The way people are taught to drive today.

[tech_guy]

My 17 yr old is taking driving lessons and I've been taking her out between lessons so that she can get some practice.

 

I've adopted the laid back approach, so as not to teach her any of my bad habits and I only chip in if I feel it's really necessary. Her driving really is excellent so I guess I can't fault the quality of the driving instruction she's receiving and her inate driving ability which I guess must be inherited

 

One thing does suprise me is how they are now taught to sit with the car in first gear, clutch depressed, handbrake on, whilst waiting at traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, junctions, etc.

 

Talking to others this now seems to be the norm with other driving schools / instructors in our area. All I can think about as we're sat there waiting for the lights to change is my poor old clutch!

[webman]

When I was learning to drive about 5-6 years ago, I was taught to put it into neutral and apply the handbrake if you're going to be sat still for more than a few seconds.

[FN-GM]

My 17 yr old is taking driving lessons and I've been taking her out between lessons so that she can get some practice.

 

I've adopted the laid back approach, so as not to teach her any of my bad habits and I only chip in if I feel it's really necessary. Her driving really is excellent so I guess I can't fault the quality of the driving instruction she's receiving and her inate driving ability which I guess must be inherited

 

One thing does suprise me is how they are now taught to sit with the car in first gear, clutch depressed, handbrake on, whilst waiting at traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, junctions, etc.

 

Talking to others this now seems to be the norm with other driving schools / instructors in our area. All I can think about as we're sat there waiting for the lights to change is my poor old clutch!

 

I have been driving 2 years now and that how i was taught to do it when i was driving

[mossj]

nope keep it in first, was the way I was taught 3 or 4 years ago (I'm beginning to forget things in my old age), and I passed with only 3 minors none of them related to gears..

 

Although I have started flicking it to neutral in traffic jams now, as my leg begins to cramp up.

Edited February 15, 2010 by mossj

[powdarrmonkey]

One thing does suprise me is how they are now taught to sit with the car in first gear, clutch depressed, handbrake on, whilst waiting at traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, junctions, etc.

 

Talking to others this now seems to be the norm with other driving schools / instructors in our area. All I can think about as we're sat there waiting for the lights to change is my poor old clutch!

 

That's also how I was taught, five or six years ago now, though I was also taught to move out of gear for long periods of time. There were other things that struck me as odd, too - foot to the floor to accelerate out of 30s, rather than move through the gears, things like that.

 

I've been having a lift with my girlfriend for a couple of weeks now since I broke my car, and it's interesting to observe the differences - she moves out of gear and releases the clutch practically every time she pauses, which means she's often slower to move off again (we had a different instructor, and she learned much more recently). She also uses first gear a lot more than I do, though that's probably a lot to do with my old car hating first with a passion.

[john]

I learnt eer a good few years ago now, well not that many but seems it lol, and it was if your just pulling up and they go red then then into neutral, but if you just get there stay in it for like 30 seconds then come out of gear into neutral to rest. But bad habits I tend to stay in gear with clutch depressed, its not as if your wearing it by holding it on the clutch if its fully depressed like say I do when i'm being lazy and cannot be bothered to use the handbrake.....

 

As for the foot to the floor out of 30's yes I do that but I'm foot to the floor in most areas and times as I like to get moving.

[GrumbleDook]

Driving with the car still in gear is designed for roundabouts, frequent stops (such as traffic jams) and part of both the 'defensive' and 'aggressive' driving approach to make sure that you either control the road and your place in it or are able to make you way safely out of a dangerous situation.

 

Out of gear and handbrake on is for traffic lights, hill starts, junctions going from minor to major road ... and for remembering that it is a parking brake (ie should only be applied when the vehicle is already stationary).

 

You are unlikely to be failed for not using the handbrake at traffic lights as you are still in control of the car, but you will fail if your clutch control is pants and you rock the car.

 

I still think everyone should resit the test every 5 years. I also think that driving lessons teach you to pass the test and that you should take more lessons to gain more experience afterward. I still intend to complete my advanced driving test and hope to complete an IAM special assessment next year. I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has completed one.

[powdarrmonkey]

I still think everyone should resit the test every 5 years. I also think that driving lessons teach you to pass the test and that you should take more lessons to gain more experience afterward. I still intend to complete my advanced driving test and hope to complete an IAM special assessment next year. I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has completed one.

 

I concur (twice). I had a couple of motorway lessons after I'd been trundling around on my own for a few weeks, just to make sure I hadn't developed any bad habits yet, but I didn't do a proper extended scheme.

[mossj]

I still think everyone should resit the test every 5 years. I also think that driving lessons teach you to pass the test and that you should take more lessons to gain more experience afterward. I still intend to complete my advanced driving test and hope to complete an IAM special assessment next year. I'd be interested to hear from anyone who has completed one.

 

You can it's called the "Pass Plus", they take you out on the motorway/countryside/city/night/bad weather/dual carrageways and in return you get a bit taken off your insurance premium (well worth it for your average male 17/18 year old).

 

The instructers are even encouraged to let you use your own car.

Edited February 15, 2010 by mossj

[mattx]

My 17 yr old is taking driving lessons and I've been taking her out between lessons so that she can get some practice.

 

I've adopted the laid back approach, so as not to teach her any of my bad habits and I only chip in if I feel it's really necessary. Her driving really is excellent so I guess I can't fault the quality of the driving instruction she's receiving and her inate driving ability which I guess must be inherited

 

One thing does suprise me is how they are now taught to sit with the car in first gear, clutch depressed, handbrake on, whilst waiting at traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, junctions, etc.

 

Talking to others this now seems to be the norm with other driving schools / instructors in our area. All I can think about as we're sat there waiting for the lights to change is my poor old clutch!

 

 

I wouldn't know, I don't stop for those traffic light thingys - never have understood them......

 

Done some advanced stuff on my Motorbike though which I call ' how to avoid the morons trying to kill you on a daily basis ' - good course that one.

Edited February 15, 2010 by mattx

[SYNACK]

I wouldn't know, I don't stop for those traffic light thingys - never have understood them......

 

I don't remember teaching you how to drive

[glennda]

the way i was told by my instruction 6/7 months ago was to drive economically and to spend as little time doing things as possible, so stop in gear if it is a pause, then take out of gear and put handbrake on if it turns to a wait (she said between 10-15s) is a wait rather then a pause. she did teach me some useful this like look under cars to check no feet where there i.e no kids about to run out etc. she also encouraged when pulling onto the dual carriage way not to shuffle up through the gears but jump from say 2nd to 4th. she was an excellent instructor but wasn't around as much as would have liked as she did lots of work for the police teaching the advanced driving stuff aswell as drink driver refresher courses n stuff like that

[Martin]

One thing does suprise me is how they are now taught to sit with the car in first gear, clutch depressed, handbrake on, whilst waiting at traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, junctions, etc.

 

Are they being told why they should do this? I can think of various reasons why not - wear on the thrust race bearings, risk of foot slipping off the clutch, car in "drive" if hit from behind etc.

 

Training and education should not simply be the blind following of rules, lest we end up being a nation of sheep!!

 

mb

[john]

she also encouraged when pulling onto the dual carriage way not to shuffle up through the gears but jump from say 2nd to 4th. she was an excellent instructor but wasn't around as much as would have liked as she did lots of work for the police teaching the advanced driving stuff aswell as drink driver refresher courses n stuff like that

Agree with block changes, I always block change down and often do on the up as well, I use 1,2,3,6 often missing out 4 and 5, sometimes I do 2,3,4,6 and that sometimes gets a 1 in it as well, but I can move off easily enough in second. I was taught by a coach driver seen as were comparing those that taught us a bit

[Edu-IT]

I was taught to go into neutral. Been driving 1.5 years or so.

[SYNACK]

I was taught to go into neutral unless its a really short stop where you need to move quickly again like a give way. That way your foot can be on the break to keep the car safely put and limit carnage in the case of a rear end accident as best as possible.

 

I also block shift, given the hp that my car puts out I usually go 1,2,5 and have to stop accelerating either half or three quaters of the way through second depending on if I am in suburban streets or the motorway respectivly. Any more than that and I get the red+blue warning lights blinking in the rear view mirror along with an annoying warning siren.

Edited February 15, 2010 by SYNACK

[powdarrmonkey]

Any more than that and I get the red+blue warning lights blinking in the rear view mirror along with an annoying warning siren.

 

So distracting, aren't they? I mean, there you are, trying to concentrate on how many cars you can get past before the next exit, and there's this whining noise coming from somewhere behind...

[FN-GM]

Just get an Auto its far simpler

[SYNACK]

So distracting, aren't they? I mean, there you are, trying to concentrate on how many cars you can get past before the next exit, and there's this whining noise coming from somewhere behind...

 

Precicely, very distracting a menace to public safety even. It does get quieter if you speed up though, for a while at least until that nasty Whhooop, whooop, whhooop noise starts up overhead.

[networkingNut]

When I was learning to drive about 5-6 years ago, I was taught to put it into neutral and apply the handbrake if you're going to be sat still for more than a few seconds.

 

Same here.

[beeswax]

You can it's called the "Pass Plus", they take you out on the motorway/countryside/city/night/bad weather/dual carrageways and in return you get a bit taken off your insurance premium (well worth it for your average male 17/18 year old).

 

The instructers are even encouraged to let you use your own car.

 

My 19 year old daughter was recently refused insurance as she hadn't completed her Pass Plus.

[ICT_GUY]

20 years ago I taught myself in the USA and passed by doing to circuits around the block. The instructor was very impressed I could drive Stick so passed me.

 

I then had five lessons in England and passed first time.

Edited February 16, 2010 by ICT_GUY

[mac_shinobi]

Not sure on this so just a simple question really - with ref to the pass plus do you have to take it within a year of passing your driving license test ??

 

Or can you simply just take it whenever ?

[powdarrmonkey]

Not sure on this so just a simple question really - with ref to the pass plus do you have to take it within a year of passing your driving license test ??

 

Or can you simply just take it whenever ?

 

12 months: Let me google that for you

[AngryTechnician]

Question for tech_guy (or anyone else with very recent experience of driving tuition): are they still insisting on what I consider to be the utterly daft 'eco-driving' system of always being in as high a gear as possible? When my wife had her lessons about 4 years ago that was the 'in' thing, and it conflicted utterly with the IAM tuition I was having which emphasised not changing up too soon for better control.