The Cockpit Drill

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You must learn this and carry out the checks every time you enter the car. The examiner will expect you to:

1.Check that all the doors are closed

2.Check your seat and head restraint are properly adjusted

3.Fasten your seatbelt

4.Check your mirrors are properly adjusted.

5.You will also need to check that the hand brake is on and the gearstick is in neutral before you start the engine

REMEMBER ———— D. TREBLE S. M

1. DOORS - Check that they are all properly closed.

Make sure your passengers have closed their doors. You are the driver, so you are responsible for the safety of everyone in your car.

If a door is not shut it might open as you drive causing danger to your passengers or other road users.

2. SEAT - Adjust it so you can reach the foot controls. Push the clutch pedal to the floor. You need to be able to do this comfortably and without stretching.

3. STEERING - Adjust your seat for comfortable steering, so that you can use the full wheel, not just the top!!

Don't get yourself too close or you might hit your knee on the steering wheel as you operate the pedals and your arms will be unable to turn the wheel properly.

4. SEATBELTS - Check that all seatbelts are on correctly. Check your seatbelt for twists and make sure it doesn't restrict your movement.

5. MIRRORS - Adjust the mirrors.

Sit in your normal driving position to do this so you can see all your mirrors with the minimum of head movement whilst driving. For the internal and drivers door mirror, a very quick glance with hardly any movement of your head is all you need while driving.

Do not touch the glass on any of your mirrors.

Adjust the door mirrors to reduce any 'blind spots'. You should be able to see just a very thin strip of the side of your own car in the bit of each door mirror nearest to the door. The horizon behind you should be in the middle of the miror.

Top of the internal mirror lines up with the top of the rear windscreen and you should be able to see a little of the left side of your face..

You are ready to switch on the engine,

but before you do you have to check that the handbrake is on and the gear lever is in neutral

Practice: You can run through this a few times in your head each day, even whilst watching television. It will soon become very easy and will take only a few seconds. Get into good habits now and everything else becomes easier