{"id":1560,"date":"2015-09-24T08:00:17","date_gmt":"2015-09-24T08:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.booktheorytesttoday.com\/?p=1560"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2015-09-23T11:10:24","slug":"what-is-the-cockpit-drill-part-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.booktheorytesttoday.com\/blog\/what-is-the-cockpit-drill-part-one\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the cockpit drill? Part one"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gents, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not what you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re thinking it is right now! The cockpit drill is the initial checks you should carry out before even turning the key in the ignition. In part one, Book Theory Test Today guides you through some aspects of the drill.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Book Theory Test Today<\/a><\/strong> says: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The cockpit drill is the very first thing you will learn when getting into a car for your first driving lesson. The faster you learn the cockpit drill, the less time your instructor will need to teach you, giving you more time to actually drive.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/span><\/p>\n

Your step-by-step guide to the cockpit drill <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

The cockpit drill applies to all makes and models of car. However, the controls for each car will vary, for example, in some cars adjusting the side mirrors in some vehicles will need to be done manually, whereas mirrors in other vehicles will be controlled electronically. But don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t worry, your instructor will run through the car\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s controls with you before you start.<\/span><\/p>\n

DSSSM <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

The cockpit drill requires you to follow the DSSSM checklist, DSSSM being D<\/strong>oors, S<\/strong>eats, S<\/strong>teering, S<\/strong><\/span>eat belt and M<\/strong>irrors. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s abbreviated to DSSSM to help learners digest the cockpit drill quickly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step One \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Doors<\/strong> \u00e2\u20ac\u201c What needs to be checked<\/strong>?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Daft as it sounds, you should check that all doors are closed. Even if a door is slightly ajar because a seat belt is caught in <\/span>it for example, it could fly open when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re driving.<\/span><\/p>\n

Check<\/strong> \u00e2\u20ac\u201c <\/strong>The driver side door \u00e2\u20ac\u201c <\/strong>That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s your door. Be sure to pull it shut firmly before starting to drive. In most modern cars, if any door is not shut correctly, a warning indicator will inform you that a door needs your attention.<\/span><\/p>\n

When opening, make sure you check your surroundings prior to opening to avoid hitting a pedestrian or cyclist.<\/span><\/p>\n

Check \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Passenger doors \u00e2\u20ac\u201c <\/strong>To check rear passenger doors use your internal mirror and side mirrors. If closed correctly, externally, the doors should be flush to the side of the car. For the front passenger door, simply ask your instructor to check that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s shut.<\/span><\/p>\n

Check \u00e2\u20ac\u201c During your driving test \u00e2\u20ac\u201c <\/strong>When the time comes to take your DVSA practical test<\/a><\/strong>, should you fail to shut a door correctly the exam invigilator will ask you to check the doors. Should you pull off and a door is not closed properly, pull over in a safe, legal place and secure the door.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step Two \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Your Seat \u00e2\u20ac\u201c What needs to be checked?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

You need to check that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s adjusted to settings that suit you. When correctly positioned you should be able to reach the foot pedals comfortably. If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re driving a manual car, locate the foot pedal on your left \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the clutch.<\/span><\/p>\n

Using the ball of your foot press it down until it stops. Grip the steering wheel with your left hand, then using your right hand locate the seat lever [usually beneath the front of the seat]. <\/span><\/p>\n

Slide your seat back and forth until there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a slight bend in your knee with your left leg. This will be the ideal seat setting that will allow you to comfortably operate the foot pedals. \u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That concludes part one of the cockpit drill. Tune in soon for part two where Book Theory Test Today will talk you through steering wheel checks.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Need to book your theory test or driving exam?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Book Theory Test Today offers an intermediary service assisting clients with booking a UK theory test, or practical test, at test centres<\/strong><\/a> across the nation. The service also supplies resources to help you prepare for your theory test \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Ready to take your theory test? Book your theory <\/span>test online today…<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gents, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not what you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re thinking it is right now! The cockpit drill is the initial checks you should carry out before even turning the key in the ignition. In part one, Book Theory Test Today guides you through some aspects of the drill.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1561,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[74],"tags":[111,158,117,174,483,116,232,145,86,126],"class_list":["post-1560","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-learning-to-drive","tag-book-theory-test-today-2","tag-book-your-theory-test","tag-book-your-theory-test-online","tag-book-your-theory-test-online-today","tag-cockpit-drill","tag-dvsa","tag-dvsa-practical-test","tag-practical-test","tag-theory-test","tag-uk-theory-test"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.booktheorytesttoday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1560","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.booktheorytesttoday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.booktheorytesttoday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktheorytesttoday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktheorytesttoday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1560"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktheorytesttoday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1560\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktheorytesttoday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1561"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.booktheorytesttoday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1560"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktheorytesttoday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1560"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.booktheorytesttoday.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1560"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}