Practice routes

Topics relating to Advanced Driving in cars
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Horse
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Re: Practice routes

Postby Horse » Fri Jan 29, 2021 7:38 am

Gareth wrote:For shapes of roads I think surprises are points of learning.

Trying to see a road fresh might be a good exercise but if it really were fresh would you always miss the same things, or would it vary each time?

I'm a little bit bothered by an analytical approach because it can bring things into the conscious, taking unconscious attention away from where it's needed. Broadly, I prefer trying to develop unconscious attention by paying particular attention to surprises, however small ... and any feelings of disquiet or unease.


In my case, it was part of a 'self-challenge', to deliberately look for a certain type of information that - because I knew the road so well (I'd been travelling it regularly since 1983) - I wouldn't consciously be looking for.

Another time, several years ago, I was consciously looking at signs along my daily commute route. Although just a few miles, I found:
- school triangular warning sign and painted zig zags, outside a housing development where a school used to be
- triangular warning sign, for a junction on the right, just before a blind crest where the junction had been replaced by a mini roundabout
Your 'standard' is how you drive alone, not how you drive during a test.

Gareth
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Re: Practice routes

Postby Gareth » Fri Jan 29, 2021 11:07 am

My occasional self-challenge is to use commentary consecutively on a frequently traveled route, such as commuting, since each iteration allows me to winnow the irrelevant, find better ways to describe what I see and how that affects my planning, and sometimes to see more that's pertinent.
there is only the road, nothing but the road ...

martine
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Re: Practice routes

Postby martine » Fri Jan 29, 2021 12:33 pm

Interesting thread.

Personally in 'normal' times I drive some regular routes I use with Associates for fun but sometimes I find it difficult to maintain a good AD level with roads I know well.

Gareth wrote:...making a note of how far I go before I realise I'm displaying signs of tiredness...

What signs for you?

For me it's poor concentration - I get distracted by meaningless thoughts (from an AD point of view).
Martin - Bristol Advanced Motorists: IMI National Observer, Group Secretary, Masters (dist), DSA: ADI, Fleet, RoSPA (Dip)

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jont-
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Re: Practice routes

Postby jont- » Fri Jan 29, 2021 12:36 pm

martine wrote:
Gareth wrote:...making a note of how far I go before I realise I'm displaying signs of tiredness...

What signs for you?

For me it's poor concentration - I get distracted by meaningless thoughts (from an AD point of view).


For me - later reactions to things than I would like (and reactions, rather than more planned actions). Missing overtakes (or not bothering to try looking).

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Horse
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Re: Practice routes

Postby Horse » Fri Jan 29, 2021 4:18 pm

Horse wrote:
Gareth wrote:For shapes of roads I think surprises are points of learning.

Trying to see a road fresh might be a good exercise but if it really were fresh would you always miss the same things, or would it vary each time?


Another time, several years ago, I was consciously looking at signs along my daily commute route. Although just a few miles, I found:
- school triangular warning sign and painted zig zags, outside a housing development where a school used to be


Well, blow me if the sign isn't still there! Road was resurfaced a few years ago.

Image

School was behind the trees beyond the HGV.

There is another school the other side of the graveyard, but kids walking will be 150m back up the road.
Your 'standard' is how you drive alone, not how you drive during a test.

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GTR1400MAN
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Re: Practice routes

Postby GTR1400MAN » Fri Jan 29, 2021 4:49 pm

One thing I've done during the lockdowns is walk, to the point I bought myself some hiking boots.

I've explored lots of places I hadn't been to for years.

The relevant point for this thread though is that is interesting to walk some of the roads you regularly drive/ride. Let's just say there's a lot more to see that you just don't pick up on at 30/40/50/60 mph.
Mike Roberts - Now riding a Triumph Explorer XRT. My username comes from my 50K miles on a Kawasaki 1400GTR, after many years on Hondas of various shapes and styles. - https://tinyurl.com/mikerobertsonyoutube

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Horse
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Re: Practice routes

Postby Horse » Fri Jan 29, 2021 5:35 pm

GTR1400MAN wrote:The relevant point for this thread though is that is interesting to walk some of the roads you regularly drive/ride. Let's just say there's a lot more to see that you just don't pick up on at 30/40/50/60 mph.


Going for a walk used to be a standard part of my cornering courses.

Having talked through the basics, then started to implement them on road, we stopped and walked up this hill.

Image

https://cdn.dealerspike.com/imglib/v1/8 ... E28D4B.jpg

First, a 'a what can you see?' exercise. There's loads, to pick a few:
- Tree line probably showing the path of the road
- Farm buildings, with a potential access road
etc.

But also, pulling back focus onto the first rh bend (the view is better from the left verge).

From up the hill, just a few seconds normal travel time away, I asked trainees to choose the point where they would start to turn 'in'. Then we walked down to actually look for the point where the view opens. That would always be later than they had predicted.
Your 'standard' is how you drive alone, not how you drive during a test.

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GTR1400MAN
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Re: Practice routes

Postby GTR1400MAN » Fri Jan 29, 2021 6:08 pm

Yes, I always park up and get them to walk a corner discussing limit point and positioning.

The trick is not to get run over in the process! :o :)
Mike Roberts - Now riding a Triumph Explorer XRT. My username comes from my 50K miles on a Kawasaki 1400GTR, after many years on Hondas of various shapes and styles. - https://tinyurl.com/mikerobertsonyoutube

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Horse
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Re: Practice routes

Postby Horse » Fri Jan 29, 2021 7:06 pm

GTR1400MAN wrote:Yes, I always park up


"Stopping" is one of the key arts for bike instructing :)

On one very wet Blue Riband course, trainee and I passed another pair stood, hunched, in a lay-by. I got a glare fro the instructor as he passed by us a few minutes later. We were sat in a nice brick bus stop shelter :)
Your 'standard' is how you drive alone, not how you drive during a test.

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Re: Practice routes

Postby jont- » Fri Jan 29, 2021 8:35 pm

Horse wrote:
GTR1400MAN wrote:Yes, I always park up


"Stopping" is one of the key arts for bike instructing :)

On one very wet Blue Riband course, trainee and I passed another pair stood, hunched, in a lay-by. I got a glare fro the instructor as he passed by us a few minutes later. We were sat in a nice brick bus stop shelter :)

I have a running joke with myself that whenever I stop for lunch when I'm out on a drive, there's usually a much better stop about 5 minutes further down the road :bash: Of course when you test this by pressing on a little bit, you find there's nothing then suitable for /miles/ :lol:


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