Students begin the day with a one-hour classroom presentation that covers the relationship of the driver to the car and the car to the road. Accident avoidance tips are given and open discussion is welcomed. Instructors also introduce the concept of “looking where you want to go,” something that students must keep in mind during each exercise.
Manual transmission, also known as a “stick shift”, can be a traumatic experience for a parent, stressful for new drivers, and unforgiving to the clutch of a car. At SKILLS, students learn the basics of gear-shifting, including downshifting, proper procedure for engaging the clutch and how to come to a smooth stop. The hands-on experience provided will improve the driver’s level of confidence with operating a manual transmission so that he can better react in ‘panic’ situations such as recovering from a ‘stall’.