Step 1: Start with Neutral

Before you start the car, you should put your seatbelt on and adjust the mirrors. Now, see whether the gear stick is in the neutral position. If it’s in the middle of the gear selector positions, it’s neutral. Otherwise, you need to apply pressure on the clutch pedal and bring the gear stick to the mentioned position.

Step 2: Start Your Engine

Now, with the gear of the manual car in neutral, start your car. If the gear position is correct, the vehicle should start immediately.

Step 3: Focus on the Brake

With your car engine on, you will need to disengage the parking brake. To check if it’s off, look for the “P” icon on your dashboard. At the same time, keep your foot on the brake pedal to prevent your car from rolling backwards or forwards.

Step 4: Switch to First Gear

Now you need to bring the gear stick to the first position by applying pressure on the clutch pedal, that is the top left, and slowly release the clutch and the brake so the car starts moving forward.

Step 5: Switch to Higher Gears

Now, while driving, change the gear stick position to 2nd, 3rd, 4th and so on. However, as a beginner, it’s best to drive at a lower speed since it gives you more control over your car.

If you have followed all the mentioned steps, congrats! You have just learned how to drive a manual car the right way!