The very first lesson in which you actually drive the car will be the one in which you learn how to start and stop the car effectively and safely. No matter how excited or confident you are before this session, actually starting the car can be nerve-wracking. Just remember, your instructor will guide you and has the ability to stop the car in case of an emergency. However, you must still drive as if you were the only one in control, the instructor's ability to prevent an accident should only allow you to drive more freely and confidently.
With that out of the way, let's move onto my experience with this lesson. I was fortunate enough to find an open slot to book right after my induction program so the controls of the car were still fresh in my mind. After finding my allocated car and instructor, I sat in the passenger's seat (yes, the passenger's seat, again) and handed him my training record book. The first 15 minutes of the session were spent with the car still parked, in a now fairly empty carpark, practicing pre-driving procedures. All mirrors and the seat were adjusted multiple times before running through the proper move-off procedure remembered through the sequence: brake, drive-gear, handbrake, signal, check, and release.
Next comes the circuit, and if you haven't passed your Basic Theory Test yet, this will be where you drive for up to 7 lessons. Your Provisional Driver's License is the key to graduating from driving in the circuit. During the first lesson, you will most likely be sticking to the outside of the track, working on what in my opinion is the most important skill you can possess, steering wheel control! Judging how much to turn the wheel to negotiate a bend accurately, without obstructing other lanes, while turning at a speed suitable to do the same can be challenging at the beginning, however, it is very easy to get a hang of.
The circuit, in essence, is a circular track with one main junction at the center and multiple sub-junctions with the various courses and segments you will be required to complete in later modules in order to gain a better understanding of how to operate the vehicle according to various road situations and designs. The speed limit is 20 km/h and driving here can be very slow with long waiting times at some junctions.
Finally, to talk about my experience with this lesson, I would say it was very enjoyable. Being my first ever drive, continuously driving in circles was not boring as the thrill of actually driving a car was still very much alive! I would expect that driving within the circuit is will get boring after a while since the area is pretty small and it feels cramped with multiple cars driving at lower than 20km/h. I would say that continuing to study for the BTT and keeping the basic driving techniques from this session in mind is the best way forward and possibly the best start to your driving journey!
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