ADUK Archive

Not been posting on here much as I've been beavering away revising for my first RoSPA exam which I had this afternoon. Went really well (except the 3-point turn which I ballsed up! ) and I came out with a very high silver

Apparently had the 3-pointer gone well, it would have been a gold *sigh*

Still, some excellent pointers and tips taken on board from the exam and looking forward to reading the report when it comes through

Normal service will be resumed shortly

Chris

Well done that man. Join me in the corner of "going to get a gold next time".

Well done.

High-Ho Silver Away! Well done SC.

I did not have to do a 3 point turn either!


Right, who's next???

Do ROSPA examiners have the same attitude as IAM ones...as in: they can ask you to do any or all of the 3 standard manoevering tests but some do 1, some do 2, some all 3 and some none? I didn't do any on my standard IAM test and the examiner explained that he was happy I knew the dimensions of the car by the way I had driven.

Personally I find the manoevering with associates almost embarasing...advanced driving to me is not about doing a perfect parallel park but all about safe progress, improved obs, better use of gears etc.

Well done Chris!

Martin - I don't follow why you'd find manoeuvring with your associates 'embarrassing' - the easiest way round it is when you return to 'base', just ask them to reverse park into a difficult spot

Hugh, when he does the occasional RoSPA testing doesn't specifically ask someone to perform manoeuvres as part of the test, but he's known for being a far more, how shall we say..."flexible" examiner

I haven't have to demonstrate any manoeuvres on RoSPA test but on IAM test, I had to reverse round a tight corner and parallel park. It lost me a point because I was being precious about the alloys and over-compensated for the difference in tracking between front and rear in the Caterham and was about ten inches from the curb... doh!

Susie

Susie wrote:Martin - I don't follow why you'd find manoeuvring with your associates 'embarrassing' - the easiest way round it is when you return to 'base', just ask them to reverse park into a difficult spot

Yes good idea except reverse park isn't one of the specified manoevers (parallel park, '3' point turn, reverse into side road).

Susie wrote:I haven't have to demonstrate any manoeuvres on RoSPA test but on IAM test, I had to reverse round a tight corner and parallel park. It lost me a point because I was being precious about the alloys and over-compensated for the difference in tracking between front and rear in the Caterham and was about ten inches from the curb... doh!
Susie

Don't blame you for being cautious - your alloys are more important than being 6" or whatever from the kerb...and that's my point really I just don't think it's important in the scale of things. I'd much rather see an associate develop fantastic obs skills, clutch control, lane positioning etc.

I didn't do any manoeuvres either but at the end of the test I did reverse park back into a bay which he didn't ask me to do. I guess he thought that as I teach them all I should know them!

martine wrote:...Yes good idea except reverse park isn't one of the specified manoevers (parallel park, '3' point turn, reverse into side road).

?? I did "reverse park" if that's the same as bay park on IAM, and turn in the road using forward and reverse gears.

On RoADA I only did reverse round corner.

Thanks for all the replies. I believe the test info on the RoSPA website suggests that associates will be asked to perform at least one of the 3 manouevres Martin outlined and I foolishly only practiced reversing round a corner and reversing into a bay (which I did perfectly prior to him arriving!).

I think I shall be driving a smaller car on the refresher test as the Mondeo is not really at it's best doing in-town manouevres in confined spaces Or maybe I should get some lessons on parking from Russ Swift

Chris

Nice one Chris... you got the best result.. you know you have done well but realise there is alway some work to do (Some Golds get complacent )

Anyway in answer to some questions above...

IAM Examiners Manual page D7
"7.0 Manoeuvres
Car Examiners should select a suitable location where the candidate can demonstrate simple on-road manoeuvres safety and unobtrusively. Provided the candidate can demonstrate that he/she can reverse and park the vehicle safely and competently, the number of manoeuvres asked for are left entirely to the Examiner's discretion..."

7.2 Other Manoeuvres
Other manoeuvres, such as a turn-in-the-road and hill start may be carried out entirely at the Examiner's discretion. If the candidate's car manoeuvring ability is suspect in any way, then the Examiner must identify suitable locations on the test route, where whatever inherent weaknesses there are, can be properly assessed..."

Having said all of that, I have, in my 20 yrs as an Examiner, come across some good drivers who were way below par when it came to making the car go backwards.

martine wrote:Personally I find the manoeuvring with associates almost embarasing...advanced driving to me is not about doing a perfect parallel park but all about safe progress, improved obs, better use of gears etc.

Wrong! Manoeuvring can be an excellent way of displaying you are at one with your vehicle and can place it precisely where you want it to be, whether that is a 2 mph around a concrete bollard or at 150 mph in lane three of the Autobahn .

regards,

Rennie

rlmr wrote:Wrong! Manoeuvring can be an excellent way of displaying you are at one with your vehicle and can place it precisely where you want it to be, whether that is a 2 mph around a concrete bollard or at 150 mph in lane three of the Autobahn .

regards,

Rennie

I agree that to be a 'complete' driver you should be able to do all this...it's just I can't get excited about manoeuvering and I can't see it contributes to much to safety either.

Presumably you'd agree there are much more important skills to be learnt and demonstrated on a test?

Chris - many congratulations on your success.

What a shame about the three pointer, but it just shows how near you were.

Best wiwhes all,
Dave.

martine wrote:...it's just I can't get excited about manoeuvring and I can't see it contributes to much to safety either.

Presumably you'd agree there are much more important skills to be learnt and demonstrated on a test?

Yes... but I live opposite a coach-works and whilst they have some real damage to repair you would be amazed at how many (very expensive) low manoeuvring crunches they repair each month. Think of it this way: if Jason Button could not get his Honda out of the pit lane, avoiding the other competitors and technicians without colliding with them... would he have ever competed let alone have notched up his first F1 win

Rennie

Jenson, Rennie. Jenson Button

Chris