Strangely Brown wrote:However, for an inexperienced [1 year] driver who says that he leaves the gear change late and then brakes firmly and runs out of time to assess things properly, and appears to find the ABS more often than most, I would say it is a damed sight better that what he is doing!
You've taken it as that I'm doing that all the time. I'm not. Most of the time, when changing gear before braking, I change gear in plenty of time, and have no issue with slowing or anything. It's only on occasion that I've done it that way around that I've misjudged how much time I've got, and will either use firmer braking than usual to slow, or indeed, I'll just do the slowing, then change gear afterwards.
The main reason I occasionally change gear before braking is because I might have been driving in a cruising gear, and the gear won't allow me to slow to a safe speed without having to have the clutch down for a long time, which I don't like doing, so I select either a predicted gear that allows me to negotiate the hazard, or an intermediate gear to allow me to slow with less time declutched.
Strangely Brown wrote:I accept completely that he is young and still knows everything. Hopefully that will wear off quickly. In fact, I see from his last response that he may be on the way. I'll shut up now.
Of course I don't know everything. But what I do know, I'm more than happy to have that knowledge corrected, if it's wrong. (It won't be anyway
)
But seriously, I do apologise if I've come across as being a know it all. I am 100% aware of the fact I know nothing, and I love learning more.
The problem for me is, I'm trying to describe a physical task in text, and trying to get advice on improving my skills, in text. I need someone to come along with me to assess my driving in the real world, but being a 6th former, I've got barely any time in the day to actually do things I want to do, so I'm just tootling along hoping I'm not doing anything wrong, while also being painfully aware that I'm probably doing everything wrong.
I'd rather be one of the 'sheep' and not give a damn about my driving, but unfortunately I care too much about my driving to ignore what I'm doing.