Pre-drive basics
Walk around your vehicle before entering to check for children, pedestrians, and anything in your vehicle’s path. Check your tires for proper inflation, as well as around and under your vehicle for fluid leaks and other problems that may affect the safe operation of your vehicle. When you are doing this while parked along a roadway, walk in a direction that allows you to see traffic coming toward you in the lane next to you.
After you have completed this check, you will be ready to take your place in the driver’s seat and prepare yourself for safe driving.
Before driving do the following basic habits in this order:
1 Lock your doors.
2 Adjust your seat and seat back. 3 Adjust your head restraint.
4 Adjust your inside and outside rear view mirrors.
5 Fasten your seat belt.
Lock your doors
Lock your doors to prevent unwanted persons from opening your door or entering your vehicle. Locking the doors also reduces the possibility of the doors opening if you are involved in a collision.
Adjust your seat and seat back
Adjust your seat and seat back support properly so that you are at least 25 centimetres (10 inches) away from the steering wheel. This is the distance recommended by Transport Canada. Be sure you can see over the steering wheel. Many vehicles have a steering wheel that can be tilted or moved back and forth. Find a position that is comfortable for you and that does not block your view of the instrument panel. Your elbows should be slightly bent when your hands are properly positioned on the steering wheel. Placing your left hand at about the 9 o’clock position and your right hand at about the 3 o’clock position is recommended. (See “Steering” in this chapter for more information.) As well, your position must allow you to operate the brake pedal and the accelerator. In a standard transmission vehicle, you must also be able to push the clutch pedal all the way to the floor.
Be sure you can reach all the controls and can relax your arms when you hold the steering wheel.