why dont they put these on TV no more?
- Thread starter dave
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why dont they put these on TV no more?
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Because they don't even teach people to drive properly these days.
The number of driving instructors I see doing stupid things seems to be on the increase.
Sitting on "keep Clear" signs at junctions.
Sitting on the red tarmac (reserved for cyclists, motorbikes etc) at traffic lights.
Wandering across lanes at roundabouts, inc. approaching in the wrong lane.
Letting your pupils drive for miles at little more than a jogging pace.
And I notice a trend for instructors to sit there wearing reflective vests and wearing sunglasses! WHY FFS, it's not like you need to be noticed when sat in your car, and I suspect the reason for wearing shades is so you can secretly eye up your pupil's nice rack without her spotting you? (since you wear the shades even on dull/overcast days!).
Maybe we don't see these clips anymore because cars of today are far superior?
After all, when driving on sheet ice, things like abs and brake assist will still stop you on a sixpence, especially combined with tyres that are half as wide again as they used to be - and let's not forget the far superior rubber used, along with the hyper-technical, computer-designed, advanced tread patterns.
But when they do give us these info clips, the least they could do is get things right...
"when he hit the inside of the car- that didn't kill him either... but his internal organs carried on travelling, until they hit his ribcage..."
Implying that, if he had worn a seatbelt, his internal organs wouldn't have hit his ribcage?
Of course they would, Newton's first law of motion.
The number of driving instructors I see doing stupid things seems to be on the increase.
Sitting on "keep Clear" signs at junctions.
Sitting on the red tarmac (reserved for cyclists, motorbikes etc) at traffic lights.
Wandering across lanes at roundabouts, inc. approaching in the wrong lane.
Letting your pupils drive for miles at little more than a jogging pace.
And I notice a trend for instructors to sit there wearing reflective vests and wearing sunglasses! WHY FFS, it's not like you need to be noticed when sat in your car, and I suspect the reason for wearing shades is so you can secretly eye up your pupil's nice rack without her spotting you? (since you wear the shades even on dull/overcast days!).
Maybe we don't see these clips anymore because cars of today are far superior?
After all, when driving on sheet ice, things like abs and brake assist will still stop you on a sixpence, especially combined with tyres that are half as wide again as they used to be - and let's not forget the far superior rubber used, along with the hyper-technical, computer-designed, advanced tread patterns.
But when they do give us these info clips, the least they could do is get things right...
"when he hit the inside of the car- that didn't kill him either... but his internal organs carried on travelling, until they hit his ribcage..."
Implying that, if he had worn a seatbelt, his internal organs wouldn't have hit his ribcage?
Of course they would, Newton's first law of motion.
"Accelerate smoothly" my Panda doesn't do smooth 
But in all seriousness modern versions of these (or even these versions... although they might get laughed at a little) on TV could only be a good thing
But in all seriousness modern versions of these (or even these versions... although they might get laughed at a little) on TV could only be a good thing
Here's a novel idea.
At the end of summer term in schools, instead of letting the kids watch DVDs or play games all day, why not sit them down in front of a whole bunch of these clips?
Give them a small test at the end of each session.
By the time they go on to have lessons, they should already have road safety well and truly drilled into them.
Even better still...
http://www.legoland.co.uk/Explore/Activities/Traffic/Driving-School/
Let's get loads more of these out there, get them into schools to give kids a really good start to their driving life - Surely it would be in the interests of EVERY manufacturer to sponsor this initiative?
At the end of summer term in schools, instead of letting the kids watch DVDs or play games all day, why not sit them down in front of a whole bunch of these clips?
Give them a small test at the end of each session.
By the time they go on to have lessons, they should already have road safety well and truly drilled into them.
Even better still...
http://www.legoland.co.uk/Explore/Activities/Traffic/Driving-School/
Let's get loads more of these out there, get them into schools to give kids a really good start to their driving life - Surely it would be in the interests of EVERY manufacturer to sponsor this initiative?
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Ouch! Please don't tar us all with the same brush. Many of us are trying very hard indeed to achieve a high standard. Sadly there are some happy to teach up to basic test standard only.
If the instructor is doing these things, complain. Call the number on the car and ask him to explain.
If it is the pupil, sometimes we do not have the chance to stop it happening, so some consideration is necessary. If the pupil is not stopping in time, we have a brake pedal. If they stop too soon, all we can do is squeak at them to let go. Once they've stopped in the wrong place, they will be told. But often it is better to allow them to move on before we tell them about it. If we embarrass them, they are likely to stall, or not move away until it is fully discussed.
I hate this one too. If that's all they can do, we should keep them in quiet residential estates until they are ready, willing and able to press the gas.
Often they will approach correctly, then change their mind. It is often better to let them proceed and discuss it later. Trying to correct it as it happens can often result in the brake being pressed. None of us want that in the middle of the roundabout do we? The instructor will know and choose how to handle each pupil in the circumstances.
DSA examiners are encouraged to wear hi-vis on all tests. You could be looking at a test in progress. If it is the instructor wearing hi-vis, he will be told by most of the other instructors in the area not to.
If he strikes the inside of the car, the above statement is true. If he is wearing his seatbelt, it will stretch to absorb some of the energy and to decelerate the wearer rapidly, avoiding the internal trauma.
"Sitting on "keep Clear" signs at junctions.
Sitting on the red tarmac (reserved for cyclists, motorbikes etc) at traffic lights.
Wandering across lanes at roundabouts, inc. approaching in the wrong lane."
and
"Wandering across lanes at roundabouts, inc. approaching in the wrong lane."
This WAS the instructor!
I'm not tarring all instructors with the same brush, I do actually know some good instructors - but it seems to me that over the past few years, any number of new driving schools seem to have suddenly popped up and I can't help wondering just how much training this new breed of instructors actually get!
"when he hit the inside of the car- that didn't kill him either... but his internal organs carried on travelling, until they hit his ribcage..."
Implying that, if he had worn a seatbelt, his internal organs wouldn't have hit his ribcage?
Of course they would, Newton's first law of motion.
If he strikes the inside of the car, the above statement is true. If he is wearing his seatbelt, it will stretch to absorb some of the energy and to decelerate the wearer rapidly, avoiding the internal trauma. "
I'd be very interested to know what the difference is though, you hit the belt at speed before the absorption cuts in, the deceleration is still very rapid - surely the organs continue at speed until they hit the ribcage - in either instance?
Sitting on the red tarmac (reserved for cyclists, motorbikes etc) at traffic lights.
Wandering across lanes at roundabouts, inc. approaching in the wrong lane."
and
"Wandering across lanes at roundabouts, inc. approaching in the wrong lane."
This WAS the instructor!
I'm not tarring all instructors with the same brush, I do actually know some good instructors - but it seems to me that over the past few years, any number of new driving schools seem to have suddenly popped up and I can't help wondering just how much training this new breed of instructors actually get!
"when he hit the inside of the car- that didn't kill him either... but his internal organs carried on travelling, until they hit his ribcage..."
Implying that, if he had worn a seatbelt, his internal organs wouldn't have hit his ribcage?
Of course they would, Newton's first law of motion.
If he strikes the inside of the car, the above statement is true. If he is wearing his seatbelt, it will stretch to absorb some of the energy and to decelerate the wearer rapidly, avoiding the internal trauma. "
I'd be very interested to know what the difference is though, you hit the belt at speed before the absorption cuts in, the deceleration is still very rapid - surely the organs continue at speed until they hit the ribcage - in either instance?
Driving home the other night i had an AA instructor car over take me like i was standing still.... I was doing 70 on a dual carriageway he then proceeded to tailgate another car out of his way
that said this is in the minority, and I appreciate that instructors are limited by the pupil at times.
that said this is in the minority, and I appreciate that instructors are limited by the pupil at times.
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this one might seem out of date, but i still see kids in cars like this often
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Complain then. Phone him and ask him to explain.
The training syllabus is well controlled by DSA (Driving Standards Agency) and the tests are difficult. Only 20% of recruits make it out as instructors.
We get a theory test, 100 questions, min 85% to pass. Try as many times as you like.
Then a driving test. One hour, high standard expected, all manoeuvres included, max 6 driving faults. Max 3 tests. Fail the third and you're out.
Then a teaching test. One hour, two scenarios, examiner role play, very demanding. Max three attempts. Fail the third, you're out.
After the driving test, PDIs (Potential Driving Instructors) can apply for a pink licence and start teaching. This again is controlled, either supervised teaching, or minimum additional training within a timescale. Pink licence holders are often criticised as poorer. Some are, but most are trying their best to get it right in preparation for their last test. However, they are less experienced, so will not control the lesson as well as a more experienced instructor.
If they are obviously wrong, ask them to explain, or if part of a larger organisation, complain. AA and BSM will investigate every complaint. (I trained with BSM, loved the Fiat 500, now with AA)
You should not "hit" the seatbelt. It should be snug against you, so you just stretch it. This is why many cars have pre-tensioners, to make this part even better. If you keep the belt loose, it can crack ribs as you hit the belt, but the internal trauma will still be less severe than without the belt as the distance travelled before being stopped is shorter.
I'm afraid I'm going to have to take issue on a couple of points here.
I think you're describing an ASL, or Advanced Stop Line which is (or should be) green and is for cyclists not motorcyclists. There is actually nothing illegal about stopping your car in that area, especially as the ASL will be in the same position as the original stop line. This means that in relation to the ATS (Automatic Traffic Signals) the vehicle stop line is further back and therefore drivers have less time to stop once the lights change which increases the chance of a driver either going through lights on red or, alternatively, stopping in the cycle area.
Instructors don't wear hi-vis, but Examiners do and have done since the introduction of the Tell Me-Show Me part of the driving test. This is because the Examiner will spend time in the road during this section. Personally I think this is one of those "Health and Safety gone mad moments" as beloved of by the Daily Mail as the Examiner doesn't actually stand out in the flow of traffic and can do everything he/she needs to from either the pavement or in front and behind the test vehicle. I also don't think it gives a very good message to the candidate as it implies that DSA staff can't conduct a test without being run over. Instead of just staying out of the way of traffic or using the same kind of observational skills he/she will be looking for in the learner driver.
As for sunglasses, even on cloudy days the sky can be bright and on a lesson or test pulling the sun visor down can be a no-no because you then can't use the 2nd rear view mirror.
"......secretly eyeing up your pupil's nice rack" as you put it "without her spotting you" well that does depend on a number of things:
Is the pupil female?
If so, does she actually have a "nice rack"?
If she does, is she wearing a polo neck sweater and therefore you actually can't see "her rack".
Sometimes you have to let your pupil make a mistake such as stopping on an area marked "Keep Clear" in order to try and make a point. I once ended up with a £60 PCN when my pupil wandered into a Bus Lane, despite the fact we were in it for almost exactly 2 seconds, but she got the point and always spotted the operating times of every one she came across until she passed. Even when on her Test which she took at 9:37 when most come into force at 10 am part way through it. You might not think that abiding by the times of a Bus Lane is very difficult (of course it isn't) but watch how many people don't drive in it when you legally and thus reduce the effective width of the road by half.
You may, in fact, be correct in all your assumptions, but personally I don't think so.
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Actually, come to think of it, that was more than a couple. Nothing new there then.
If anyone wants to know why learners are taught to a basic standard, that's probably because that's what the syllabus is. Basic.
Not only that, but in many cases it's the parents that pay for the lessons and they want it done as cheaply as possible. There is also the myth that states: "You only start to learn to drive once you've passed the test" which is of course the biggest pile of horse s**t you're likely to come across.
I used to love taking pupils out if it snowed, especially if that coincided with a weekend. It meant you could take them to a car park or industrial estate and let them feel what it's like when the car skids. Before ABS was standard on all cars it was a godsend to be able to teach cadence braking for real, and more recently to let pupils experience the ABS. A couple of years ago on here, someone asked if anyone had an idea what the vibrating noise was when they braked very hard on a wet road. I think it had frightened them so much they took their foot off the brake thinking it was faulty.
But, I could virtually guarantee that on the morning of a lesson after snow, the phone would ring and it would be a parent suggesting that their little angel shouldn't have a lesson that day because it might be dangerous and they thought it would be better if they waited until after they'd passed and had more experience. My reply was usually to ask them if they'd prefer if little angel didn't have to deal with a skid on their own and had not the faintest idea what to do.
When I used to work in the Stockport area it was fairly easy to get pupils up towards Buxton or Macclesfield and let them get some kind of idea about taking bends and driving at higher speeds, but when I worked in Manchester you couldn't get out of the conurbation and be able to spend a meaningful amount of time on higher speed roads. Thankfully, Pass + came along and quite a few of my pupils took that.
Not only that, but in many cases it's the parents that pay for the lessons and they want it done as cheaply as possible. There is also the myth that states: "You only start to learn to drive once you've passed the test" which is of course the biggest pile of horse s**t you're likely to come across.
I used to love taking pupils out if it snowed, especially if that coincided with a weekend. It meant you could take them to a car park or industrial estate and let them feel what it's like when the car skids. Before ABS was standard on all cars it was a godsend to be able to teach cadence braking for real, and more recently to let pupils experience the ABS. A couple of years ago on here, someone asked if anyone had an idea what the vibrating noise was when they braked very hard on a wet road. I think it had frightened them so much they took their foot off the brake thinking it was faulty.
But, I could virtually guarantee that on the morning of a lesson after snow, the phone would ring and it would be a parent suggesting that their little angel shouldn't have a lesson that day because it might be dangerous and they thought it would be better if they waited until after they'd passed and had more experience. My reply was usually to ask them if they'd prefer if little angel didn't have to deal with a skid on their own and had not the faintest idea what to do.
When I used to work in the Stockport area it was fairly easy to get pupils up towards Buxton or Macclesfield and let them get some kind of idea about taking bends and driving at higher speeds, but when I worked in Manchester you couldn't get out of the conurbation and be able to spend a meaningful amount of time on higher speed roads. Thankfully, Pass + came along and quite a few of my pupils took that.
But surely, even with the snuggest of seatbelts, there will be a moment where the body is still moving forwards at speed? Nowadays, there is some adjustment in the top mounting to account for different heights of person - but I wonder just how many people have their adjusted correctly?
The full title of this one should probably be Fool for a father meets Asshat the milkman. A jolly gentleman who likes to travel on the motorway with an insecure load. Even if he had been 50 yards further back he wouldn't have stopped in to avoid the debris...
