Training - Diary Of An ADI

Horse Riders

31/05/2012

Someone passed me this link to a discussion forum thread on Horse & Hound (EDIT: I note that it has been picked up by a driving forum, too). I’ve linked to Horse & Hound before, as they had a very useful story about the dangers of taking pupils’ kids out on lessons (I am totally against the practice, and that story illustrates why).

This particular thread concerns a horse rider who has commented that a learner driver passed them on a blind bend, and wouldn’t have been able to deal with a car coming the other way. It’s a fair and relevant comment. However, especially in view of the subsequent replies, I want to comment on the author’s original claims.

The original poster says (all spelling and grammar left intact):

very rare we have to encounter roads but when we do we are as polite as possible and in hi viz… but just a thought as so many fatalities with horses recently etc… when i passed my test many moons ago we were taught to pass slowly and only when safe, this lady has been told to pass on blind bend etc…we all have our woes on the road but just curious as to wether the rise in horse accidents isnt just because there are more cars on road but partly because learner drivers are not informed when encountering riders etc ???

First of all, it might be “very rare” for the author to encounter roads, but it is standard daily practice for horse riders at various stables near me to ride out on the roads (and I suspect this is true of the majority of riders). They have to, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Sometimes, these “roads” are 50mph and 60mph ‘A’ roads with roundabouts on them! However, not all riders wear hi-visibility jackets – those who do are the exception rather than the rule – nor do all of them ride in single file on narrow rural roads as they should do (though I must add that most do).

Next, not all riders are as “polite as possible” (again, I will add that most are). Those riding racehorses (we have a racing stable not far away) or other magnificent animals seem to be the most ignorant, though the practice of not acknowledging drivers who slow down and pass carefully seems to be growing – I’ve noticed that it is becoming especially evident among the younger female riders these days (in the past, they have been friendly and polite).

The rider who posted those comments assumes that the learner in question was actually told to drive incorrectly. They assume that the supervising driver had sanctioned it – both before and after the event. The author then suggests that “the rise in horse accidents” is down to all learner drivers not being taught to drive properly. This is simply not true.

Horse riders have rules of their own they’re supposed to follow in the HC. As I’ve said, not all of them wear hi-viz gear or stay single-file on narrow roads, and I can add that not all of them use hand signals properly or at all. Around here, for example, it is not uncommon for them to wave following traffic through on blind bends when they can see it’s clear – they’re only being helpful, of course, but the rules about beckoning others apply to all road users, not just cars.

The bottom line is that no one is perfect – not even horse riders.

The Highway Code (HC) says regarding drivers and horses:

215

Horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles. Be particularly careful of horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles especially when overtaking. Always pass wide and slowly. Horse riders are often children, so take extra care and remember riders may ride in double file when escorting a young or inexperienced horse or rider. Look out for horse riders’ and horse drivers’ signals and heed a request to slow down or stop. Take great care and treat all horses as a potential hazard; they can be unpredictable, despite the efforts of their rider/driver.

It’s there in black & white – every driver should be following that advice, and every driver should be encouraging others to do the same, particularly if they are instructors or supervising drivers. But those who don’t are really no worse than the horse riders who don’t follow their rules, or who stare sullenly at (or totally ignore) those who slow down and give them a wide berth. Speaking specifically about learner drivers, the ones who drive dangerously around horses are in a minority.

Speaking for myself, I actively seek out roads where horses and stables – and other animals – are likely to be found and teach my own pupils how to handle the situations properly (in the past, I’ve even stopped and got out if I’ve seen a smart-looking horse or pony just to comment on it). I have my own internal alarms, and there is no way one of my learners is going to overtake anything if I can’t be sure it’s safe to do so. So I obviously resent the implication in the thread-starter’s original post.

The problems are not with learner drivers (yawn!) but with society in general. The horse rider who doesn’t acknowledge courteous drivers, or who waves cars past on bends (no matter how well-intentioned) could easily end up teaching their own kids to drive at some point, after all. What message will they pass across?

I tell my learners that if they get a smile and a wave then they’ve done the right thing… but more and more often I have to add that that was one miserable little git on that horse, and I then relate my experiences with the local racehorse riders.

But I just have to quote one of the replies to the original forum post in full:

I have seen a lot of learners recently, in proper driving school cars, who have been completely ignoring the rules of the road, everything from lack of indicating and sudden stops for no reason, to dangerously pulling out on a roundabout when they didn’t have right of way. It wasn’t that many years ago I passed (or was it…?) but my instructor would never have let me get away with any of it, surely they have a brake pedal for a reason?
Admittedly none of this was when I was riding, but it seems they are just as bad even when there aren’t any horses around!

Yes, dear. And when YOU started learning to drive, you’ve obviously forgotten that that’s exactly what you are doing Learning.

You didn’t brake smoothly. You stopped suddenly. You forgot to indicate – often discovering that even when you remembered to, you’d indicated too soon, too late, or the wrong way. And I expect you were the same when you first got on a horse.

Horse riders have every right to use the roads. But roads are primarily for cars, and horses are more easily damaged. People – both riders and drivers – have to learn how to use them properly.

Advanced Stop Lines

29/05/2012

DOAADI

ADI, Bad Drivers, DSA, Training

Otherwise known as “cyclist forward areas”… I saw an interesting argument raging not long ago about whether you can stop in these or not. It involved some strange and novel interpretations of the Highway Code.

178

Advanced stop lines. Some signal-controlled junctions have advanced stop lines to allow cycles to be positioned ahead of other traffic. Motorists, including motorcyclists, MUST stop at the first white line reached if the lights are amber or red and should avoid blocking the way or encroaching on the marked area at other times, e.g. if the junction ahead is blocked. If your vehicle has proceeded over the first white line at the time that the signal goes red, you MUST stop at the second white line, even if your vehicle is in the marked area. Allow cyclists time and space to move off when the green signal shows.
[Laws RTA 1988 sect 36 & TSRGD regs 10, 36(1) & 43(2)]

In actual fact, this is extremely clear. The stop line for motorists under normal circumstances is the first line. If you are driving along normally and the lights start to change (amber or red), the only line that matters is the first line. The HC says “MUST ” in bold (and red in the paper version), which means you are breaking the law if you drive into the area when you stop at lights.

If you brake and stop beyond the first line under normal circumstances, this is exactly the same as stopping over the line at a normal set of lights. You must not stop in the area reserved for cyclists any more than you should stop part-way into a junction as a result of reacting late or insufficiently. If you do it on your test then it would be a serious fault.

At other times (i.e. if the junction is blocked), if the lights are green and if you have moved into the forward area, but then the lights change, the second line can be used as your stop line. In this case, you should give especial priority to cyclists before moving off again when the lights change back to green. Arguably, having to stop in this area even under such circumstances constitutes poor planning, and it probably warrants a driver fault at least if you did it on your test.

The two situations described in the HC are entirely separate. It should also be remembered that no two on-road situations are the same, and no two examiners are either! But on test it is the examiner’s interpretation that matters, and you shouldn’t be relying on this by getting yourself into situations which are already questionable even before it comes to deciding how questionable.

Summertime Blues

26/05/2012

DOAADI

ADI, Training

Well, it’s started.

I dislike the hot weather at the best of times – I much prefer it to be cooler – but I know I am in a minority on that score.

I don’t normally get many pupils cancelling (you get minor epidemics of it a few times a year), but since the sun came out – in other words, over the last three days – I have had at least six “mix-ups”, “illnesses”, and simple “won’t be here” messages.

I wonder what would happen if I texted them the day before their tests and told them I’d got my diary mixed up, was unwell, or simply wasn’t going to be there?

Well, I’ll be reading the riot act a few times over the next week. I only let them get away with it once or twice, then they’ll find themselves looking for a new instructor.

It wouldn’t be so bad if they told the truth, but I know bloody well why they cancelled – they’re going to an impromptu barbecue or other sun-related event that most people in this country flock to zombie-like as soon as it gets a bit warm. And it becomes self-fuelling – I’m just waiting for the sunburn and food poisoning excuses to come out next week.

Incidentally, that isn’t a real forecast in the picture – I just made it look wall-to-wall sunny. In any case, AccuWeather is as reliable as holding your finger in the air to decide what it’s going to be doing tomorrow. In fact, the most accurate thing AccuWeather does is tell you what the weather is doing 10 minutes after it’s done it. Anything on the future timeline simply changes to match the recent past once it arrives.

Multitasking

19/05/2012

DOAADI

ADI, Training

I saw some interesting comments recently which claimed that people can “do two totally different tasks at once”. It was part of a discussion about teaching techniques (as usual, the DSA was cast in the role of villain by one of them, but that’s another story).

When I’m teaching pupils, and particularly at the beginning of their training, absolutely the worst thing they can try to do is more than one thing at once. That’s because no one can do two or more things simultaneously – it just looks like they can once they become better at certain aspects of driving.

People mistakenly believe that “multitasking” means doing different things at the same time. When you analyse any such situation, it doesn’t mean that at all.

A good example is computer multitasking. Admittedly, with modern multi-core processors it IS possible for computers to perform tasks simultaneously – because the cores can behave as separate computers. However, the original multitasking approach was that the CPU would time-share and would cycle through various tasks a bit at a time. It did it quickly and efficiently, so that over a typical period of a few seconds it would appear to have simultaneously carried out several major tasks to completion. But in reality it had done them in small steps, dovetailing each step from one task with those from other tasks, creating an impression of having done several things at once.

Mind you, computers don’t have to think about what to do or how to do it. Humans – particularly new drivers – do. So when a pupil is steering round a corner, then decides to try to change gear or cancel the indicator, something usually has to give – and the steering is usually it!

This is one reason why novices often steer badly on bends and corners – they are trying to do several things simultaneously when they can’t yet do any of them properly! I often find that those who have simply been allowed to “drive” without any proper tuition or correction are the worst ones for it, and the longer they’ve been allowed to get away with it the harder it can be to break them of the habit.

This issue of multitasking comes into play when teaching manoeuvres, for example. Think of the stages involved in the first part of a turn in the road:

select gear
gas/bite
check it’s safe
respond if it isn’t
handbrake off
control speed
full lock
check it’s still safe
respond appropriately
watch the kerb
control speed
straighten and stop
handbrake
select reverse

Many pupils will start overlapping these when they first try it, and as soon as they take the handbrake off, if they move too fast they simply stop steering. Likewise when they look around, if they’re still steering at the time their hands just freeze.

I do a simple demonstration using a pen. I start the car moving slowly, pick up a pen, then do various things like removing the cap, replacing it, putting it on the dashboard, reading the writing on it, etc. All the time the car is moving at an absolute crawl.

Then I get the pupil to do it. Usually, the car speeds up and they can’t manipulate the pen.

I then explain how I am cheating. Whereas they are trying to control the car and the pen at the same time, what I do is as follows:

set the speed
pick up the pen
control the speed
remove the cap
control the speed
put the cap back on
control the speed
read some text
control the speed
put the pen on the dash
control the speed
and so on

This is proper multitasking, the way humans have to do it. It also illustrates why the MSM routine has to be done in plenty of time in order to prevent a new driver from changing gear when they should be concentrating on steering, or from looking in the mirrors when they should be slowing down.

Of course, as people get better some things can be done without thinking (cancelling indicators, for example). But while such things need conscious thought it is vital to keep them separate – particularly since the indicators are self-cancelling, and avoiding collisions is of much higher priority than unnecessarily cancelling a signal.

Multitasking in humans is an illusion created by doing single small tasks – each part of larger, more complex tasks – in an efficiently structured way. MSM is a prime example.

What is interesting is how you can see this potential for multitasking confusion spill over with certain pupils. You occasionally get one whose brain seems to be on fire, and the simple act of changing gear can result in attempts to signal, pull on the handbrake, reach for things which aren’t there, and so on. They’re all different, and finding ways to deal with the problem is what makes this job so interesting.

Another interesting aspect is how the old adage about women being better at multitasking doesn’t apply to driving in this respect. Women are better at juggling many things in their heads, whereas men tend to want to focus on single tasks. It’s why women can often be frustrating to men when they keep changing subjects, for example. In driving, everyone has the same problems with multitasking, with some – from both sexes – handling it better than others.

Jumping between tasks without completing the previous one can be a hindrance. Perhaps this is partly why men tend to pass in fewer lessons and have higher pass rates in the driving test.

Reference Points Revisited

05/05/2012

DOAADI

ADI, Funny, Training

I mentioned these a few months ago, but I saw something this week that made me smile.

Reference points – when established BY the driver FOR the driver – can be very useful. In fact, everyone uses them one way or another no matter how much they might try to deny it.

But I had to laugh the other day when I saw this on someone’s fence when I was on my way to pick a pupil up for a lesson.

From what I can gather, the lady’s husband put it there so that she doesn’t reverse into the garage when she parks on their driveway.

On the one hand, it is a good idea. But it could fail when you consider what might happen if the driver were to drive into her driveway forwards. It would need another sign to cover that eventuality.

And it still doesn’t allow for the different seating positions of a 5’ female compared with a 6’ 3” man, or the variation that would be introduced by distance from the fence.

As long as the stopping position wasn’t right up to the garage door then they’d probably get away with it, but it does illustrate the dangers of over-egging the reference point concept.

To be honest, all the husband had to do was put a small mark on the fence and say “don’t go further back than this”. But I have to admire his more literary approach to the situation.

DSA Alert: Roundabouts

02/05/2012

DOAADI

ADI, Bad Drivers, DSA, Training

Another one of the DSA’s timely reminders about parts of the Highway Code, this time concerning roundabouts.

Rule 186

Signals and position

When taking the first exit to the left, unless signs or markings indicate otherwise

signal left and approach in the left-hand lane

keep to the left on the roundabout and continue signalling left to leave

When taking an exit to the right or going full circle, unless signs or markings indicate otherwise

signal right and approach in the right-hand lane

keep to the right on the roundabout until you need to change lanes to exit the roundabout

signal left after you have passed the exit before the one you want

When taking any intermediate exit, unless signs or markings indicate otherwise

select the appropriate lane on approach to the roundabout

you should not normally need to signal on approach

stay in this lane until you need to alter course to exit the roundabout

signal left after you have passed the exit before the one you want

When there are more than three lanes at the entrance to a roundabout, use the most appropriate lane on approach and through it.

Read all the rules about roundabouts (184-190)

As I’ve mentioned previously, it’s a great idea to circulate this kind of information. Whether it works or not is another matter entirely – the understanding of roundabouts among the general public (including many of those who think they’re “advanced” drivers and can therefore drive around them any way they feel like) is appalling.

Also, don’t forget my own articles on roundabouts here and here.

Punitive Pettiness #2

29/04/2012

DOAADI

DSA, General, Training

I mentioned in Punitive Pettiness #1 that I often use industrial estates for lessons in the evenings when there’s no one around. Colwick MPTC (the driving test centre) is on one of these, and about ½ mile away is Colwick Quays Business Park.

I’ve been using this area for years at nights and weekends. It is usually dead out of business hours – apart from the occasional lorry doing a sleepover, or dog walkers taking their mutts to foul the wasteland round the back.

To be honest, I also think I provide a service, because when I’m there on a lesson I am a deterrent to anyone thinking of breaking into any of the units, the majority of which appear to be vacant anyway.

I cause absolutely no inconvenience whatsoever to the businesses or any of their employees. However, it is obvious that my mere presence is a problem to someone somewhere.

Colwick Quays has been there for years. In all that time it has not changed (other than for businesses which have gone bankrupt vacating various units from time to time. The picture below shows what the entrance looked like up until Friday of this week.

This one shows what it’s like now, with the shiny new barrier.

Maybe it’s just my suspicious mind, but I’m convinced that simply because someone resented the presence of the occasional learner down there the cost associated with installing this barrier – a barrier which has been totally unnecessary since the place was built – is considered a worthwhile expense. Looking at the huge gaps, it’s hardly going to stop any footpads (or dog walkers). It’s specifically designed to stop “unauthorised” vehicles (i.e. learners).

I’m sure the businesses down that way will now prosper dramatically now that they have this shiny new barrier in place, and that it will result in enormous profits for them that they’ve been missing out on over the years.

The owners of the business park have tried to victimise driving instructors previously. They weren’t too eager to target anyone else – just instructors, and that’s in spite of the DSA being tenants on the land. Naturally, the end to private clamping no doubt put a damper on their source of satisfaction.

Mind you, although this particular location has typically been free from learners, over recent months a few more instructors have found it. I know of at least one who has been stupid enough to use the car parks back there during working hours when the tenants are actually using them. Prat!

As I’ve said before, some instructors are an olive short of a pizza. Their stupidity just plays into the hands of those petty-minded idiots who recoil at the idea of learners being allowed on the roads.

Punitive Pettiness #1

29/04/2012

DOAADI

ADI, DSA, General, Training

Sometimes, people will go to great lengths to apply punitive measures which are purely designed to get something that THEY want – usually at the expense of denying something to others.

I was at the test centre the other day and saw this letter pinned up on the noticeboard. This is the full text:

Dear Sir or Madam/Driving Standards Agency Representative

Appeal for Increased Community Sensitivity and Consideration from Driving Instructors and Driving Examiners

I am the local Neighbourhood Action Officer and I am writing on behalf of Nottingham City Council, Leen Valley Ward Councillors and local residents who live in the roads frequently used by Driving Examiners and Driving Instructors around of by Robins Wood Test Centre. I have been facilitating public meetings in this area, which are chaired by local councillors and are designed to enable residents to raise issues of concern and share ideas for improving the neighbourhood.

A serious and consistent issue has been brought up at meetings concerning the way Driving Examiners and Driving Instructors behave on the streets surrounding the test centre. I am requesting your help to reduce the impact of this problem.

The issues that have been raised are:

Litter thrown from cars

Parking in places which obscure visibility, cause obstruction and increase the risk of road accidents

Remaining stationery (sic) for long periods with the engine running in particular outside the bungalow at [number deleted] Prestwood Drive. A lady who lives in this bungalow has a serious lung condition which she believes is greatly worsened by the car fumes that come into her bungalow and she is unable to open her windows because of this.

I would like Driving Examiners and Instructors to be made aware of the stress their behaviour is causing the local community. We appreciate that everyone on the road was a learner once and we fully recognise the need for such valuable resource for the city, but if it is possible for Driving Examiners and Instructors to alter their routes a bit to ensure disruption to local residents is spread about a wider area this would mean a lot to the surrounding community.

We also request that Driving Examiners and Instructors support us by parking in places which are safe to do so and do not obstruct visibility, and by not dropping litter out of their cars. If it is possible to turn your engines off if you are stationery (sic) for a while this would be greatly appreciated. In particular if cars could refrain from using the corner find a range of different corners to use this would huge improve the quality of life of lady with lung problems.

I have been to the Test Centre on Chalfont Drive and made them aware of the situation and requested their co-operation, but if there is anything you can do to help in addition to this, I would be most grateful. If you would like to chat through any suggestions you might have to help the situation please get in touch, whichever way is best for you. Whatever you feel you can or cannot contribute I would appreciate a reply to this letter and look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully

Have you ever read such emotive or libellous nonsense?

Although I use Chalfont Drive Test Centre, I can honestly say I have never used the corner referred to on Prestwood Drive. The road isn’t that quiet, and for as long as I can remember there has been a bloody notice up in the test centre waiting room asking people not to use Prestwood Drive because of residents’ complaints (probably, ONE resident in particular, judging from this). I honestly can’t recall seeing any other instructor using it because of the nature of the road – the test centre is about ¼ mile down and there is a school opposite. On weekdays it’s too busy.

In any neighbourhood you always get one habitual complainer and since modern councils are staffed by weak-minded idiots, they end up spending a disproportionate amount of their time and money involving themselves in things that simply aren’t worth the effort, but which tick all the necessary politically correct boxes.

The junction in question is shown below. Note the school to the left and Prestwood Drive to the right.

With all due respect to “the lady” who has complained, if car fumes are affecting her lung condition – and I seriously doubt that – the effect will be a thousand times worse as a result of the mummies and daddies who park dangerously outside the school for hours at a time when they come to pick up their little darlings (the school “specialises in the dramatic arts”, so you can imagine the mummy-o-meter being off the scale most of the time). It’s horrendous down there most of the day, and not from learners. The specific complaint here is against learners – not car fumes – and it is part of a concerted attempt by someone to get their own way (the notice at the test centre being part of the campaign).

That leads on to the other ridiculous accusation about dangerous parking and increasing the risk of accidents. The standard of driving around that area is appalling, and it is NOT learners who are to blame. The only direct effect you could attribute to learners is that their mere presence makes the average jackass who lives around there (or who goes to pick up the next generation of Big Brother applicant from that school) drive even more dangerously than usual.

And as for “dropping litter”: someone should take the stupid idiot who wrote the letter to court over that. It’s just libel, and spawned by old dears who want learners – all except their grandchildren, obviously – banned from the roads.

Using me as an example, this is how it works. I’ve already said I don’t use Prestwood Drive (and never have). I do use Aspley Park Drive a couple of times a week. I do use the retirement bungalow estate between Beechdale Road and Wigman Road a couple of times a week (several roads on there are subject to “please don’t” notices in the test centre, and I avoid those). I do use areas in Bramcote a several times a week. I do use lots of other areas, too. I travel as far as Bingham to do manoeuvres – even with pupils who will do their tests at Chalfont Drive – because I can take in different road types. I use industrial estates all over the city (see Punitive Pettiness #2) in the evenings when they’re not in use. And so it goes on.

The bottom line is that if some Neighbourhood Watch Official, just out of college and with a shiny new NVQ in Local Government Affairs, decides to take a single road out of context with all of what I do, then I am suddenly a Criminal against The Community.

The author of that letter is very naive if she thinks moving the problem elsewhere will solve anything. She’s also even more naive if the can’t see that it is just a handful of chronic whingers she is siding with. If she satisfies all of them, there are plenty more ready to crawl out of the woodwork on every street in the county.

DSA Alert: Waiting And Parking

25/04/2012

DOAADI

ADI, Bad Drivers, DSA, Training

Another timely reminder from the DSA:

Rule 243

DO NOT stop or park

near a school entrance

anywhere you would prevent access for Emergency Services

at or near a bus or tram stop or taxi rank

on the approach to a level crossing or tramway crossing

opposite or within 10 metres (32 feet) of a junction, except in an authorised parking space

near the brow of a hill or hump bridge

opposite a traffic island or (if this would cause an obstruction) another parked vehicle

where you would force other traffic to enter a tram lane

where the kerb has been lowered to help wheelchair users and powered mobility vehicles

in front of an entrance to a property

on a bend

where you would obstruct cyclists’ use of cycle facilities

except when forced to do so by stationary traffic.

Read all the rules about waiting and parking (238-252)

Again, it’s a good idea to circulate this information – far too many people (especially the mummies during school runs and 99.9% of taxi drivers) ignore the rules completely.

DSA Alert: Box Junctions

18/04/2012

DOAADI

ADI, Bad Drivers, DSA, Training

The DSA has sent out an email alert with a reminder about how to use box junctions.

Highway Code rule 174

Box junctions. These have criss-cross yellow lines painted on the road (see ‘Road markings’ (PDF, 715KB)).

You MUST NOT enter the box until your exit road or lane is clear. However, you may enter the box and wait when you want to turn right, and are only stopped from doing so by oncoming traffic, or by other vehicles waiting to turn right.

At signalled roundabouts you MUST NOT enter the box unless you can cross over it completely without stopping.

I think the DSA has started doing this as a way of trying to keep drivers’ knowledge up to date – which is a good thing, since most appear to have great difficulty doing it themselves, and have have had for many years (poor knowledge of the HC has always been a problem).

During rush hour, many people have difficulty in dealing with box junctions. Lorry drivers are one of the worst culprits. However, I honestly think most people simply don’t know they’re there – or only realise once they’re stopped in them (judging from the sheepish looks you get when they’re blocking you).

Category - Training