Advanced Driving Hub

Gov. just announced proposals:

- learner drivers to be allowed on the motorway (approved instructor and dual control cars)
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/plan ... s-revealed

- motorcyclists may have to do a theory test as part of their CBT
- provisional motorcyclists may be banned at 6 points
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dvsa ... e-training

currently proposals consultation by Feb 2017

Alasdair

akirk wrote:Gov. just announced proposals:

- learner drivers to be allowed on the motorway (approved instructor and dual control cars)
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/plan ... s-revealed

Same last year:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... rways.html

And five years ago:
http://www.roadsafetygb.org.uk/news/1956.html

Doesn't mean it's going to happen.

We'd do better to have some enforcement of existing rules against "experienced" motorists. Whether keep left if not overtaking, if vis is good enough to do 70, you don't need your bloody foglights on; if you've got a bulb out, fix the fscking thing.

Can you tell I've been on the M11 today

WRT to motorcyclists, and the training option rather than additional tests, IIRC that's been in the EU legislation for several years - DSA (as was) just decided not to adopt it.

akirk wrote:Gov. just announced proposals:

- learner drivers to be allowed on the motorway (approved instructor and dual control cars)
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/plan ... s-revealed

- motorcyclists may have to do a theory test as part of their CBT
- provisional motorcyclists may be banned at 6 points
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dvsa ... e-training

currently proposals consultation by Feb 2017

Alasdair

Given the often poor lane discipline on motorways, coupled with certain unofficial 'practices' how would an instructor would cope with this?
By practices I mean such things as many drivers assuming traffic on the motorway will give way to them as they join. It's one of those things that in the UK has almost become the norm. It most certainly is not the norm in many other countries; something which I have seen time and time again catch an unwary UK driver out
I can see an advantage in this tuition giving the new driver a greater sense of spatial awareness and forward looking.

sussex2 wrote:

akirk wrote:Gov. just announced proposals:

- learner drivers to be allowed on the motorway (approved instructor and dual control cars)
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/plan ... s-revealed

- motorcyclists may have to do a theory test as part of their CBT
- provisional motorcyclists may be banned at 6 points
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dvsa ... e-training

currently proposals consultation by Feb 2017

Alasdair

Given the often poor lane discipline on motorways, coupled with certain unofficial 'practices' how would an instructor would cope with this?
By practices I mean such things as many drivers assuming traffic on the motorway will give way to them as they join. It's one of those things that in the UK has almost become the norm. It most certainly is not the norm in many other countries; something which I have seen time and time again catch an unwary UK driver out
I can see an advantage in this tuition giving the new driver a greater sense of spatial awareness and forward looking.

Indeed.

Last Saturday whilst giving a lesson on the A35 Upton by pass, NSL speed limit in force, we approached an entry slip travelling at about 65mph. Ahead of us near the end of the slip road was a car which both my pupil and I thought had plenty of time and space to join the DC ahead of us with no action neccessary from us. We were in lane one with following traffic, lane two was reasonably busy so we could not move across. As we got nearer it became obvious that the driver was slowing, not accelerating into the vacant space ahead of us. We maintained speed and position as to brake now would have cuased heavy braking behind. The driver behind us did brake and flashed his lights. This caused heavy braking behind him. He also had to move slightly to the extreme right of lane one to give the joining driver more room to enter.

It was almost as if the driver on the slip road had seen cars approaching, and without giving thought to the distance that they were from her, decided she had to give way even though there was plenty of time to join the DC without disrupting traffic flow. A case of very poor judgement I think.

Nigel.

There are "motorists" who treat the "give way" marking at the end of a slip road as gospel

The other kind of motorist I've seen on sliproads are the ones who join it at the top, very sedately speed up, with no regard to the traffic on the carriageway, and then suddenly panic when they realise they're 'running out of road' as it were, and they're alongside a lorry, with another one very close behind.

My technique (instilled in me from Pass Plus), is at the top of the slip road, floor it up to 60/65odd, while taking the furthest right position possible, with my right indicator going, and from the moment I can see the traffic situation in L1, I then select a space, and modulate my speed to merge into said space with no need for any action from the car behind the space I merge into. He also said that whilst it's not offical advice, if there is a car in front of me, and I have the room and ability to pass them on the slip-road, that I should do so, as to ensure that I'm not behind them if they end up being the sort of driver who panic brakes at the last moment because they haven't paid any mind to the traffic they intend to merge into.

TheInsanity1234 wrote:The other kind of motorist I've seen on sliproads are the ones who join it at the top, very sedately speed up, with no regard to the traffic on the carriageway, and then suddenly panic when they realise they're 'running out of road' as it were, and they're alongside a lorry, with another one very close behind.

My technique (instilled in me from Pass Plus), is at the top of the slip road, floor it up to 60/65odd, while taking the furthest right position possible, with my right indicator going, and from the moment I can see the traffic situation in L1, I then select a space, and modulate my speed to merge into said space with no need for any action from the car behind the space I merge into. He also said that whilst it's not offical advice, if there is a car in front of me, and I have the room and ability to pass them on the slip-road, that I should do so, as to ensure that I'm not behind them if they end up being the sort of driver who panic brakes at the last moment because they haven't paid any mind to the traffic they intend to merge into.

Only 65?

Nigel.

TheInsanity1234 wrote:My technique (instilled in me from Pass Plus), is at the top of the slip road, floor it up to 60/65odd, while taking the furthest right position possible, with my right indicator going

Physiologically speaking, it seems to make easier for someone already on the main carriage to notice you if you start indicating just after the point they should be able to see you - that is not at the start of the slip road, but some way down it when you become visible to them.

Unfortunately a lot of drivers don't seem to realise that a) a junction with a slip road off most likely has a slip road on, and b) that a car coming down a slip road in the direction of the main carriageway only has one real thought in mind.