Category - ADI

Can I Fail For Rolling Back?

13/07/2010
DOAADI
ADI, Training

I’ve had several people find the blog on the search term “can I fail my driving test for rolling back?”

The short answer is yes, you can fail for rolling back – but not automatically. It all depends on how far you roll, the circumstances, and who else is around. For example:

  • if you roll back a few centimetres you’re unlikely to fail
  • if you roll back a few centimetres and there is a pedestrian walking behind you, you’re more likely to fail
  • if you roll back significantly – and by that I am thinking of ¼ metre or more – you could very easily fail
  • if you do it every time you try to move away you could very easily fail

It all comes down to the examiner’s interpretation of the actual situation, so it’s impossible to state what will and will not result in a fail.

Take a look at the post Your Driving Test Report Explained. Under the section on Moving Off, it says:

Do not allow the vehicle to roll back.

It’s as simple as that, so don’t do it and you won’t have anything to worry about! Any roll back is wrong, but examiners are usually reasonable and don’t always fail people for a single minor fault. In most cases a small backward roll of a few centimetres is not even recorded, and is usually a minor issue at most on your test. However, at some point a “small” roll becomes a “moderate” one, and the precise point at which that change occurs is easily influenced by pedestrians walking behind you. You could hurt them if you rolled into them, and the examiner will note that.

You need to learn to look around, assess situations, and use the handbrake when it is necessary. As I said above, the ideal scenario is that you move off without rolling back at all.

There is no reason why you should be worried about it on your test. It isn’t rocket science to be able to move off properly on a hill or gradient rather than worrying about being allowed to get away with doing it badly.

One final thing: although some examiners might (usually) accept a small roll, what is acceptable to one might not be acceptable to another. And the flip-side to that is that what you see as  “small” roll might be seen as a bigger one by the examiner – and the examiner’s decision is final.

Can I fail if I roll back on my driving test?

Yes. It isn’t a guaranteed fail, but if you roll back too much – or if someone is behind you when you do it – it can be. Don’t do it and you won’t have anything to worry about. Make sure you can find the bite reliably and it is much less likely to happen.

How much do I have to roll back to fail my test?

You shouldn’t roll back at all. However, examiners are usually very reasonable over small amounts of roll back, so stay calm and deal with it properly. If you begin to roll back, apply the foot brake and, if necessary, the handbrake. Then try again to move off properly. There is no set distance that the examiner is working to, and it all depends on the situation at the time, and how you deal with it. It also depends on how much you do it, who or what is behind you, and how often it happens – rolling back every time you move off is asking for trouble. For example, one of my pupils forgot to put the car in gear when asked to drive off right at the start of his test in the test centre car park. The car park is on an incline, and he rolled back almost a metre. The examiner marked it as a driver fault because she knew he was nervous. If he’d have done that out on the road with cars behind, though, it would almost certainly have been a serious fault.

Why did I roll back?

You didn’t have enough bite. That can occur if you don’t lift the clutch pedal far enough, or if you aren’t in gear in the first place. Make sure you check that you have the correct gear selected before trying to move off again.

What should I do if I roll back?

Stop the car rolling immediately by finding the bite or by applying the foot brake and – if necessary – the handbrake. Restart the engine if you stalled, check that you have the correct gear selected, then set the gas and find the biting point. Make sure you know how to find the bite.

Why is rolling back wrong?

If you roll back, then you’re not in control of the car. Not being in control is enough to get you a serious fault on your driving test. In reality, a very small roll back is likely to go unmarked on the test, though if it happens repeatedly or at the wrong time, it may get picked up.

The problem is that the car could weigh in the region of 2 tonnes, and if that sort of weight pushes against the knee of, say, a pedestrian walking behind you, it could cripple them. If it were a child, it might easily kill them. Of course, many people do roll back a little quite frequently by a few centimetres. Some people roll back a long way, though, and since I started driving many moons ago I’ve had people roll back into me more than once – do that on your test, and it is a deserved fail. These days, if someone is rolling towards me – and I keep my distance – I sound my horn to let them know I’m there.

If you start to roll back, use the brake – don’t sit there with the stunned rabbit-in-the-headlights glaze. Do something to stop it, then figure out quickly why it happened before trying to move off again.

What if I hit someone when I roll back?

I’ve noticed a small blip in traffic to this article from a cycling website, where a driver rolled back into a cyclist (no harm done to either party). The cycling fraternity viewpoint is that the motorist was absolutely in the wrong. The motorist appears to have been of the opinion that the cyclist was in the wrong.

Actually, they both were to some extent. Fortunately, no one was hurt, so it might best serve as a lesson to be learned. Motorists shouldn’t roll back – but in the real world, some do. Cyclists shouldn’t put themselves in a position where they are more likely to get hurt if it happens – but in the real world, some do. Sure, the motorist will most probably be the one who is prosecuted if someone is hurt – and in this case, the motorist appears to have been a complete prat anyway – but you need your head looking at if you think that that would somehow compensate for having both your legs crushed along with your bike.

Can You Wheel Clamp A Lorry?

13/07/2010
DOAADI
ADI
Clamped Lorry

Someone found the blog on that search term – presumably they found my recent post on wheel clamping near the Colwick MPTC.

I was told that some lorries had been clamped at the Colwick test centre when I suggested that it was only driving instructors being targeted.

I also did a quick search and found the photo (above) showing a lorry that had been clamped – obviously not using a proper clamp – when the driver had nipped to the loo (according to the forum the story is on).

Another Clamped Lorry

Although the thread on that forum seems to have become an excuse for people to talk about urinating (those guys should become ADIs – they’d fit right in), one of the other posters gave a photo that shows he has also been clamped with what appears to be a chain attached to a steel rope (I haven’t a clue what the rope is anchored to, though). These are not on the Colwick Industrial Estate (to the best of my knowledge).

It seems that all they really need to do is put a big chain through the lorry’s wheel holes and padlock it. The first photo is just the front plate of a car clamp padlocked to the wheel. Let’s face it, most lorries could probably rip a wheel clamp to pieces if the driver tried to drive off with one on – but it would also damage the lorry and if he then got stopped by the police he’d quite possibly lose his job. So I can’t imagine many lorry drivers trying that with their livelihoods.

Also by searching, some companies supply ‘MEGA’ or ‘HGV’ clamps (they cost around £100 each), so it is obviously something that can be done.

So yes, you can clamp a lorry.

EDIT 10/11/2010: I was down near the Colwick Test Centre today and I saw a lorry which had a standard wheel clamp fitted to its front offside wheel. It looked almost identical to the one in the first picture, above.

CRB Check

13/07/2010
DOAADI
ADI, DSA

THIS IS AN OLD STORY AND IS NOW OUT OF DATE. TAKE A LOOK AT THE INFORMATION SECTION FOR UP-TO-DATE ADVICE.

Just a bit of advice, based on my own very up-to-date experience of this last week [this article is out of date].

TMGCRB LogoWhen you need to renew your ADI registration, you’ll also need a new CRB check carrying out. I sent my documents off last week to TMGCRB – but they came back this morning with an error: my birth certificate is a copy and was issued more than 12 months after my date of birth, so it is invalid as a Group 1 document! My bills and invoices were perfectly acceptable as Group 2 documents.

So, the advice is to make sure you read the completion instructions in the tiniest detail when you get your forms. You can supply a variety of documents from three different groups, Group 1 being primary identification – your birth certificate (if issued within 12 months of your birth), your passport, your driver’s licence, etc. Group 2 is bills or other documents which confirm your address. You can supply ONE Group 1 document and TWO Group 2 documents.

This must be a change, because I’m sure that when I used it to get my original CRB check done my birth certificate was acceptable then.

I’m taking my driver’s licence in by hand this afternoon, so it’s not a major problem for me. But those not living in or near Nottingham should be careful.

This will also apply to new applications, and not just renewals.

How do I update my CRB check?

Go to the TMGCRB website and order a pack. Or call them on 0845 251 5000 if you have questions.

Do I need a new CRB check when I renew my ADI badge?

I’m only going on my own experience here, but yes. The DSA will send you a form some time before your renewal becomes due. Make sure you send it off promptly just in case there’s a delay – as I said above, if you have to send more documents it will add a little extra to the application timeline.

‘Observer On Test’ Etiquette

05/07/2010
DOAADI
ADI, DSA
Car Image

Car Image

I mentioned this a few days ago in the post about Despatch – The DSA Magazine. However, the DSA has just sent out an email alert with the information concerning how an ADI should behave on test – they refer to it as ‘Observer on test’ etiquette.

I think it is useful that the DSA puts this sort of thing out into the public domain – but I’m also quite sure that the usual crowd of stirrers and rakers will have the ammunition they need all ready and waiting in order to start calling ‘liar, liar’! We’ll see.

Observer on test etiquette

Get the best performance out of your pupils by brushing up on your observer etiquette.

Your ‘observer on test’ etiquette could help or hinder your pupils.

Following enquiries from approved driving instructors and suggestions made by DSA examiners, some ‘dos and don’ts’ have been drawn up, just so we’re all clear. We hope the following are helpful…

Turn off your phone

Whether it’s Star Wars or Tom Jones, your pupil’s concentration will be thrown when the ring tone shrills out, so turn your phone off. The fewer distractions, the better.

Lend a helping hand

Helping your pupils lift the bonnet if they are struggling is fine, but don’t interfere unnecessarily.

Take a back seat

Supervising examiners usually regard sitting behind the pupil as the least intrusive. But the best position for you is wherever it’s the most comfortable, so long as you can sit upright with the seatbelt correctly fitted.

Mirror, signal, manoeuvre?

Contrary to popular belief, you won’t have your candidate’s test terminate for naturally looking left, right and behind you. But try not to put your pupil off.

And be aware that overzealous nodding coupled with excessive eye contact with your pupil could be construed as some sort of pre-arranged code. In other words – cheating! Don’t be tempted.

Prompting pupils by coughing, or nudging the back of them seat is a slippery road to test termination.

Examiners do know when instruction is being added – even in another language!

Move it

Changing position to improve your pupils’ visibility during the manoeuvre exercises is perfectly acceptable. Constantly moving from side to side to would be very distracting though, so please try to keep movement to a minimum.

Take note

By all means take notes to help your pupil. But bear in mind that if your pupil sees you rigorously note taking it might worry them and fill their head with negative thoughts – when actually they might be doing fine.

No comment

Last tip. At the end of the test listen carefully to the feedback so that you and your pupil can work together. But don’t be tempted to involve the examiner in discussion. If you do have genuine concerns about the test speak to the local manager, or follow the complaints procedure.

Following the relaunch on 6 April initial indications look promising with a significant increase in the take up of ‘observer on test’. We’ll keep you updated in future editions of Despatch.

Watch the video

DSA has published a video on YouTube called ‘Take your instructor on your driving test’. video on YouTube. In the video, Cecilia, a media student who passed her test two years ago, talks to learner drivers and instructors about the benefits of taking someone with you on your driving test.

You can watch it by clicking on the image or the link at the bottom of this email. If you run your own website, please feel free to put the video on it.

Link to the video

I’m not disputing that the number of people who now go out on test has increased compared with what it was like before the change when you look at it on a national scale, but when I spoke with my local centre manager he said that – here, at least – there had not been any significant change. Similarly, whenever I’m there (at either Colwick or Chalfont Drive), I would say that maybe one ADI out of every ten trots off outside. The rest stay in the centre or go for a walk.

As for the DSA’s article, I’m sure someone somwhere will see it in a bad light.

How An ADI Gives Route Instructions

30/06/2010
DOAADI
ADI, DSA

This is an old article. DT1 has been updated several times, but the gist is still the same.

Someone found the site using the above search term – they were asking how a driving instructor gives route instructions to a pupil.

The short answer is: do it how the examiners do it, and refer to the DT1 Internal Guidance Document (this link is to a PDF file on the DSA website). Look under Annex 7; Page 243.

However, real-life is a little different. The pupil you are giving lessons to is not the same as the candidate you are submitting for their driving test for at least 80-90% of the time they spend with you.

For example, DT1 says:

GENERAL DIRECTIONS

Throughout the drive continue ahead, unless traffic signs direct you otherwise, and when I want you to turn left or right I will tell you in plenty of time. Move off when you are ready, please.

Would you pull up on the left at a convenient place, please.

or

Pull up along here, just before………..please.

Drive on when you are ready, please.

Take the next road on the left/right, please.

Will you take the second road on the left/right, please. (If necessary add this is the first.)

At the end of the road turn left/right, please.

At the roundabout.. turn left please (it is the first exit)

follow the road ahead (it is the second exit)

turn right please (it is the third exit).

(Additional information should be given if necessary to assist the driver to plan their route through the hazard. Examples are in brackets above).

Similar explanations are given for the examiner’s wording for all other parts of the test.

Now, this is all well and good, but if you want to build a friendly rapport with your pupil, behaving like an examiner all the time is a good way of failing miserably. This is especially true with new pupils who maybe haven’t driven before, and who are very nervous (even if they don’t show it).

Since I am teaching them – not examining them – I tend to say things like:

Take this next turn on the left (or right).

Take the second turn on the right (or left).

At the end of this road – at the T-junction (or crossroads) – turn left (or right).

At the roundabout we’re going left, 1st exit.

At the roundabout take the second exit.

At the roundabout we’re taking the 4th exit, it’s a right turn.

These are just examples – I mix and match as necessary. You’ve got to remember that early on, particularly at roundabouts, you really are teaching/instructing them and you have to add a lot more information until you can pull it back to the bare minimum. As they get closer to test standard you can give examiner-like instructions and still have a chat or add information as required.

It is important that they are familiar with the terms and approach the examiner is going to adopt, but they should be comfortable overall – not just fine tuned for the test, and only the test.

Note: The DT1 document I have linked to above is not intended to be anything other than educational. It isn’t a tool to help you challenge the result of your test (or for your instructor to do it). Examiners don’t have to use that wording exactly. They can deviate for all kinds of reasons.

If you can drive properly in the first place there should be no need to worry about challenging examiners over their interpretation of your poor performance o the day. If it wasn’t poor in the first place – you only have to be able to drive reasonably well, in any case –  then there’d be no need.

Imbeciles

25/06/2010
DOAADI
ADI

I was driving back after dropping off a pupil (who’d just failed her test, so I wasn’t in the best of humour). I stopped at a set of traffic lights at the junction of Bentinck Road and Radford Road in Hyson Green, going straight ahead. Opposite me was a silver Mercedes driven by what appeared to be someone from a geriatric ward ( reg. no. S573 BVO ). To be honest, I don’t think he was indicating, but he was in the right turn lane.

Now, I just knew he was going to do it – his fossilised brain was unable to comprehend the change of circumstances separating “learner car” from “learner car driven by instructor” – but as the lights changed and we both moved off, he cut the corner by as far as it was possible to cut it (virtually hitting cars waiting up his road) just so he could go ahead of me. He had no right of way by any stretch of the imagination.

Southwark Pedestrian Crossing Timer

21/06/2010
DOAADI
ADI

I saw this report on the BBC today. Southwark is trialling a countdown timer system near the tube station, and a total of eight busy crossings across London will also be involved in the trial.

Crossing Timer In Southwark

Crossing Timer In Southwark

Half of me thinks it is a good idea. According to the BBC report, Transport for London (TfL) found that half of pedestrians crossed even after the red man appeared. I’m not surprised – it’s the same here in Nottingham (only yesterday I was with a pupil on a lesson, and at the top of Huntingdon Street two Neanderthals and a Neanderthaless – with a very small child – waited at a crossing, and after the red man came on and the lights had gone to amber they just walked across in front of us (the one holding the kid’s hand had his face buried in a mobile phone – probably trying to work out what it was)).

But the other half of me thinks it will have little effect. A bit like those “YOUR SPEED” displays, I suspect that initially people might take heed, but if the timers become prevalent then people will just ignore them the same as they do for the red man.

It would make far more sense (and make far more money) if people were pulled up for jaywalking! You can’t just keep widening the goalposts to cater for the growing stupidity of the general public.

Can You Pass Your Test Without An ADI?

20/06/2010
DOAADI
ADI

Someone found the site through the search term “unlikely to pass driving test without adi”. I’m not sure what exactly they had in mind, but it’s worth a few words.

  • Can you can take your driving test without having had any tuition at all?

Yes. Obviously, in the vast majority of cases this would be extremely unwise. You need to be able to drive reasonably well to pass the test.

  • Do you have to be taught by an ADI?

No. Anyone can teach you – but they have to be teaching you the right things in order for you to pass the test and be safe on the roads afterwards.

  • Do I have to pay them?

The DSA says:

It is illegal for a person to provide driving instruction for a fee if they are not suitably qualified and registered with the DSA.

Remember that this applies to private practice as well. If you are being supervised by a qualified driver then they are providing driving instruction – and that applies equally to nipping to Tescos with you driving as much as it does to going out specifically to practice.

  • Can I use my own car for my test?

Yes. It just needs to be up to standard (head restraint for examiner, fully roadworthy, etc.) and insured properly. You have to make sure you have a separate rear view mirror for the examiner and L plates fitted – though in many cases the examiner will provide these if you don’t (I’ve seen jokers turning up with handmade L plates having to put ones on the examiner has produced so the test can go ahead).

In the past I have had pupils who have been taught by their parents (or friends), and those parents have done a bloody good job. The reason they then decide to hand over to professional tuition is because they don’t know enough to complete the job to the required level (and that’s just because they aren’t as up to date with everything as ADIs are).

I get far more people who have been taught by parents or friends who are absolutely awful, though. You can’t teach someone to be a better driver than you are, and most people are just not good enough to pass the test themselves these days, so they’re hardly gojng to be passing on best practices to those they are trying to help.

That’s not meant to be insulting: it’s just honest. Most people wouldn’t pass the test if they took it tomorrow, so they aren’t going to be able to teach someone else to drive or pass the test.

However, part of the problem here is that although most people wouldn’t pass the test if they took it again, most of those firmly believe they would.

I like to take one of the parents out with me at some point so I can show them what to look for when they are supervising the pupil. A bad habit can be formed in an instant, but it can take many months to get rid of, so it makes sense that the pupil doesn’t get mixed messages.

Why?

18/06/2010
DOAADI
ADI

I was on a lesson with a pupil a couple of days ago. She’s an older woman and it’s taken a long time to get her to where she is, and she’s still nowhere near test-ready. It isn’t her fault (or mine), but she just learns things very slowly, then has trouble remembering them. If you didn’t know her, you’d say she is just very lazy – she’ll happily go into a junction or a roundabout without even trying to engage her brain. (I should point out that she has come along enormously since we first started, so she’s getting there – but it’s not easy going).

Anyway, we were looking at the reverse around a corner exercise. Without going into minute detail, the way I have taught her to do it is to reverse back to the turning point, then to steer around (keeping the kerb in the same place in the mirror), then straighten up when the car is parallel with the minor road’s kerb line. It’s taken many months to get to this point – she simply could not steer in the right direction when needed (or even steer at all as the kerb approached the rear wheel), and that includes all of the different methods I’ve tried in getting her to follow the kerb line.

Last lesson, as is often the case on her lessons, we’d done this and after several attempts she could do it right. So this week the idea was to see if she could remember how to do it.

Try #1: We pulled up near the kerb, did all the checks, then started to reverse back to the turning point. After about 10 metres, I stopped the car:

Where are we going?

[Grins] I don’t know.

Can you see the kerb in the mirror?

[Grins] No.

Well, why are we still going backwards? [Open door and point down the road we’re supposed to be turning into, which is now almost in front of us]

[Grins] Well, I couldn’t see the kerb when I first stopped – I hadn’t gone far enough forward.

[Expletives removed]

Try #2: She positioned it properly this time. We reversed to the point of turn and did all the checks. She turned the wheel about one turn (which is OK), paused for a moment, then took it to full lock (which isn’t OK). As the kerb flew towards us (relatively speaking), she started taking off small amounts of steering to try and control it. We hit the kerb almost immediately.

Why did we hit the kerb?

[Grins] I didn’t steer the right way.

No, your steering was fine and you were trying to do the right thing. How much turn do you usually need to start with for a corner like this?

One turn.

[Expletives removed]

Try #3: She did it perfectly.

Why the hell [word changed from the one I actually used] didn’t you do it like that the first time?

Bear in mind that I get on with this pupil really well, and we have a good laugh – which we were doing during this manoeuvre – so don’t take the above out of context or too literally.

When you get one like this, though, it can be really frustrating and demoralising. And that’s true for both the pupil and the instructor. When we first started this manoeuvre (and all of the others), she simply could not steer the right way. On the one hand, identifying the problem was easy – she consistently steered in exactly the opposite way required whenever she went into reverse. On the other hand, fixing it was a nightmare. I could get her to tell me which way she was going to steer, but the instant we went ‘live’ she’d steer the wrong way again. Even now, occasionally she’ll do it wrong if she isn’t thinking.

A few years ago I had a young lad who I thought would never make it. He just couldn’t control the clutch and I couldn’t seem to do anything to fix it – and I’d tried lots of different ideas. Then, one day, we ended up in a cul-de-sac near his house. It was one of those roads which has a circular space at the end with houses arrayed around it, but I had an idea. We spent around forty minutes just going backwards and forwards in a continuous ‘turn in the road’ fashion. From that moment on he became a great driver and passed his test easily.

So – even if it kills me – I will teach her to drive properly!

EDIT 20/06/2010: We had another lesson yesterday – here’s a specific example of the problems I am dealing with.

We were driving along, and I said “at the end of the road, turn left”. Now, bear in mind she has had around 60 hours of lessons. I had to tell her to check her mirrors and indicate. Then – as we didn’t appear to be slowing at all – I had to dual her at the junction, because she hadn’t looked for any traffic on the major road. The picture below shows where we ended up (red arrow), compared with where we should have been.

End Of The Road

End Of The Road

I pulled her over and asked why she had done it. At first, she said she didn’t know. But I pushed harder, explaining that it was important to find out why it went wrong and this is what she said:

Well, to be honest, I got a bit confused because I didn’t realise that it was the end of the road.

I mean, what do you do with someone like this?

(Hint: Anyone who is similarly confused, the white dashed lines, kerb on the opposite side, and the big thing – usually known as a “house” – are a bit of a give away).

Reverse Around A Corner

15/06/2010
DOAADI
ADI

Someone found the blog based on this search term and “how to do it”.

Reversing around a corner can be quite easy, but for a lot of people – to start with, anyway – their brains are hardwired to have a problem with which way to steer. Somehow, the brain decides everything is in reverse when you go backwards. It may be to do with the fact that the front of the car swings right when you steer left, and vice versa, or it might be deeper than that. It’s different for everyone.

Reverse Round Corner Graphic

Reverse Round Corner Graphic

One demonstration I do is to move the car forward using my dual-clutch and ask the pupil to steer towards the kerb. They steer left. Then I quickly move into reverse and ask them to steer towards the kerb again – and a lot of them automatically steer right, hesitate, twitch right and then left, and so on. Even a slight hesitation is enough to point to where the problem might be. I reckon 80% or more of my pupils initially react this way.

If you get them to look out of the back window and then steer towards the kerb, the vast majority can do it correctly… instantly (though you get the occasional one whose brain still tries to compensate and can get it wrong – I have one at the moment, who is dyspraxic).

I sometimes demonstrate driving around a corner forwards and keeping something lined up with the kerb as they steer (the wiper blade edge, the tax disc, or whatever). Then I demonstrate going backwards, using the mirror as if it was the windscreen to steer around and keep the kerb in a fixed position.

Obviously, they need to practice – and they need to stop frequently to think about what to do. If they drop into autopilot, the brain takes over and does it wrong again. Of course, you have to get correct observations in at some point, but that’s easier once they can steer.

Everyone is different, and the fun of the job is finding a method that works. And the satisfaction comes from seeing them gradually develop a natural procedure for something they simply couldn’t do when they first tried it.