current driving test/older driver
Discussion
Including motorbikes which i believe according to the I.A.M you drive not ride i have been driving for around 50 years.In all those years never been in worse than a minor accident.The worst of those when i was hit from behind by a lorry and pushed into the back of another car.I would like to think i am a safe driver but would be the first to admit that i have probably developed a few bad habits in that time.So how many of us experienced drivers honestly believe we could pass a modern driving test without some sort of refresher to bring us up to date.
I passed my test just 8 years ago, when I was in my mid-40's. My wife was interested in some of the techniques I was talking to her about after my lessons and booked a set of 3 lessons for herself. She found it useful and informative. She got pulled up on things like not checking her mirrors enough, manoeuvring just before indicating etc. Things most people forget once they've passed their test. I did say to my instructor I must be one of the oldest pupils he's had, but apparently not. He also does confidence courses for people who have passed their test but not driven for a while or have only driven in rural areas and have moved to London and are nervous.
From the videos I have watched on YouTube it seems quite a lot has changed since I had my lessons over 30 years ago.
1)When stopping at lights I was taught to put the handbrake on and put the car into Neutral. Now it seems you can just hold it on the footbrake with the clutch in. To this day, if the lights are going to be a while I put the handbrake on and into neutral.
2)When stalling the car I was taught to put the handbrake on and put the car in neutral before starting the car. Now it seems you can just dip the clutch, start the car and be on your way.
3)I was taught to never coast with the car in gear and the clutch down as you are not in control of the car. Now it seems you can just coast up to junctions with the clutch in.
4)Block changing, I was taught to use the gears for engine breaking. Now it seems that going straight from fourth to second and missing out third is allowed.
I would like to think I would easily pass my test, if you need a refresher course to remind you to check your mirrors and signal then you should not be driving.
1)When stopping at lights I was taught to put the handbrake on and put the car into Neutral. Now it seems you can just hold it on the footbrake with the clutch in. To this day, if the lights are going to be a while I put the handbrake on and into neutral.
2)When stalling the car I was taught to put the handbrake on and put the car in neutral before starting the car. Now it seems you can just dip the clutch, start the car and be on your way.
3)I was taught to never coast with the car in gear and the clutch down as you are not in control of the car. Now it seems you can just coast up to junctions with the clutch in.
4)Block changing, I was taught to use the gears for engine breaking. Now it seems that going straight from fourth to second and missing out third is allowed.
I would like to think I would easily pass my test, if you need a refresher course to remind you to check your mirrors and signal then you should not be driving.
Joey Deacon said:
I would like to think I would easily pass my test, if you need a refresher course to remind you to check your mirrors and signal then you should not be driving.
I'd be surprised if you did pass the new test easily, especially after 30 years of driving. And I guess the last part I suppose is aimed at me. So, she didn't take a refresher course to remind her to check her mirrors and indicate (that's not what I said), she booked the courses because she was interested in learning new techniques, see where her current technique was sloppy or needed improving. Also the parallel parking technique I was shown was different to what she was using so was interested in that as well. Nothing to be ashamed of. People trying to be better drivers is a good thing, people who think they're driving gods, not so much.I passed my car test in 1993. I passed my bike test in 2023. The bike test was like an advanced test imo. There is so much more to get right but most of it is for very good reasons.
The theory test would be a good refresher for everyone every 5 years IMO.
There is no way you would pass without training as you also need to be trained as to how to pass.
You also will not know just how many bad habits you have and what rules you are not aware of. I was doing roundabouts wrongly for many years in the eyes of an examiner.
The theory test would be a good refresher for everyone every 5 years IMO.
There is no way you would pass without training as you also need to be trained as to how to pass.
You also will not know just how many bad habits you have and what rules you are not aware of. I was doing roundabouts wrongly for many years in the eyes of an examiner.
Joey Deacon said:
From the videos I have watched on YouTube it seems quite a lot has changed since I had my lessons over 30 years ago.
1)When stopping at lights I was taught to put the handbrake on and put the car into Neutral. Now it seems you can just hold it on the footbrake with the clutch in. To this day, if the lights are going to be a while I put the handbrake on and into neutral.
2)When stalling the car I was taught to put the handbrake on and put the car in neutral before starting the car. Now it seems you can just dip the clutch, start the car and be on your way.
3)I was taught to never coast with the car in gear and the clutch down as you are not in control of the car. Now it seems you can just coast up to junctions with the clutch in.
4)Block changing, I was taught to use the gears for engine breaking. Now it seems that going straight from fourth to second and missing out third is allowed.
I would like to think I would easily pass my test, if you need a refresher course to remind you to check your mirrors and signal then you should not be driving.
Clutch? Surely when driving you should always have your clutch down and both hands free, I know they are small bags but seems silly to not put it down. How will you move the car from R (backwards) to D (forwards) with a bag in your hands?1)When stopping at lights I was taught to put the handbrake on and put the car into Neutral. Now it seems you can just hold it on the footbrake with the clutch in. To this day, if the lights are going to be a while I put the handbrake on and into neutral.
2)When stalling the car I was taught to put the handbrake on and put the car in neutral before starting the car. Now it seems you can just dip the clutch, start the car and be on your way.
3)I was taught to never coast with the car in gear and the clutch down as you are not in control of the car. Now it seems you can just coast up to junctions with the clutch in.
4)Block changing, I was taught to use the gears for engine breaking. Now it seems that going straight from fourth to second and missing out third is allowed.
I would like to think I would easily pass my test, if you need a refresher course to remind you to check your mirrors and signal then you should not be driving.
Bad jokes aside, that is interesting in my view point 1 seems stupid and extra wear on the car for no reason.
2) Safety of handbrake makes a lot if sense but I think this is scenario dependent and teaching drivers to use their brain would be better.
3) Weird, not coasting possibly saved me from a head on collision from a car entering my side of the road as I approached a downhill junction (i.e. a typical place to coast). I was able to mount the curb and get out the way which possibly wouldn't have been doable if i wasn't in gear already.
4) Strange as well, I don't block change very often out of fear. If you are going from 5th to 3rd you can quite easily go to 1st if you are shifting quickly and skipping 4th. Admittedly you won't be shifting quickly on your driving lesson so maybe a moot point.
I rarely drive modern cars with electronic handbrakes, is it because in the learner cars the handbrake comes on automatically?
I've known a few nervous/bad drivers take a refresher course a few years after passing and they are still not the best. All of them ended up in automatics which has helped their abilities as it's one less thing to panic about.
Most people, even those who passed a year ago, wouldn't pass a driving test as they wouldn't know what to do without a phone and vape in their hands.
Super Sonic said:
Don't you do those anyway?
the mirror and signal thing is much more prescribed in learning to drive. For example do you always look in your rear view mirror when changing speed from a 40 to a 30? I bet you don't, but you are supposed to . Do you always look in the passenger mirror, or over your shoulder when setting off from roadside ? In those particular instances the examiner might let you miss a few opportunities to do that, but three or more and it'll be marked as a serious fault so you fail.Having taught my oldest and currently teaching my youngest, the driving test is about 2 things, are you legal are you safe. The first point is ensuring you don't speed, or that you don't make an illegal move like stopping in a box junction, the second is that you have control of the car at all times and are able to make the correct decisions reference the traffic and hazards around you.
All the 1930's push me pull you steering, hand brake on at all stops etc, is not considered essential so long as you 'demonstrate control of the car'.
Saudade said:
<Snipped for brevity>
Most people, even those who passed a year ago, wouldn't pass a driving test as they wouldn't know what to do without a phone and vape in their hands.
It has to be either phone or vape, so that you have one hand free for the important part of driving - To give the coffee beans and/or victory sign to other drivers.Most people, even those who passed a year ago, wouldn't pass a driving test as they wouldn't know what to do without a phone and vape in their hands.
Joey Deacon said:
From the videos I have watched on YouTube it seems quite a lot has changed since I had my lessons over 30 years ago.
1)When stopping at lights I was taught to put the handbrake on and put the car into Neutral. Now it seems you can just hold it on the footbrake with the clutch in. To this day, if the lights are going to be a while I put the handbrake on and into neutral.
2)When stalling the car I was taught to put the handbrake on and put the car in neutral before starting the car. Now it seems you can just dip the clutch, start the car and be on your way.
3)I was taught to never coast with the car in gear and the clutch down as you are not in control of the car. Now it seems you can just coast up to junctions with the clutch in.
4)Block changing, I was taught to use the gears for engine breaking. Now it seems that going straight from fourth to second and missing out third is allowed.
I would like to think I would easily pass my test, if you need a refresher course to remind you to check your mirrors and signal then you should not be driving.
You were taught to break your engine? 1)When stopping at lights I was taught to put the handbrake on and put the car into Neutral. Now it seems you can just hold it on the footbrake with the clutch in. To this day, if the lights are going to be a while I put the handbrake on and into neutral.
2)When stalling the car I was taught to put the handbrake on and put the car in neutral before starting the car. Now it seems you can just dip the clutch, start the car and be on your way.
3)I was taught to never coast with the car in gear and the clutch down as you are not in control of the car. Now it seems you can just coast up to junctions with the clutch in.
4)Block changing, I was taught to use the gears for engine breaking. Now it seems that going straight from fourth to second and missing out third is allowed.
I would like to think I would easily pass my test, if you need a refresher course to remind you to check your mirrors and signal then you should not be driving.
c_henry said:
She got pulled up on things like not checking her mirrors enough, manoeuvring just before indicating etc. Things most people forget once they've passed their test.
I passed my test about 15+ years ago. I'd say I check my mirror a good amount as I'm always paranoid of Motorcycles sneaking up on me and I like to build a general picture of what's around me in my head.The manoeuvring before indicating is a massive bug bear of mine. I don't think people realise that braking to turn into a junction is the start of your manoeuvre so you should be indicating before you brake.
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