[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by saitvsk23

It barely has 10k km on it. Would be a real shame if we sold it after paying all those EMI's. And its our first car too, so its a bit special for us. A new second car does not make sense at all for us

Ok, since all these rule out buying an AT car && your Mom is passionate about driving, the only option is to engage the services of a capable trainer - not necessarily a drivingSchool trainer, but someone who is good & patient at teaching and could either be driving for a living or doing this as a hobby/service/partTime. As I mentioned in my previous post, a KSRTC driver in our neighborhood is renowned for imparting actual road driving expertise/experience, after folks have got the license with the basic drivingSchool classes. My friend who has been driving for couple decades, didn't himself coach his son, but entrusted him to this person and he has imparted driving skills perfectly.

Patience is key here. Any kind of teaching requires patience & driver training more so. Avoid engaging folks who have a short fuse and who could make the whole experience a disaster.

And it's better if it is not a relative doing the coaching. Because the closeness not only affects the professionalism, but could lead to impatience & anger on the part of the trainer. Eg, I was a bit rough with my wife while teaching her driving, which I have ever since regretted. If she wasn't related to me, I wouldn't have taken the liberty of scolding her, for minor mistakes.

[black.beauty]

I see many comments for AT, but I suppose she will still have to understand how manual operates since ultimately the license would require a MT test.

I agree with the GTO on taller cars for better visibility that would lead to easier judgements and comfortable ingress-egress at this age.

Good luck, mate!

[Ragavsr]

Originally Posted by black.beauty

I see many comments for AT, but I suppose she will still have to understand how manual operates since ultimately the license would require a MT test.

I agree with the GTO on taller cars for better visibility that would lead to easier judgements and comfortable ingress-egress at this age.

Good luck, mate!

Not at all. You can get a licence driving an automatic and the licence will be automatic only. No big deal if the person doesn't know to drive a manual.

I am facing similar issues as the OP but with my sister. I taught her to drive some 7 years back and she aced the licence test but hasn't driven much after that and now she is jittery driving a manual . I am pestering her to buy an automatic car but she is keen to master the MT which I feel is unnecessarily adding to her stress levels while driving. My view was that she would drive really well once the chore of shifting gears is taken away.

[John P Daniel]

Well, I'm in nearly the same boat. I've taught driving to my missus recently and got her to drive pretty good so far in a manual petrol car.

She joined driving classes and practiced driving in a diesel Indica. Once the licence was earned, she started driving in our own car. Initially, she was taught the basics of the car like where all stalks for headlights and wipers would be and how to use them.

Then, she was taught to judge the car's dimensions. She'd sit in the driver's seat in her position and I'd stand at front and corners around the car. She'd read where I was standing and also find the visual line for corners on the dashboard.

Once she was ok with them, I let her drive and initially she was quite nervous and held the steering wheel tight. During gear changes, she'd grab the gear shifter and push it into place. At times, car would stall/rev up due to incorrect gear.

During all these times, patience and encouragement was the key. I just give her corrective and recommended actions during the drive and let her figure things herself. I'd wait till she completed the drive. Then, once she's calmed down, I'd explain her all the mistakes and suggest the alternatives.

She's done brilliantly so far. She does fear traffic and barricades but she knows that when in doubt, go slow. When it comes to traffic or critical situations, only time and experience will help. She knows the basics and that's the required stuff. Every situation is unique and everyone behaves different in same situations. I just let her drive and intervene only if necessary.

She recently drove for about 100kms non-stop and even though there were a few hiccups, she gained valuable experience along the way. Just be patient and provide lots of time behind the wheels.