Hello from West Sussex

A good place to post when you join - it is a good idea to post here first so that people know something about you, and you will get a nice welcome.
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akirk
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Re: Hello from West Sussex

Postby akirk » Sat Dec 03, 2016 10:39 pm

Bumblebee16 wrote:Big Day tomorrow! :help:


good luck!

Alasdair

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Bumblebee16
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Re: Hello from West Sussex

Postby Bumblebee16 » Sun Dec 04, 2016 6:48 am

Thank you. I'll let you know how it goes!

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Bumblebee16
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Re: Hello from West Sussex

Postby Bumblebee16 » Sun Dec 04, 2016 11:01 am

I have just got back from the test drive.
Unfortunately, I didn't pass.
The reasons are:
I crept over the speed limit twice (once on a 40mph dual carriageway, and once in a 30mph)
I was using the gears to slow down, after I had braked and selected the appropriate gear.
My road positioning on right hand bends was not correct.

I am very disappointed, to say the least!
Last edited by Bumblebee16 on Thu Dec 08, 2016 11:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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akirk
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Re: Hello from West Sussex

Postby akirk » Sun Dec 04, 2016 4:11 pm

sorry to hear that - big commiserations - however none of those things are fundamentally difficult to sort out...
- speed limits are a tricky one - the test has to be strict even where in real life a driver might or might not be more flexible... However the way to deal with this in a test is simply to think below and come up to your limit, rather than coming down to it - so in a 30, think of the limit as 25 and come up to it so psychologically you have a cap and some contingency - if you come down to the limit you are mentally above it and it is easy to creep back above...
- gears for slowing down, are you perhaps braking too softly so that there is still some slowing down to be done once you have finished? If so the gears will do some of the slowing for you - this is simply a matter of practising over and over again - but using firmer braking...
- right hand bends - what was your position? simply put you probably want to maximise your view, so hug the left side of the road until the view opens up... This is one I have always struggled with as the roads around us have such poor quality edges due to lorries that I tend to avoid them :)

practice practice practice then do it again!

Alasdair

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Bumblebee16
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Re: Hello from West Sussex

Postby Bumblebee16 » Sun Dec 04, 2016 7:21 pm

Thanks, Alasdair
I have no excuse for the speed. I knew the limits and didn't manage to stick to them.
It was icy this morning and maybe I was relying on gears to slow down further, rather than braking firmer before the gear change.
The right hand bends have never been an issue for me before today. I do tend to hug the left side of the road, but there were some areas this morning where it would not have been safe to do so because of the state of the edges.
Whatever the reasons, the result is the same.
Debbie

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akirk
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Re: Hello from West Sussex

Postby akirk » Sun Dec 04, 2016 9:14 pm

Bumblebee16 wrote:Thanks, Alasdair
I have no excuse for the speed. I knew the limits and didn't manage to stick to them.
It was icy this morning and maybe I was relying on gears to slow down further, rather than braking firmer before the gear change.
The right hand bends have never been an issue for me before today. I do tend to hug the left side of the road, but there were some areas this morning where it would not have been safe to do so because of the state of the edges.
Whatever the reasons, the result is the same.
Debbie


icy roads are interesting - the gears v. brakes is a psychological trick of the mind - we tend to think that we will use gears to slow the car down to avoid issues with slippery road and tyres - however...
- your car slows down because of either inertia (in which case just take your foot off the accelerator) or because of friction against the road from the tyres...
- both braking and engine braking still rely on tyre - road interface
- engine braking will only brake the driven wheels, so on most cars that is half as many as braked wheels
so braking is better :)

there is validity in choosing to not hug the bend - but your driving should be deliberate, so:
- correct speed & hugging left of bend is okay
- slightly slower speed to compensate, a little further into the road, commentary saying that you are avoiding slippery edge of road = okay
- examiner not having a clue why you are doing what you are doing = not okay :)

Alasdair

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Bumblebee16
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Re: Hello from West Sussex

Postby Bumblebee16 » Mon Dec 05, 2016 6:21 pm

I have just sent my feedback form to IAM about the test experience...

[text removed at IAM's request]
Last edited by Bumblebee16 on Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:42 am, edited 3 times in total.

waremark
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Re: Hello from West Sussex

Postby waremark » Mon Dec 05, 2016 6:27 pm

How disappointing that the test was not a positive experience.

Did you feel that you drove at a similar standard to drives with your Observer?

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akirk
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Re: Hello from West Sussex

Postby akirk » Mon Dec 05, 2016 6:36 pm

interesting reading - definitely worth exploring why there was a mismatch between observed runs and the test:
- you can expect that there might be a certain amount of nervousness on your part which will reduce quality a little
- the examiner may not have been on form
- your observer might have been giving you a misleading understanding of your ability

definitely worth exploring...

Alasdair

waremark
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Re: Hello from West Sussex

Postby waremark » Mon Dec 05, 2016 6:43 pm

akirk wrote:definitely worth exploring...
Alasdair

I hope you will explore it for the benefit of your IAM group. I am sure they are concerned by the situation.

Did you by any chance have a check drive with another local observer?


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