I'm a nervous driver and **** at clutch control/traffic lights :(

Just had a lesson and let's just say it could've been better...

I'm fine with open/give way junctions in both directions, hill starts, controlled rolls, basic maneuvers- provided they aren't on a main road.

I just turn into a nervous wreck when there are other road users around me, cyclists that sneak up behind me and pedestrians to smoosh...

Also, how the **** am I supposed to move off at traffic lights. I have the car in first gear, with my hand on the hand break but when the amber appears, I panic lift my foot off the clutch too quickly and stall while my instructor stares at me and says "what the hell are you doing!?" The queue of frustrated drivers behind me just makes me panic more.

Sorry for the novel but how do I deal with road nerves? Also, how you supposed to move off in traffic?

Cyclists sneak up on you = a clue you should speed up....

At a traffic light, just do what you when you normally pull away, why should it be any different if theres traffic behind you?

When I'm pulling away, I tend to take my time with bite point, observations, hand break etc. but in traffic you have to move quickly. I feel under pressure to move because I check mirrors and see cars queuing up and I feel like I'm causing a road block by not moving.

With cyclists, it tends to happen when I'm slowing down for a red light or when they pull out of a junction without warning. There's loads of cyclists in my area...

find the bite, leave it there, put the handbrake down, quick glance in the mirrors and onto the gas then slowly lift the clutch

That wears the clutch out fast. Always a sign of a bad driver.

Please dont panic too much about being on a main road, I know its scary having other drivers around and some of them are horrible to new drivers, but they are just impatient and forget what its like to learn. As you have more lessons you'll get used to the car, so soon you'll be pulling off without thinking about what to do with the pedals. I found it helpful being in first gear, handbrake on, gently! coming off the clutch to find the bite, then pressing down on the clutch again so you are just below your bite point. As long as you come off the clutch slowly by degrees, and make sure you have enough revs by pressing on the accelerator (but not too many) you'll be fine. Take your time.

Also, how the **** am I supposed to move off at traffic lights. I have the car in first gear, with my hand on the hand break but when the amber appears, I panic lift my foot off the clutch too quickly and stall while my instructor stares at me and says "what the hell are you doing!?" The queue of frustrated drivers behind me just makes me panic more.

Sod the other drivers, they'll be more pissed off if you stall rather than move away slowly anyway. With practice you'll get better used to the car and hence be able to do everything more quickly.

You will get used to moving off. Literally 2 lessons ago I hated it, but now I'm used to it. Try this: hit the gas up to 2krpm and when it comes to moving off, lift up the clutch so it drops to 1.5. Don't worry about other cues you might get from your instructor like the back of the car moving down or the "click"; if the revs dropped then the clutch is close enough to biting point to safely take off the handbrake. If the car doesn't move, well it'll only take you a few hundred ms to realise that and you can raise the clutch more.

"what the hell are you doing!?"

are you paraphrasing HappyBappy, or is this what your instructor says 'verbatim'?
What is this obsession of always finding the bite before releasing the handbrake?, there are instances where you need to and there are others that you don't


one to one

Dont use the handbreak to start!

When you stop at a traffic light, put into neutral, foot on the brake if road isnt flat, look at traffic light.

dont be worried about rolling back a couple of cm

This is very bad advice. You should use your handbrake when stopped for a while and always on an uphill gradient when already stopped, and a switch from footbrake to accelerator is required. If you're competent enough to switch from brake to gas "on the fly" just as the car is rolling to a stop, then the handbrake may be omitted, but only for the briefest of pauses; certainly not for long waits at lights or the clutch will wear excessively.

You must never roll back! Especially at road junctions as pedestrians often walk behind your car to cross the road, usually within centimetres of your bumper.

I've always been taught never to walk right behind cars on hills because they will rollback.

I think rolling back 20-30 cm is perfectly acceptable.

In my driving lessons, my instructor never told me to use the handbrake for anything apart from parking. I guess its just two different ways of driving.

Cyclists sneak up on you = a clue you should speed up....

At a traffic light, just do what you when you normally pull away, why should it be any different if theres traffic behind you?

When I'm pulling away, I tend to take my time with bite point, observations, hand break etc. but in traffic you have to move quickly. I feel under pressure to move because I check mirrors and see cars queuing up and I feel like I'm causing a road block by not moving.

With cyclists, it tends to happen when I'm slowing down for a red light or when they pull out of a junction without warning. There's loads of cyclists in my area...