How To Drive A Motorcar
A Key To The Subtleties Of Motoring

CHAPTER IV How to Start and Stop a Car THIS is another subject which superficially seems almost too childish to write about. Surely to goodness any motorist who knows anything at all about driving is aware of the proper way to start and stop a car. To save argu- ment (if any were possible) we admit it; at the same time, however, if they do know it, few conscientiously practise it. For the sake, then, of those who may not know, and to try to convert those who do know and practise not, let us discourse even on so simple a subject. How to Start the Car Itself Having taken the seat, make a definite practice of inspecting the brake lever to see that it is really off. Obviously, an experienced motorist would not drive long against a tightly-applied brake. Not infre- quently, however, when stopping on the level, one just puts the side brake on lightly, or yet again the ubiqui- tous small boy may do it for one, and it is quite possible under these conditions to drive for some little distance with a lightly-applied brake before be- ginning to wonder why “ the engine is not pulling properly.” Now comes the question of engaging the gear. This, of course, varies with the car and with the number of gears which the car possesses. Let us take the case of the four-speed gearbox first. If the road is level, or the up-grade quite slight, in the majority of cases it is perfectly feasible to start on the second speed. Many people with four-speed gearboxes, especially those who have not quite mastered the art of gear- changing, make a habit of starting on the third speed 30 1