Advanced Driving Hub

hir wrote:

GTR1400MAN wrote:

RiK wrote:And just to add insult to injury, the IAM have come out in full support of this on Facebook...

... Why am I working as an Observer for you and paying to be a member when you come out with rubbish like this?

I share your pain. But I have a way of mitigating the frustration, irritation and exasperation.

I do not regard myself, and never have, as "working for the IAM". I have always regarded myself as "working for the associate". So, as far as I'm concerned, the IAM is simply a means to an end in supplying me with a steady stream of members of the general public who wish to improve their driving skills. I'm more than happy to help those individuals and they're always grateful for the help and guidance I am able to offer. In that way I've managed to create a disconnect between myself and the silliness, which enables me to retain my sanity. This approach also helps to keep my blood pressure under control.

Just a thought.

Completely agree with all you say John.
Possibly, with only one exception, all our Group Observers are also of the same opinion. In fact since setting up our Group some 40 years ago it has been our aim to provide the best training we can. We, therefore, train beyond the basic requirements to pass the test. To help, support and encourage an Associate to recognise and achieve their driving potential. To instil a desire for continuous improvement and make driving a fun experience rather than a necessary chore. The test itself is of minor importance and like you we create a disconnect between ourselves and the "silliness", which may not be the view the IAM would like us to have.

I may be alone here in what I am about to say and it may come as a surprise to those who have endured sitting along side me when I am driving.

I don't get any particular fun or satisfaction form driving over an NSL. It bothers me not whether I do/do not or can/can not drive over an NSL. In fact I often happily use the speed restrictor on my own car, particularly where there may be risk of collecting points or losing my licence. I can cancel the limiter either by completely depressing the throttle or a touch on a button should the need arise.

For me the fun aspect of country driving is not derived from the number on a speedometer but the feel of acceleration and getting all the subtle bend techniques just right. Bends are the real fun bits. The challenge and satisfaction/reward that comes from bringing together, as near to perfection as possible, all the skills of precision and balance for cornering is the heart of fun driving for me and what it is all about. Cornering is unlikely to be done at NSL speeds but cosiderably lower. So any mandatory speed limier will not diminish the challenges, rewards and fun I get from my driving.

You need to go and read up on what they mean by speed limiter. It is much more invasive than the limiter that many of us use in our cars to avoid 'creep' in long inappropriate limits.

From my experience pressing the peddle into the carpet to override a limiter there is quite a lag between action and reaction

... and why would you want to use WOT to push through the limiter, even if only briefly?

Strangely Brown wrote:... and why would you want to use WOT to push through the limiter, even if only briefly?

Because the technology has got it wrong and the speed limit is 60 and not the 40 the car thinks it is.

Or, the 'get out of the way' situation. A car has come round a corner very fast when you are coming out of a blind junction. You are committed. The only thing you can do now is hit the warp factor button to avoid being hit from behind ... I had just that situation earlier this week on my motorcycle.

GTR1400MAN wrote:

Strangely Brown wrote:... and why would you want to use WOT to push through the limiter, even if only briefly?

Because the technology has got it wrong and the speed limit is 60 and not the 40 the car thinks it is.

That does not need WOT. A good shove, maybe, but push right through to the floor? Really? And what do you think will happen when people do that on a damp/greasy road surface, or when crossing paint, in a lower gear?

GTR1400MAN wrote:Or, the 'get out of the way' situation. A car has come round a corner very fast when you are coming out of a blind junction. You are committed. The only thing you can do now is hit the warp factor button to avoid being hit from behind ... I had just that situation earlier this week on my motorcycle.

That probably does need WOT, but you're likely still under the limit so the point is moot.

Strangely Brown wrote:That does not need WOT. A good shove, maybe, but push right through to the floor? Really? And what do you think will happen when people do that on a damp/greasy road surface, or when crossing paint, in a lower gear?

If the car has stability/traction control, probably nothing much that many drivers would notice?

Horse wrote:

Strangely Brown wrote:That does not need WOT. A good shove, maybe, but push right through to the floor? Really? And what do you think will happen when people do that on a damp/greasy road surface, or when crossing paint, in a lower gear?

If the car has stability/traction control, probably nothing much that many drivers would notice?

I'm not sure how well the stability/traction control would work in a high performance car with turbo and LSD. I would not like to experiment with that to see if it would cope unless I could try in an off road facility. Even when driving a low performance car I still imperceptibly ease the throttle for a fraction of a second when crossing paint work or metal work. Probably because of experience on two wheels. (Pedal bikes and scooters particularly.)

jcochrane wrote: I'm not sure how well the stability/traction control would work in a high performance car with turbo and LSD.

I have no idea either. Perhaps we need a ban on high powered cars to get around that?

jcochrane wrote: Even when driving a low performance car I still imperceptibly ease the throttle for a fraction of a second when crossing paint work or metal work. Probably because of experience on two wheels. (Pedal bikes and scooters particularly.)

I know what you mean, however on a powered two wheeler the temptation to close the throttle has the effect of altering the balance onto the front wheel, so loading that tyre more than it would be if the bike is under power.

If the front slides it's 'hello road' (unless you're skilled / lucky).

If the rear slides, just keep looking where you want to go, keep a loose grip on the bars, let the bike sort itself out. If the rear wheel spins then it acts as a gyroscope and helps keep you upright. *

* Caveat: this really easy to say, but not so easy to implement ... **

** Partly this comes down to planning and expectation. If you rely on quick reactions, overcoming panic, then doing the right thing . . .