Clubjazz - Honda Jazz & HR-V Forums
Other Hondas & General Topics => Off Topic (Non-Honda) => Topic started by: Jocko on May 21, 2018, 02:10:49 PM
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As I am galloping towards my 70th birthday, I have my new 3 year licence in my wallet, I have had my eyes retested and passed as okay to drive (with my prescription lenses), so I have now arranged a 2 hour driving assessment with a local driving school.
My assessment will take place on Friday morning, it will include town, rural and motorway driving, and will be conducted in my own car. I am looking forward to it, but not without a little trepidation. I have been re-reading the Highway Code just in case I get any sneaky questions.
I'll let you know how I get on! :o
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Good luck.
I believe you can do the same with IAM.
Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk
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Good luck mate, have just had to do a theory test at work to keep driving their vehicles, got 92%, found a lot of the questions a bit vague but got there in the end. Last time I looked at highway code was about 20 years ago for bike test, latest version now seems to be full of stuff about emissions and fuel economy.
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I had to do my Theory Test for my PCV licence, in 2006. Managed 100%, but that was after serious study, because it was all full of Tacho and driving hour questions, specific to trucks and buses. Found the basic Highway code questions difficult to get wrong, as they have not changed much since I started driving, 53 years ago.
Hazard awareness test was another thing entirely, until I started to use video game strategy on it.
I am currently doing mock theory tests, but finding them slightly more difficult now. probably more an age thing.
And what is it with braking distances. When I started driving metres hadn't been invented!
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The Driving Theory Test also has First Aid questions in it now.
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Look forward to your feedback Jocko. Like you I am closing on 70 (October) and I have thought of doing a similar thing myself. IAM and ROSPA do them but it looks like yours will be more extensive - think the IAM and ROSPA ones are about an hour.
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The problem with IAM and ROSPA, for me, is I would have to go to them (probably Edinburgh). The driving school meets me at my garage. ROSPA is an hour for £55. Going with the driving school I get 2 hours for £40, with my own car (£52 if I use the school car).
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Hi Jocko
Do you find the Hazard Perception Test a little strange. When I looked at them I did see the tractor pull out in front of me :) which was correct but I'm not supposed to see the mud on road, blind side turning, horse etc. I saw about 5 hazards before the one I was supposed to report on. It's like stating the obvious as a hazard when after a lot of experience you see things on the road which potentially can be a hazard. I think I would find it hard because it misses so much. I have been an HGV driving assessor, an HGV Driving Instructor as well as a car driver and motorcycle rider.
The old question I used to ask "wet leaves and ice on the road, which will cause the accident?". :)
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Like you, I saw many more hazards than the ones a learner was expected to see. I also spotted the "real" hazards sooner than a learner would, and as a result would press the button too soon. I had to "train myself" to do the test like a learner.
Once you learn that the motorway scenario is about vehicles joining or changing lanes unexpectedly, the country scenario, tractors, horses round bends, water on road, town scenario, cars pulling out, pedestrians running across the road, vehicles overtaking as they approach you, you can disregard the "subtle" hazards an experienced driver spots.
Our PCV instructor told us how the four instructors all took the test when it was first introduced (tests are done from the bus depot, not from a testing centre) and all four failed the hazard perception test!
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Like you, I saw many more hazards than the ones a learner was expected to see. I also spotted the "real" hazards sooner than a learner would, and as a result would press the button too soon. I had to "train myself" to do the test like a learner.
Once you learn that the motorway scenario is about vehicles joining or changing lanes unexpectedly, the country scenario, tractors, horses round bends, water on road, town scenario, cars pulling out, pedestrians running across the road, vehicles overtaking as they approach you, you can disregard the "subtle" hazards an experienced driver spots.
Our PCV instructor told us how the four instructors all took the test when it was first introduced (tests are done from the bus depot, not from a testing centre) and all four failed the hazard perception test!
I used to work with an experienced car driver who wanted to get a motorbike / scooter. He was doing the online practice hazard perception tests and kept failing because he was spotting too many, he also had to train himself to only spot the ' obvious' ones, tests seem to be of limited use :o I can understand failing if you don't spot enough hazards - but not because you spot more subtle ones, unless it is to weed out the people who randomly press the button / mouse in the hope of getting a good score.
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unless it is to weed out the people who randomly press the button / mouse in the hope of getting a good score.
That is part of the problem. They only have a window during which you can click and be scored, but if you random click too often, you fail. I found the best way was to click when you saw the hazard, then again when it was blatantly obvious. That way you got a score, but didn't over click.
The test is not idea, but it is better than no hazard perception test at all.
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The old question I used to ask "wet leaves and ice on the road, which will cause the accident?". :)
Speed. The answer is always speed.
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I had my driving assessment this morning. We covered 74 miles which were composed of motorway, rural and town driving. I was driving for 2 hours exactly, and the price was £40. My assessor, an ADI with a local driving school, is also an assessor for IAM Road Smart. It was the IAM system he used to mark me. I am pleased to say I was marked Grade 1 in every category (Excellent) and as a result, Excellent overall. I am highly delighted. He said that as a passenger, it was a relaxing enjoyable drive. We had lovely weather, even if the roads were busy (Bank holiday this weekend).
The only advice he gave me was not to do huge long journeys. At 70 years of age, long drives can be exceptionally tiring, but he reckoned I have many years of driving ahead of me.
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Congratulations!!
The advice on long drives is probably sound. I like frequent breaks. My bladder ensures that these are taken ;)
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Got round to scanning my certificate.
(https://i.imgur.com/xYYDIBK.jpg)
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Get it framed!
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Get it framed!
+1
Congratulations, Jocko!
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Congratulations!!
The advice on long drives is probably sound. I like frequent breaks. My bladder ensures that these are taken ;)
Same here. My target is no more than two hours between stops. I'm a National Trust member so longer journeys are planned around a map of NT places. As a member it costs nothing to only stay long enough for some fresh air and relief.
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Congratulations!!
The advice on long drives is probably sound. I like frequent breaks. My bladder ensures that these are taken ;)
Same here. My target is no more than two hours between stops. I'm a National Trust member so longer journeys are planned around a map of NT places. As a member it costs nothing to only stay long enough for some fresh air and relief.
Same here and a much better alternative to many motorway service areas.
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It is never a good idea to drive with a full bladder. The damage that this can cause, in a serious accident, is well recorded. It causes a "hydraulic lock", and can rupture the bladder. And even in the unlikely event of that happening, can you imagine the embarrassment, on top of the other trauma, of wetting yourself while waiting to be cut out of your vehicle? Much better just to stop regularly. When my kids were small I could plot a route anywhere round Scotland, just by toilets my daughter would use!
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Good posting and result for yourself
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The old question I used to ask "wet leaves and ice on the road, which will cause the accident?". :)
When I was an apprentice, I was working on a lathe and did the usual mistake of winding the cross head twice as much as I needed (radius instead of diameter). I went to find the instructor and told him “The lathe has taken off too much metal”. We went back to the lathe and stood side by side for about half a minute during which time nothing was said. Eventually I said to him “what’s wrong?”. He replied “Nothing, I’m just waiting for it to happen again so that I can give it a good telling off”.
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Well done Jocko, it certainly worth framing being a definite achievement. Next step is to 'inform' your Insurers or future ones, the hard hearted number crunchers might give you a discount to offset the future increases for age .
As to stopping frequently, whilst a long time ago, on the police driving course we were not allowed to drive for more than an hour at a time as it was felt that an hour of highly stressed and concentrated driving was plenty enough. Also stops for tea and pee were programmed into the days 'drive', with a lunch break where a cooked meal was provided. At the end of a days driving early on in the course, you felt utterly exhausted so when I see Jeezer, Hamster and Capt Slow drive for hideous hours and mileage I do feel concerned especially as they are certainly not hanging about.
They might feel they are good drivers BUT tiredness is a killer.
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Congratulations!!
The advice on long drives is probably sound. I like frequent breaks. My bladder ensures that these are taken ;)
Same here. My target is no more than two hours between stops. I'm a National Trust member so longer journeys are planned around a map of NT places. As a member it costs nothing to only stay long enough for some fresh air and relief.
Same here and a much better alternative to many motorway service areas.
+1
Been a member since Adam was a small boy, both here and overseas (many former and existing commonwealth countries have affiliated trusts and cards from one can normally be used at properties in other countries). At least you know any money spent is going to a good cause and NT properties are well worth a visit.
PS I think we are wandering of topic again - but who cares, enjoy the journey :) ( I think the Jazz is the official NT members car as well - considering how many I see at properties :o )
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PS I think we are wandering of topic again
Just as well my assessment was for driving and not cognitive thought. I can happily wander from one narrative to another and sometimes even back again. I think it's an age thing!
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It is never a good idea to drive with a full bladder. The damage that this can cause, in a serious accident, is well recorded. It causes a "hydraulic lock", and can rupture the bladder. And even in the unlikely event of that happening, can you imagine the embarrassment, on top of the other trauma, of wetting yourself while waiting to be cut out of your vehicle? Much better just to stop regularly. When my kids were small I could plot a route anywhere round Scotland, just by toilets my daughter would use!
Wondering even more off topic this post puts me in mind of when I was having treatment for my dodgy prostate. Chatting with fellow sufferers as you do at the hospital one chap told me about an incident where he was stuck on the M56. As the pressure built up, he became more and more desperate and managed to leave at the next junction where he encountered a hotel (in Daresbury near Warrington if anybody knows it). He screeched into the car park, leapt out of his car and barged his way through a high powered business meeting knocking a few drinks over in the process. After that he always carried a bottle! Smoothie bottle very good - nice wide neck 8)
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Well done Jocko. :D
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Indeed, well done Jocko.
A good result, and nice comments from the tester, I'm not sure I would have managed a perfect score like that. I just don't get the same enjoyment from driving that I used to, and consequently concentration wanders and errors creep in. If I am on my own, I also drive too far in one go, especially if I want to get home.