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A Rare Opportunity

Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 5:58 pm
by Horse
Even with the reduced amount of driving due to lockdown 1, I stopped driving completely on August 3rd.

I drove, briefly, a couple of weekends back, then MoT'd the car this week.

Today was my first day of driving, an afternoon of 'errands' - physio, covid jab, Tesco, all around town.

Mainly it's all fine, just neck mobility is now a bit restricted (hopefully, physio will ease this a bit more), mainly meaning that a quick glance to the nearside mirror isn't easy (a longer look is ok). Similarly, looking at junctions needs slightly more effort.

But there's one thing that probably affects most learners (hence posting here), that I hadn't expected, and may be something the ADIs here hadn't considered so may find interesting. Hence a rare opportunity to actually be 'new' to a feeling.

That's feeling 'wrong' to be out towards the right of the lane, rather than in the passenger seat, then getting the lateral position appropriate.

Re: A Rare Opportunity

Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 6:58 pm
by jont-
I've had a similar feeling (if I've correctly understood what you're describing) driving a LHD car in the US. I'm in the drivers seat, so my line of sight should be close to the RH lane marker, big gap to the left. Now in a small car in the US you can get away with that on most roads as they're so big :lol: It's also why I've never noticed an issue driving a UK car on the continent.

Re: A Rare Opportunity

Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 11:03 pm
by exportmanuk
When returning from trips overseas where I have been driven around a lot I have to make a conscious effort to drive on the left for the first half hour or so.

Re: A Rare Opportunity

Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 10:00 am
by dvenman
If I go abroad I mentally draw a little magenta line in my head as yo where the car needs to go. Especially at junctions, traffic lights and the rest.

When I come back I do the same for a while until it's automatic.

Re: A Rare Opportunity

Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 11:20 am
by Horse
I was imagining a vehicle ahead of me, and where its driver would be sat.

Re: A Rare Opportunity

Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 11:53 am
by crr003
Horse wrote:I was imagining a vehicle ahead of me, and where its driver would be sat.

ADIs have methods to get the pupil to position correctly. In the old days bits of tape would be stuck on the windscreen for parking position/normal road position/right turn position. Or you can line up kerb/centre line with bits of the windscreen.

These days with ClientCenteredLearning being the flavour of the month, ADIs who use tape/stickers are looked down on.
Is that what you meant about positioning?

My biggest issue used to be learners being scared of anything coming towards and wanting to drive off the road out of its way, that might be feeling more exposed in the centre of the road. And in the full licence holder world, smaller people who had no idea where the nearside of their car was relative to anything else because the car was too big for them/they sat too low.

Re: A Rare Opportunity

Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 8:46 am
by sussex2
Years ago when I worked for a Big School of Motoring we conducted an unofficial experiment about driving and vision.
The conclusion was that many of our pupils, and indeed many other people on the roads, used tunnel vision or where subject to the syndrome.
We started encouraging our customers to scan, to move their heads around, to look away from the patch of road in front.
I always do this as part of observation (well try to always do it) and some of it comes from flying, you have to scan.

It does take a deal of concentration when, if and when, it is possible or needed to return to a country that drives on the 'wrong' side of the road. I have always felt much more happy with the wheel on the left.
Watch out Sussex if I am ever able to return!

Re: A Rare Opportunity

Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 9:53 am
by Gareth
sussex2 wrote:The conclusion was that many of our pupils, and indeed many other people on the roads, used tunnel vision or where subject to the syndrome.

How was this detected in the experiment?

From an exceedingly brief online search, tunnel vision is something you have, rather than something you use.

Re: A Rare Opportunity

Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 3:26 pm
by Horse
crr003 wrote:
Horse wrote:I was imagining a vehicle ahead of me, and where its driver would be sat.

ADIs have methods to get the pupil to position correctly. In the old days bits of tape would be stuck on the windscreen for parking position/normal road position/right turn position. Or you can line up kerb/centre line with bits of the windscreen.


My first driving lesson, I kept the offside wing aligned to the centre line.



Still do ;)


crr003 wrote:they sat too low.


Worryingly, sometimes. In a saloon car, with their nose hidden behind the wheel.

Re: A Rare Opportunity

Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2021 3:27 pm
by Horse
Gareth wrote:
sussex2 wrote:The conclusion was that many of our pupils, and indeed many other people on the roads, used tunnel vision or where subject to the syndrome.

How was this detected in the experiment?

From an exceedingly brief online search, tunnel vision is something you have, rather than something you use.


If it was what they had, they would have no choice but to use it ;)