Anyone know what the current teaching is for leaners slowing down to a stop eg to red traffic lights.
Change down each gear from 5th to stop, or braking and drop two gears or what?
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Just running it passed an ADI and awaiting response. Standby.
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>> No down change at all.
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In order to avoid confusion between such differences in driving ways I sent my two offspring to a driving instructor so they learned how to pass the test and only then did practise with dad occur.
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>> In order to avoid confusion between such differences in driving ways I sent my two
>> offspring to a driving instructor so they learned how to pass the test and only
>> then did practise with dad occur.
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So how the hell do you "Learn to pass the test" without learning to drive? People really have no idea what driving instruction actually involves.
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>> So how the hell do you "Learn to pass the test" without learning to drive?
IIRC many folks say that you pass your test and then learn to drive.
That was certainly my situation.
None in my family had a car. I had no access to practice in other than the driving school cars.
I only had funds for a dozen lessons.
After five lessons in an urban settings I failed my first test for overtaking too close. " Leave THREE feet between the car and the parked vehicles.
A great way to start a traffic jam.
I passed the second time at the same testing station with a tester from a rural place who was more interested in tractor mud ( in West London?)
I was asked " what are guard rails ?"
I did not drive anything for a year then hired a large three speed column change estate.
I consider I learned to drive on my next holiday, in Cyprus after hundreds of miles in an old Morris.
>> People really have no idea what driving instruction actually involves.
Time for some PR from the profession?
I was taught with a four speed box with no syncro on first.
The hour before my test the boss arrived with a different car with an all syncro gearbox.
Then insisted I use first on the move. Great for the nerves before the test.
I did not want confusion in terminology for my offspring.
My son is very very interested in cars but asked me what offside and nearside are.
My daughter still has the first S/H car she bought 18 years ago and treats it as white goods.
No interest other than it gets her around.
It worries me that such a professional person treats the car in that way.
I am no longer able "to keep an eye on it" I replaced the battery a few months ago , removing my previously installed seven year old dead one.
I stongly suspect that most new drivers will never lift the bonnet again.
Moving the washer bottle from it historic outmoded location to the boot area with an exterior filler flap would mean the vitals could all be auto checked on the dash and keep your nose out of the oily bits.
Lack of interest reminds me of the person wanting a spare part.
I need a 710 thing. Its a round black thing and fits on the engine.
Last edited by: henry k on Sun 26 Jul 20 at 23:48
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Does make me wonder why that is the way now though? I take the view that in a manual, I'm not really wanting to use the engine to brake, but I do want the car to be in the most appropriate gear to deal with any eventuality I may encounter. Also, in my automatic car, I can see it on the dashboard display, gradually going down the gears as it slows. Someone at Mercedes must think that was a good idea for what I'd strongly suspect are the same reasons.
Anyway, I taught my son to drive three years ago ( that way ) and he passed no bother so it can't be a big deal with the examiners.
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>> Anyway, I taught my son to drive three years ago ( that way ) and
>> he passed no bother so it can't be a big deal with the examiners.
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An autobox can't read the road or the drivers intentions so it has to be ready to go as the speed decreases.
It doesn't make a difference to whether you pass or fail, but "Gears to go, brakes to slow" is the accepted method by the DSA, RoSPA and the IAM.
If the other method suits, so be it.
Last edited by: Robin O'Reliant on Sun 26 Jul 20 at 17:28
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You have to change down on a bike, tap-dancing on the gear change at the lights is so untidy.
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Yeah, I mean, I'm not looking for an argument, especially not with anyone or body that is way better qualified than I am to have a view, but I am interested/curious to know what the thinking behind it is. Seems like a very binary solution to an often multi dimensional task.
I've always used the rev counter, or if one is not available, my ears, to tell me what the engine is doing and try to keep the car in a gear where the power band is sweet. That way, if the dynamics of the circumstances I'm driving in change, the car is always ready to respond cleanly and immediately.
Just curious to know why you deliberately wouldn't prepare the car for its next potential move and only react to change when it happens?
What's the science behind the thinking?
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None at all Humph. The beauty of auto boxes is they do this so discreetly, especially that 8 speed BMW box....I miss it so much.
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I was taught to slow down without changing down on a manual. Seems so wrong.
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The idea is that you use brakes as you approach say a roundabout to adjust your speed to whatever is suitable, then you select whatever new gear you need when you need to 'go' - if you have stopped then that will be first, if you are still rolling probably second.
That has been taught [to qualified drivers] for at least 40 years I think, it was current when I did my AM sessions in a Fiesta I had from 80-81.
But with 6 gears some common sense, control and sympathy surely apply. For myself I don't want to be dipping the clutch at 25-30mph and I don't want to be in 6th unless cruising. I'll probably have dropped from 6th to 5th some way off the hazard, then maybe 5th to 3rd as the rpm approach tickover. That's in the manual petrol. The auto's (6 speed slusher in the diesel, 7 speed DSG in the Roomster) look after themselves.
Last edited by: Manatee on Sun 26 Jul 20 at 20:02
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I think if one is in a town centre environment, then you don't need the power band of the vehicle, though you don't want it chugging either.
In that environment if you have to do it quickly then you probably shouldn't be doing it.
These days from a speed of less than 30mph a car will stop dead if you hit the brakes and do nothing else, and will accelerate if you push the accelerator and do nothing else. The days of absolutely needing to coordinate gearboxes, brakes and accelerators have long since passed.
It's all about forethought.
Quite different in higher speed environments of course, where things can and do change quickly.
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When I did my Advanced course we were taught that brakes are cheaper than gearboxes to replace.
My ADI contact (ex Traffic) 'Either is acceptable but I teach pupils to plan well ahead and if they do so they should have time to drop down through the gears'
Based on that then either is acceptable. For me 'block changing' shows even more of a driving plan but is maybe more suitable to progressive driving.
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I skip gears on the way up the box at times. Accelerating in second to pass a slow moving vehicle from 20mph in a 40 limit I'll skip third and jump straight to fourth. Similarly from third to fifth.
Driving is all about the circumstances that apply at any given moment. Sticking rigidly to an inflexible rulebook doesn't make sense in an environment where the situation is constantly changing, often by the second.
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It is no surprise that recommended driving practice has changed over the years. In the early 1970s when I learned:
- slow down using gears. Brakes typically unassisted drums - inefficient and overheated.
- feed steering wheel through hands. No power steering - self-centering if you let go.
Like so many other motoring advances that should make driving a simple and stress free - THINK steer, accelerate, brake process - auto gearboxes, auto lights, auto wipers, climate control, sat nav, inertia reel seat belts, crumple zones, airbags etc etc
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>>sent my two offspring to a driving instructor
But when Covid is preventing driving instructors from working??
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>> >>sent my two offspring to a driving instructor
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>> But when Covid is preventing driving instructors from working??
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My offspring were in their teens 20+ years ago.
I have no idea what is happening these days.
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Some googling found this which actually makes reassuring sense
youtu.be/k1m-rpXUY34
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Nah!
This is the skill level we should be aiming for. :)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqREtbLe4sY
Last edited by: Fullchat on Sun 26 Jul 20 at 22:44
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That was me the other day going for a haircut
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I remember Walter Rohl driving a 911 on the 1981 Rothmans Rally, September 1981. A bunch of us visited the IOM every September for several years to spectate on that tarmac rally.
I’ve probably still got the event programme ...it will be on YouTube somewhere. I think T Pond was driving a Chevette. Remember them ?...pre Quattro days I think.
Last edited by: legacylad on Mon 27 Jul 20 at 07:12
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Current teaching on Learner slowing down - Fullchat
