Preparing To Move Away
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Do your cockpit drill as in lesson 1.
Start the car.
Press the clutch pedal to the floor and select 1st gear.
Press the gas pedal slightly so the engine noise increases a little and then hold the gas steady.
Very slowly raise the clutch pedal until you hear a slight change in engine note. When you hear this change hold the clutch still.
The clutch is now at the ‘biting point’. Remember this phrase, we will use it often. The biting point is the point at which the engine is just starting to connect to the wheels. Do not have the biting point so 'high' that, if you were to release the handbrake, the car would launch itself away. You will know if it's too high because you will feel the back of the car drop down slightly - if you feel this, press the clutch back down slightly. Adjusting the correct biting point takes only tiny movements and may take a little practice.
Whilst holding the biting point, look over your left shoulder, check your left exterior mirror, look ahead and check the interior mirror, check your right exterior mirror, look over your right shoulder. This is known as a 360 degree check and you should always do it before moving away. Of course, these observations assume you are moving away from the left hand side of the road, if you are moving off from the right (which you shouldn’t do for this lesson) the observations would start over the right shoulder and finish over the left shoulder.
Consider whether you need a signal. You will need to signal if to do so will help another road user - remember that includes pedestrians and cyclists. If you can see the road is completely clear, you needn’t signal.
