Experience day - excess
Discussion
Captain Muppet said:
This is why I didn't take the job as an instructor - lots of cars don't even have a kill switch, and definitely no brake pedal.
The chap driving the car has responsibility - sod all an instructor can do except talk and make a grab for the wheel or handbrake.
And that's what happened to me in an Exige at Silverstone- I lifted off mid corner- yes, I know... - and the instructor pulled on my wheel for a couple of seconds and told me to give it more gas... which I duly did. Between us, we kept it on track. Left to my own devices I would have exited stage left, arse first.The chap driving the car has responsibility - sod all an instructor can do except talk and make a grab for the wheel or handbrake.
About 5 seconds of slow driving and explanation followed. I learned and carried on. The instructor was great even when I had that brain-dead moment.
I also remember automatically maintaining a safe braking distance behind a Ferrari 360. "None of that 2 second rule, get up his arse!" was the instruction.
Edited by blearyeyedboy on Wednesday 4th April 17:42
redgriff500 said:
defblade said:
I think it's a bloody cheek myself: if you're going to sell time in a fast car to totally unvetted members of the general public (beyond holding a driving licence) then you should bloody well insure the thing as you like (and probably pass the charge along in the price of the experience if you feel it necessary), not charge extra for it.
Seconded.I expect the advertised price to be the price I pay.
I went on one a few years ago and they sprung this. Very very heavy selling of it. IMO its not really going towards insurance but is extra money for them and they're covering their own excess by a tasty bit of extra profit against fear of the once in a blue moon prang. Still, depends on your experience as to if you want to pay or not, if you've never driven on track or in a fast car and I would !
blearyeyedboy said:
And that's what happened to me in an Exige at Silverstone- I lifted off mid corner- yes, I know... - and the instructor pulled on my wheel for a couple of seconds and told me to give it more gas... which I duly did. Between us, we kept it on track. Left to my own devices I would have exited stage left, arse first.
About 5 seconds of slow driving and explanation followed. I learned and carried on. The instructor was great even when I had that brain-dead moment.
I also remember automatically maintaining a safe braking distance behind a Ferrari 360. "None of that 2 second rule, get up his arse!" was the instruction.
I had a similar braindead moment driving a quattro rally car at Rally School Ireland. Coming up to a set of double hairpins (really a tight reverse S), the instructor told me to keep as far left and turn in later than I did in the other cars. When he saw I was heading nowhere near the apex, he looked down at the footwell and shouted "foot off the clutch!!".About 5 seconds of slow driving and explanation followed. I learned and carried on. The instructor was great even when I had that brain-dead moment.
I also remember automatically maintaining a safe braking distance behind a Ferrari 360. "None of that 2 second rule, get up his arse!" was the instruction.
Edited by blearyeyedboy on Wednesday 4th April 17:42
It's just as well there was an escape road between the hairpins.
I didn't and this is my reasoning why.
If you check the small print if it is believed (not proved) that you have ignored the instructor and have an accident then £20 or not you'll have to pay the fill excess. The instructor is likely to do everything he can to stop you having the accident and is unlikely to miss a quick car behind, a slow car in front, or an excess of speed. Therefore pretty much any accident you could have would involve the full excess whether you'd paid the waiver or not.
Make sense in my mind at least.
If you check the small print if it is believed (not proved) that you have ignored the instructor and have an accident then £20 or not you'll have to pay the fill excess. The instructor is likely to do everything he can to stop you having the accident and is unlikely to miss a quick car behind, a slow car in front, or an excess of speed. Therefore pretty much any accident you could have would involve the full excess whether you'd paid the waiver or not.
Make sense in my mind at least.
I've been given a Supercar Roulette Drive at Silverstone.
Bearing in mind it's costing me nowt except the petrol to get up there I really don't mind spending a tenner for zero excess, I recently rented a hire car and had to pay an extortionate amount on the CDW.
It's a bit cheeky but it seems to be the norm these days.
As an aside, do you have to wear a lid at Silverstone?
Bearing in mind it's costing me nowt except the petrol to get up there I really don't mind spending a tenner for zero excess, I recently rented a hire car and had to pay an extortionate amount on the CDW.
It's a bit cheeky but it seems to be the norm these days.
As an aside, do you have to wear a lid at Silverstone?
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