Whats harder, Adv Car or Bike?
Discussion
I was in charge of my Force's driving school for a while. I had to turn out to a number of accidents where bits of the scenary or other vehicles were modified by students. Drivers were always able to walk away from the scene (one had to limp after being kicked by another student who had been in the back). The cars were often totalled.
I was once driving back to the school when an advanced motorcycle course came up behind me whilst approaching a famous set of bends, the Launton Curves. I looked behind me (as per Roadcraft) to see two bikes coming up at a prodigeous rate of knots. I braked as hard as I could to let them through, nearly putting the nearside wheels onto the grass verge. Round they went, sparks flying.
Back at the school hut I approached one of the riders and told him how close it had been. "Nah, knew you'd brake." he said.
So it's much harder to be an advanced driver than an advanced rider as you need a brain for the former.
I once went to the scene of a school motorcycle accident where a bike had left the road, gone up a short embankment, then, carefully avoiding two trees by going between them, went into a wheat field. The bike made a greater distance than the rider, probably half the field.
My sergeant, when approaching the scene (we knew the rider was alive, probably because he was dribbling, they do it a lot) stood at the top of the ambankment, serveyed the damage to the field and said, "He knew wehn to abandon the bike. I won't mark him down for that."
They are all mad.
I was once driving back to the school when an advanced motorcycle course came up behind me whilst approaching a famous set of bends, the Launton Curves. I looked behind me (as per Roadcraft) to see two bikes coming up at a prodigeous rate of knots. I braked as hard as I could to let them through, nearly putting the nearside wheels onto the grass verge. Round they went, sparks flying.
Back at the school hut I approached one of the riders and told him how close it had been. "Nah, knew you'd brake." he said.
So it's much harder to be an advanced driver than an advanced rider as you need a brain for the former.
I once went to the scene of a school motorcycle accident where a bike had left the road, gone up a short embankment, then, carefully avoiding two trees by going between them, went into a wheat field. The bike made a greater distance than the rider, probably half the field.
My sergeant, when approaching the scene (we knew the rider was alive, probably because he was dribbling, they do it a lot) stood at the top of the ambankment, serveyed the damage to the field and said, "He knew wehn to abandon the bike. I won't mark him down for that."
They are all mad.
Derek - you are right. Got to be bleedin' mental to be a Police biker. I had someone try to reverse ram me once, (didn't succeed - I reversed out the way). Imagine if I'd been on a bike? Don't fancy a BMW/Pan Euro falling on top of me, thanks. I just think you are incredibly vulnerable, in all circumastances on a bike.
I found that the Motorcylce course was the hardest and most stressful for the following reasons.
When on the Advanced car course there are 3 other student drivers in the car. You all take it in turns to drive and when youre stint is over, you can wind down in the comfort of a seat, albeit you are still travelling at warp factor 10.
On a Solo course, there are still 3 students but, you are riding and concentrating for 100% of the time all the time.
Once you have ridden your stint at the front then you go to the back and im sure that every biker will agree, being 'tail end charlie' is the hardest and most demanding position to be in.
When on the Advanced car course there are 3 other student drivers in the car. You all take it in turns to drive and when youre stint is over, you can wind down in the comfort of a seat, albeit you are still travelling at warp factor 10.
On a Solo course, there are still 3 students but, you are riding and concentrating for 100% of the time all the time.
Once you have ridden your stint at the front then you go to the back and im sure that every biker will agree, being 'tail end charlie' is the hardest and most demanding position to be in.
Derek Smith said:I recall a tale told to be by the then head of Cheshire Police's driving school. This was in the days when they used XJ6s. A trainee was out with an examiner when they were alerted (as per programme) to a suspect car (a Rover 90) heading in their direction. The car was shortly spotted and the trainee gave chase. Eventually he passed the Rover and put on the 'STOP' sign and began to brake. To the astonishment of the trainee and examiner, the Rover punted them right off the road and drove off! Shortly thereafter, the police Rover arrived. The tainee had unknowingly been trying to stop two scrotes who had just robbed a sub-Post Office!
I was in charge of my Force's driving school for a while. ...
It was around this time too, that the head of Manchester's driving school told me that the change from Jags to Mini Coopers as patrol cars had one particular effect. No-one tried to stop a chase by ramming or passing and braking hard in the Minis!
Streaky
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