How to Shift Gears When Learning to Drive?
2 Answers
The method of shifting gears when learning to drive is: 1. Start in first gear: When starting the vehicle, press the clutch pedal fully, lightly tap the accelerator, observe the tachometer until it reaches around 2000 RPM, then release the clutch and the handbrake to start the vehicle. 2. Shift after starting: Press the clutch pedal, shift out of gear, then release the clutch and give a quick tap on the accelerator (empty throttle), press the clutch again, and shift into second gear. 3. Reverse gear method: Push straight to the right and then pull down to engage reverse gear. Some vehicles require moving the gear lever further left from the first gear position—meaning pushing one more notch to the left before shifting forward. Some vehicles require lifting a button under the gear lever before pushing left and forward to engage reverse gear, while others require pressing the gear lever down before pushing left and forward or right and backward to engage reverse gear.
When I first started learning to drive, I had no idea how to shift gears. The instructor had me sit in the driver's seat, and the first thing he taught me was to press the clutch pedal all the way down—this is called 'fully depressing the clutch.' Otherwise, the gears would grind or the car would stall when shifting. Then, with my right hand firmly gripping the gear lever, I had to gently push it to the corresponding position. For example, start in 1st gear, and as the speed gradually increased, shift to 2nd, then 3rd. The whole process had to be smooth and unhurried. I remember being all thumbs the first few times—either releasing the clutch too quickly, causing the car to jerk, or not giving enough throttle when shifting to a higher gear, making the car sluggish. After daily practice, I finally got the hang of it. Shifting gears should be done by listening to the engine sound: when the RPM is low and the sound is weak, it's time to upshift; when the RPM is high, downshift. With more practice, driving became much smoother. Safety first!
