The first thing they teach us in driving school, once we have passed the theoretical exam, is to use the car’s pedals. And it’s normal, they are the most important elements of the vehicle.
Learning to use them is the same as knowing how to drive. With them we accelerate, brake, engine brake, we can overtake… without them the car would be like a lifeless coffin, as you all know (that’s how you drive on the most mysterious lane of our roads).
But knowing how to use them well is something much more complex than knowing how to engage the clutch and then the gear. Knowing how to use them well means taking advantage of these tools so that the car does exactly what we want it to do and in the most efficient way possible.
Mastering the vehicle’s pedals, without overusing them, is essential to drive safely and efficiently . Do you know how to use them correctly? ? https://t.co/8TXRQlcyMJ#DriveBetter pic.twitter.com/uBU9Z2VAkV
– Dir. General Traffic (@DGTes) February 8, 2022
In this sense the General Directorate of Traffic has released a statement teaching Twitter users to correctly use the pedals that we have in the car. That is, they tell us about the clutch, the brake and the accelerator (as long as our car is manual and not automatic).
“Mastering the vehicle’s pedals, without making excessive use of them, is essential to drive safely and efficiently. Do you know how to use them correctly?” writes the DGT in its tweet.
And the tweet refers us to their official magazine, where they explain pedal by pedal what this lever is for (in the end, pedals are levers that are operated with the foot) and give us tips on how to use them. Let’s see them:
- Accelerator: Regulates the passage of fuel to the cylinders to adapt the power of the engine. Therefore, its use determines consumption. Sometimes its ‘no use’ is also a safe and smart use: if you take your foot off the accelerator a little before you reach curves, traffic jams and red lights, you will reduce pedal use and fuel consumption.
- Brake: Allows you to stop the vehicle, adjust its speed and maintain a safe distance from other vehicles. Driving experts emphasize that the brake must be used in its proper measure, without excesses, gently, applying the necessary pressure: acquiring that ‘feel’ when stepping on the pedal is useful in major braking and to make the ride comfortable for your passengers.
- Clutch: Couples and disengages the engine from the gearbox. It is used to change gear, pressing it all the way down and releasing it smoothly and progressively. In handling the clutch pedal, it is also essential to master the ‘friction point’ – the clutch disc and the flywheel connect and the movement is transmitted – to control the vehicle when starting off on steep uphill slopes, in parking lots and when performing a comfortable and smooth ride.
The DGT device that will be mandatory in all cars imminently
Between the image above and the DGT’s descriptions of the use of pedals, drivers can have a clearer idea of ??when and how we should use them while driving.
Remember that a liter of gasoline has exceeded 1.80 euros, marking a historical record in the price of fuel. So any measure that helps us reduce consumption is more than welcome.