Zebra Crossing

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How to recognise a Zebra Crossing
Black and White striped road markings – flashing amber light on either side of the road. Also as zip zag lines before it. You will also see these zig zag lines on approach to other crossings as well.

How to approach a Zebra Crossing.
On approach to a zebra crossing the flashing amber lights are very noticeable. At this point you must check all mirrors and when you have accessed the following traffic adjust your speed safely for the crossing. Be on the look out for pedestrians that may be making their way towards the zebra crossing to cross. You may not need to stop. Predict what may happen when you reach the crossing. If somebody is about to cross stop your car at least a couple of meters before the first line you come to. This is a broken white line going across the road.

Why give so much room when stopping?
It can be very intimidating when a vehicle has stopped very closely to where you are about to cross.

Do I need to use the handbrake while waiting for someone to cross and if so why?
Yes always use the handbrake while waiting. The reason for this is if you were shunted by the following vehicle your feet would leave the pedals causing you to roll forward injuring somebody.

Can I wave to somebody to cross at the crossing?
No, never wave to pedestrians or other traffic. Why? Because if you were to wave, the oncoming traffic may read your signal to be for them, this would cause great mix up and create a dangerous situation. However you may try to make eye contact with the person about to cross. They are then in no doubt that you have seen them and are stopping to let them cross.

Can I drive on once the pedestrian has crossed passed my vehicle?
No, you must wait until the person has completed the crossing and has both feet on the footpath. Why? The person without thinking may change their mind and go back to the side where they started.

What should I do before proceeding to drive on?
Check mirrors – as to the whereabouts of following traffic. Side mirrors for cyclists and pedestrians. Check that everybody has completed their crossing. Release handbrake and proceed if safe to do so with caution.

Pedestrians

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This BlogSpot is only a brief outline on the topic of Pedestrians. The most important thing to remember is to use defensive driving (expecting the un-expected) at all times.

Eg.
What is that pedestrian going to do? Are they going to step off the path? Will they stay on the path? Will that child fall at the edge of the path? What to do, what to do.
When it comes to other road users there will be lots of different scenarios which may happen.

When approaching nearby pedestrians, slow down to a speed that will allow you to stop your vehicle quickly and safely. This may seem like the logical thing to do, but I’ve found that more often than not drivers don’t adjust their speed in time. Follow the usual routine with mirrors. When you are about to press your footbrake, glance in your rear view mirror to assess what’s happening behind you, Glance in your right and left wing (side) mirrors to check for cyclists coming up on your sides or pedestrians at path edge. This sounds like a lot of checks to do before dealing with the pedestrians up ahead but these can be done at a glance.

Now that you’ve checked your mirrors and adjusted your speed to suit the situation, you need to focus on what the pedestrian is going to do.

NEVER stop to let a pedestrian step off the footpath unless it is a place set for pedestrians to cross, for example, zebra crossings, pedestrian crossings etc.  Why? Because, you are putting them into a potentially dangerous situation, remember the oncoming vehicle may not have seen you stop for the pedestrian and may not even be aware of what’s happening on your side. And so, may hit the pedestrian with their vehicle.

However if the scenario is different and the pedestrian steps off the path and goes to cross in front of you, then of course you must stop and allow them to cross. In this case the pedestrian has put themselves in potential danger.

There is only one type of situation where you may stop to let a pedestrian cross the road in front of you, and this is in a one way street where you are the only vehicle to take into consideration what is happening. Although, you must do checks before you stop for the pedestrian. You must check that the following vehicle has sufficient time to react when you are stopping. Also do the usual observation around your vehicle. So, even in this situation there are dangers which can occur.

There is one other thing to remember, don’t ever beckon the pedestrian, you must let the decision to cross be theirs.

I would recommend at all times leaving the pedestrian on the path where they are safe, and let them judge for themselves when it seems safe to cross.

Corner Reverse - Left, Right, Left?

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Q. Which way do I turn the wheel when doing my corner reverse?
A. Always turn the wheel the same direction as you would going forward.

If you want the vehicle to reverse to the left, turn the wheel to the left, as you would if you were moving forward. Apply the same rule going back to the right.
If you want the vehicle to go back to the right,
There are only three directions for steering needed when doing a corner reverse. Left, Right, Left. When you perfect the manoeuvre, you will only need two steering directions turns. Left then Right. The left hand corner reverse is one of the manoeuvres required for a test.

On approach to the corner that you intend to reverse around at a later stage. Have a look into the road to make sure there are no obstacles and how the corner curves.

·    Park to start your reverse (At least 5m from the corner) and drive straight back        looking around all the time.

·    Turn left when you see the curve of the corner disappears from your rear window and appears in the back passenger window.

·    Just before turning look back to your right down road from where you came.

·    After you have turned the corner keep going back and towards the left until you see the straight kerb at the center point of your rear window.  This is when you turn to the right (which will stop the car going further to the left and it will bring the front of the car in neatly and parallel to the kerb).

·   Then straighten your wheels by turning back to the left to allow the car to drive straight  back to where you will park finishing the manoeuvre. (At least 5m from the corner)

The temptation is there to turn too much; this is called over-steering. Don’t give yourself unnecessary work. Turn gradually and smoothly, see where the car is going before turning more. If the car is turning as you want it to, then leave it be, don’t turn the steering wheel more.

I hope this helps to take the confusion out of which way to turn the wheel. Feedback from my pupils is where I get my tips and this is what I have found helps it click with pupils. It’s what I call an AH! Moment as in AH, I get it now.

EDT - Essential Driver Training programme

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What does the (EDT) stand for?
Essential Driver Training

What is it?
EDT is covers the 12 Accident high risk situations for example

LESSON 1: CAR CONTROLS AND SAFETY CHECKS
LESSON 2: CORRECT POSITIONING
LESSON 3: CHANGING DIRECTION
LESSON 4: PROGRESSION MANAGEMENT
LESSON 5: CORRECT POSITIONING in more complex situations
LESSON 6: ANTICIPATION AND REACTION
LESSON 7: SHARING THE ROAD
LESSON 8: DRIVING SAFELY THROUGH TRAFFIC
LESSON 9: CHANGING DIRECTION in more complex situations
LESSON 10: SPEED MANAGEMENT
LESSON 11: DRIVING CALMLY
LESSON 12: NIGHT DRIVING

Lessons 1 - 8 must be taken first and must be taken in order. Lessons 9 – 12 may be taken in any order after lesson 8 has been completed.
Any person getting their first learner permit with a start date on or after 4th April 2011 must complete a minimum 12 hours of Essential Driver Training, with an RSA registered Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) before they can sit their driving test. The 12 EDT lessons will be spread over a six month period and must be supported by practice and tuition as required.

Will I only need 12 lessons?
The 12 lessons on their own will not be sufficient to become a safe driver as the 12 lessons only cover high risk areas of driving and do not cover the entire Learner driver syllabus.  Applying the feedback of your instructor, getting lots of practice and studying the recommended reading is all vital.

In addition to the mandatory lessons with an ADI the learner driver should also undertake ongoing practice with their Sponsor. This practice is a vital part of the learning process, and the role of the Sponsor is an essential part of the learning to drive process. Their role is to accompany and support the learner driver as they practise and build on the skills they have learned in their lessons with the ADI. The RSA recommends that the learner driver practises the skills learned in each compulsory EDT lesson with their Sponsor for at least three hours before their next lesson.

The insurance industry will be announcing special offers and discounts for learner drivers taking EDT lessons.

Who can be a Sponsor?
Your Sponsor can be a family member, relative or close friend. Or indeed your ADI can be your Sponsor. The best Sponsor would be someone who has a vested interest in your progress. Therefore it is essential that the learner driver chooses a person with whom they feel comfortable and who has had a full clean driver’s licence for a minimum of two years and has lots of driving experience.

What is the role of a Sponsor?
A Sponsor supervises the learner driver’s driving practice between lessons. The Sponsor must be able to give a learner driver time and commitment to help them learn to drive. They must stay calm and patient under pressure and demonstrate good driving behaviour themselves.

On a final note a Logbook will be given to the pupil when they arrive for their first lesson. There is a fee for this and prices may vary with different ADI's.

Progress - To Go OR Not To Go

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Progress is a category in the driving test. It covers nine different areas; moving off, on the straight, overtaking, at cross junctions, at roundabouts, turning right, turning left, changing lanes and at traffic lights.

The reason behind this being part of your test I agree with, but the way people perceive it to be, I don’t agree with. I have found that people, who come to me after having done a driving test before, take unnecessary risks at junctions and roundabouts. When I ask, was that the safest time to move out? I hear over and over again, I got marked in my last test for progress.

Believe me there is not a single tester in the world who wants you to kill yourself on the road. Their job is to ascertain that you are a safe and competent driver making good on the spot judgements which keep both you and other road users safe.
You will only be marked for progress if you have not taken a safe opportunity to join the other traffic. Again, testers do not want you to take unnecessary risks.

So, here is a tip I hope you all find useful when you come to a junction or roundabout ....
Q. How do I judge a safe gap to join other traffic?

A. If the vehicle already on the road you are joining, has to break to make room for you - Don’t Dare

If you can join the other traffic without forcing them to slow down for you, - Don’t Dawdle (but do remember to allow for the fact that you will be slower moving off than the other traffic already in motion).

Hazards - Yikes!!

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The upside to the reason we drive, is to reach our destination in a faster time, and at a time that suits us. This allows us to make longer journeys than in the days of horses and carts. This, by the way was long before my time. We also have the comfort of suspension Air conditioning and everything to make our travelling enjoyable.
However it has its down side. Every time we get into our vehicles, we are putting ourselves in the path of potential danger through our own misjudgment.

You often hear people say, “The car/truck/he/she just came out in front of me. I hadn't time to do anything.” It is not possible, for traffic, pedestrians or cyclists to just come out in front of you, if you have been observing and had been scanning the road ahead correctly for what may happen.

Even if we have not been the cause of the initial misjudgment, we should have been alert to what the person might or might not do and been prepared for either. . Talk yourself through every situation out loud, like a running commentary on what's happening and what you're how you are going to deal with the situation.  I do this with many of my students as it is good practice which forms a good habit in training our mind to behave in a certain way when driving. A safe way, I call it the “what if”.

An example of this unusual technique is, on approach to a sharp bend in the road, you would say. “Around this bend there may be a traffic queue, a pedestrian about to cross, something parked on the bend or an approaching vehicle may take the bend wide.” Solution: Take care. This does not mean driving at snail’s pace, but at a speed that you could can stop safely.

Hazards will only become dangerous through our own misjudgment. I include myself in this. Just because we are driving instructors does not make us infallible and calling it wrong at times. . We all have moments where our concentration lapses and are caught off guard.

One hazard that I constantly see is when a car is parallel parking and the following vehicle doesn't heed the indicator. When they finally notice what is happening, they don’t look to see if the person parking can make it in one manoeuvre or not. So they keep creeping forward, leaving the person parking no option but to stop what they are doing, and they find themselves in a situation where they can neither reverse or go forward.

It soon becomes a traffic jam with everyone involved becoming angry as they in turn had also moved forward. This leaves a situation where nobody can move until somebody at the back reverses. This situation It could have been avoided with the “the “What If” technique. Eg. What if the person can’t make it in one manoeuvre. I’ll give them enough space to negotiate into their position.

Have fun with it make it habit, start as a passenger. Look to see what is happening and what might. but always keep alert and aware.

Gears

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There is a very good reason why I am Blogging about Gears. Many people have come to me with different gear habits, a lot of which are incorrect. I’m including questions that pop up regularly when people come to me first.

Below are things that can be done but, gears are there for a reason as each gear has an appropriate speed, use the gears correctly. Change down at appropriate speeds. It takes practice to achieve this skill. I have seen many arguments between drivers and the gear leavers.  And heard sounds of grinding and crunching of the gear box.  Gear changing when done correctly should be smooth and seamless as opposed to jerking and revving.

Q. Can I stop in fourth gear
A. No. This practice should only be done if you happen to be in fourth gear and need to do an emergency stop. All rules regarding mirrors and gears must be ignored when stopping in an emergency.

Q. Can I block change (skip gears) going from 4th to 2nd?
A. Yes, it is perfectly safe to change from 4th to 2nd gear. However, appropriate braking must be done before changing to 2nd gear. When done correctly, you should not be able to tell you have changed gear.

Why does the car jerk when I'm changing down gear?
This will happen when your vehicle is moving too fast for the gear you are changing down to.  To correct this you must brake more before changing down.  Many people go straight to the clutch when changing down gear which is incorrect.  You must take the speed out of the car first bringing it to the correct speed for the gear you are going to select and only then do you go for the clutch and select the lower gear.

Why does the car jerk when I'm changing up in gear?
This will happen when your foot goes on the accelerator too heavily.  Remember you only want to touch the accelerator to hold the speed you have built up before you changed up the gear.

Q. Can I block change from other gears?
A.  You can go from 3rd to 1st and this, is actually easier to show someone rather than to explain in text form.  This is a good way of getting out of the habit of coasting also. Remember there is only one way to do this correctly – it should only be done just before bringing your vehicle to a halt.  As you near the point where you have to stop and are in 3rd gear just start braking and as you reach your stop press down on the clutch and go to 1st but keep your foot down on the clutch as you continue to brake.  However, it is best practice use your gears and to go to 2nd gear when you have the time and distance to do so.  (As I covered in my Blog on Coasting, there is no such thing as coasting in 1st gear or reverse as the speed of 1st and reverse although slow can be too fast when manoeuvring around tight space)

Key Words to gear changing: Smooth and Seamless