Welcome to our new series on Driving Tips. Now that you have your dream car, we want to make the experience of driving it a pleasure. Over the course of the next few issues, we aim to make our readers more attentive, and therefore safer behind the wheel.

Driving in Indian conditions is often likened to an obstacle course or a video game for the simple reason that it's incredibly far removed from an ideal scenario. It's sometimes difficult to come to terms with the reality of a situation where one has to avoid other cars driven by seemingly blind people, three wheelers that can pirouette at any given time, cycle rickshaws that seem to multiply in number every week, pedestrians that think they belong in the fast lane and even cattle that feel more at home in the middle of the road than they would in a field.

Firstly, please remember, a steering wheel is much more than merely an armrest, it serves the very crucial function of pointing the car exactly where you want it to go. To get the most out of your cars steering, always place both hands parallel to each other at the three and nine position, not at ten and two as most driving handbooks instruct - this is evidenced by every form of motorsport from touring cars to rallying. This will allow the most maneuverability in an emergency situation as well as in everyday driving. You'll be able to make most left and right turns simply by crossing your arms one way or the other, and without having to remove your hands from the steering wheel. With that said, even during a turn, it's best to try and maintain your hands at the three and nine position by moving your hands on the steering wheel. The worst thing you can do is drive with just one hand on the wheel- perhaps convenient but far from ideal.

In regards to seat placement, the ideal distance would be to have both arms slightly bent on the steering wheel without having to lean forward from the seat back - not too close nor too far (in modern cars with airbags, there are safety reasons against sitting too close). So the next time you see someone recline their drivers seat like an armchair, please correct them for their own benefit. In a car with a height adjustable drivers seat, set your seat as low as possible while still being able to comfortably see over the steering wheel, which is always useful. The lower you sit, the more a part of the car you become and the easier it is to feel what the car is doing. Of course, in most cases, bare in mind that visibility is the first priority. Obviously, all these factors depend on how communicative your cars steering rack and/or chassis are - nevertheless, if you pay attention, you'll find they're a lot more talkative than you'd previously imagined.

As mentioned previously, these tips are, more often than not, fairly obvious - it's simply a question of paying a little more attention to the physical act of driving. In the next issue, we'll cover Braking - an action that each of us continually perform without giving it much thought, yet one that plays the most important role in accident avoidance. In the mean time, buckle up and drive safe.