Advanced Driving Hub

Black Cat - would you like to pop over to Introductions and tell us more about yourself - sounds like you have lots of experience?

The latest video is now uploaded to Youtube - an introduction to the system of car control:

http://youtu.be/1u5ksf29ylI

The picture quality seems to have taken a bit of a dip with this one - not sure why.

I haven't run you video with sound yet, they don't like it in the office, however I would offer this observation on the change in picture quality.

After reaching the A65 your direction of travel changes such that you are driving into a bright sky which in turn throws the roadway into dark(er) contrast. Modern cameras are better at handling these things I know but it used to be that when taking a photograph, keep the sun, (bright sky), behind you.

Mr Cholmondeley-Warner wrote:

gannet wrote:Interestingly I was driving a car just last weekend that the owner has been unable to get it to H&T...

I managed it with no trouble at all - Skoda Octavia vRS Diesel...

VAG cars are very picky about the order you touch the pedals in. Some of them will allow H&T as long as you're definitely off the throttle before you touch the brake, then don't come off the brake before you go back to the throttle (if that makes sense?).

makes sense...

but how would one do H&T without coming off of the throttle first

Left foot brake, then shimmy your right foot onto the fully depressed brake pedal while maintaining throttle position. Then put your left foot back onto the clutch and finish off the sequence.

Adamxck wrote:Left foot brake, then shimmy your right foot onto the fully depressed brake pedal while maintaining throttle position. Then put your left foot back onto the clutch and finish off the sequence.

of course...

titian wrote:I haven't run you video with sound yet, they don't like it in the office, however I would offer this observation on the change in picture quality.

After reaching the A65 your direction of travel changes such that you are driving into a bright sky which in turn throws the roadway into dark(er) contrast. Modern cameras are better at handling these things I know but it used to be that when taking a photograph, keep the sun, (bright sky), behind you.

My concern was with the picture quality - it was only abailable in 320p when it was first uploaded despite having edited and uploaded it in 720p. It's all sorted now - it seems that this is normal with Youtube & it takes a while after uploading before the higher resolution ipicture is available.

I take your point about the low sunlight - still learning!

Liked your video's. Enjoyed your book too.

I agree with titian, driving into a low setting sun, even with the sun shining from behind the cloud, will cause your camera exposure to be fooled, resulting in a darker image.

When watching the System video, at the first r/b, I was a bit nervous as you went round next to the white van. You obviously assumed that he was going to take the same exit as you, but knowing White Van Man, it's possible that he was going to continue round. One of stressed dave's mantras is, as I remember it, "never go round a roundabout with someone else".

chriskay wrote:When watching the System video, at the first r/b, I was a bit nervous as you went round next to the white van. You obviously assumed that he was going to take the same exit as you, but knowing White Van Man, it's possible that he was going to continue round. One of stressed dave's mantras is, as I remember it, "never go round a roundabout with someone else".

When I was editing the video I had the same thought, but it felt perfectly safe and appropriate at the time.

My usual preference is to enter a roundabout either "in front" or "behind" a vehicle in the nearside lane, partially because of the risk they'll turn right and partially because of the risk they'll straighten the roundabout and squeeze me into the middle.

In this case, watching the video back, I entered the roundabout behind the van and it then became obvious that the driver was aware of my presence and keeping a tight nearside position. The perspective from GoPro cameras can be a little false and there was more room to the right of the van than might appear on the video. A little squirt of gas meant I was ahead of the van before taking an offside exit, so even if he'd have taken a last-minute right turn, I would have been out of the way.

But yes, most of the time it's better to choose "before" or "after" on the approach to a roundabout.