ADUK Archive

Single carriageway?

Of course! Why do you ask?

Nigel

crr003 wrote:Single carriageway?

Do you mean 'teach' or do you mean 'get the learner to actually perform one'

Also, by that stage it is more coaching than teaching!

Nigel

crr003 - did you mean teaching to learner drivers?

In my experience unless they have had advanced training with IAM, ROSPA or such like they don't teach what I would call good overtaking.

I am sure adinigel wiil disagree but is there a structured technique for overtaking within dsa guidelines.

I am about to teach my partner a safe structured overtake this weekend. Its getting people used to going to offside and so this sunday I will start by getting her to offside subject to safety and view on quiet roads.

Thats how started driving on the wrong side of the road a technique I believe is used by police instructors b4 teaching the full over take.

jbsportstech wrote:...... driving on the wrong side of the road

Having the observation skills and being safely 'confident' to be 'on the wrong side' are usually the biggest factors to this in my experience

Custom24 wrote:crr003 - did you mean teaching to learner drivers?

Yep - that's why I put in the the learners' bit! Thinking about it I could have made the question more constrained.

adiNigel wrote:Of course! Why do you ask?

Just that I met an ADI last night who pretty much said he didn't even cover the theory (as in Driving the essential skills), never mind trying to actually do a real overtake. He covered DC overtakes.

It seemed a little depressing that learners are seemingly programmed to think overtaking is really not a thing that a careful prudent driver should be thinking about on a SC.

There was even a post on here a long time back by a new driver who reinforced that overtaking is something you do on a DC, or maybe to a bike on a SC.

I realise it's very easy to refuse an overtake on safety grounds (even during IAM observing it can be very difficult to get an overtake in), but I was just surprised that the task of overtaking was not put high on the agenda, given that it is probably the most dangerous part of driving.

Is overtaking dealt with in more detail in Pass Plus?

crr003 wrote:

adiNigel wrote:Of course! Why do you ask?

Just that I met an ADI last night who pretty much said he didn't even cover the theory (as in Driving the essential skills), never mind trying to actually do a real overtake. He covered DC overtakes.

I wonder if it's a case of suitable opportunities? Most driving instructors have relatively low power cars, and unless you have a long drive to your local test center, you may not come across a suitable section of road on the usual practice drives. When I was learning I don't think I would have been prepared to pay for a lesson specifically to cover overtaking, although I do remember a few overtakes on 3 lane sections of the A48 (which are now all covered in chevrons and 50mph limits).

On a DSA test, where does undue hesitance become a factor? I assume if you didn't overtake a tractor or bicycle at a suitable opportunity you would be failed, but what about a car doing 40mph in a NSL? or 30mph? Would that been seen as being too hesitant? I wonder how many tests would include such a section of suitable NSL. ISTR mine included dual carriageway, but the vast majority was urban driving. And then you look at the accident statistics for young drivers in the Forest of Dean (where I started my driving career).

It's all down to financial constraints.

jont said,
"I wonder if it's a case of suitable opportunies? most driving instructors have relatively low powered cars,"

That is certainly the case. You can teach the theory of overtaking, but the oppotuities to put it into practice are often few and far between. In the Bournemouth area most of the roads are residential 30mph. There is a stretch of DC. 50mph, but as most drivers are travelling at 50mph or above, the opportunities are very limited. There are several A class roads in the Salisbury, Blandford, and Dorchester areas, that are suitable, but again, most drivers are travelling at speeds of around 50 - 60 mph so you're limited to tractors or the occasional slow lorry.

My car is a Seat Ibiza 1.9 tdi which is more powerfull than most ADIs use, but a lot of learners, even those at test standard, would not be confident enough to use the power to overtake on a single carriageway road even under instruction.

Nigel ADI
IAM trainee observer

fungus wrote:would not be confident enough to use the power to overtake on a single carriageway road even under instruction.
Nigel ADI
IAM trainee observer

As most don't take up PASS PLUS then the greatest majority will never really get taught and observed doing it - and the Government won't introduce compulsory post test training

I will always try and teach learners how to overtake both in theory and if possible as a practical exercise.
I would rather their first overtake be with me than when they're on their own or with friends.

Jon

jonnmedds wrote:I will always try and teach learners how to overtake both in theory and if possible as a practical exercise.
I would rather their first overtake be with me than when they're on their own or with friends.

Jon

Absolutely!

Nigel