The automated driving test does not have any scope for testing learner drivers' psychology while driving - and as a result, we are creating selfish road-hogging monster drivers on our roads.

BHPian SS-Traveller recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

About 5 years ago, Delhi started India's first automated driving test track to assess applicants' driving skills in a fair manner before issuing them a permanent driving license, and to weed out corruption in the Regional Transport Offices. On government orders, such automated testing for driving licenses is becoming commonplace in many cities and districts across the country. For those who are unaware of what the automated testing procedure is, here is a detailed video.

The test entails driving forward and in reverse, negotiating a figure-of-eight course, a slalom section, obeying a traffic light, managing to stop and pull away on a mild gradient without rolling back, and parallel parking. Allowances are made for mistakes like hitting a kerb (crossing a yellow line determined to be the kerb by the cameras) multiple times. Yet, a large percentage of applicants fail the automated driving test, and to accommodate and pass more of them, some modifications are being made on the original tracks. This includes a mandatory reminder for examinees to put on their seat belts before starting the test (earlier, those who failed to put on their seat belts before starting off, failed).

What are the advantages of automated DL testing?

According to a survey by SaveLIFE Foundation in India in 2017, it was reported that a whopping 59% of the respondents did not give a test to obtain a driving license.

Multiple research papers have been published [1], [2], [3] listing the advantages of automated DL testing, and include:

• Expediting the testing of candidates aspiring for a driving licence in a more efficient and transparent manner, as compared to manual testing procedure.
• Reduction of time taken to test.
• No dependency on the experience of the examiner in conducting the test.
• No involvement of corruption and/or influence in success or failure of driving test
• Option for examinees to review errors committed by them in driving tests on recorded video, in case of doubt
• Reduction of workload of RTO employees, and ability to test and issue more DLs in a given period of time.

None of the papers, however, list any disadvantages of the automated driver testing system, and it is appalling how many flawed and incompetent drivers the system is producing.

But why is automated DL testing producing flawed and dangerous drivers?

Let us quickly look at what dangers and disadvantages the automated testing procedure entails.

Slow speed driving: Nowhere during the test does the speed of the vehicle exceed 10-15 km/h. While the examinee may well be able to control his vehicle at these speeds (a 3-year-old riding a tricycle can reach such speeds and control his progress), the problems begin when he reaches usual traffic speeds in the city (40-70 km/h), or God forbid, the new and swank expressways (80-120km/h) across the country. At high speeds, the newly licensed driver has no experience or ability to control his vehicle, nor has he ever been tested for this skill. Once he is travelling at high speed on an open road, he does not understand the limits of grip of his tyres or brakes. His license gives him utter freedom to travel at speeds well above the speed limits of a street or highway. During the automated test, the examinee would never have changed from first to second gear. Suddenly, out on the road, he is not able to figure out which gear to be in at what point.

No concept of the dynamics of traffic flow and requirement of crash avoidance space around his vehicle: When tested, the learner driver is benchmarking his position on the road only with relation to static structures such as yellow lines, kerbs, barriers, lampposts etc., which he can pass with inches to spare at a very leisurely pace. He does not understand that overtaking another vehicle and cutting into its path by sharply changing lanes immediately, can result in an unexpected collision; that pulling out of a side road without checking, into the path of an oncoming car, or even a bicycle, endangers human lives; that a vehicle approaching him is actually coming towards him at double or more of the speed he is travelling at, and a collision would be catastrophic; that overtaking a biker with six inches to spare between the two vehicles, or following another car at 100 km/h with 10 metres of space between them, is a sure shot recipe for disaster.

No hazard perception testing: The computerized hazard perception test for learner drivers is a must-do task in many countries, before the learner can even get behind the wheel. However, India, with more than its fair share of hazards on the road for drivers and riders, does not care to test drivers for their ability to recognize hazards on our roads. The grant of a DL after testing the ability to drive around a regulated course with static objects, is producing a genre of drivers who do not look out for pedestrians, wobbly cyclists, and especially loitering animals on our roads.

No knowledge of right-of-way rules and common courtesy for other road users: The automated driving test does not have any scope for testing learner drivers' psychology while driving - and as a result, we are creating selfish road-hogging monster drivers on our roads, leading to ego wars and road rage. The pedestrian and cyclist are not his concern to take care of, and the other car, as long as it is smaller and lower than his own, can be bullied out of the way.

No understanding of the power and acceleration capability of his vehicle: Young drivers and riders, fresh from the exhilaration of having received their new driving licence, begin by driving vehicles that can accelerate to 100 km/h before the driver/rider can utter what on earth is happening? Each driving licence issued empowers the driver to drive vehicles of any engine and performance type, and often these are involved in major crashes on Indian roads. Rules need to be implemented whereby a driver with less than a certain number of years of having received his DL, or those below a certain age, ought to be debarred from driving certain cars and bikes on public roads, that are too powerful for their own good.

No preparation, practice or testing for emergency braking, use of indicators, high & low beams, hazard flashers and fog lamps: The very fact that a majority of drivers driving manual transmission cars in India tend to press the brake and clutch pedals together (I have even noticed some cab drivers do it), means that no one taught these drivers to drive with proper technique. Hardly anyone uses indicators before a turn, lane change, or at a roundabout. As to the use of low beams, the less said the better. Hazard flashers and fog lamps are used indiscriminately and at will, in sunshine, nighttime, rain or fog. Once the DL is received, no one bothers to refine or correct their technique of driving.

No evaluation of setting up and use of rearview mirrors or head checks: Enough said. In a country where half of all drivers keep their ORVMs folded for fear of breakage, how does one know about hazards behind and to the sides? An unaware driver is a dangerous driver.

That the automated driving test is not adequate, has been highlighted in this video.

Listen to the presenter's point of view from 5:53 onwards, to find out.

At the rate India is putting out newer, bigger and more powerful cars on the roads, accompanied by such flawed testing procedures for issuing DLs by the thousands (lakhs?) every day across the country, road safety in India is about to become a topic for more conferences, discussions, hashtags and debates than actual lives being saved. It is high time that DLs are not issued indiscriminately, driver training and testing are made far more stringent, and new traffic rules be brought in whereby drivers would have their licences suspended if involved in a major crash or multiple minor traffic violations (such as, say, 10 traffic light violations), and would need to undergo re-training and re-testing under a completely new and rigorous process before receiving a new DL.

To our experienced drivers on this forum: What are your suggestions for large-scale improvement in the quality of driving and skills of drivers & riders on Indian roads?

Here's what BHPian Samba had to say on the matter:

I agree with all the points you have mentioned. Just like, there is a huge gap between theory and practical, the same applies here. There is a lot of difference in driving inside a confined place and on open roads.

There must be a hands on driving test on the road with moderate traffic where points will be deducted on making every small mistakes. At-least a 15 to 20 mins of drive should be made compulsory. Most of the road users in India has a very pathetic driving sense & that's because no one taught them the right way.
Most of the drivers here learn driving from another senior driver and that driver has learnt in the same manner few years back! So the mistakes are actually been carried forward by the trainers! Even most of the training school drivers are just average drivers with poor knowledge.

A child grows up seeing their parents or their trusted driver driving their cars. He/she considers them to be the perfect mentor to learn driving. But no one corrects them the mistakes they pick up from their mentors, & it's been carried forward!

I consider driving to fall under life skill and it should be taken seriously. In India we need proper certified trainers to train the new drivers before appearing for a driving test.

Here people are getting their license through these automated driving license tests, and in reality we need to drive in such conditions!

Here's what BHPian MT_Hyderabad had to say on the matter:

Nothing is perfect in this world and Driving License Testing is no different.

One can argue that the test is conducted in the day, what will happen when it is dark? or even more dangerous - raining!?

Information from National Safety Council states that crashes are more than average during the dark.

Hence, I will continue to believe that there is, and will always remain, some scope of improvement in the testing set up and it can never mimic the real life conditions that one will face in the real world.

Exposure to these conditions during the learning license phase and training is a must.

Here's what BHPian Jeroen had to say on the matter:

So we can’t produce fully automated cars, but we can have fully automated drive testing?

Well, I guess count your blessing in the sense, this is still better than no driving test at all. My driving test in Delhi was a joke. But I agree that this sort of testing is not anywhere sufficient for driving in real traffic.

Here's what BHPian aaargee had to say on the matter:

Sir, I'm of the opinion that, no matter how, where, what one learns, the SYSTEM, the long rotten lack of traffic law enforcement SYSTEM in here, simply turns everyone into another offender.

Although difficult to prove, my opinion is that, it all starts right at schooling; it is indeed the education, the education by Parents, who, for convenience sake, violate all laws to dump their children at school right on time for their fear of their children missing assembly is far greater than traffic violation. And all innocent children get to the notion that, if Parents are doing this, then this must be right.

I can't wait to see how horrendous the situation turns into in next few years when these innocent children turn 18 driving/riding on road.

And why lack of enforcement? I happened to hear one Police lamenting how situation have turned the tables these days; someone recording with a phone, reaching out to social media has strong support towards the offender rather than system of justice. Again the SYSTEM plays a role here.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Do share those things which you discovered late in your driving life and which now you find silly.

BHPian RR96 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

There are many things which we learnt late in our driving journey. These are things which you may discover on your own as the journey progresses. Your driving instructor may not teach you everything correctly or maybe he may teach you things just to help you clear the license test. There are many things which I discovered later in my driving journey. There's a separate thread for things that they don't teach you at driving schools: CLICK LINK.

Through this thread, you could just share those things which you found later by yourself in your driving journey. For example, I discovered many things later like:

• Whether you should always press the clutch while braking. The rule of thumb told by my driving instructor was to always press the clutch while applying brakes. This might have been told to avoid stalling. But later after driving many kilometres, I learnt that you don't need to do so and only press the clutch while the rpm and speed of that particular gear go down below a limit. I remember discovering this and today feel it's really silly.
• Other common things which I recollect that I discovered late are how to shift IRVM day and night. How to stop the car on a slope using the half clutch. How to start a car with a dead battery by pushing or moving down a slope etc.

Do share those things which you discovered late in your driving life and which now you find silly.

Thanks.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

The biggest thing I learnt and what I now find silly is, it's simply not worth it to fight/argue on the road if you get into an accident. Just go claim your insurance if required & move on. A mad guy recently rear-ended a luxury car I was driving. Didn't even step out of the car. Just smiled, gave him a thumbs-up with smile ("all is okay") and moved on. In my younger days, raging with adrenaline, I'd always be up for road fights. The stupidest thing ever.

There is also the safety aspect. Remember, you never know who is carrying a dagger or a gun under their seat. And there is no doubt that people just need to vent due to other frustrations in life. See the first minute of this video where Sunil Dutt explains to the thief that the crowd wants to bash him only because of personal or professional problems in their lives.

Here's what BHPian Akshay6988 had to say on the matter:

As a newbie driver, I had this habit of upshifting at 1500-1700 rpm before the engine gets in its power band. This resulted in me being very very slow on uphill roads. Many kilometres later and after asking here on the forum, I learnt that I've to upshift at higher RPMs on uphill.

Another thing I've noticed after driving almost 20k km is cruising at 90-100 km/h is better than cruising at 100 km/h. The time difference between both is merely 10 - 15 minutes. You get much better mileage and drive is relatively easy at these speeds. Anticipative braking also helps manage your average speed.

Here's what BHPian RedTerrano had to say on the matter:

In no particular order:

Diesel doesn't have spark plugs.

Safe distance in Pune is a fantasy. The moment you keep your distance, 3 bikes and a rickshaw will squeeze into that space.

Drive defensively.

Rule of thumb: Everyone is an idiot.

Your vehicle, your safety, your wallet, your freedom, your responsibility.

Vehicle language, like body language, is real. If you feel a vehicle is going to overtake you from the left and slide in front of you, it will.

Corollary: The vehicle whose front wheel is ahead of the other always manages to get its way.

Dashcams are well worth the investment.

As per Indian law, the one with the bigger vehicle is always at fault.

Watch out for buses, especially public transport. Anyone can nonchalantly spit out of the window, whenever they feel like it.

If someone halts their vehicle to give you the right of way, most probably they have been to some Western country. A courtesy thank you wave of the hand is absolutely recommended.

Corollary: It is also nice to be waved to instead of just waving to others.

Don't even think of hitting your ignition till everyone is buckled up (Nowadays it includes rear seat pax as well)

If you are a man and spot a woman fallen from her vehicle, do not attempt to physically help her unless you are accompanied by a woman, or there are more people on the scene.

If anyone is itching to overtake you on weekend evenings/nights to gain a few precious inches, let them. Not worth the hassle.

Bookmark the Italian tuneup thread on TBHP.

In case she comments on your speed, shares it with her.

Here's what BHPian narayans80 had to say on the matter:

1. The importance of planning (start timings, big city crossing timings, hotels, fuel stops, food stops).
2. The physical and mental toll high speeds take on your body.
3. How to adjust ORVMs. There was a post from SS-da or Jeroen sometime in 2017-18 which am not able to find now, have been following that ever since. Basically, there is no use looking at your rear bodywork and fuel cap from your left ORVM.
4. Indicator usage and that using it alone is not the right way. Expect a lot to rush once you turn on the indicators.
5. Importance of 3-point rear seat belts and child seats and what sort of useless hogwash lap belts are.
6. The countless occasions rear wash-wipe saves you on a rainy day.
7. The value of that 30-minute nap over multiple rounds of caffeine.
8. The amount of peace of mind less honking brings, and when to use it.
9. The risk of sideswiping in big commercial vehicles (trucks, buses, trailers, pullers). Corollary: Watching the front wheel movement against lane demarcations.
10. Not to be over-enthusiastic about cleaning our car in monsoon season. Does not include a glass area, reverse cam sensors, lights or number plates.
11. Car size does not matter (except when parking). The temperament to drive does not change, and driving a small car is not the same as riding a bike.
12. Driving an AT as a newbie helps in perfecting your steering controls. This is better than giving up driving forcing yourselves to drive an MT and conforming to social norms.
13. Transitioning from AT to MT is not hard as it is made to be.
14. Transitioning from MT to AT needs a bit of a learning curve too. You'll learn more about A-pedal modulation and keeping distance to account for the lack of engine braking. Should not forget to move the left leg

Here's what BHPian V.Narayan had to say on the matter:

My learnings from 44 years of driving in India are below. These are not theoretical learnings but what I actually practise while driving on our roads.

• Drive with an invisible bubble around you. When others poke your bubble slow down a bit.
• I am not competing with the other folks either on the road or in life achievements. Let the other guy win.
• Always drive watching what is happening up ahead - several tens of metres in case of a city traffic road and 200 to 400 metres ahead in case of a highway.
• Every junction, every U-Turn, every bridge, every village is a danger point no matter what.
• Speeds above 70 in the city and above 90/100 on the highway won't get you earlier to your destination in any meaningful way.
• Don't daydream while driving. The picture ahead of you, behind you and on your sides changes every quarter of a second.
• If you are on the left of a bus be alert for jumping jacks who get off running buses without checking the rear
• If practical avoid night driving on highways.
• Check the rearview mirrors before starting off. Half the surprises come from the rear.
• In North India don't be the first to zoom off at the green signal. Allow time for signal jumpers to cross you at right angles
• And finally, lock your ego in the dicky.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Leave one car length from the vehicle ahead and a bus, car, two autos, and half a dozen two-wheelers and that over-enthusiastic cyclist will surge ahead to occupy that space.

BHPian GKR9900 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Time and again it has been emphasised in our forum about the need for proper driving etiquette like keeping a safe distance from the vehicle ahead and refraining from road rage. Although I was no saint in these matters, I had been trying to enforce these principles into my regular driving. A lot of the time, sticking to these principles means that you will be left out to fend for yourselves in the ‘traffic wars’ that are plying on our roads. Leave one car length from the vehicle ahead and a bus, car, two autos, and half a dozen two-wheelers and that over-enthusiastic cyclist will surge ahead to occupy that space. Overtake that wheezing car revving up to 6000 rpm to maintain 80km/h, and soon one finds himself locking horns with Vin Diesel’s apprentice. In spite of such negative experiences, I have tried to stick to proper driving etiquette. Can’t say I had been 100% successful in doing it, but I’m at least close to 90%. Every now and then, there comes an incident that humbles a typical Indian driver no matter how skilled he/she is. In my case, there have been quite a few incidents over the past few months that shows how unpredictable our roads really are. I have shared a few instances in team-bhp like the ones below:

A pothole launching a scooter into the air

A disciplined rider gets entangled by a sinister rogue pole-wire

An auto rickshaw guy beat by the very traffic he was trying to beat

I was the cammer in all these cases and ensuring a safe distance from the vehicle at the front ensured that I stayed a witness than a perpetrator!

The next incident that I’m about to share really drives the point as to how defensive driving can really turn the tables on a potentially ill-fateful journey.

My dad and I were going to Thrissur to check one of our properties. I was enjoying the momentary bursts of speed that narrow congested Kerala highways allow whenever I had a clear road ahead. After one such instance, I see congestion up ahead with a KSRTC bus up front and a few vehicles tailing it. I also see a person walking on the fast lane close to the median. I slowed down and decided to proceed behind the convoy. The Dzire in front of me decided to overtake the Alto ahead of it through the left lane. Assuming that the Alto is slow-moving, I also proceeded after the Dzire driver. The Dzire driver had almost finished the overtaking manoeuvre when the Alto driver accelerated and honked his way through, taunting him. The Dzire driver gave way and the Alto was again in front with the KSRTC bus ahead of it. Seeing the commotion, I decelerated and then I find this impatient Fabia driver honking his way through, overtaking me and proceeding to ride behind the Alto. I was irritated by the shenanigans pulled by the Alto and the Fabia but decided to take a deep breath and slow down. Maybe the guys are in a real hurry, I thought. Little did I know that this tiny bit of slowing down would become a huge sigh of relief within the next few seconds. Now, this is the picture in front of me: Alto and Fabia are travelling in the right lane. The Dzire and I are travelling in the left lane. The KSRTC driver in front of them is travelling in both lanes trying to squeeze in between an Ertiga in the left lane and a lorry in the right lane. The Alto driver is driving dangerously close to the KSRTC trying to prevent a potential overtake attempt by the Dzire driver. The Fabia driver seems to think that his best attempt at overtaking is to follow the Alto, so he too proceeds close to that. All this overcrowding was making me uncomfortable so I slowed down further. And then it happened! The KSRTC braked suddenly swerving to the left and stopping in the middle of the road. The Alto driver slammed on the brakes managing to just hit the KSRTC’s rear. The Fabia driver in spite of his best efforts couldn’t stop the car in time ramming into the Alto’s rear causing the Alto to again hit the KSRTC. All of this was over in an instant. Then the question came up. Why did the KSRTC break suddenly? As you can see in the video, some poor soul who was waiting on the median slipped onto the fast lane causing the mishap. I shudderingly remember the look of relief on his face of being glad to be alive. That guy should thank his stars. As for the Alto and Fabia, the cars really took some beating but the occupants were seemingly ok. For me, however, this was a humbling experience. There were a number of variables here that seem to lead the way to an impending crash. The people walking on the fast lane, the Dzire trying to overtake through the left lane, the Alto driver’s ego, the truck driver riding in the fast lane ahead of the KSRTC, the KSRTC weaving in and out of lanes hampering the visibility and judgement of all vehicles at the back, the Fabia driver’s impatience, the bad luck of the guy who fell onto oncoming traffic, the lack of space between all the vehicles. Had I been egoistic and tried some reckless manoeuvre amid all this commotion, it would have been me who would have kissed that Alto’s back. Myself and the Dzire driver and were thankfully just witnesses just because we decided to take a back seat amid all this action.

To those who are reading this, I plead again:

• Maintain a safe distance from the vehicle at the front
• Maintain lane discipline
• Practice defensive driving
• If someone seems to be taunting you with immature tactics, just let them pass
• Expect the worst. Even if it’s a highway, people or animals can wander onto the roads

This incident is a grim reminder of some of the oddities that plague our roads and just emphasises the necessity of proper driving etiquette. It may not always be rewarding, but the few times it does is really worth it!

Here's what BHPian CarNerd had to say on the matter:

The First thing to do on Indian roads is to reduce speed. There's no point in acting like F1 drivers on track trying to overtake everything in front. Most fatal accidents are a result of high speed. Experienced drivers should reduce their average speed instead of increasing them.

The second important thing is Patience - People drive as though they'll lose crores every minute they get late. I can understand certain emergency situations where one has to hurry but most people do it 24x7.

The third is Traffic Rules which most don't know as usual. You can do all the defensive driving you want but can you prevent some idiot from ramming into you or something falling on you? I have seen many accident videos where people get caught in an accident for no fault of theirs. This is where Prayer can be useful for those who believe in God.

The authorities are busy coming up with one rule after the other but no one is thinking of educating students. I don't know how many 18-year-olds get licenses every year without knowing anything about driving. This is serious and we should keep reminding our family and friends about safety.

Here's what BHPian aargee had to say on the matter:

I'm still in hesitation to share this here as I had originally refrained from posting this in this post on our recent trip to MH on account of the word of flares

Anyway, this thread ignited me to post on some of our observations & lessons learnt:

• We found most (say 80% to quantify) cars don't like to get overtaken. How do we know? We cruise in steady 100, either when nearing the other car or after having overtaken them, they suddenly start picking up speed. Again most of the time (say again 90% this time) when I yield to their speed letting them go, they no longer interested in maintaining speeds over triple digits & give up
• Only one Tiago (or Tigor), perhaps in the entire trip was lunkhead in this stretch. He would never let us go in the front (60 Kmph cruise) nor he would speed up over 50-55 Kmph. Finally, when I overtook him with difficulty, he came behind us with blinking lights for which I promptly yielded his way thinking he would speed off & he didn't. Instead, he continued his drama. So out of the 2900-odd Km, this section was one to pump the adrenaline on account of this lunatic.

• When we yield (ensure explicitly that the other party knows this) way for others, there's a good chance that others (if not everyone, at least 80-90% of them) will certainly yield way for us. Although I had known this fact, what I learnt in recent times is, this act of yielding has to be explicitly proclaimed so that fellow roadies understand
• When we yield, we take the foot off the gas or cancel & reengage the cruise after 2-3 seconds, enabling the fellow roadsters to overtake with ease
• And we always, always, always, prepare to yield so that even before people think of overtaking us, they've right of way
• From our observation, most standards of defensive techniques go awry in Indian driving standards; we follow a middle path combining defensive driving & Indian driving standards, call it, ahimsa driving.

On account of the word lessons learnt, my instructor then told me something that I would never ever forget. He said driving is a lesson to be learnt over a lifetime & can never be learnt fully. Each time you drive you should learn something otherwise you're soon to become a dead man.

Here's what BHPian vabhian had to say on the matter:

Thank you for sharing this and including the very relevant videos.

I consider myself as a sedate driver who values safe driving over anything else. In my experience, Indian roads (highways included) are full of surprises - animals, people, wrong-side driving, and reckless driving can be found almost everywhere and anywhere. One has to account for everything. Maintaining a safe distance is still an alien concept for a lot of drivers on the roads. Just last month, I had an experience with a crazy driver on NH-44 who almost caused a collision b/w multiple cars due to his reckless passing between lanes.

As you correctly said, experience is the best teacher. I had two experiences (thankfully, no mishap happened) almost a decade back that ingrained "safe driving" in my head. I have seen some folks I know who make it a competition to clock the same hours (or less) than the other person to cover the same distance and then brag, which in turn causes them to overspend and drive a bit recklessly.

Here's what BHPian ajayc123 had to say on the matter:

Driving on our roads appears like a car racing and ego game for a lot of guys.

Anyways, I can't do too much about it, but the game that I play is to stay clear of such gamers.

While I try to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead, I feel it is more important to maintain a safer distance from a tailgating vehicle. So I just let the aggressive tailgaters pass by at the first opportunity.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The scheme also includes a ban on disabling traction control on said "high-powered vehicles".

According to a media report, South Australia's Premier, Peter Malinauskas has proposed a new licencing scheme for supercar owners.

As per the new scheme, owners of "high-powered super sports cars" will have to undergo additional/specific training, before being allowed to drive such vehicles on public roads. The scheme also includes a ban on disabling traction control on said "high-powered vehicles".

The changes in the road safety law are said to be a direct result of the death of a teenage pedestrian who was hit by a Lamborghini Huracan outside a restaurant in Glengowrie, South Australia in 2019.

Malinauskas stated that the use of such high-powered supercars requires a high degree of driver competency and this should be tested before allowing a person to drive or acquire such a car. He further added that the special licencing will only be in place for those who want to drive an elite, high-powered sports car. Also, the new scheme is just to ensure that the driver has the ability to handle such a high-powered car in a way that doesn't compromise the safety of other road users and pedestrians.

Reports suggest that Malinauskas is said to introduce these reforms in parliament by the end of this year.

Source: CarExpert

We got her enrolled in Maruti driving classes. She took 12 classes for 8000 INR, and well, that didn't work out.

BHPian saitvsk23 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello BHPians,

This might seem like a very silly question, but please hear me out.

I am pursuing my B.Tech in Automobile Engineering and I am all about automobiles since I was 3. I am 20 right now, and my family owns a 2016 Maruti Suzuki WagonR VXi manual. We actually booked an AGS model back then, but relatives had told us that repairs would be expensive on automatic models. Us being car owners for the first time, got intimidated a bit and requested our order to be changed to a manual one. I learnt driving on it when I was 16 with a little help (I'm a visual learner- I learnt how to control pedals and shift gears by observing cab drivers) and aced it within a week. I got my 4+2 license couple of years ago back home in Hyderabad.

My mom has this extreme passion for driving. She has this junoon of driving the car all by herself. She often compliments me saying that I'm handling the car like a "Leo toy". She had a Kinetic Zoom DX back in the day and she used to tell me how she used to race against her classmates on their Hero Hondas and their Kawasakis till Golconda. She's in her fifties now, and has a Hero Maestro for local runabouts. I feel its not safe for her to travel anything more than 3 km on her scooter. Whenever I'm home, I drive her to far places like her friend's places or any gatherings, functions, etc. I don't want her to depend on cab services as they mostly reject our ride requests and are expensive for the most part.

We got her enrolled in Maruti driving classes. She took 12 classes for 8000 INR, and well, that didn't work out. She understood the steering sense (judging the car's dimensions during driving), but she misses out on pedal management. She often stalls the car, and gets confused pretty quickly. Me being the younger one, I get frustrated pretty quickly and feel bad later because of that. But hey, they taught us how to walk. So this is my turn to be patient with her.

She tried driving all by herself once with me in the backseat. There was a lorry driver who was very impatient and decided to overtake us. He overtook us from the right side and ended up knocking off the right ORVM. She has been scared out of her wits since then.

So yeah, how do I teach my mom about the pedal management? And how do i teach her about the gear shifts? She feels panicked whenever we drive into traffic, even when I'm the one driving. How do I remove this fear from her? How do I make her understand that the clutch is the most important thing in the entire driving process?

Lady owners of this forum, you are most welcome to give your inputs on understanding your machine, from your point. It just aches my heart that we have paid these many EMIs just for the car to be lying in the parking lot and be used whenever I come home. I don't want to be too technical in terms of teaching her how the machine works. It would help me a lot on knowing about your perspective. It's such a cute little machine and deserves all the love and miles she was made for.

And men on this forum who had to teach your moms or better halves, your perspective is most welcome. It will be extremely useful for me. I can see from the eyes of a man teaching their loved ones. Either ways the experience will count for me, as I'll have to do it twice.

Thanking you all in advance,

TVS Krishna.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

I realised that I just don't have the patience or temperament to teach anyone driving. Driving school is best. For your Mum:

• AT is mandatory. Especially because of the pedal coordination challenges. Get her an AT. AT cars are now available at every price point. AMT not bad for a newbie driver, if budget is a constraint.
• Good driving school instructor in an AT car.
• Taller car would be preferred for her. Better visibility & easier ingress / egress. Something like the S-Presso or Ignis for cheap, or a Creta at the premium end.

Here's what BHPian arvind71181 had to say on the matter:

Not sure my thoughts would help but here goes:

I feel that clutch management is the biggest hurdle towards learning to drive at an older age. Not sure if you can get an automatic immediately, but maybe you can try to get her to drive an automatic from your friends and family circle and see if that helps. I have seen older first time learners (typically 30+) folks take to automatisc more easily than manuals hence the suggestion.

Here's what BHPian raktim had to say on the matter:

 Firstly, keep the lessons very very simple and don’t mind about giving several unsuccessful attempts. You will need to first make her understand how to shift gears and the very essential use of clutch while doing so, without getting into any technicalities. You may need to make her practice it a lot while the car is not running. Then you will need to set very simple rules about the gear shifts, like say 0-10 kmph: first gear, 10-20 kmph : second gear etc. (the exact range will depend on the particular model). After all these if she start managing the car by herself, time and experience are the only cures for her feeling of panic while driving in traffic.

The best part is she already is in control of the steering wheel.

Here's what BHPian S.Marine had to say on the matter:

Well, i feel somewhat qualified in offering advice here because i successfully taught my wife how to drive (or so i like to believe).

It was essential to me that she learns driving because i was kind of weary from driving non-stop during family trips. I started off by walking her through all the basics of the IC engine, the components, what each pedal actually does, what is going on inside, the whole nine yards. She was a quick learner but tended to lose focus on multiple things which led to me shouting, and often times ended up with me being on the receiving end of divorce threats.

She fully learnt driving only when - i know you'll hate to hear this - she drove alone. Without unnecessary inputs from me. For a non-technical person, there is already information overload while driving, and people like us (reasonably safe drivers) tend to constantly voice our anticipation of a probable situation. Like for instance, upon seeing a motorcyclist in our path at an intersection, i would invariably expect him to cross over from the wrong side and take precaution to prevent an accident. This constant nagging was too much for my wifey to handle. Hence, she found the courage one day and brought the car to the airport to receive me. Once that hurdle was crossed, there was no stopping her. She even learnt parallel parking from YouTube. The downside is that now i have to listen to her criticize my driving all the time.

My 2 cents - there is no substitute to practice. Let your mum have sufficient practice in your presence, then (when you feel it is safe) slowly let her drive alone on empty roads / parking lots. It will build up her confidence immensely. Progress to driving in traffic after that.

Here's what BHPian KrisTvpm had to say on the matter:

FWIW, here's my tuppence!

I am like a little more than twice your age, had been in the same boat as you - only difference it was the missus in my case, not my mom!

She got her driving license way before our marriage, thanks to her father's clout, but was a poor driver!

So, way back in 2007, I decided I must equip her to drive the car by herself, when I have to travel out of town due to work.

Took her out on a relatively less-crowded road, exact same thing as you mentioned happened - a lorry sideswiped the RHS ORVM due to her panic on the road, and she decided "enough is enough I'm not going to drive a car anymore"!

I left it at that for 5 years, then had to travel out of town for almost a year, so prior to that decided to rekindle her driving lessons.

Enrolled her in a driving school, she went through the 3 weeks daily routine with the "master", came back as good/bad as before!

Now, I started taking her out DAILY morning about 6:30 -- 7:30 for driving lessons in our own car (Zen manual gearshift), in the residential layout which isn't that crowded. There are lots of criss-cross roads/paths and could easily cover 10+ km in 1hour.

Imparted the basics - A/B/C pedals, steering management, using lights/indicator stalks, hand brake usage (she had this extremely bad habit of doing what's known as half-clutch, imparted by the driving school "master"), using BOTH ORVMs + IRVM simultaneously, less-honking + more-attentiveness, NEVER attend to calls/text on the road while driving, check the basics (tyre pressure, brakes, indicators, AC etc.), no unusual/warning lights in the console before taking out the car from home - etc..

This went on for a month, being the better-half & not mom I had the liberty to yell/shout when I got frustrated due to her certain idiosyncrasies [lady folk: no disrespect meant, just that I'm a little hotheaded & she's the vice-versa! I'm not an MCP & not stereotyping all ladies are, well, um, y'know... not optimal drivers]

Finally she learnt the tricks of the trade, had been driving as & when needed without my assistance/when I traveled out of town, and now she continues.

In return, I learnt lot of patience, and the knowledge that not all people imbibe the lessons at the same pace - you need to be ready to accept that another person maybe better than/worse than you at doing/learning things - patience & perseverance is the key!

So good luck to you & your mom, I'm sure she will catch up soon & be a good driver!

Here's what BHPian Akshay6988 had to say on the matter:

Buddy I've been in this situation myself, my mom being a working woman in her early 50's . To put it simply, don't let her drive the car herself, sorry if I sound rude here. Let me explain why.

I've tried to teach my mum to ride scooter so that she can be self dependant, but she and I couldn't get over her fear of falling down. And in this age and the traffic menace on the roads, it doesn't make sense to enforce her with added responsibility of driving. Mind you driving requires 100 % of focus. My aunt in her late 40s learned to drive the car, she drives sufficiently good, yet my uncle hired a chauffeur for her school runs (daily 80 kms commute is difficult to manage for anyone !)

I would advise you to hire a trusted chauffeur for her office / city commute or any trusted rikshawala in your area. This way you'll be stress free, she'll also be able to travel freely whenever and wherever she wants to. At my home, currently I'm my mom's chauffeur. Whenever I'm not home, I've a trusted rikshawala just a call away, I just hand him over some extra cash so it's okay. My sister is also learning to drive a car, so I'm not much worried now.

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