Wednesday 29 April 2009

Mirror, signal, manover


Mirror, signal, maneuver, MSM or the hazard routine is one of the best known term in driving.

Most people will have heard of it but they don't always know when to use it or really HOW to use it.

You use the hazard routine every time you see a potential hazard


A hazard is anything that could cause you to change speed or direction, so that is just about anything, junctions, parked cars, lights, bends, anything.


How to use it


Mirrors

Mirrors are always checked at least in pair, always starting with the drivers mirror (for more info on mirrors see later) and then the mirror in the direction you are heading in or where danger might be from


Examples of when a left mirror check is needed

Turning left, pulling in after parked cars, road bends sharply to the left, coming in after overtaking, pulling in to park.


Examples of when a right mirror check is needed.

Turning right, before speeding up or changing gear, before slowing down, pedestrian crossings, passing parked cars, overtaking, road bends sharply to the left.


It is also a good idea to check all mirrors before moving away at lights.


Signal

You only need to signal if it would benefit another road user (this includes pedestrians)

As you cannot see what is coming to junctions then you always need to signal for a junction.

For all other maneuvers think if it would benefit or confuse someone if you put on a signal


For example

If you are pulling out round parked cars and there is also a junction on the right a car may mistake a right signal to mean you are turning to the right when you only meant you were pulling out to pass the parked cars.


Maneuver

Whatever needs to be done to avoid the hazard should only be done after the first two steps, that way you know the positions of all the other traffic around you and they know what you are planning to do.

Monday 27 April 2009

Reference points (learner driver)


Reference points are a really useful tool to help you learn to drive.

All it is is finding something for you to see that helps you line the car up.
Looking at the foto on the left (ignoring me taking the foto in the mirror)
This is an example of a parking reference point.
I have parked the car on the side of the road.
Looking out the front windscreen you can see the kirb running down the left hand side of the road, then you cannot see it anymore, it dissapears behind the dashboard. Looking at the point where the kirb seems to cut into the dash it seems about in the middle, just to the left of the drivers wiper blade.
If I then drove to another location and attempted to park if I aimed the car so the kirb looked like it was cutting into the exact same place then I would be again parked at a nice distance from the kirb.
Reference points are also useful for reversing and doing manovers.
Your instructor should help you find the reference points that work for you - as everyone is different heights.

Reference points (instructors)



Reference points are a really useful tool to help your pupil learn to drive.


All it is is finding something for you to see that helps you line the car up.


Looking at the foto on the left (ignoring me taking the foto in the mirror)

This is an example of a parking reference point.

At the begining of your first lesson you will be driving your pupil to a suitable area. Make sure you are parked well and then you will be able to give them a good reference point.

Looking out the front windscreen you can see the kirb running down the left hand side of the road, then you cannot see it anymore, it dissapears behind the dashboard. Looking at the point where the kirb seems to cut into the dash it seems about in the middle, just to the left of the drivers wiper blade.

Then when your pupil is looking to park again if they aim to have the kirb in the same position as they saw it before then the car will be at the same distance from the kirb.


Reference points are also useful for reversing and doing manovers.
It is important that you let the pupil find their own reference points rather than tell them yours as everyone is a different height.



It is also important as an instructor to have reference points from the passinger seat too. This is really helpful in parking to help prevent kirbed tyres, it also means you can prompt the pupil when they are only slightly off position rather than wait till it is too late to correct.
It is really easy to find these reference points, just (when the car is in a safe position) change seats and see what everything looks like from that seat.
Or when you are out with your trainer take the time to really notice good reference points.

Saturday 25 April 2009

Positive driver training

As those of you know who follow my other blog as well as being a driving instructor and training instructors I also love training dogs.
I was having a think about how the two things are linked and I have seen a really good link

Dogs who find working with you rewarding want to work with you and learn things. If mistakes are made it is because YOU have not trained it as well as you should.
Either the dog does not understand what you want, or you have rushed them too fast into a situation they cannot cope with.

Same with pupils
In general the people in your car are there because they really want to learn to drive and they are paying you good money for the lessons
- of course there are a few who want to mess about, but even some of them might be doing it cos of nerves or bravado.
So if they are making a mistake you should be IAR'ing yourself as well as the pupil

Sure, sometimes people have bad days and things just go wrong - or they can forget something once - no big deal
But, have you pushed them too quickly into busy traffic?
Have you progressed to quickly from prompting to independent??

Far too often I hear of instructors who yell at pupils or worse still hit them
But in reality it is more likely the instructors fault.

For example I was speaking to a trainee who was telling me his pupil was often forgetting her mirrors before changing gear on busy roads.
They were both getting frustrated with the situation and feeling they were not making progress.
He was constantly pulling her up AFTER the event and saying something along the lines of
'Again you forgot to check your mirrors, why?, what could happen? what are we going to do next time?' So she had a whole lesson where she felt she was constantly doing things wrong

Now I know it sounds like and easy solution, prompt, prompt, prompt, before she is going to change gear 'what you checking?' then she wouldnt get it wrong and would start practasing the correct thing.
But
Digging deeper there was even more too it. She had only had 3 lessons and was not confident at all. All that scary traffic around she just didnt want to take her eyes off the road.

So the solution is 2 fold, get back to the quiet roads so she has a chance to build her confidence and practise the right things in comfort and prompt.

Remember practise makes perfect, so practise the wrong things - like forgetting a mirror and then you have a bad habit to reteach.

In summary
Mistakes are more often the instructors fault and not the pupils, try and figure out why.

Thursday 23 April 2009

motoskool quick tip: Driving instructors on their mobile phones

A driving instructor on a hand held mobile phone is breaking the law!
On a hands free phone - you are paying for their time, you should be getting their 100% attention!

Wednesday 22 April 2009

Crash courses


This is something I will come back to again, but it is something I feel is so important that I though I would make a quick mention of it right now.


People often ask me if I will do a crash course for them.

This means they start learning on the monday and sit their test on the friday.


The short answer I give to this is 'NO'


The longer answer

What is the point??


Everyone who has ever contacted me has not yet passed their theory test.


So they have to study for this test and sit it which depending on the area you are in will probaly take about a week - often more.

Then you have to book your test.

In Paisely and Glasgow the waiting lists are at least 6 weeks.


So roughly you have at least 2 months before you can really take your test.

Why sit about twiddling your fingers for 7 weeks only to then cram everything into 1 week.

That is very hard for you and it is very hard for your instructor (actually I just heard about a pupil on the monday of her intensive course was happy because she had been 'let off early' at 1pm, She had paid for the instructors time for the full day!!)


It is very tempting to rush into learning, but this is a skill for life.

You are building up the same types of pathways in your head as you did when you learnt to walk.

Your mind needs time to rest and process the information between lessons.


If you have an urgent need to pass your test quickly then 2 or 3 2 hour lessons a week over the course of a couple of months will give you the best chance.

Before you can learn to drive

Thankyou all for checking in and your messages of encoragement.
I am planning adding some comprehensive advice on driving including some step by step examples of how to do the manovers so please keep on dropping in.

The first step for learner drivers

Before you can learn to drive

You must

  1. Be 17 years old or over (check differnet regulations if you have a disability)
  2. Have a provisional driving licence (you can apply for this up to 3 months before you turn 17)
  3. Have good eyesight (If you need glasses WEAR them and if in doubt get your eyes checked)

Your instructor should check these things when you first get in the car, but remember

YOU are legaly responsible the second you sit behind the wheel of the car so make sure you are LEGALY entitled to drive.