[KrisTvpm]

My daughter turned 18 last year & as many other members here did with their own kids, I too wanted her to learn the essential life-skill of driving.

Much as NomadSK mentioned, gave her multiple orientation classes myself, with our beater car Nano, at a vacant place near our home.

Then enrolled her at Maruti driving school, seeing their ad of "simulated driving sessions" on-premise before taking her on-the-road. Can't say this was an excellent option or so, as many of her friends who went with other driving schools came out well too! We chose manual gear car for her.

One good thing with Maruti DS was - they do "exclusive" driving sessions for one learner only at a time. So it's not a crowded car that picks up the kid which gives her/him just a time-slice out of 1hr and then return them with hardly anything learned.

Know it all depends on individual & aptitude, and -not wanting to sound sexist- generally boys pick up things like driving with great gusto than girls! Can recollect from my adolescent years - didn't wait for driving school or my father, I just learnt it on my own, keenly observing what he did with pedals/gear/steering etc. and moving my father's Padmini around in the small ground adjacent to our home!

Anyhow, as someone who has gone thru this exact grind just an year back, here's my 2paise worth:

• Just out of driving school lessons (1hr x 10 days), my daughter came out fit enough to rate her a ~40% driver! She knew how to start the car, get all the RVMs aligned to suit her vision, slot the car into gear & move it. That's it, no way I'd allow her to drive by her own.

• Now, took her out in my Nano everyday at around 6:30am, before traffic builds up, to some isolated roads near our area. Gave her driving sessions for another 2-3 weeks. She's not yet appeared for the DL test, still a learner, so pasted an "L" sticker on the car.

• She appeared for DL test within 4-5 months, with good enough sessions imparted by me. She failed on 1st attempt - the driving school had not given sufficient reversing lessons, hardly one or two. I did make her practice reversing, but seems this wasn't enough. She hit multiple poles/iron rods while reversing into the tight spot at DL test ground. Repeated reversing lessons in a vacant & tight parking spot in my apartment complex, re-appear after 30days and she cleared it this time!

• Then took her onto crowded traffic gradually, upon one instance in MAD/CHAOTIC traffic, she panicked & hit an Innova trying to squeeze thru a non-existent gap while she was trying to negotiate an u-turn. Set me back by 5K after negotiations

• Now made her drive in sparse traffic whenever possible, graduated to our XUV5OO. Due to her busy class schedule, she can't drive daily, but I make it a habit to let her drive atleast once every week. She drives well if there's no traffic! But since that's not the criterion to call someone a good enough driver, we still continue lessons. She drove on highways, maintained lane & speed within 70-80 with no problems. But on chaotic city roads/traffic, she's still a learner & I wouldn't dare let her drive solo. I'd rate her 6/10 now! Long way to go, it seems

FWIW, have taught her the importance of
* Maintaining lane discipline
* Respect others, even if it's not reciprocated; just because someone is a hooligan doesn't mean she should be too
* Do not honk unnecessarily, esp. not at pedestrians crossing
* Use all 3 RVMs + camera liberally, keep a 180° vision with eyes + compensate the rest with RVMs
* Always bend the head & look R/L when merging into roads
* Always look out for other vehicles/cycles/pedestrians before opening driver door
* Always LOCK the door as soon as you sit in the car - esp. when you're alone, then go about seat-belt/mirrors/music/makeup/whatever
* Always park the car in a busy well-lit area, never in isolated/dark alleys
* Always expect the unexpected, people do drive like crazy - many of them are selfish/foolish. The only place from where a 2wheeler/autorickshaw may not sprout out from nowhere on our roads is the manhole!

PS: I've still not removed the "L" sticker on our beater Nano!

[vmathews]

My daughter is now 18 years old. I enrolled her in a driving school to learn driving, classes still under way.

Once she gets her license, I plan to extend her classes with the same driving school for another month, so she can have more confidence navigating the chaos of Hyderabad traffic.

Next step is to get her a beater... but this is a couple of months away for now.

I am unfortunately not in the country, so I have no option other than to send her for driving classes.

Yes, I know, this will come back to haunt me sooner or later

[100Kmphormore]

I was quite the impatient guy to start driving as we got a Scorpio a year before I turned 18. Unlike some who had the courage to start them in their own beaters, I was made to start in the driving schools 1998 Santro. At first it felt barebones and a work to even move the steering and change gears, making my instructor nervous by executing a sudden fast turn (what, no music? ) but it became second nature after 10 days, even making a trip in that car on the last and 20th day to pick my brother from school, while the instructor was his free self. The feeling of that pure hydraulic steering is something most cars wont or never will provide me now.

2 things - curate videos of creators whom they can watch and learn a responsible way of riding (certainly not Faisal Khan or any one of those north indian superbike types). As many have said, give up the habit of swearing/foulmouthing around them and put a calm face if you blow off frustration that way. I happily do so when I am on my own, not while in a group/car with passengers. I infact reduce my speed and let the others have their own ways.

Its okay if you arent the instructor types after you are done with your driving school training and being in the IOE phase, the next 6 months to a year generally - my father was not one of them and he knows it. My grandmother was my aunts support in the front seat and mine too to her incredibly silent but will speakout nature. My friends find me being too calm with them . There is a reason why instructor pilots get chosen very carefully in aviation.

Parents/family, do not accompany your children on their training sessions (boy or girl) as the instructor cannot instruct or criticize freely but will be in it for the ride due to your presence. Also, they will never learn to make their own judgement and be the master of their right foot, especially if the family has a tendency to backseat drive and pass comments all the time, affecting their confidence. I had to unlearn my fathers overcautious ways and happily learnt my colleagues ways, a fast but responsible driver on his Swift DDiS, which ultimately carried to my 2 wheeler riding style.

[sumathindra]

Well timed thread. My son turned 18 a few days back. Daughter is couple of years older and has her 2 wheeler license and is a safe and experienced rider now. Thanks to my constant gyaan on responsible and safe riding/driving.

My son has already applied for his LL the day he turned 18 (impatient fellow) :-) Anyways, he already rides the 2 wheeler and is no concern. For the 4 wheeler, I would want both of them to go to a driving school for sure.

[Old Dude]

I went through the journey with my elder son 8 years back and now gearing to repeat the journey with my younger son in couple of months, hoping what worked for my first one will work for the second too.

Started with Maruti Driving school - manual transmission and once he successfully passed the test and got his license, the real learning started ( with myself!) because I realised what you learn from driving school is mostly basic steering balance, ABC coordination and gear shifting, but not what one needs to become a good / safe driver.

In spite of my son having a knack for driving, it took us almost a full year and about 5000 km year of driving together our Honda Civic Manual Transmission before, quoting my son “ I graduated only today as dad felt comfortable and confident to doze off while I was driving, and not prompt me how to react to any situation”. Of course the sessions immediately after the driving school were hair raising for me, and reaching to correct steering or for the handbrake frequently, which was downgraded to yelling instructions after first couple of weeks and then slowly relaxing to giving suggestions and then to provide review comments / criticisms after any “sub-optimal” situation. One thing for sure - teaching one’s own offspring is not for the faint hearted, double so if you are like me who worries a lot about the tiniest scratch to your vehicle. Thankfully, that phase is over and am proud to note I can peacefully sleep when my son is at the wheel.
My worry about my younger son is that he had his stints at the Go-kart tracks and is very good at that - too good setting fastest lap times, drifting around corners and beating everyone else that I worry he may consider the public roads as race tracks once he starts driving:-)

[ringoism]

Originally Posted by Bit

1. Manual vs. Automatic: If you’ve got both types of cars available, which should you teach them to drive first? Manual might be better since mastering it means they can drive both manual and auto. But auto could be simpler and more fun to start with and spark their interest. What’s your opinion?

2. Driving School vs. Teaching Yourself: Is it better to send them to a driving school or teach them yourself? Why?

3. Teaching Responsible Driving: We all know the basics, but are there any special tips or tricks you’ve learned that could help make them better drivers?

4. Right Age to Start: And finally, what age do you think is ideal to start teaching them to drive, keeping it fun, sensible, and safe?

Any other advice on teaching them to drive is also appreciated (after introducing them to TeamBHP, ofcourse). It’s our job to help build the next generation of mannered human beings on roads!

My parents allowed me to begin going out to start up and warm-up and turn around the family car in our (partly sloped, with a "chicane" in the middle) approx 75m long gravel driveway as soon as I could safely reach the pedals, probably at about 12 years of age. Probably I was first out there in an automatic (which is definitely easier / safer to learn in, particularly if taught the left-foot braking method, which is great for improving brake reaction times, and designates a different foot for each function, avoiding those panicked floorings of accelerator we've all seen in YT fails). Manual is also ok if it's all you have - and learned that very early too - as a car-nut from toddler-hood, I already knew how all the pedals worked and had practiced it all countless times in my mind before I got behind the wheel / handlebar. I also at around 13 had bought and repaired an old Honda Trail CT90 (paid $20 for that), which I started to ride around our back field, gravel road, streambed, and abandoned railway lines near my home(s).

Parents were supportive of all this, and I think it benefited me greatly, because I already was totally familiar with the vehicle's controls/operation and basic brake modulation / steering ratio, etc by the time I ventured out onto shared public roads. Making it a lot easier to just get a feel for it at higher speeds, and to learn defensive driving with respect to other motorists.


Also from maybe about 10-11 years, my younger brother and I had picked up a couple of cheap old petrol-powered go-karts (5hp or less initially), from which we learned some mechanical skills as well as how to power-drift in the dirt, etc - obviously a very important thing for young drivers to know ! But seriously, being able to countersteer / power out of a skid can be a pretty good life-saver on occasion, and believe me, we did a LOT of practice. The capable touch on the wheel and quick & accurate reflexes that the development of basic hand-eye coordination affords saves many lives / avoids many crashes and serious injuries for sure.

So I'd say anyone having kids big enough to comfortably reach the controls AND having a friend or relative with a farmhouse or long driveway, or access to an empty plot somewhere, or maybe even whichever open helipad or parking lot in a relatively uninhabited area, we could do a lot worse than to go out there with our kids, put the keys in their hands, and grant them a couple hours' undeniable fun of a very useful variety. "Quality time" for sure!

I did do a behind-the-seat driving course at 16 that qualified me to get a permit to operate with a licensed driver seated beside, during daylight hours. At 17 was granted a full license and was by then a fairly decent driver. Important especially as the average 17-year-old male doesn't really have a lot of sense and has to make up for whatever folly is bound up in there with a reasonable measure of skill .

Drove out to college with a friend of the same age halfway across the North American continent when I was 18, in complete safety despite being behind the wheel of an ancient-tech land barge in the form of a 1963 Ford Galaxy XL semi-fastback (6.4L V-8 in that one). A great adventure and I don't think our parents worried about us too much by then. My friend eventually developed into one of the best and most controlled drivers I knew, even when he was driving crazy fast. Still does amateur racing in an old 535i in the ChumpCar Endurance Series.

Parents or known people as instructors only works if they are excellent, disciplined drivers themselves and moreover are patient and not inclined towards either panic or shouting! Confidence becomes key early on, and anything that breaks it is ultimately as dangerous as juvenile overconfidence.

As for #3 (particular tips when teaching), I'd say:

1) A general sense of alertness
2) An attitude of discipline as it concerns re: lane control, appropriate hand position on steering wheel, careful adjustment of seat and mirror positions (to cover blind spots on sides especially) before heading out, etc;
3) Very important habit of careful scanning far ahead (300-500 meters), then nearer to the front (perhaps 100m), and then brief IRVM and ORVM checks respectively in constant, perpetual rotation has kept me highly aware of what's around me at all times, and of possible obstacles / dangers long before I reach them.
4) maintaining a minimum three seconds (NOT distance as braking distance varies with speed) between one's vehicle and those traveling ahead. This assumes a legally-aged driver being taught on an actual road.
5) Knowledge of every control such that they can be accessed / utilized without looking away from the road.
6) Absolutely no mobiles even if hands-off, and definitely cut any of those stupid streaming ads that whichever commercial interest thinks ought to be streaming on the infotainment screen of "connected" vehicles.
7) Habit of looking THROUGH the glass of preceding or parked cars, searching for bikes, cycles, animals that could be out of view and about to suddenly brake, jump out into our lane of travel, or simply swing open a door suddenly. Anticipation of trouble is the key, beyond reaction.

Was just today talking today with my wife about getting out with our 10/12 year old sons for some learning / practice this weekend. They had already begun riding a little 125cc step-through bike on desolate dirt tracks along the Burma border a couple winters ago... when they were only 8 & 10 years of age. Bigger one managed fully on his own, smaller one had me seated pillion and helping out a bit. They both did great.

My wife wants to re-learn riding on a heavier bike than the old KB125 she'd so capably ridden out through the Atal Tunnel and well into Lahaul a few years back - so we'll be taking the Machismo 500 and Getaway out and will let her and the older one go at it - we know of a couple of safe and controlled places in which this should be possible. Younger one won't be able to handle a Bullet, and my KB's have been sold, so I guess I'll be bicycling with him between coachings while the others motor around.

Long story short, I've been a licensed driver now for nearly forty years, and have managed to largely avoid mishaps despite having driven in a spirited manner much of that time, and under some truly chaotic, dangerous conditions on a few continents, mostly without the benefits of ABS, ESP, whatever else is supposed to make people "safe".

Whatever we can do to encourage solid driving attitude and practices will be valuable for those growing up under our care, and I'd say the earlier the better.

Regards, and enjoy!

Eric

[drivingme.crazy]

1. Manual vs. Automatic: I would request my son to learn both as knowing how to drive a stick will definitely come in handy. I only have an automatic at home though.

2. Driving School vs. Teaching Yourself: A good driving school is a must but with my personal experience I know driving schools don't teach you everything. Especially something we need in India, what I call as "Ethical Driving". Pedestrians have the right of way in uncontrolled crossings but many instructors will say " just honk if you see someone crossing the road".

3. Teaching Responsible Driving: Though he is not of legal age yet, whenever we are on the road, I'm teaching him with real world examples, courtesy of dumb drivers around. "That is not how you take an u-turn", "That is not how you park" etc., explaining him why that's wrong and what's the right way to do.

4. Right Age to Start: Hands on wheels only when he's of legal age anyway. But theory, you can start as early as possible. 9 out of 10 times you can rely on the machine to do what you expect it to do (I don't know about self-driving cars and I didn't mean that one). It's the so called supreme species of the world that's unpredictable. Once you know how to read the signs (not the traffic signs ) and be prepared, you are good to go.

[sandeepmohan]

Our son isn't anywhere near the legal driving age. However, I have started to inculcate what it means to be behind the wheel. To be responsible more than anything else. He knows already that the road isn't a playground. He's experienced the rear end of a car losing grip and what that feels like. It is terrifying. Not that the idea was to scare him. I put him in a Go Kart and told him to go nuts. He did, he crashed multiple times and was a bit perplexed at first. It was to make him understand not to test the limits on a real road. He talks about driving a fancy Euro car when he reaches his driving age. Just because I drive one. I said a polite "No". All he is going to get is a used Corolla and he will need to make peace with that.

When it comes to teaching them. I would say, if you have the patience and you know all the rules, go for it. I most certainly don't have the ability to teach. I am impatient and too harsh when it comes to teaching. Being harsh is not what you want when you are teaching children or anyone for that matter. They will loose interest. They will make mistakes and thats part of learning. You need to make peace with that. If they fail at a reverse parallel parking attempt, give them a chance to correct.

I would prefer sending them to a Driving School as they will be most up to date on changing rules and regulations. Its sometimes better when a stranger explains the rules. They may accept, listen better. In the end, if they must cause some vehicle damage, let it be on a leaner vehicle. Not the car you own.

Your idea around Teaching Responsible Driving are very good. I'd stick to that.

Get an Automatic. We are moving towards this. Manuals ain't worth it in this day an age. I'd say get them familiar with an Automatic first and then ask them if they're keen to learn a manual at a later date.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by Bit

It’s time to think about introducing them to the world of cars. I’d love to hear from the DADDY BHPians on these questions:

Interesting thread Bit. Thanks for sharing. On a lighter albeit genuine note, (and I’m sure this was unintended), there are some wonderful female members on the Forum too and I’m sure some women BHP’ians may also be able to contribute to this wonderful topic. Coming to a related aspect in my own context, I’m a late 70s born child and most of my best driving memories are still of driving with my mum. She’s the one who taught me to drive (not my dad), we together learnt how to change a tyre before I was even 10, and since we had the same car from 1983 - 2003 (the original SS80 Maruti 800), I also learnt many mechanical aspects of car maintenance along in her company.

So a big shout to Dads, Mums, elder siblings and anyone else who’s contributed to another person’s driving journey.

1. Manual vs. Automatic:

My personal preference for a learning tool would be a manual so that they are able to adapt to driving any sort of car but I wouldn’t be overly fussed if it’s an automatic either - the world is fast moving to automatics and certainly we haven’t had a single manual car in our house since 2015 now - fat chance we’ll have one in 2030.

Once he / she has got the hang of driving via a driving tool, if I had to buy my child a car, my key consideration would be that it should be modestly powered and not a high end powerful car. Young drivers must cut their teeth with lesser powered cars first and if they’re young, I would also be hesitant in putting a luxury powerful car in their hands. As far as car ownership goes, we are at a point where we only keep automatics in our home so if he gets a first car, it will be an automatic. I’m not going to buy another manual just for learning.

2. Driving School vs. Teaching Yourself:

A bit of both. I would like to use a driving school as a teaching medium, reviewing the quality of the school. One that actually focuses on good technique, proper road rules and signs, defensive driving if there is such a thing. As a car enthusiast, I would also like to contribute to the process myself though by giving useful tips on safe driving practices keeping our country in mind. Just minor tips from experience which are sort of defensive driving techniques.

3. Teaching Responsible Driving:

I think I answered some aspects of this above but to expand, this process starts long before the person even takes the wheel - via observing how his / her parents have driven for years. For instance, he knows however short the journey near the house, he can’t be on a 2 wheeler without a proper helmet (he’s had a full face high quality HELD helmet in fact since he was a young child). Similarly, I really don’t need to tell him anymore to buckle up in the back seat. I’ve made sure it’s muscle memory for him. It’s still not the case with my adult family members though who I need to constantly remind and I’m pretty sure they still don’t bother to do this when I’m not in the car.

4. Right Age to Start:

Whenever you think they’re ready, once they’re 18. I got my learner’s license within a day of turning 18. I’d be very happy if my son did the same. But I would judge their maturity for sure. If I feel the child is hot headed and reckless, I may feel inclined to push this out to 21 or 22. Somehow the late teens and early 20s can be a particularly carefree age and if you feel that mental maturity is lacking, it might be useful to postpone it.

On that note, I’ve seen a lot of father son riding duos and it pleases me no end to note that all these fellows who’ve taken up riding semi big bikes under their dad’s watch are all really responsible riders, who are very aware of using good gear and also are very sorted, level headed and safe riders on the highway, regardless of the fact that they’re suitably protected. I’ve seen such kids on track days, riding in the mountains in Spiti and ex Mumbai Sunday rides and I’ve seen this trail across the board very commonly (there are exceptions too of course). So it’s encouraging to see that with proper parental influence, we do create safe riders.

Any other advice on teaching them to drive is also appreciated

Whether or not they are enthusiasts or mechanically aligned, we should figure a way for them to have at least basic knowledge of a car’s working or typical trouble shooting aspects. Just to ensure they’re never totally stranded or hoodwinked in an emergency. For instance, fixing a puncture or changing a tyre should be a basic skill they ought to have.

[vagkid]

1. Manual vs. Automatic:

This depends on whats available for the kid, really. If they have both in the house, make them start on a manual, though not required, it will give them a better understanding of cars and never leave them handicapped in any situation.


4. Right Age to Start: And finally, what age do you think is ideal to start teaching them to drive, keeping it fun, sensible, and safe?

I started learning at 15, when we were in Canada for a few months at my uncle's place. Im 18 now, and since the driving conditions and LHD RHD difference is huge, I wont say starting at 15 taught me a lot, but sure gave me a great sense of judgement.

Any other advice on teaching them to drive is also appreciated (after introducing them to TeamBHP, ofcourse). It’s our job to help build the next generation of mannered human beings on roads![/quote]

As someone who just legally started driving in India , Team-BHP has been of great help over the past year. I've learnt things and heightened my enthusiasm for machines way more than I could ever by watching Youtube videos. The kind of knowledge available on here for any aspect is unmatchable. We're planning a trip to Ladakh this OCT, so obviously every recommendation (route, rental vehicle etc.) comes from T-BHP. And to answer the question, letting them learn is the best, sure, they'll make a couple mistakes here and there, but eventually, they'll learn. Adding your own advice that you've gathered over the years never hurts. Check your blindspots and keep revving!

[Apex1815]

Introducing driving to the younger generation is much more than handing over a Car.
18 is the age when a person starts feeling invincible, Testorene levels and emotions are at the peak and the same is evident on the roads today in the form of 3 digit speeds, stunts, reel making and what not.

Therefore, Passive driving training should start right from the childhood. A responsible parent must teach about driving habits, road ettiquettes right from the early years while the kid is inside the car.

1) Demonstrate your correct Driving skills when kid is much younger
My son is currently 6 years old and I feel that he is learning passively from my driving habits. Always drive sedate (There is nothing to be hurried and worried), Follow rules etc.

Right from the childhood kid will learn what the responsible driving is.


2) Training Terrain
I am from Himachal Pradesh and started driving at 18 in Himachal.
Currently I live in Bangalore. I have observed that that most of the people driving in Coorg/Oooty/ or other Ghat sections are not expert about driving in Ghat section.
The same thing I have observed in the cars coming from Delhi and Punjab towards Himachal Pradesh.
Therefore, I have decided that when time will come I will give initial driving training to my son at my home in Himachal Pradesh. (The same road, the same terrain will be used to teach driving to the next generation where my father had trained me).

3) Type of Car
Start from the basic simple cars, especially if you have highly powerful/big cars in your garage.
Directly handing over a big machine to a youngster may not be a very sensible idea.
Manual vs Automatic : Let it be Child's decision as both transmissions are widely available and should be a personal choice.

[gautam109]

First off, this is an excellent thread topic!

My thoughts:

1. Manual vs. Automatic: I learnt on an old school car & wouldn't change it! But learning on an Auto is easier - one can understand basics & gain confidence without the added workload of gear+clutch and without worrying about stalling the car. If one is really passionate, one can pick up manual after getting comfortable with the basics.

2. Driving School vs. Teaching Yourself: Best to learn basics at a good driving school, due to safety of dual controls + you're not abusing your own car . Then learn road rules + finer points of safe & responsible driving yourself / with a passionate friend or family member. Sadly, most driving schools don't teach this at all.

3. Teaching Responsible Driving: I learnt from "defensive driving" videos on the internet, though I really internalized some lessons only after a few accidents (thankfully all minor).
For my kid, I am in the process of compiling dashcam / security cam videos of both horrific accidents and responsible driving examples. Plan to show him these at least a couple of years before he's ready to start learning. I am also starting to discuss scenarios / pointing out examples of good & bad driving during actual drives. And I plan on asking him to start researching & sharing tips on good driving with me. What you discover on your own and at a young age, you internalize a lot more.

4. Right Age to Start: Teenage me would say 16, adult/parent me says 25. Truth is, there's no one size fits all. The person should have reached a level of maturity to realize that "with great-bph comes great responsibility". Also, they need to have some immunity to peer pressure. Finally, I believe that one must drive a safe (5-star rated) & relatively under-powered car for the first 3 to 5 years. Nothing matures one more than actual experience.

[argho]

Hi.

Just want to mention that Maruti has setup authorised Driving Schools at some of their dealerships.

These are very professionally run, and very different from the usual neighbourhood driving schools.

For example :
- Theory classes
- Full size simulators, which the kids first learn on
- Certified driving instructors in uniform
- Instructor cars with safety controls for instructor

I sent both of my daughters there. Had a good experience.

https://www.marutisuzukidrivingschool.com/

[tofudriver]

First of all, apologises for not being a daddy because of very young numerical digits in my age, but when I become a father, that'll be very nice to raise my child around automotive world. Now, I will spill a secret, when I was a kid, age of 16, curious about the cars. I used to sit behind the my mother who was taught how to drive me an old gentleman of a person, my mother then insisted my sister to follow the same procedure so I would sit behind, in the middle, imagining myself as a driver and learnt on my own on "How to change gears? When to? What happens if the speed is XX and the gear is in X gear?" I then told that gentleman of a person if I could learn before I could legally get my learning License. To my surprise he said that he will teach me but only for 3 days. Though, I will not get an access to put gear in above 3rd unless mentioned (it was our own car he was teaching in.)

For Day 1, He taught me the basics about the gears, clutches, how it engages, how it changes the gear, not too technical yet not too vague. He proceeded the same for brakes and accelerator. He mentioned the uses of side mirrors, how to angle them, the angle variation while parking, overtaking, stopping. He would sketch them on his palm of his hand with a pen, sketch so beautiful it would put my " Winner of best handwriting competition" participation certificate to shame.

For Day 2, He taught me how to turn steering in an open field, made me take S turns, reverse as well of it, 8 turn, he would go out and put bricks, parallel parking, he loved what he does, even though I was technically a kid and i know it is illegal but I was always in control of him, he'd always kept the handbrake gripped. He took me out on the traffic and helped me understand the car more, which I always learnt, at least visually, from my father, mother, and my sister. I was riding alright, stalled once or twice, an ape disguised among the sheep as a sheep.

Came Day 3, He told me to take it to the city highway, I was shocked but confident upon hearing those words. He said do it. I took it, we stopped at the corner before the highway and he mentioned, "slot the 4th gear and 5th, today." I navigated through the highway traffic, all in control, slotted the gears accordingly with proper mannerism." I learnt how to drive, In literally 3 days.

Then after i turned 18, I hit with slip disc so I couldn't drive, thus when I got 20, I got my learners license and again asked him to teach me and it lasted 3 days again. I was prepared. I got the gist of driving.

My luck in getting the license was underpowered but I taught driving to my friends who were spending thousands for months to learn from driving school. I taught them within a week and they all passed in one try despite being under confident. Well, that was my luck for others. I will take 2 credits for that.

So point behind this lore was, If possible, I will teach my young chimp myself, if possible. I don't trust these driving schools here. It's their duty but I haven't had any good experience from them. I will pass on the wisdom of all the techniques, mannerism, advices from my parents, that old guy, my experiences, advices from TEAMBHP to my kid.

As for the questions, mentioned in the start of the thread.
1. It'll be a manual first. Master the stick.
2. I think that has been answered.
3. Yup, mentioned that too. Wisdom shall pass on from everywhere.
4. 18. I don't wanna take any risks, nor go against the law which I took (Looks at the invisible camera.)

[Mystic]

Youngsters start with a bicycle at very young age in cities when going to school even in primary level. This helps them understand the road manners and how to handle oneself on a road if there are no bike specific lanes. This knowledge helps them graduate to a 2 wheeler (scooter or a motorcycle) eventually before getting into a car.

In my personal case, I never allowed my son to drive a motorcycle as I am somehow over cautious as he is my only child and I have heard of horror stories of titanium rods inserted to young bikers of my colleagues’s children. He was a keen observer from backseat when I was driving in USA during his childhood as kids are not allowed to sit in front seat in USA. As I sent my son to USA for UG at a very young age, I asked him to hire a professional in USA to teach him driving by paying dollars per hour. He quickly grasped the concepts as he has to pay dollars from his limited access to funds. He passed the driving exams which are hard and obtained DL. He also bought his first car from his own earnings which happens to be an Audi A5 sport back. I was surprised that he chose that car on his own research and I quickly ratified his decision as I don't want to influence my likings on to him especially when I am a petrolhead myself. He prefers not to drive in India on his trips and relies on drivers or me. I also wish him not to drive in India as long as he has that option.