I recently wrote about the launch of the MB Academy in America – we already have one here in the UK. In spite of what Mercedes-Benz might claim (they cynically tried to suggest it is specifically targeted at “distracted driving” in America, even though their plans for launch must have predated the current American crusade against distracted driving by a year), it is aimed at wealthy people. The course is expensive – way beyond the means of normal people.
So I now see that there is one in Canada, as reported in the Montreal Gazette .
I won’t repeat everything I’ve said about the MB Academy. I’ll just quote a few things from that article:
…put through your paces by some of the most experienced and capable driving instructors in the country, you get to do it in all manner of new Mercedes-Benz vehicles, from high-performance AMG models to Smart Cars in a dozen-strong fleet…
…Mastering Performance day event on a racetrack…
Skids are intimidating,.. So we’re going to force you to skid…
After a remarkable demonstration of car control that in Kok’s race-experienced hands saw a 400-horsepower Mercedes in a continuous 34-foot circular skid, he pronounced the slippery surface to be “the same consistency of about three inches of snow.”
Apart from being a blast, particularly on the clay surface and in the big horsepower Benz, these exercises really demonstrated the effectiveness of the Mercedes Electronic Stability Program (ESP).
The content isn’t quite what you’d get on 99.9% of driving lessons around the world. Let’s face it, it’s about fast Mercedes-Benz cars and showing off to people who respond to that sort of thing.
It’s ironic when you consider that last article I posted about teens killing themselves. Somehow, showing off in a 400hp Merc isn’t the way I’d get the right message across.
It also perhaps explains why I see a lot of Mercs cutting me and everyone else up as I conduct my driving lessons each day.
The new Irish law requires that the trainee take 12 one-hour lessons with a minimum of two weeks between each lesson. That means it will be a minimum of six months before someone can even take their test. Oh, and the lessons cost about €30-€35 per hour, which means the trainee driver must pay €360-€420 ($500-$590) before they can take their driving test.
To me, the only bad thing I can see here is that 12 hours is not nearly enough if pupils end up with a licence out of it. As I mentioned in that last post about this, there is absolutely no mention anywhere that people will likely not pass their tests after 12 hours (the Irish system was weak before and there is the strong suggestion here that it still is). Over in the UK, virtually no one would pass after just 12 hours – not unless their parents were driving instructors and their “private practice” hid the fact that they’d been getting good tuition behind the scenes.
However, The Yank sees things somewhat differently. He says:
This law is an insult to parents because it implies that they don’t impart sufficient safety instruction to their children despite the fact they obviously want their children to take care of themselves and their cars.
I’m sorry, but it is people like this who – as part of a larger group, not as individuals - are absolutely and completely responsible for the problems with young drivers killing themselves and others in cars. They are the absolute cause of the idiocy with which many youngsters take to the roads.
The Yank mentions his own driving lessons from his parents, completely ignoring the different licensing system in America – which is currently the subject of major legislative debate in every state. He ignores the mass of data confirming that the teen death rate (not to mention that among the “expert” older drivers) in America is deplorably high as a result of this system, which can put 14 year olds on the roads in some states.
He continues:
Back when I was a teenager I knew plenty of young drivers (all boys) who passed Driver’s Ed without any problem, but still drove like lunatics. It wasn’t that they didn’t know how to be safe, it was they didn’t want to be safe.
Yes. We have that same problem – and it’s caused by people who want a licence to be a right (as it currently is in America) instead of a privilege. But another much more significant factor – which the Americans are slowly waking up to – is that if you are going to try and show off to your mates and girlfriends, having the basic skills to handle the car tends to make the chances of a fatal crash considerably less. This training didn’t previously happen in Ireland, and still doesn’t in the USA. The death rate is largely result of being able to get a licence and drive unsupervised without adequate skills training.
The Yank fails to appreciate that those boys he mentions actually didn’t know how to be safe. They just thought they did.
He also says:
The law may indeed have some merit as it applies to young drivers. However, it seems pretty silly that it also applies to those who take up driving after the age of 25. And it is downright ludicrous that it applies to licensed drivers who move to Ireland from outside the EU and a handful of other countries.
That means that any American or Canadian moving here after next week will have to go through this process as if they’re a 17-year-old just learning how to handle a car.
I guess by this he means that Americans moving to Ireland will have to pay for lessons, and he doesn’t like it. But what’s that comment about over-25s? I think I made the point above – new drivers need to have the right skills, and that applies to any age group. Attitude, though, is predominantly (but not exclusively) a teen issue.
And again he continues to miss the point:
What makes this requirement farcical is that an American or Canadian can actually move here and drive for 12 months without an Irish license on an International Driving Permit.
Yes. That applies in all EU states – the idea is that the 12 months allows temporary visitiors to get around, or gives longer term visitors ample time and opportunity to get a proper licence (I think a similar rule applies in the US). It is the system WE – in the EU – use, so get used to it. The only reason it perhaps didn’t apply in Ireland until recently is because of the aforementioned lax system they had.
The sooner mandatory lessons and fixed training periods are introduced elsewhere, the better it will be. Then, parents will have to start doing their jobs properly to prevent little Jonny or Casey developing an attitude problem in the first place.
EDIT: The Yank might also want to look at this link. Not quite the same as what he claims his driving teen-hood was like, is it?
Most of us were behind the wheel at age 16 driving at all hours of the day and night with as many of our friends in our vehicle as we could fit. The radio was blaring with the cassette player playing our favorite ’80s songs and we took to the streets like we owned them.
I can remember fitting 17 friends into my Mom’s station wagon and driving to Taco Bell after gymnastics practice. The thought of worrying if everyone had their seat belt on wasn’t on my mind or my passenger’s. Those days are gone and I don’t know about you, but I’m so glad they are.
That’s the reality over in the US. Not what The Yank claims.
This story from etyres claims that over 40% of UK motorists are driving on illegal tyres. It blames the recession – people are trying to save money.
As anyone who can answer the Show Me Tell Me questions (required for the driving test) will know, the specification for tyres is that they should have a minimum of 1.6mm tread across the central ¾ breadth of the tyre, and all around the edges. Plus the tyre should have no cuts or bulges in the side walls.
Garages will sometimes refuse to MoT a car which has less than 3-4mm of tread on any of its tyres, because there is probably less than a year’s worth of wear left on it (and that’s what most manufacturers recommend as the minimum anyway). On top of that, scientific evidence shows that low tread results in longer stopping distances and increased skidding risk – particularly in the wet.
Over half of those who were driving on illegal tyres blamed the cost.
The “research” is rather superficial – although etyres is a bona fide site, the “research” was carried out by MyVoucherCodes. Hardly the kind of company you’d expect to be expert on tyres. For example, we don’t know how many people were driving around on illegal tyres before the recession – chances are it was similar, because the “hotspots” for illegal use are Manchester and Hull, and those are place which have always been associated with questionable driving habits (if Police! Camera! Action! and all those other cop shows are to be believed).
Also, the survey was carried out among 1,491 people from 10 locations – when you consider that there are 17 million cars registered in the UK (and substantially more than 10 large metropolitan areas, even if Hull isn’t one of them), then the survey was carried out on a tiny and highly skewed sample (a mere 0.009%) of the total population!
I suspect most people haven’t got a clue what the tyre tread depth specification is. Quite a few won’t even know that tyres wear out.
It’s obviously a problem, but how much of a growing problem is unclear.
I’ve written recently about the logic-defying behaviour of this Mickey Mouse coalition we have, masquerading as a government, as it pertains to closing down tiny test centres (with huge overheads) in tiny villages and towns. One such being in Cumnock, Ayrshire.
Mike Penning said…“We will deliver driving tests in the community, where they should be, rather than a huge distance away, which was the previous Government’s policy.
“I have inherited that policy, but I will not continue with it.”
I said some months ago this was all because of the decision having been made under Labour – not because of any voter-centric philanthropy on Penning’s part.
So now the cuts will have to be made somewhere else in order to keep that two-up two-down terraced house in Cumnock operating as a driving test centre.
I wonder what will happen in Yeovil now that their test centre is moving? Fair enough, it’s only moving to somewhere else in Yeovil – but I’m sure some idiot driving instructor is already planning a campaign based on the extra ¾ mile (Yeovil is only about twice that distance end to end) some of them will probably have to travel.
Looking at my site stats and I noticed an incoming visit from an unusual web address. I tracked it back and found something that I don’t understand.
I won’t mention them by name, but this is what the company is about:
Listening. Influence. Insights. Engagement.
Listening – more signal less noise
Broadest content, sourced globally, near real-time and structured to reveal meaning.
Influence – quality out of quantity
Multi-factor influence that segments key influencers from the ‘long tail.’
Insights – meaning not data
Industry experts provide qualitative and quantitative analysis focused on your key questions.
Engagement – dialogue not marketing
Cross-functional capability, access original content and track responses.
It sent shivers down my spine. For a moment, I thought I was back in the rat race.
It’s hard to believe people can make a living out of this crap, isn’t it? That is complete and utter bilge – but what’s even more frightening is that there will be people to whom it is manna from heaven.
New driving regulations come into force in the Irish Republic on April 4th. The Irish Times reports that instructors think the system is “unworkable”.
I’m no authority on the Irish learner driving system and can only go on what I’ve been told by my Irish pupils. Apparently, until recently you didn’t really have to do much in order to get out on the roads and drive for the rest of your life, and you had almost no fear of being pulled over (this is what I’ve been told, remember – not necessarily a statement of fact). However, Ireland is also influenced by Brussels (being an EU member state) just like Britain is, and the previous state of affairs was a long way away from what the EU is aiming towards. So they’ve been improving things and getting much tougher with illegal driving over the last couple of years.
The new Irish system is as follows (from the Irish Times):
From April 4th, those applying for their first driving licence will be required to complete 12 hours of tuition with an approved driving instructor before they can sit the test.
Under the new rules, a driver will receive a logbook when they sign up for lessons. The instructor will be required to sign the logbook to confirm the student has completed each lesson.
The RSA says learner drivers must successfully complete the 12 hours of driver training over a six month period with an average of one lesson every two weeks before they can sit the test. In order to get the maximum benefit from the lessons, the RSA recommends learners complete at least three hours of practice with a fully-qualified sponsor in between lessons.
Now, just as Ireland is subject to the same regulations as other EU member states like Britain, so its instructors appear to be just as opposed to any – ANY – change, just like ours are in the UK.
It seems that the argument is over the amount of time allocated – there is a syllabus that has to be covered and it would appear that instructors are claiming that it will take 75 hours to cover it. This cause célèbre has been taken up by the Irish Driving Instructors Association (IDIA).
It’s like there is a parallel universe outside the UK, isn’t it? The names are just a bit different, that’s all. But otherwise, it’s following a clear script.
To counter this, the RSA is pointing out that the system is very simple and learners are expected to do private practice as well as the lessons. All the instructor has to do is certify that the lesson has been completed – not that the learner is fully competent on the topic.
The RSA also points out, however, that learners do not have to take more than the 12 hours. But my thinking there is that they won’t pass the test if they aren’t good enough, so it doesn’t matter. They’ll have to make sure they ARE good enough.
Irish Insurance Federation (IIF) public affairs spokesman Niall Doyle said the federation had been calling for compulsory basic training for more than a decade.
“We need learner drivers trained as a matter of law and we’ll get much better drivers as a consequence,” he said.
But as usual, there is an organisation to oppose that sort of sensible thinking!
The Independent (Ireland) reports the same story from a slightly different angle. It covers the points mentioned above, but the concerns being raised appear to be a confusing mix of how much it will cost to do the 12 hours, that 12 hours isn’t enough, that no one can be forced to do more than 12 hours, that parents being involved is not what instructors want, and so on.
Already, a price war looks set to break out with discounts being offered on the set of 12 hours in order to capture the market (will they never learn?) Aviva is offering free insurance to learners if they sign up with their school.
The one thing that isn’t mentioned anywhere is that failing the Irish driving test is still possible. It is, isn’t it? Surely.
The GMB union says it has grave misgivings about the scheme, particularly the role of the sponsor driver who supervises the learner.
It says the sponsor, who will be typically an adult relative or friend with at least two years driving experience, will not be qualified and may pass on bad habits to the learner.
The union says it believes that all lessons should be delivered by a professional instructor.
It also criticised the RSA for its lack of consultation and communication with instructors.
A story from Michigan, USA, says that new laws take effect on Wednesday.
Most 16- and 17-year-olds will be allowed to drive with no more than one passenger under the age of 21 in the vehicle at one time. They will also be prohibited from driving between the hours of 10 PM and 5 AM, with the exception travel involving school. Those with level two licenses on Michigan’s graduated licensing system are those affected by the changes.
If only the UK would show some sense and introduce something similar.
With Nissan’s Leaf electric car being launched in the UK last week - with the severe limitations currently associated with electric cars being heavily glossed over by the greenies on its debut – I was interested in this article about Volvo’s C30 electric car.
The article doesn’t give any general details, but I was bemused by the fact that it has to use hydrocarbon fuel to keep it running in its country of origin!
But I had a scout around and found this old article roughly outlining its specifications.
Volvo has tested a handful of C30 BEV prototypes over the past six months and claimed that the e-car has a reliable range of over 90 miles. The car can do 0-60mph in 11 seconds, Volvo added, but its top speed is 80mph.
So. It will probably have a real range of under 90 miles, and this will get less as the batteries age. It’s slow. And it isn’t likely to be launched before 2014 at the earliest.
I must admit that I am still in the dark over what happens if you start running a lot of the auxiliary functions, like heaters, wipers, heated rear window, and so on. Or if the kids have their Nintendos plugged into the auxiliary socket. I don’t think the quoted range per charge takes any of that into account, yet it is still a paltry sub-100 mile figure.
This is a VERY old post – one of the oldest on the site. Somewhere along the way, sat navs were introduced and the subject matter here is no longer relevant.
I’m getting a lot of hits on this search term at the moment. As I’ve pointed out several times, test routes are no longer published by the DSA.
When I first qualified as an instructor I had it in my head that knowing the routes would somehow be beneficial to my lessons (new instructors tend to be anally retentive like that, collecting useless acronyms and making mountains out of molehills), so I downloaded them all. But when I started teaching I quickly realised it was absolutely pointless.
To start with, trying to do lessons on the routes was almost impossible because of all the other instructors arseing about on them, not to mention those learners out on their tests during the day. It occurred to me that I wouldn’t be very happy if my pupils on their tests had to dodge other learners whose instructors were too stupid and arrogant to either realise or care that they were getting in the way. So I decided I wouldn’t do it to them (although that hasn’t stopped other driving schools repeatedly getting in the way of my pupils – both on lessons and on test).
Another thing was that it didn’t really matter if you drove down road A, turned left on to road B, then took road C second left on the test – you could do the same thing with roads X, Y, and Z on the other side of town during lessons in order to teach the principles. If the instructor did his or her job properly then the pupil would be able to apply what they’d learnt to any road they went down, whether it was on the test route or not. They’ve got to do it when they pass, haven’t they?
And yet another problem was that to teach people new things you often wanted quiet areas with not much traffic, and test routes are definitely neither quiet or free from traffic (they’re clogged with other learners, for a start). The first foray on to a roundabout definitely did not need the Nottingham Knight Ruddington-to-Wilford-Hill route which was almost mandatory on tests conducted from the now-closed West Bridgford Test Centre.
As time went by, I picked up things from my pupils and registered certain “problem” areas like No Entry roads, STOP junctions, or very steep hills that they’d done on their tests. I’d make sure I covered these – or any similar ones – on my lessons.
Until recently I’d not sat in on any tests. Even now – after many hundreds of tests – I’ve only been out on two, and those were with the same pupil who has certain issues that made me worried in case the test was abandoned. My presence is generally of no benefit to the pupil, although I make it clear to all of them I will go with them if they really want me there.
I’m not going to give specific details of the routes taken on those tests I went on (because they wouldn’t be accurate). If any instructor is so desperate to know – even after my advice above about it being an utter waste of time – all they have to do is accompany (or ask) their pupils like I did and find out. And if a pupil is desperate to know, they just need to ask their instructor.
All I will say is that they can show the pupil a line map (like the one above), with the instruction “we are here. I want you to go to the end of this road and turn left, then take the second turn right. At the end of that road, turn right.” They can also say “turn right, third exit, at the rounadbout and follow the signs to Nottingham and Colwick” or “follow the signs to Stapleford.” However, knowing this is useless unless the pupil is capable of negotiating the junctions and other obstacles in between.
What are the test routes in Nottingham?
As I have said elsewhere, these are NOT published anymore. If you search around on the web, you’ll find that some driving instructors have been stupid enough to try and identify the routes and publish them themselves (presumably because it’s considered “cool” to oppose the DSA in these things). It’s your lookout if you trust these idiots or their routes.
It’s also worth noting that examiners can deviate from “official” routes as it suits them (or if the test candidate takes a wrong turn, which they often do).
The DSA stopped publishing routes quite a while ago. Too many instructors were just teaching pupils to drive on those routes (presumably, the same poor-quality ones who are trying to publish their own routes even now), and if the pupils passed their tests they were often just incapable of driving safely anywhere else.
You DO NOT need tests routes. You need to learn how to drive, then the route doesn’t matter.
When I first qualified as an ADI I think I made a couple of attempts to follow precise test routes based on what other instructors had said – but gave up, because it was more trouble than it was worth. I have never taught anyone on published routes. I naturally cover the same general areas as the test, but I also drive tens of miles from the test centre to train people properly. I make sure that any special features can be driven competently by pupils (extremely steep hills, city centre, fords, etc.). Then, anything that comes up on test is just another road.
I can promise you that someone’s chances of passing the test when they can drive properly are MUCH higher than when they can only handle fixed routes.
Here’s a good example of the reason I have comments switched off on this site.
In that last article (about the Nissan Leaf), I said that the cost of a new set of batteries (approximately £18,000) was enough to buy THREE new Vauxhall Corsas.
Here’s a copy of the email I just received:
You need to go and check out the price of vauxhall corsas! If your (sic) going to type crap at least try and get close to the truth. LIAR
Yes, he’s quite right. The cheapest price for a new Corsa I could find anywhere – admittedly, just by Googling it - was £6,967. Of course, I’m not talking about a full-on pratmobile with blacked out windows, big-mouth exhaust, and low profile alloys, or anything like that. Just a bog-standard trainee pratmobile.
So allow me to correct that previous comparison statement I made and put it in terms the hard of thinking can understand.
A new set of batteries for a Nissan Leaf costs around £18,000 – you could buy 2.5836084398 new Corsas for that. So that’s 2.6 Corsas, and not 3.0 whole ones like I said.
Not quite the same flowing comparison, is it? But I’m sure Steve – the Sky internet user from the Great Malvern/Telford area, who likes to call people liars - feels much better now.
