Well once again, Christmas has come, and many of us will be visiting family and having a good time. Apart from the usual family member who will drink too much then sleep in the armchair all afternoon. The rest of the family will only have a few drinks during the day. Isn't it amazing how the drinks add up though: a sherry when guests arrive, a glass of wine or two with the turkey, a short drink afterwards.... then its time to go home. Safely?
About a week ago I was watching the Police Camera Action Drink Driving Special with Gethin Jones. In the program several people were interviewed, and I was amazed at the stupidity of them. Even knowing they were probably over the limit they said they would (and do regularly) drive after drinking. The program revealed that many drivers have no idea what the legal alcohol limit is for driving. Their ideas about how much they could drink and still be ok to drive verged from slightly off to unbelievably optimistic, with one girl being way over the limit after drinking 8 malibu and cokes (or some similar drink).
Of course people are different: your size, metabolism and how full your stomach is can all have an effect on how much alcohol you can consume before noticing any impairment... but can we really rely on whether we feel in control or not? Gethin Jones discovered the answer is no.
Even after one drink, when he was well under the limit, his driving ability was noticeably worse... and predictably did not get any better the more he drank over the course of his experiement. Furthermore, the most concerning thing was that after becoming over the limit, he felt more confident, and as if he was more in control than when he had consumed less alcohol. Tracking his eye response to the road as he drove proved otherwise... his eyes darting everywhere except where he needed to be looking.
This tv program of course is by no means an especially foolproof or scientific plumbline for drink driving studies, but it did reveal the attitudes of some of the general public. A suprising number of people drink and drive. So if you need to drive this Christmas, don't drink! No alcohol is the safe bet... but if you have to drink at all, work out accurately how much you can have beforehand... then stick well under that limit.
Remember, its not just you thats on the road... many drivers will be out there after being 3, 4, 5 or more times over the limit. Don't become one of them.
Oh, by the way.. happy Christmas!
Friday, 26 December 2008
Tuesday, 23 December 2008
5 Things You Need to Know about Driving Crash Courses
Driving Crash Courses!
You see adverts everywhere claiming you can pass your driving test in 7 days... is there any truth in this, or is it just a tag line designed to take your money? Lets find out!
Here are 5 things you should know about driving crash courses:
1. First the good news. Yes it IS possible to pass your driving test within a week. But this is dependent on several factors, which I'll tell you about shortly. Crash courses, or intensive courses are not for everyone. They are generally high pressure and very tiring.
2. No driving school can guaruntee you will pass your driving test at the end of the course. If they say they can guaruntee it, don't touch them with a barge pole! No matter how well you drive with your driving instructor, it is still possible that you will make a serious mistake on the test. We are all human, and are affected by nerves, and the lack of experience as a new driver means that you will often make more mistakes than an experienced driver.
3. Every student has a threshold at which they cannot take in any more information. After a certain amount of time, fatigue sets in, or concentration fades and you cannot learn any more in a single sitting. This time period varies vastly between students. Courses that have you driving for 8 hours a day can actually hinder your progress! Most people cannot concentrate for more than 2 to 3 hours before needing a break. Even after a break, fatigue will set in quicker than it did in the first sitting, so after a total of approximately 4 to 5 hours, the majority of people have stopped learning, and are almost on autopilot... just going through the motions. This is all time you are paying for on the course.
4. There is no substitute for varied experience over time on the road. If you get all your driving experience in one week, you will almost certainly not get a very good overall driving experience. For example, if the course is taken in a school holiday week, it is quite possible that you may not get to experience heavy traffic situations. If your test is taken under the same conditions then you could get away with it, but what will you do when you have to face unfamiliar situations after the test?
5. Some of the big schools use trainee instructors on intensive courses. A trainee instructor may be great, or they may be terrible. Either way, they have not passed the strict Driving Standards Agency teaching test for driving instructors. They will display a pink triangle badge in the car, instead of a green octagon which is displayed by fully qualified instructors. Crash courses are good learning exercises for trainee instructors... but when time is the main factor, do you really want to be used as a guinnea pig?
Summary:
Intensive courses can be great for some people. Passing your driving test doesn't have to take 6 months, but it is better to attempt a semi- intensive course spread over a period which is longer than 7 days. This will give you a better chance of passing first time, and hopefully save you a fair bit of money too. It will be cheaper in the long run, to spend a bit more on a longer course, than to fail the test repeatedly because you aren't quite ready. The driving test can cost you as much as your lessons if you're not careful!
Happy driving folks.
You see adverts everywhere claiming you can pass your driving test in 7 days... is there any truth in this, or is it just a tag line designed to take your money? Lets find out!
Here are 5 things you should know about driving crash courses:
1. First the good news. Yes it IS possible to pass your driving test within a week. But this is dependent on several factors, which I'll tell you about shortly. Crash courses, or intensive courses are not for everyone. They are generally high pressure and very tiring.
2. No driving school can guaruntee you will pass your driving test at the end of the course. If they say they can guaruntee it, don't touch them with a barge pole! No matter how well you drive with your driving instructor, it is still possible that you will make a serious mistake on the test. We are all human, and are affected by nerves, and the lack of experience as a new driver means that you will often make more mistakes than an experienced driver.
3. Every student has a threshold at which they cannot take in any more information. After a certain amount of time, fatigue sets in, or concentration fades and you cannot learn any more in a single sitting. This time period varies vastly between students. Courses that have you driving for 8 hours a day can actually hinder your progress! Most people cannot concentrate for more than 2 to 3 hours before needing a break. Even after a break, fatigue will set in quicker than it did in the first sitting, so after a total of approximately 4 to 5 hours, the majority of people have stopped learning, and are almost on autopilot... just going through the motions. This is all time you are paying for on the course.
4. There is no substitute for varied experience over time on the road. If you get all your driving experience in one week, you will almost certainly not get a very good overall driving experience. For example, if the course is taken in a school holiday week, it is quite possible that you may not get to experience heavy traffic situations. If your test is taken under the same conditions then you could get away with it, but what will you do when you have to face unfamiliar situations after the test?
5. Some of the big schools use trainee instructors on intensive courses. A trainee instructor may be great, or they may be terrible. Either way, they have not passed the strict Driving Standards Agency teaching test for driving instructors. They will display a pink triangle badge in the car, instead of a green octagon which is displayed by fully qualified instructors. Crash courses are good learning exercises for trainee instructors... but when time is the main factor, do you really want to be used as a guinnea pig?
Summary:
Intensive courses can be great for some people. Passing your driving test doesn't have to take 6 months, but it is better to attempt a semi- intensive course spread over a period which is longer than 7 days. This will give you a better chance of passing first time, and hopefully save you a fair bit of money too. It will be cheaper in the long run, to spend a bit more on a longer course, than to fail the test repeatedly because you aren't quite ready. The driving test can cost you as much as your lessons if you're not careful!
Happy driving folks.
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
Expensive cars are everywhere!
Have you noticed how every other car seems to be a Mercedes or a BMW these days?
I remember a time when I could drive through a town and see mainly budget cars, perhaps two or three "luxury" cars at the most. When you go about your daily business these days, at least driving in Greater London, it seems like you are being tailgated or abused in some way by a "luxury" car owner every few minutes.
Why is this? Perhaps humans are devolving. Our brains and other vital organs getting smaller, and as a result we feel the need to make up for it with flashy status symbols.
The burning question: How can they all afford it?!
Many people have been wondering this I'm sure, and in a strange way feeling jealous or cheated, that they will never be in this "elite" club on their meager wage.
One obvious answer is that a good proportion of these cars are actually company cars. They are not owned by the individual driving them. This also explains why you have two types of "luxury" car driver: the fast aggressive ones, and the ridiculously slow "my gran can make better progress than you... and she's dead" type.The fast ones being the company car drivers of course.
Statistically speaking, the majority of "luxury" car drivers are middle aged men working for medium to large companies. So if you're reading this and you are a 19 year old working as a Sales Assistant, don't beat yourself up about it... you have at least another 25 years before people expect you to evolve into a moron. Sorry... devolve.
Of course there are people who can genuinely afford any car they set their eyes upon. Take Noel Gallagher for example, from the band Oasis, who has only driven about 9 miles in his Mk II Jaguar (worth over £100,00) in the last 5 years. Why is this? Well he doesn't have a driving license, that's why. According to The Guardian, Noel admitted that he has done nothing more than go up and down the long driveway of his mansion because he's scared of doing his theory test. Remember what I said about devolution earlier.
If you actually want to work out how much car you can afford, go to the bankrate site, which provides you with a way to work it out, this is American, but the ideas are there.
If you need to work out how much a given car is going to cost to run then visit the What Price running costs page to help you.
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
How do I deal with stalling?
Stalling is a very common fault in early driving lessons, but tends to become less frequent with practice. Normally it is due to a feeling of needing to do everything more quickly. Its very easy to worry about delaying the people behind you at traffic lights and similar situations. Lets have a look at the reasons for stalling, and what to do about it.
1. Stall caused by clutch being raised too quickly
How to deal with this kind of stall depends on your location.
If you stalled when attempting to move off from the side of the road, simply apply the handbrake, put the clutch down again, select neutral and restart the engine. When you try again, remember to lift the clutch smoothly until you find the biting point. Once you have found the bite, do all observations and release the handbrake, gently adding gas as you smoothly finish raising the clutch pedal.
If you stall in this manner on a junction, then you need to get the car moving again as soon as it is safe to drive away. Lingering on junctions holds up other traffic and can put you in a dangerous and vulnerable position. In this case, all you need to do is apply the footbrake, put the clutch down, restart the engine, select the correct gear (usually 1st) and get the bite again to move. If you are on a slope, the handbrake should also be used to prevent you rolling before moving off.
2. Stall caused by selecting the wrong gear.
An example of this is selecting third gear instead of 1st gear before moving off. If this is the case just follow the same procedure as 1) above.
If at a junction, follow the same procedure as above; however it is a good idea to give a "sorry" wave to the person behind... this tends to diffuse any anger they may be feeling.
3) Stall caused by being in the wrong gear for the current speed.
This sort of stall often happens when attempting to change up to second gear, but accidentally selecting 4th. The car doesn't have enough momentum and then stalls. Also quite common when changing down to second to take a corner, but missing and selecting 4th, or simply forgetting to change down at all!
If this happens you need to brake with the footbrake till you stop. Select neutral, restart the engine and drive away in 1st gear as normal. Occasionally, you may need to do a moving start. This is done by putting the clutch down and restarting the engine while rolling forward, selecting an appropriate gear (normally 1st or 2nd) and continuing with the gear change very smoothly. I must emphasise that this method is only needed when the situation would be more dangerous if you stopped the car.
4) Stall caused by taking too long to change gear
Most often happens in the very beginning stages of learning to drive. When changing gear, if the clutch is held down for too long before selecting the next gear, the car will lose momentum. By the time the next gear has been engaged, the car is going too slowly for the higher gear, and the engine stalls.
The solution to this is to make sure you are mentally prepared to move the gear stick before putting the clutch down. Once the gear stick has been moved, start bringing the clutch up.... remember, you don't have to do this as slowly as when you first drive away from a stationary position. A gear change should not take you 5 seconds! :)
I hope this helps you on your driving lessons... any questions... contact me or comment!
1. Stall caused by clutch being raised too quickly
How to deal with this kind of stall depends on your location.
If you stalled when attempting to move off from the side of the road, simply apply the handbrake, put the clutch down again, select neutral and restart the engine. When you try again, remember to lift the clutch smoothly until you find the biting point. Once you have found the bite, do all observations and release the handbrake, gently adding gas as you smoothly finish raising the clutch pedal.
If you stall in this manner on a junction, then you need to get the car moving again as soon as it is safe to drive away. Lingering on junctions holds up other traffic and can put you in a dangerous and vulnerable position. In this case, all you need to do is apply the footbrake, put the clutch down, restart the engine, select the correct gear (usually 1st) and get the bite again to move. If you are on a slope, the handbrake should also be used to prevent you rolling before moving off.
2. Stall caused by selecting the wrong gear.
An example of this is selecting third gear instead of 1st gear before moving off. If this is the case just follow the same procedure as 1) above.
If at a junction, follow the same procedure as above; however it is a good idea to give a "sorry" wave to the person behind... this tends to diffuse any anger they may be feeling.
3) Stall caused by being in the wrong gear for the current speed.
This sort of stall often happens when attempting to change up to second gear, but accidentally selecting 4th. The car doesn't have enough momentum and then stalls. Also quite common when changing down to second to take a corner, but missing and selecting 4th, or simply forgetting to change down at all!
If this happens you need to brake with the footbrake till you stop. Select neutral, restart the engine and drive away in 1st gear as normal. Occasionally, you may need to do a moving start. This is done by putting the clutch down and restarting the engine while rolling forward, selecting an appropriate gear (normally 1st or 2nd) and continuing with the gear change very smoothly. I must emphasise that this method is only needed when the situation would be more dangerous if you stopped the car.
4) Stall caused by taking too long to change gear
Most often happens in the very beginning stages of learning to drive. When changing gear, if the clutch is held down for too long before selecting the next gear, the car will lose momentum. By the time the next gear has been engaged, the car is going too slowly for the higher gear, and the engine stalls.
The solution to this is to make sure you are mentally prepared to move the gear stick before putting the clutch down. Once the gear stick has been moved, start bringing the clutch up.... remember, you don't have to do this as slowly as when you first drive away from a stationary position. A gear change should not take you 5 seconds! :)
I hope this helps you on your driving lessons... any questions... contact me or comment!
Monday, 15 December 2008
Driving Test Myths: Busted!
Over the years, I've heard all kinds of nonsense spoken about driving tests, and learning to drive for that matter. I've had so many pupils who believe these myths because "their mates told them". Of course as learners they don't know any better, so I thought it might be nice to put some of these classic myths to rest.
Myth 1) Examiners are only allowed to pass a certain number of people each week. So it must be better to do my test on a Monday.
Busted: While it is true that across the country there is not much variation in pass rates at all test centers, this does not mean that you will fail because the DSA need to keep within their quota. Candidates fail their driving test because they make mistakes. If they did nothing wrong then how could they be given a fault? This myth probably originated with people who were embarassed about failing, and needed to justify it to themselves or other people. It just isn't true. If you demonstrate a great drive, you'll pass.
Myth 2) My mate only took 3 lessons then passed first time.
Busted: Can I let you in on a little secret? People lie! It is unlikely, but possible that someone passed their test with as little as two or three lessons with a driving instructor. It is even possible that, like myself, they passed with no lessons from a professional.
What they have not told you is how much private practice they had with a friend or family member. It is extremely rare... and that is an understatement... for someone to pass a driving test with hardly any practical driving experience. Most people who are successful have had at least 40 hours in the car, usually more. In my time I have come across people who have had about 20 hours and passed, but they are in the minority, perhaps one in every 300.
Sometimes parents who passed many years ago will say that they had no lessons, or very few lessons. This is sometimes true. However, the driving test has changed since then, to meet the demands of busier and more complex traffic situations. As a result it is now a lot harder than it used to be.
Myth 3) I've heard that the examiners are racist/ sexist/ ageist/ at this particular test center.
Busted: Of course examiners are human beings. I know that may be hard to believe with the way they sometimes talk to you, but its true. They may, like anyone else, take a disliking to someone. However they are professionals and will not fail you simply because they don't like you. In order to get driver faults recorded on the DL25 (the exam marking sheet) you have to make a mistake that falls into one of the categories on the sheet. If you don't make mistakes, they will not mark faults. It really is as simple as that. I've actually heard of people telling a candidate to take their test at test center X because all the examiners are black!!
Reality check: learn to drive properly, then take your test. Don't blame your mistakes on other people.
Myth 4) If you stall you will fail.
Busted: Stalling the engine is not in itself a serious fault. Often it is marked down as driver error, but is not serious enough to cause a fail. However it is possible to fail if you do not deal with the stall correctly after it has happenned. An example of this is stalling while turning right at a set of traffic lights. If the candidate fails to get the car going again in good time, and other drivers start approaching from the other direction, the candidate is blocking their path and causing an obstruction. This will often result in a fail, but it is not because they stalled. If you stall the car simple apply the handbrake, select neutral and restart the engine. If you need to move off again as quick as possible, just select the appropriate gear (usually 1st) hold the clutch down and restart!
Myth5) Soon you won't be able to learn to drive until you are 18
Busted: There has been talk of this since I was at school! It has never happened. Even if it does happen it will take a few years to pass through parliament.
Myth 6) Passing your test is all about confidence.
Busted: This one is actually half true. Let me explain. What most people are lacking who fail the test is driving skill, not confidence. Confidence normally comes naturally as skills are improved to a sufficient level. False confidence is one of the most destructive things for a learner. This sometimes comes when someone has learned to adequately control the vehicle, but still lacks the judgment, and decision making ability of a more experienced driver. This usually results in people driving too fast for the situation they are in or making stupid mistakes that can easily result in a dangerous situation.
Sometimes someone is skilled enough, they just have a confidence issue. This is usually fairly obvious to a qualified instructor if you take a lesson with them.
I hope that has cleared a few things up! If you have any more comments or things you've heard, but don't know if they're true or not... post them here!
Myth 1) Examiners are only allowed to pass a certain number of people each week. So it must be better to do my test on a Monday.
Busted: While it is true that across the country there is not much variation in pass rates at all test centers, this does not mean that you will fail because the DSA need to keep within their quota. Candidates fail their driving test because they make mistakes. If they did nothing wrong then how could they be given a fault? This myth probably originated with people who were embarassed about failing, and needed to justify it to themselves or other people. It just isn't true. If you demonstrate a great drive, you'll pass.
Myth 2) My mate only took 3 lessons then passed first time.
Busted: Can I let you in on a little secret? People lie! It is unlikely, but possible that someone passed their test with as little as two or three lessons with a driving instructor. It is even possible that, like myself, they passed with no lessons from a professional.
What they have not told you is how much private practice they had with a friend or family member. It is extremely rare... and that is an understatement... for someone to pass a driving test with hardly any practical driving experience. Most people who are successful have had at least 40 hours in the car, usually more. In my time I have come across people who have had about 20 hours and passed, but they are in the minority, perhaps one in every 300.
Sometimes parents who passed many years ago will say that they had no lessons, or very few lessons. This is sometimes true. However, the driving test has changed since then, to meet the demands of busier and more complex traffic situations. As a result it is now a lot harder than it used to be.
Myth 3) I've heard that the examiners are racist/ sexist/ ageist/ at this particular test center.
Busted: Of course examiners are human beings. I know that may be hard to believe with the way they sometimes talk to you, but its true. They may, like anyone else, take a disliking to someone. However they are professionals and will not fail you simply because they don't like you. In order to get driver faults recorded on the DL25 (the exam marking sheet) you have to make a mistake that falls into one of the categories on the sheet. If you don't make mistakes, they will not mark faults. It really is as simple as that. I've actually heard of people telling a candidate to take their test at test center X because all the examiners are black!!
Reality check: learn to drive properly, then take your test. Don't blame your mistakes on other people.
Myth 4) If you stall you will fail.
Busted: Stalling the engine is not in itself a serious fault. Often it is marked down as driver error, but is not serious enough to cause a fail. However it is possible to fail if you do not deal with the stall correctly after it has happenned. An example of this is stalling while turning right at a set of traffic lights. If the candidate fails to get the car going again in good time, and other drivers start approaching from the other direction, the candidate is blocking their path and causing an obstruction. This will often result in a fail, but it is not because they stalled. If you stall the car simple apply the handbrake, select neutral and restart the engine. If you need to move off again as quick as possible, just select the appropriate gear (usually 1st) hold the clutch down and restart!
Myth5) Soon you won't be able to learn to drive until you are 18
Busted: There has been talk of this since I was at school! It has never happened. Even if it does happen it will take a few years to pass through parliament.
Myth 6) Passing your test is all about confidence.
Busted: This one is actually half true. Let me explain. What most people are lacking who fail the test is driving skill, not confidence. Confidence normally comes naturally as skills are improved to a sufficient level. False confidence is one of the most destructive things for a learner. This sometimes comes when someone has learned to adequately control the vehicle, but still lacks the judgment, and decision making ability of a more experienced driver. This usually results in people driving too fast for the situation they are in or making stupid mistakes that can easily result in a dangerous situation.
Sometimes someone is skilled enough, they just have a confidence issue. This is usually fairly obvious to a qualified instructor if you take a lesson with them.
I hope that has cleared a few things up! If you have any more comments or things you've heard, but don't know if they're true or not... post them here!
10 Common Reasons For Failing A Driving Test
The UK driving test is one of the most challenging driving exams in the world and the pass rate is only approximately 43%. That means that more than half the people who take it fail! Obviously candidates fail for all sorts of reasons, but in this article, I have outlined the serious driver faults I have come across most often.
1. Observation at junctions – not looking enough, or making a bad decision based on your observations.
Before you arrive at the end of the road, you need to already be planning what you'll do next. If it is an open junction (a junction at which, as you approach the give way lines, your view is not obscured by objects such as high walls or hedges), try to see what is coming from BOTH directions. Make sure you look RIGHT, LEFT, and RIGHT again, before driving out! It can be tempting if it looks clear, to just look right then drive out. DO NOT do this. It is easy to miss something on your left, such as a parked van, or possibly another car cutting the corner turning into the junction as you emerge. If your instructor doesn't let you do it on driving lessons, don't do it on your driving test!
2. Reverse Parking – not checking your blind spots/ failing to see approaching traffic.
So many people go through blind spot checks robotically, just moving their head, because they think this is what examiners want to see. Well it isn't. What they want to see is that you are fully aware of what is going on around you. This is especially true when you are about to cause the front of your car to swing out into the road as you drive towards the kerb. You must use your mirrors properly, and keep an eye on the areas you can't see in your mirrors, watching for other road users who may be driving toward you. Watch out for cyclists too!
3. Use of Mirrors – not gathering information from what you see in them often enough, or failing to act on what you have seen.
An example of this would be driving past a parked bus. You move out around the bus without checking the right door mirror first. As you drive out, a motorcyclist passes you on your right side. This would usually lead to a serious fault, as you may have caused the motorcyclist to swerve.
Remember, in real life and on your driving test, you must not cause other road users to SLOW, SWERVE or STOP.
4. Reversing Round a Corner – exactly the same as reverse park. Many candidates fail to see traffic approaching from behind them, in the road they are turning into. Alternatively, they swing the car out causing an obstruction to traffic driving on the major road. Hitting the kerb is also quite common. Take the reversing exercises S-L-O-W-L-Y!
5. Incorrect use of Signals – giving misleading signals, or forgetting to cancel them.
An example of this would be leaving a left signal on after pulling over on the left, then driving off again with the left signal still ticking.
6. Driving away Safely – inadequate observation. Most commonly, not looking into the road side (offside) blind spot.
7. Incorrect Positioning on the Road – bad lane discipline at roundabouts or being too far into the road going round a bend.
A very common serious fault, especially on driving test routes with multiple roundabouts. Be sure not to "cut across" the roundabout, but follow the appropriate lane completely around the roundabout. Often this fault arises on approach to roundabouts where the left lane curves round to the left a little at the roundabout. The candidate is still looking right and does not steer the car with the curve, but remains straight, causing them to straddle the white lane division lines.
8. Lack of Steering Control – steering too early, or too late. Especially going into sharp corners. Hitting the kerb is possible if this is not done correctly. Contrary to popular belief, crossing your arms on a driving test will not cause you to fail. However, most people when they cross their arms, tend to lose full control of the wheel, which is why the fault is marked. It is good practice to use pull push steering technique that you have been shown in your driving lessons, which reduces the chances of losing steering control.
9. Incorrect Position for turning right – at junctions or one-way streets. Most commonly driving in the left lane in a one way street, not realising that it is actually one way! Remember you can use either lane in a one way street! This fault also arises when a candidate fails to make use of right turning boxes that allow them to get out of the path of following traffic.
10. Inappropriate Speed – amazingly speeding on driving tests is still in the top ten faults. Just don't break the speed limit or travel too fast into a hazard! Remain at a speed that allows you to judge the situation effectively. This also applies to driving slowly all the time. One of the most prevalent myths about the driving test is that "if you drive slowly, you'll pass". Well, this is not true. Driving consistently well under the speed limit is just as dangerous as speeding.
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