Driving assessment

[Cartman]

As I had a bump in the van at work last year I got sent on a half day driving assessment course earlier this week. Basically I had to drive around with this assessor bloke, who was a driving instructor, for about two hours. It was a bit like a driving lesson, as far as I can remember, as my last driving lesson was in the summer of 77!

I got a report today, and one of the points he mentioned was using the gears to slow down, which I have always done. Apparently, the current method is to brake and our the clutch down, i.e. stop in say 4th gear.

To me, this seems odd. Anyone else do this, or do you drive like I do and go down through the gears

[Sparky]

Oct 21, 2021 18:46:36 GMT Cartman said:

As I had a bump in the van at work last year I got sent on a half day driving assessment course earlier this week. Basically I had to drive around with this assessor bloke, who was a driving instructor, for about two hours. It was a bit like a driving lesson, as far as I can remember, as my last driving lesson was in the summer of 77!

I got a report today, and one of the points he mentioned was using the gears to slow down, which I have always done. Apparently, the current method is to brake and our the clutch down, i.e. stop in say 4th gear.

To me, this seems odd. Anyone else do this, or do you drive like I do and go down through the gears

I was taught by my driving instructor to slow down using gears - that was over 25 years ago though.

So my report would also come back the same as yours.

So the new method is - Clutch down/Brake - and then come to a standstill, handbrake on, take car out of gear?

Just as a thought...

You aren't that bus driver who went to collect his mates PSV badge he'd left at his bit on the sides house, meanwhile the inspector rolls up unexpected, so you end up reversing into a bus shelter and therefore sent to the Transport Skidpan and Training centre?

Just happens I know of a chap that did happen to. It involved a red double decker bus on a suburban street somewhere in Borehamwood.

[Three Litre]

Can't remember what I was taught but go down through the gears where appropiate e.g. if I'm likely to get going again without actually stopping. A more rapid slow down I might not change down.

I always remember my driving instructor saying you should always hold the button in on the handbrake when pulling it up to not wear the ratchet out. Is that a big problem?

[Dirty Epic]

I'm down the gears too, seems illogical to be in say 4th then you suddenly slow to 10 or less and then have to go neutral then 1st from there? It was also how I was taught!

[Nightfly]

I was taught to go down the gears and still do. However, my former neighbour retrained as a driving instructor about 10 years and she was quite amazed when she was told that the way to do it these days was to brake whilst in 4th.

One thing I still do which has caused some comments from passengers is feeding/sliding the steering wheel when turning/cornering like we used to be taught in driving lessons, rather than crossing my hands (which was always a no-no on a test).  It has always seemed more natural to me, but I rarely see anyone else who isn't a learner do this.

[D.C. Burtonshaw]

Yes, I use engine breaking to slow the car down, as my dad always did and advised it was a good idea to do. But on my driving lessons over 30 years ago, the instructor back then, said to slow the car down by slowing it down in 4th, sufficiently so that the car was slow enough to go into 2nd, and without going into neutral first, move the lever from 4th to 2nd, then move on.

I told my dad this at the time, and he said his workmates son's were being told the same thing, when learning, but the other "dad's" also said they were surprised at that too, as they thought it would cause unnecessary wear to the gearbox.

I later mentioned that to my instructor at the time, who then basically said you don't need to do that now, car technology had more or less moved on. He also said a lot of his other pupils were going through the gears too, watching their parents. He encouraged me to use the "4 to 2" method though.

The same with the handbrake, I was also told to use the thumb button when applying the handbrake, to lessen wear on the ratchet. So I do actually do that still.

[Windy Miller]

At a guess, I'd say using the brakes to slow the car down rather than the engine / gears is best for cars fitted with regenerative braking, which will be the standard in cars of the near future, yes?

[Cartman]

Yes, crossing your hands when steering s something I used to get told off for when I was learning to drive, and the instructor insisted that you feed the wheel a bit at a time, which I stopped doing immediately I passed.

The assessor this week didn't comment on this at all, neither did he mention another of my habits, starting in second gear.

[Del Boy]

I learned in 93 passed in 94 and was taught to be in the right gear as per your speed slowing down. It still makes sense in a manual as you will have better traction and therefore control. Obviously if the situation changes and you need to accelerate you are ready for that too. Sometimes I think assessors get something down to justify their existence.

[Del Boy]

Oct 22, 2021 19:55:51 GMT Windy Miller said:

At a guess, I'd say using the brakes to slow the car down rather than the engine / gears is best for cars fitted with regenerative braking, which will be the standard in cars of the near future, yes?

Yes it will be the standard as will automatic gearboxes to accompany that technology.  The regen uses heat generated by braking and recycles it into electricity. This tech goes hand in hand with electric motors so I expect it to feature on those cars. The technology has been on trains for decades. For example a Central Line 92 stock uses its electric motors in reverse when the brakes are applied. Whilst slowing down electricity is regenerated and applied back to the current rails. The brakes blocks are only used to slow down from 10KPH as the revs are low at this point.  A car will send this energy back to the battery.