[TITLE: 8 STEPS TO SET UP VEHICLE TO PASS ROAD TEST FIRST TIME]
Hi there smart drivers, Rick with Smart Drive Test talking today about how to setup
the vehicle.
This video is for brand new drivers who are just getting started learning how to
drive.
It's important to set up the vehicle and have it set up correctly. That way you
have total control of the vehicle and you're comfortable. These techniques will
work for any vehicle and that's a great thing about them - just follow the steps
and if you're moving around between vehicles it'll help you out to get the
vehicle setup.
There's 8 steps: 1) put the key in the ignition, and I know that in some U.S.
states they don't want you to put the key in the ignition until you're
actually ready to drive, but for the purposes of not losing the key put it in
the ignition.
2) the next piece is the seat. Set up the seat, the back and the front so that
you're comfortable and have total control of the vehicle. 3) the seatbelt; 4) the
mirrors - set up the mirror so that you can see and observe correctly during
your drive.
5) nothing on the dash, nothing on the ledge on the back window if you're driving a
car. 6) setting up the vents, 7) checking the brake, and making sure that the brake works
properly. If the brake doesn't work properly, you have to take the vehicle to
a mechanic and get it checked. 8) and the last piece...
lock the doors. Those are the 8 steps for setting up the vehicle. We'll be right back to
give you a greater detail about those 8 steps.
[OPENING CREDITS & MUSIC]
Hi there smart drivers, welcome back. Rick with Smart Drive Test talking to you today
about how to set up the vehicle for your first driving lesson.
The first thing you do when you get in the vehicle. Take the key and put the key in
the ignition.
That way the key is not going to get lost and you know where it is.
Second piece is to set up the seat so that you are comfortable and have total
control of the vehicle while you're driving. So to set up the seat, sit
square in the seat - forward like this. Put your foot underneath the brake pedal on
the floor. There should be a nice, slight bend in your leg, in the way that you can
see here on my leg because I have the seat adjusted for myself. The back of the
seat on all vehicles goes backwards and forwards. And there's a lever down
on the side of the seat to adjust the back forward and backwards. You put your
hand on the top of the steering wheel, there should be just a slight bend in your arm.
And the reason for that is that you have total control of the vehicle when you've
got two hands on the steering wheel. As well, the head restraint should be at the
base of your skull so that way if you're unfortunate enough to be rear-ended, your
head comes back and is protected against whiplash. It is not a headrest, it is a
head restraint.
The seatbelt - pull the seat belt out. What I do is pull the seat belt, and I
grabb it down here; I slide this up to get more slack in the seatbelt, pull it
across, fasten the seatbelt, and pull this snug. And this hand, I use to make sure
that the seatbelt is flat and make sure that this is flat and across your shoulder.
And this piece down here is on your hips.
If you're a woman and pregnant, make sure that it is below your belly and on your
hips. Do not have it across your belly because that is dangerous in the event
of a collision and will harm your baby. So ensure that you have it under your
tummy and that it is down and across your hips. So that's the seatbelt. Some seatbelts will
have an adjustment here, as this one does and you can move the seat belt up and
down depending on if you're taller than I am.
That way it's more comfortable and not up on your neck and causing abrasion on
your neck and irritating you. So that's another thing that you can do here as
well.
Next part is the mirrors. This mirror on the top here: to adjust this mirror, you
should be able--in the left-hand corner of the mirror--just see a little bit of
the side of your head. And the top of the mirror should be adjusted across the top
of the rear window on the back of the vehicle. So you adjust this so the top of
the mirror is right at the back of the window at the rear. And this side, the
left side of the mirror, will just be able to see a little side of your head -
just a tiny bit. That's how you set up that mirror. The outside mirror, you
should be able to see the side of the vehicle on the inside of the mirror - just
a little bit of the vehicle. The horizon should be across the middle of the
mirror. That will set up the mirror for you on the outside.
Now it can take a little bit of adjustment to figure out where the
horizon is on the middle of the mirror, but with a little bit of practice you'll
be able to get that. The horizon should be across the middle of the mirror and
you should be able to see a little bit of the vehicle on the inside of the
mirror.
Next thing is the dash. There shouldn't be anything on the dash: no sunglasses,
gloves or anything like that because when you go around a corner, it's going
to go spinning off and you're going to try and reach for it and when you reach
for it you're going to lose control of your vehicle and not be looking where
you're going. So make sure that there's nothing on the dash.
Also, there's nothing on the rear ledge of the rear window, if you're driving a car as
well. Just keep in mind that a tissue box, for example, has the same force as a
brick in the event of a high-speed collision. So it's imperative that you
keep the dash clear. Make sure that there isn't anything on the rear window as
well. And the other thing that's dangerous in vehicles--floating around in
the event of a crash--are the steering wheel locks. Those steering wheel locks,
sitting in the back there will cause an incredible amount of damage if they're
flying around inside of the vehicle. So I encourage you to put them someplace that
they're going to be secure, like in the trunk or someplace else where they're
not going to cause you harm in the event of a crash.
The next thing you want to setup is the four vents, so that they're not blowing
on you and causing a distraction. As well, it provides good circulation in the
vehicle. The one on the driver's side - set it up so it's approximately at the
middle, but it is blowing out along the side of the vehicle. In the wintertime,
this will keep the side windows defrosted. The middle ones: have one
pointing down towards the floor, which will cause good circulation, and the other one
up so it circulates air this way. The one on the far side, have it pointed
out and at the midpoint going out along the side of the vehicle. That way you'll get
really good circulation in the vehicle and it helps in the winter time to
defrost the windows when they need to be defrosted. As well, in the wintertime--just
another quick tip, roll the window down a crack, that way it will help to defrost
the windows faster.
The next piece is to to check the brake and you simply put your foot on the brake
and the brake should maintain constant pressure. It should not drop. If the brake
pedal drops, you should have it checked by a mechanic because the brakes are
defective. It should hold it down and it should hold pressure at that one place.
The last piece is to lock the doors on the vehicle. Push that down - lock the
doors. The reason that you want to lock the doors is twofold:
1) the first reason is in the event of a rollover, it will keep the doors closed
and the vehicle is stronger with the doors closed. If the doors fly open, the
vehicle loses its strength and potentially could cause greater damage
and harm to you and the passengers in the vehicle.
2) the next thing is it keeps thieves out. If you have something
sitting on the seat and somebody runs up in traffic and open your door and steals
something off the seat.
Well if the doors are locked, they can't get in. Many new vehicles have the feature
that once the vehicle attains 20 kilometers an hour (10mph) in a forward motion
it will automatically lock the doors. But it's just a good habit to get into to
lock the doors.
In conclusion, put the key in the ignition. Set up the seat - nice bend in the legs; backwards and
forwards on the base of the seat; and the back of the seat forward and backward so
you have a nice slight bend in your arm when you put your hand on the top of the
steering wheel. The head restraint should hold your head in the event of a rear-
end collision. So this bottom piece of the head restraint should be at the base
of your skull. The seatbelt: make sure it's flat and across your hips. And on your
shoulder, and there's an adjustment for people who are taller or shorter so that
it's not rubbing against your neck on the shoulder strap. Setting up the mirror:
you should be able to see a little bit the side of your head in the inside of
the mirror, and the top of the mirror should be in line with the top of the
rear window. The outside mirror - you should be able to see a little bit of
the vehicle on the inside of the mirror and the horizon will be across the
middle of the mirror.
Nothing on the dash that you have to chase in the event that you go around
the corner and cause distraction, which could potentially could cause you to lose
control of the vehicle and end up in a crash. The vents - nice circulation through
the vehicle. The more circulation that you get, the less fatigued you're going to
be during driving. And in the wintertime, it will help to keep the windows
defrosted. The last piece is to check the brake to ensure the brakes are working
correctly. You want to push down the brake pedal and it should depress slightly
and then stop. And it shouldn't go any farther. If it continues to drop all the
way to the floor, take it to a mechanic and have them check it.
Finally, you should be able to put the toe of your other foot up
underneath the brake pedal when depressed. If you can't get the toe of your other foot up underneath the
brake pedal - again you should take it to a mechanic and have it check by a
professional technician. The last piece:
lock the doors. It maintains the strength of the vehicle in the event of a
rollover and it keeps thieves out and keeps you in the vehicle for the
purposes of safety.
I'm Rick with Smart Drive Test. Thanks very much for watching. If you like what you
see here share, subscribe, leave a comment down in the comment section. All of that
helps us out. A question for my smart drivers: do you have a tip for new drivers
to help them get going and to increase their learning?
Thanks very much for watching. Remember, pick the best answer not necessarily the
right answer.
Good luck on your road test. Have a great day. Bye now!
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