Advanced Driving Hub

Anybody else watch this?

https://www.standard.co.uk/stayingin/tvfilm/100-year-old-driving-school-extraordinary-oaps-prove-their-skills-a3633176.html

It's back for a second run. This time the IAM have been kicked into touch and ROSPA is having some publicity.

I have to say I watched this with mixed emotions. Gales of laughter, respect, a tear in my eye (at some of the back stories and their history/lives), and annoyance.

Some of the comments made by the drivers were very funny. Some of the driving so bad I had to laugh. The lady who rarely changed up had me in stitches. I thought the Micra was going to blow up. She obviously couldn't hear a word the instructor was saying. His solution? Buy an automatic. Maybe he needs to think out of the box and suggest a hearing aid.

Off-siding? One guy, who'd never had a test, had obviously learnt about this many years ago "To get a better view" ... unfortunately he did it everywhere!

One old guy said he needed glasses when asked to read the number plate but then took them off and put them back in their case as "he didn't need them" (Grrrrr. One of my pet peeves).

Why some of them were deemed OK to continue driving was beyond my comprehension, but it was an assessment, not a full driving test.

Finally, came Jock on his moped (though it looked seriously like a small CC scooter to me). He'd been riding all his life. The instructor said he didn't use his mirrors, didn't do any shoulder checks, hit all the speed pads and stopped in a keep clear area, but thought he did "very well". We only saw a small bit of his riding but he looked far from safe. If I'm still around at that age I hope I'm still on two wheels (and as positive*) to annoy all those who think you shouldn't.

* - No chance, as I'm a grumpy old man now

I was not impressed by the way in which some of the assessors were putting things over to the candidates

It was very entertaining. I did not get on with all the others and the secret camera ones on 4.

This time the IAM have been kicked into touch and ROSPA is having some publicity.

Except in the closing credits for next time you can see an iAM RoadSmart ASDM resplendant in his Iam RoadSmart logo Fleece sitting alongside one.

I was not impressed by the way in which some of the assessors were putting things over to the candidates.

Yes agreed very obvious. One in particular had the most errr 'Passess' due to the way he was working so very kindly, and well with them. Well done to him.

The lovely little old Lady and her Grandson were so entertaining. To me she was everyone's Grandma,or elderly Auntie [well to me anyway being of a certain age]
I just had someone on test that was ignoring all my Highway Code questions just like her too.
Best bit was what were the Acute deviations to the left?
BEND DOWN !!!

Yes, I saw the IAM guy, but not mentioned in the voice over.

Some discussion points from tonight's program:

1. How is someone deemed fit to drive if the examiner/assessor has had to intervene several times with the steering?

2. Why was the assessor (expert he said!) telling the driver off for putting the auto in neutral at traffic lights etc.? "Leave it in drive". The driver was not impressed.

3. Pedestrian crossings. Do you wait for pedestrians to fully cross or just clear your side of the crossing? (not talking about one with a central island)

GTR1400MAN wrote:Yes, I saw the IAM guy, but not mentioned in the voice over.

Some discussion points from tonight's program:

1. How is someone deemed fit to drive if the examiner/assessor has had to intervene several times with the steering?

2. Why was the assessor (expert he said!) telling the driver off for putting the auto in neutral at traffic lights etc.? "Leave it in drive". The driver was not impressed.

3. Pedestrian crossings. Do you wait for pedestrians to fully cross or just clear your side of the crossing? (not talking about one with a central island)

1. Assessor overreacted? They seemed to make an allowance for driving on unfamiliar roads too.
2. Because you leave a proper auto in D.
3. No, you give them precedence. But a large percentage of ADIs would teach wait till it's clear.

GTR1400MAN wrote:2. Why was the assessor (expert he said!) telling the driver off for putting the auto in neutral at traffic lights etc.? "Leave it in drive".

So you can keep your foot on the brake and dazzle the driver behind?

One of the most common elderly accidents is shooting off in an automatic. I'd have thought haandbrake/neutral is still good practice in a real auto?

Horse wrote:

GTR1400MAN wrote:2. Why was the assessor (expert he said!) telling the driver off for putting the auto in neutral at traffic lights etc.? "Leave it in drive".

So you can keep your foot on the brake and dazzle the driver behind?

That's what the handbrake's for.
Even in N people will stay on the footbrake.
Cue pages of "my car needs footbrake or the stop/start doesn't activate......."

GTR1400MAN wrote:One of the most common elderly accidents is shooting off in an automatic. I'd have thought haandbrake/neutral is still good practice in a real auto?

4% of RTCs - "most common"??? But this is an old document, it can only get worse as people live longer.
Section 3.11
"The vast majority of UA crashes involved older drivers of automatic cars
accelerating suddenly, either forward or reversing, and usually while carrying out
low-speed manoeuvring such as parking and reversing."

I'd say RTFM, but if you want "safe", N/Handbrake or "safer", P/Handbrake (in case you get hit from behind). But one of the benefits of an auto is not having to faff around with the gear selector "unnecessarily", which older people with less mobility/flexibility appreciate.

Having watched a couple of episodes I've got to say I think it reflected rather poorly on the ROSPA examiners as the standard of of the people they were 'passing' was frankly shocking and I really wouldn't want to see them on the road anywhere near me..!