Lazyitis

When I meet a new pupil I start by asking them questions about what driving they have already done and what knowledge they already have. There is no point in me teaching them stuff they already know. If they have little or no experience, then I start with the 'cockpit drill'.
It sounds fancy and technical, but the cockpit drill is simply the routine that drivers go through to make sure the car is set up for their comfort and safety: Are the doors (including boot and bonnet) secure? Is the car secure (in neutral with handbrake on)? Is the seat adjusted for your maximum comfort and the head restraint adjusted for maximum safety? Then, is the steering wheel adjusted for comfort and clear vision of the instrument panel? Everyone got their seatbelts on? Are the mirrors correctly positioned for maximum vision (whilst in the driving postion)? All stuff that the experienced driver will probably do without even thinking about it, but it is new to the novice driver. It doesn't have to be done in exactly that order, but, almost daily, a pupil will get in the car, spend some time adjusting the mirrors, then realise that they are too far from/close to the pedals, move the seat and have to adjust their mirrors again.
As with all my instruction, if I ask a pupil to do something, it is because there is a very good reason to do so. I am not going to bore you with the consequences of skipping any particular part of the cockpit drill, but each part is important. It is dangerous for the instructor to assume any prior knowledge. Experienced drivers might assume that EVERYBODY knows that you use your right foot to brake, but they would be wrong - There have been many times I have had to quickly correct a pupil who was just about to brake with their left foot.

One thing to watch for is the pupil who, having had many lessons, you would assume will correctly go through their cockpit drill at the start of each lesson. Sometimes I can see that there is something wrong with their set-up, but I will leave it so that they can see what effect it has. For example, yesterday I had a lesson with a pupil who has had approximately forty hours of lessons and has her test soon. She started driving and, although 'ok' her driving was nowhere near as good as it usually is; her gear changes were jumpy and her braking was sometimes too sharp. "Sorry," (I don't know why they feel they have to apologise.... perhaps I scare them) she said, "I think I have a bit of a cold and I'm not really concentrating." Was her analysis.
"Just try moving your seat back a couple of notches." I suggested. She did that and was fine after. When she got in the car I noticed that she barely bothered with her cockpit drill and, as a result, was sitting too close to the pedals.
The day before I had a lesson with a pupil who has started getting extra practice with his parents. "Any practice this week?" I asked.
"Yeah. I drove to Contin." (A thirty-eight mile trip along the 60mph A835 from Ullapool).
"Great." I replied. We had looked at faster rural roads and overtaking the previous lesson. "How did it go?"
"Not so good. My dad said I kept drifting to the left and I kept slowing down too much, so lots of cars overtook me on the way there."
"How about the drive back? How did that go?"
"My dad drove back. I didn't feel confident enough."
I suggested we drove out towards the Lochside junction, along the same A835. Sure enough, his steering was innaccurate and his driving lacked the confidence of the previous lesson. I asked him to pull over.
"Why are you driving with your hands towards the bottom of the steering wheel?"
"I dunno. It just feels comfortable like this."
"Is this how you were driving with your dad?"
"I think so. I can't remember. " (I suspected it was).
I explained that he qould not have as much control of the steering with his hands that low. "Adjust the steering wheel so that it is lower." It wouln't go any lower. "Ok. Then adjust your seat so that it is higher."
"That feels better." He said, putting his hands higher up the wheel.
Sure enough, his steering accuracy improved and he felt confident enough to bring his speed up towards 60mph. He was much happier and we agreed that his seat/steering wheel position had probably been the root of his problems.

Not doing your cockpit drill correctly is just lazy. It only takes a moment to get the car set up exactly as it should be. I had a pupil who recently asked me if I get fed-up with having to adjust my seat inbetween every lesson. In truth, I don't even think about it, I just do it. But every now and then I get lazy too and drive between lessons without adjusting my seat. In my case, being an experienced driver, it will just be mildly irritating, but, for the novice driver, it could severely affect their control and, consequently their safety.