Advanced Driving UK

Supercars clamped outside Harrods

martine — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:15:59 +0100

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-10810772

I think the owners would treat it as convenient parking and happily pay the release fee.

(disgusting colour by the way...I guess having money doesn't mean you have taste)

Wassat?

martine — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:06:31 +0100

Anyone know what this is on a main road in Bristol...I don't think it's a speed camera as it's not yellow...

Speed cameras Oxfordshire

Custom24 — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:02:18 +0100

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-10762590

This article makes for interesting reading. I've posted a comment on the article about the over-representation of Brake in BBC articles. Hopefully they will publish it.

Straight-lining bends

jonw — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 11:17:25 +0100

I've read a bit about this on a previous post, but wondered if someone could clarify exactly what is meant by the phrase.

Are we referring to straigtening out a bend (or sequence of bends) by using the full width of our side of the road, or are we talking about crossing the centre line of the road if it's safe to do so in order to straigten out a bend even further?

In either case, what is the consensus of opinion on this topic? I suspect the DSA would tell you to retain your "normal" driving position of approximately 1 metre away from the side of the road, but do the IAM/Rospa advocate anything different?

Use of Motorway Hard Shoulder

lyndon — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 18:12:49 +0100

I suffer from angina, and the DVLA requires that if I have an attack while driving, I stop until the attack subsides. If I am on a motorway, would I legally be able to stop on the hard shoulder? Does that constitute an emergency?

Weight transfer mid-S bend

Horse — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:31:24 +0100

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&sourc ... 04742&z=18

I travel through this 'S' bend most days, and feel uncomfortable with the sideways weight transfer during (or, I suppose, as a result of the switch from 'left' bend to right.

On many if not most 'S' bends there is a moment or three when the vehicle is travelling straight, allowing the 'outwards' pull (I'm deliberately avoiding centrifugal/centripetal type words ) to come back in line with travel.

But here - and it's narrower (do a 180 U turn on-screen and check how much of the lane width the following car takes up) and tighter than it looks - the left-right switch has no 'straight' in between, and as a result 'outwards' swaps sides after turning right.

It feels uncomfortable (to me), and I don't like it. The only option I can think of is to go slower - and I'm not exactly hurtling through them now!

Instead, what I tend to do is turn everso slightly earlier, then allow the force 'changing sides' to pull the car slightly left, back towards the left verge.

Any other suggestions/comments? [Other than 'get used to it', 'go even slower' and 'find another route' ]

As a matter of interest, coming the other way there's a lovely set of 'observation links':

Note roof or two just visible in the trees (remember the camera is well up on top of the Google car)

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&sourc ... 01186&z=20

Hidden, now, in the undergrowth . . .

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&sourc ... 01186&z=20

Entrance just around the blind left bend . . .

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&sourc ... 01186&z=20

new RoSPA/ RoADAR scheme for Northern Ireland

LEARN2RIDE — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 20:38:34 +0100

For anyone in Northern Ireland: with the lack of RoSPA observers in Northern ireland, I have volunteered as a RoSPA observer and there will be a new group set up this year. If you know of anyone who can volunteer their time and efforts either car or bike, please tell them to get in touch with RoSPA.

thanks

POLICE ACCIDENTS

superskib — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 18:55:45 +0100

In yesterday's Guardian, in Simon Jenkins piece, it was stated that last year more people were killed by speeding police cars than were killed by gunshots. Isn't about time the police put their house in order?
Then there are the 1000 civilians killed in police custody in the past 30 years.
Not to mention those killed and assaulted at demos and the like.
what on earth is going on?

IAM Membership Fee revisited

crr003 — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:57:01 +0100

Back in July 2009 there was a thread:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1952

I thought the fee had increased to £28 for DD payment. That's what I paid last year.

This year it's gone up to £28.50

When did that happen?

Bristol Driving Day - Sat 21st August 2010

MrToad — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 15:49:07 +0100

We're running another AD-UK driving day, this time based near Bristol on Saturday the 21st of August.

We'll meet for a 9.30 start, where you'll be paired with another driver for the morning session. You'll then take it in turns to drive for around an hour each, hopefully discussing matters arising and exchanging ideas as you go. Following a pub lunch you'll be paired with someone else and you drive again, finishing back at base for a cup of tea before heading home.

These days are relaxed and fun - there's no pressure to drive quickly or do anything outside your comfort zone.

Everyone is welcome regardless of previous experience - all you need is your own car and a willingness to discuss driving technique. It's not an open public event though, so to book a place you'll need to join AD-UK and add your name to the thread in the members-only section here: viewtopic.php?f=13&t=3020

Joining AD-UK is simple and free - simply follow the instructions here: http://www.advanced-driving.co.uk/join/

AD-UK members span the range of driving experience from learners to retired Police instructors and include members of RoSPA, the IAM and HPC, so there's always someone you can learn from, and usually someone you can help too. Hope to see you there!

IAM website down

ROG — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 07:07:22 +0100

I see that the IAM website has crashed this morning - http://www.iam.org.uk

jtablesession::Store Failed
DB function failed with error number 145
Table './iam/jos_session' is marked as crashed and should be repaired SQL=INSERT INTO `jos_session` ( `session_id`,`time`,`username`,`gid`,`guest`,`client_id` ) VALUES ( '02mfncr3tn93277gvre7behus4','1279260404','','0','1','0' )

RoSPA Diploma Retest

MadMik — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:12:29 +0100

It's that time, it really doesn't seem like 3 years since we sat in a tent (yes a tent) in Hull and did our diploma.

But here it is Dipolma re-test time. This will be the first one so i am looking for some ideas from all of you who have done this before of what i can expect

Thanks MadMik

Does your group have involvement with your local Police?

JPJPJP — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:25:44 +0100

Any IAM or ROADA groups.... Do you have any engagement at all with your local traffic / road policing officers?

If so, what sort of input do they provide?

cheers

West of England Transport plan consultation

jont — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 07:52:55 +0100

There's a consultation just been put out for the West of England transport plan for the next 15 years:
http://www.travelplus.org.uk/our-vision ... rt-matters
There's a quick strawman survey if you can be bothered, although it's pretty clearly worded such that they know what they're going to do and the survey has been set up to lead the results However there's a section for free text which I'm sure they'll chose to ignore, but I guess the more of us that complete them, the more possible weight our views might get. Is that enough cynicism for Monday morning?
(I'd still like to know why they feel they've got money to spare on these things rather than fixing all the potholes).

Advice on driving a diesel Mondeo

mawallace — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 23:21:17 +0100

I am having to drive a diesel Mondeo.

I have not driven a diesel engined car before - any advice on how I should change my driving style for a such a car - I am used to a petrol engined car?

If it is any help, the engine is rated as follows:-

Max power - 1-3Kw at 3750 rpm and

Max torque - 32- Nm at 1750 -2750 rpm

not that I understand what they mean and how they relate!!

IAM ad in Silvestone programme

martine — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 21:44:18 +0100

Hurray! The IAM have placed an ad in this weekend's F1 programme at Silverstone.

It's all 'prettied-up' but the text says...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I AM a winner...
Winners like Button and Hamilton know the importance of complete vehicle control. The IAM ‘Skill for Life’ programme will help improve your technique, increase your ability, control and skill to help improve your safety on the road. A winning formula for your road safety.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There was also a similar ad in recent moto-gp apparently.

Do you reckon it will work?

Hard AD

martine — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 19:49:50 +0100

I visited some friends (yes I do have some) yesterday in Witney...nice roads from home in Bristol via Tetbury, Cirencester, Barnsley, Bibury, Burford - and I was trying my hardest for a safe, progressive drive.

It's about 60 miles each way and I thoroughly enjoyed the drive but out of the maybe, dozen overtakes, I was only really happy with 2. Out of the few dozen roundabouts and zillions of bends I was only happy with a few.

Why is advanced driving so hard?

RTC fatalities and First Aid

crr003 — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 16:28:23 +0100

I recently sent off for a free handy St John Ambulance first aid guide.

In the letter that came with it, it said ".....our belief that no one should die because they needed first aid and didn't get it. But sadly, 150,000 lives are lost in this way every year."

DfT website states deaths from RTCs in 2008 were 2,538.

So, am I applying some kind of Pythonesque logic here, or shouldn't someone be focussing somewhere else for the "big/easy win"?

33% cuts to Department for Transport budget

jamei — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 09:08:46 +0100

What do you think is at risk. Potholes? HATOs? New roads? New road signs?

How about the Home Office? Are dedicated (in as much as they are nowdays) Trafpol at risk? Will we see the end of police driving BMWs?

No more VOSA inspections? More roadworks (due to less preventative maintenance)? More road deaths due to less enforecement?

Where will it end?

Cornering - balancing

Custom24 — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 01:00:57 +0100

This question relates to road driving.

My conventional understanding of cornering was that the optimum balance is achieved in the corner when the car is at a steady state, neither accelerating nor decelerating.

I took this to mean that the speedometer should be reading a constant value in main part of the corner, for which you need a little gas. The speed of choice is not related to balance, but rather to available grip and vision.

However, many excellent drivers I have driven with are exhorting me to use more gas while cornering. How can this possibly be helping things? What should I be looking to feel/hear/sense when I get it "right"? Am I seeking to get neutral steer and not understeer? Again, how can I feel when this is happening?

I have this, possibly delusional, idea in my mind that the ideal corner, as well as being neutral steer and safe, is one beautifully smooth event from start to finish, with no sudden changes in inputs and no sudden changes in g force. Is that a delusion?

Sorry for the vague questions, and remember that I'm not mathematically inclined, so layman's explanations would be appreciated.