The accelerator is the right pedal. When depressed, it increases the fuel flow to the engine, increasing the engine revs. Release the pressure on the pedal and it decreases the fuel flow and slows the engine revs down.
The foot brake is the middle pedal. Its function is to reduce the speed of and stop the vehicle by setting up the brakes and progressively squeezing them until the desired speed is achieved.
The clutch is the left pedal. It’s used to separate the engine from the gear box when changing gears. Depress the pedal quickly to disengage then slowly release to reconnect the clutch to the gearbox. It’s used in conjunction with the gears to allow the vehicle to move and also to prevent the engine from stalling when you bring the car to a stop.
In automatic vehicles, there are only 2 pedals. The brake is on the left.
Situated in the centre console, the hand brake is used to hold the vehicle in a stationary position. To apply the handbrake, depress the button at the end of the lever and lift until form. To release, slightly lift, depress the button and lower the lever fully.
The steering wheel is situated directly in front of the driver. It’s used to steer the vehicle and maintain road position.
There are 2 methods of steering. The hand over hand method, or the push-pull method. There are 2 positions for the hands. They are based on the numbers of a clock. The 10/2 position and the 9/3 position.
The gear shift is situated in the centre console and is used to connect the engine to the drive wheels and to increase the speed of the vehicle. In most modern cars, there are 5 forward gears and one reverse gear.
First gear is the lowest and most powerful. Fifth is the least powerful and is used for higher speed travel, such as freeway motoring.