Gareth wrote:Horse wrote:having completed the course, how I can choose to drive in two different ways, one more progressive, but maintaining the same level of safety.
This is a bit like assigning a characteristic to a group without accepting that it's a gross simplification.
Horse wrote:- Extended thinking and braking distances
As the road environment allows and
if one is engaged, it's possible to adjust speed to maintain a relatively constant safety margin.
The engaged alternative is to have a widely varying safety margin as circumstances change, while the disengaged alternative means the safety margin isn't considered and can result in it being eroded at times without the driver being aware of the increased risk.
Horse wrote:- Reduced safety margins e.g. same forward view around blind bends Vs longer stopping distance
If one is engaged, speed is more likely to be consistently linked to vision, resulting in the vehicle travelling appropriately slowly on approach to and through a blind bend, no more quickly than when not attempting to make overall better progress. In fact, having completed the course, you are more likely to appreciate when a situation is hazardous, and will probably be better at assessing how hazardous, than the average person who hasn't done the course, and possibly will approach the same blind bends at a lower speed.
Horse wrote:- Increased severity of a crash
As above, with speed linked to vision, a
engaged progressive driver is more likely to be going slower at the point of conflict with another road user, reducing the severity of a crash should that unfortunately occur. Further, an
engaged progressive driver might spot the potential risk earlier than would otherwise be the case, and be taking avoiding action.
Thank you for taking the time to write this. I have quoted all of it to avoid any 'selective' problems. Instead, I have bolded sections.
Let's remind ourselves of the original post that prompted my question.
waremark wrote:How do other Observers/Tutors sell the benefits of those elements of Advanced Driving. One of my lines is that for you to be called Advanced, you have to demonstrate that you can maintain safety and smoothness when you are taking your spouse to A&E/late for a meeting etc.
Perhaps I'm reading too much into that - but I took it to mean that would be 'special occasions' driving - i.e. not all drives, everywhere or anywhere.
The bits I have bolded (engaged driver) I fully agree with (as long as there's no overconfidence creeping in).
However, put that in the context of the original quote, which - to me (as I said, perhaps I've misunderstood?) - read as
on special occasions... . Those examples were introduced by:
for you to be called Advanced, you have to demonstrate that you can maintain safety and smoothnessAgain, no issues with that. It's what the test requires, what the examiner will need to see.
Not a comparison of pre- and post- advanced training, an 'advanced' driver, making decisions about different drives for different purposes.
Is the expectation that someone who has passed the (whichever) test is subsequently
always going to drive using 'engaged' driver standards, or is the expectation (or reality?) that, for some or the majority of their driving, they won't implement 'advanced' standards of observation and planning? They will be disengaged? i.e. For 'special occasions' driving, they will 'up their game'?
If the reality is that day-to-day driving standards will be lower (not just 'having an off day'), then perhaps I was asking the wrong question. Instead of "how do you maintain safety", maybe it should have been "how do you decide where to reduce your observation and planning?" or similar.
Ohlins hasn't experienced my driving, but you, John and several others have - you're better placed to give an opinion on whether my driving, in particular whether my choice of appropriate speed infers that a man with a red flag is required.
Your 'standard' is how you drive alone, not how you drive during a test.
