making sure that all children are in the back seat, and that all passengers are wearing their seat belts - including yourself. Wearing your seat belt is a safe thing to do, and it also helps you avoid getting pulled over by the police and getting a large traffic fine. A new driver probably doesn't need a ticket on their first day out, so always be sure to wear your seatbelt.
Another thing you should do to avoid getting pulled over is to obey all traffic laws. Don't roll a stop sign, drive through red lights, or speed excessively. The cops are everywhere, and will be glad to pull over a lawbreaker. After all, it's their job. Also, you can't outrun the cops. They will catch you eventually. If you're asked to pull over, it's easier to just pull over and face the consequences.
Back to driving. In order to drive safely and efficiently, you will want to check all engine fluids before going out on a drive. Simply open the hood, move the car back and forth a little bit, and check the levels of the fluids. If you don't see engine fluids moving around, it's probably a good idea to check them by {opening the cap, and looking inside.. If the fluids are low, add more to the container. This isn't necessary for every trip, but should probably be done before going on a long trip or something similar.
Now you are ready to start the car (please note that these instructions are not for a manual transmission).To start the car, hold down the brake pedal with one of your feet, release the parking brake, make sure the car is in park, then turn the ignition key to the right. A few cars require that you push the key in a tiny bit before the key turns, but most do not. With the car turned on, put it in 'drive.' Once the car is in drive, simply take your foot off the brake. The car will begin moving. Lightly press the gas to get a feel for the car, then move out onto a back road to get a feel for how it handles at higher speeds. Don't drive too fast, though!
Don't forget to follow all traffic laws. If you don't know them, search them up at your local DMV, or go online. There are plenty of resources out there to help get you started. Please also remember that this is just a very basic guide, and should only be used to help you get an idea for what driving is actually like. I'm sure there are lots of things in here that should have been mentioned, but weren't to save space.
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