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- 11 Jan 2004
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Well, I had my first yesterday.
It's very different!
I mean, I passed my test on 25 January 1985, and after 20 years, attitudes to the mechanics of driving have evolved.
I learnt to change up/down sequentially for everything, especially slowing down. Now I am encouraged to leave the gear lever alone until stationary.
Block changes are also now acceptable ie 1-3-5 or other combination.
Indicating when I learnt - you had to indicate even if you wanted to
f @ rt...but now, I don't even have to indicate when pulling off, provided there is no traffic behind me. Instead of sitting in a queue of traffic indicating, I now should only indicate when I get to the mouth of the junction. If I want to join the traffic flow, I shouldn't indicate and wait, but wait until I see a gap, then start indicating.
Handbrake use is different, too. In my day, I was taught to use handbrake when stationary, and that it was imperative to use it at a STOP sign. Now, the use of the h/b is very much left to the driver to decide when to use it. Bascally, my understanding of AD is not to bother if only stopped for a fraction of a minute, but to use it if in a queue.
Advanced training even allows speed in excess of the speed limit in order to get yourself out of bother.
Ghost islands I was told to treat as if they were solid (ie no driving over them), but now I am told you can drive over them if they are bounded by a broken line, but not if they are solid. Take note when pulling onto a A road or m-way - you should not cross the white markings!
I am told not to steer and change gear at the same time, which is tricky near us because there is a mini-r/about where I turn right and then immediately left. Do I stay in first all the way round until I have cleared the r/about and the left turn? Or do I set off in second, as suggested by my tutor.
On open roads, the correct approach to a corner or bend is to slow (using brakes ONLY!), select the correct gear for the speed, then accelerate round the bend. All gear changes and slowing must be completed before the bend is reached, so that all you have to think about is steering.
And all this I learnt in my first 2 hour session!
I spent most of the time getting told off for changing down when slowing (well, 20 years of habit is very hard to brake (pun intended!)).
Then things went a bit to pot when Geoff told me he was going to pretend to be the examiner - I went through an amber light when he said I had time to stop safely, I got my rear bumper caught in a box junction, and failed to use my nearside door mirror all in the space of a minute!
There's another thing - you forget to use mirrors over the years - I am reminded that having passed parked vehicles, I should glance in the n/s door mirror to check it is safe before pulling back over.
After so long, it's not easy!
It's very different!
I mean, I passed my test on 25 January 1985, and after 20 years, attitudes to the mechanics of driving have evolved.
I learnt to change up/down sequentially for everything, especially slowing down. Now I am encouraged to leave the gear lever alone until stationary.
Block changes are also now acceptable ie 1-3-5 or other combination.
Indicating when I learnt - you had to indicate even if you wanted to
f @ rt...but now, I don't even have to indicate when pulling off, provided there is no traffic behind me. Instead of sitting in a queue of traffic indicating, I now should only indicate when I get to the mouth of the junction. If I want to join the traffic flow, I shouldn't indicate and wait, but wait until I see a gap, then start indicating.
Handbrake use is different, too. In my day, I was taught to use handbrake when stationary, and that it was imperative to use it at a STOP sign. Now, the use of the h/b is very much left to the driver to decide when to use it. Bascally, my understanding of AD is not to bother if only stopped for a fraction of a minute, but to use it if in a queue.
Advanced training even allows speed in excess of the speed limit in order to get yourself out of bother.
Ghost islands I was told to treat as if they were solid (ie no driving over them), but now I am told you can drive over them if they are bounded by a broken line, but not if they are solid. Take note when pulling onto a A road or m-way - you should not cross the white markings!
I am told not to steer and change gear at the same time, which is tricky near us because there is a mini-r/about where I turn right and then immediately left. Do I stay in first all the way round until I have cleared the r/about and the left turn? Or do I set off in second, as suggested by my tutor.
On open roads, the correct approach to a corner or bend is to slow (using brakes ONLY!), select the correct gear for the speed, then accelerate round the bend. All gear changes and slowing must be completed before the bend is reached, so that all you have to think about is steering.
And all this I learnt in my first 2 hour session!
I spent most of the time getting told off for changing down when slowing (well, 20 years of habit is very hard to brake (pun intended!)).
Then things went a bit to pot when Geoff told me he was going to pretend to be the examiner - I went through an amber light when he said I had time to stop safely, I got my rear bumper caught in a box junction, and failed to use my nearside door mirror all in the space of a minute!
There's another thing - you forget to use mirrors over the years - I am reminded that having passed parked vehicles, I should glance in the n/s door mirror to check it is safe before pulling back over.
After so long, it's not easy!
Yeh, that makes sense, accelerate with all the urgency of plate tectonics, but end up speeding and thus breaking the law, not to mention increasing the risk of killing someone. If they drove properly they would probably get there a little quicker, and wouldn't hold everyone up!
