If you are interested in playing football, you should first of all learn up a few basic skills. Amongst them are:

i) Dribbling.

ii) How to trap a ball with your in step.

iii) How to head a ball.

iv) How to do a throw-in correctly.

v) How to conduct a corner kick.

Should you plan to become a teacher then, amongst the important skills you should learn up are:

i) The ability to write clearly and well on the blackboard.

ii) Have the capacity to teach well.

iii) To be able to draw would be a good asset.

iv) To tell good and interesting stories.

v) To be able to relate humorous jokes.

are some of the skills a good teacher should ideally possesses.

A potential student taking up a driving course should attempt to learn up some basic, good driving skills from his or her instructor.

Most students nowadays undergo a 10 or 16 hour driving course in Malaysia. Surprisingly, a British counterpart intending to take up a driving course has to undergo a minimum 40 lessons by a registered driving institution before he can even qualify to sit for his practical test.

As mentioned earlier, a potential candidate taking up a driving course in our country, Malaysia, has to attain some 8 to 10 skills. This will enable him to drive well, hopefully. All these, to be done in such a short duration, when compared to his British counterpart.

If you were to ask me, as a driving instructor since 1970, this tantamount to a very daunting, if not impossible task to achieve.

Whatever the odds maybe, as 10 to 16 lessons is the only amount of time an instructor has. We have no choice but to impart to the candidate the driving skills he should ideally be taught within this short span of time.

Skills in Bahasa Malaysia would be translated as “olahgerak-olahgerak” for the benefit of those who are competent in the National Language.

As mentioned, there are some 8 to 10 basic skills a student should learn up within a 8 – 16 lessons driving course. What are the skills are we talking about?

The skills are:

i) Entry from the road shoulder into the main road.

ii) Cruising along the highway.

iii) Moving in tandem with the road traffic.

iv) Crossing a junction.

v) Overtaking and being overtaken.

vi) Making a U-turn.

vii) Coming out from the centre of the road into a road shoulder.

viii) Side parking.

ix) Going up a slope.

Permit me to elaborate in more detail with regards to some of the skills that are required to be learnt.

1) Entry from the road shoulder into the main road.

This skill involves getting into a flow of traffic. A driver can be on a road shoulder, attempting to get into the main stream, from a side road attempting to enter the main stream, a car parked on a road shoulder trying to enter into the main stream, attempting to change lanes and attempting entry into a round-about.

2) Cruising along the highway.

Cruising along the highway means driving safely in the correct lane. The driver should be able t control his car well while maneuvering a sharp corner, driving well in all kinds of road surfaces, driving in bad surfaces, driving along road which are in poor condition, and driving on surfaces laden with deep craters and oil spillage.

Besides this, in emergency situations such as vehicle breaking down and accidents.

3) Moving in tandem with the road traffic.

The skill required here is the ability to control a vehicle safely and carefully in comparison to other vehicle. Other similar situations are also expected.

4) Crossing a crossing junction.

How does a driver ideally cross a cross junction?

To cross a normal junction, crossing a pedestrian crossing, a railway crossing, a crossing guarded by a security warden or police amongst some of the required skills expected to be learnt by a driver.

5) When overtaking and being overtaken.

How to overtake safely is one skill expected of a good driver too. Likewise what to do when being overtaken is another skill which a good driver should possess.

6) The skill of doing a U-turn.

The skill required is to drive back to the original position the driver came from. Other similar skills also involves reversing to do parking, doing 3 point turns and U-turns.

A new driver should master all the above skills as quickly as possible, as the ability to perform them will make you a good and proficient driver.

Why Is It So Many Students Fail In Their Slope, Side Parking and 3 Point Turn Aspect Of The Test

As many as 40 – 50 students from a total of 200, fail in their slope, side parking and 3 point turn of their practical test for Class D license each week.

A fellow instructor, who was having a conversation with me, wanted to know why so many students failed these parts of the test. Below are 5 answers provided by me to him.

1) The element of luck.

To be successful in business or exams, “luck” plays a great role. Some people say, if “Haley’s Comet” happens to be crossing by on the day you’re doing your test, well, obviously you are on your way to success.

Whether you believe in this concept or otherwise, is up to you.

2) Insufficient practice.

How many times have you actually done the above maneuvers? Two times? Three times?

The fact that you feel nervous, is a clear indication you have not learnt or practiced enough.

A student who has been provided sufficient time on the above procedures, will be confident.

3) Using a total new car for test.

Don’t forget, on test day, you are given a totally new car to do your test. New means a different car from the one you practiced in prior to your test.

You are actually not acclimatized or “used to” the car. So how on earth are you expected to perform well on test day?

Whether you get a new car or an old junk (if you’re unlucky) makes little difference. The fact is, you’re simply not used to the car you have to use on test day.

In such a situation, obviously, you are going to fare rather badly.

4) Condition of test differs completely from practice runs.

Students always remark, “I could perform well during practice days”. Well my dear friend, test days are not the same.

The tension you face on test day is different. The testers howling at you and the spectators witnessing all your actions. The nervousness in you and so forth all adds up to causing you to make simple, silly mistakes.

And what does all this amount to?

Of course, your failing, eventually.

5) Not having taken your breakfast prior to doing your test.

Many students make the mistake of not taking their breakfast prior to doing their test. You may think this may sound to be only a minor problem but a full stomach goes a long way in making you a confident person.

An empty stomach won’t be much help in helping you pass your test.

To be successful in your parking aspects of your practical test, slope and 3 point turn, you need lots of ample practice and as said earlier, also a little bit of luck as well.

Well then, best of luck.

To Coast Or Not To Coast, That’s The Question

The question of fuel has always been a contention amongst drivers. Certain latest brands of cars are of “hybrid” models. Hybrid cars run on a combination of battery power and petrol.

Drivers around the world have tried ways and means to save on petrol. That brings us to the question our blog readers have asked regarding what’s called “coasting”.

Basically, it is meant to mean “putting the car in free gear” and allow the car to roll along. Experts on fuel consumption seem to agree to the notion that doing this saves fuel.

So as the question has been asked, let us attempt to tackle the solution.

Whether it is correct to coast or roll along as we drive is another factor altogether.

There are a few situations where one can safely do the above. Let’s say you have accelerated and picked up speed, going into 3rd gear. Then you see a roundabout ahead. 20 – 30 cars are lining up at the traffic light. It would be ridiculous, to me at least to change into 4th gear and charge along towards the jam that’s ahead. You’ll surely agree to my line of thought.

So, what does one do in such a situation? Any sane thinking person, without saying, should actually put the gear in neutral and coast along.

What we are actually doing is, using the momentum of the car to roll along in free gear until the point we have to stop.

The vehicle running along by itself, would most definitely not consume any fuel or petrol. Get the idea?

Therefore, this method of driving or coasting as some call it, will eventually consume less petrol. Try it yourself once in a while. The you can always let me know the difference in your monthly petrol bill.

Actually, you have nothing to lose anyway.

Coasting At The Toll Plaza

Another example regarding where you can try my suggestion of coasting is the “toll plaza”.

Rushing or driving along towards a toll plaza, you see 40 – 50 cars lining up. Build up your speed to 40 -50 km/h. But you know, it is of no use. You eventually have to wait at least 5 – 10 minutes anyway.

It is of any use of you speeding along in such a fast speed? The answer is again no! So we wise by friend.

The next time, when you see a long que of cars at any toll plaza, do the right thing. Think of the amount of fuel or petrol that you would be wasting if rush ahead to the toll plaza, as if the world is about to come to an end.

You behavior, I would compared it to being “crazy”. Please excuse my words. But, if the truth hurts, well, that’s the way it is.

So again, my dear friend, do the correct and wise thing. Put your car in neutral or free gear, use your momentum that you have already gained, roll along smoothly.

Believe me, you’d certainly be saving a lot of your monthly petrol bill.

Anyway, I’m certain you can think for yourself my suggestion. As they say a “suggestion either remains to be taken or chucked away, anyway”.

Let me quote you on another example before this short article comes to an end. If you are a regular visitor to Genting Highlands resort, you’ll surely know what I mean.

At certain stretches along, at times, for a few kilometers. This is where you have the opportunity to use this idea of mine into practice. Put the car again in neutral of free gear, coast or roll along, careful with the brakes, controlling the speed as when necessary, and you can cost roll along.

The car going downhill by itself. Who knows, by doing this, you might very well end up recovering your earlier misfortune at the casino.

But there appears one thing I must advise you. Do not do it during the rain! Or even immediately after the rain.

Believe me, the road downhill is tremendously slippery and treacherous. I have myself seen, on numerous occasion, express buses landing up in the ravines.

“Suggest” I may, but I wouldn’t want to be responsible for your landing up in the ditches.

Good bye and drive carefully.

Related web pages:

1) What is hybrid vehicles?

2) Hyper milling – act of driving using techniques that maximize fuel economy