planning and looking far ahead

by **lucy2011** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 8:55 pm

can anyone help me i am having problem's looking far ahead when i am having a driving lesson.i try to look far ahead at the end of the road,but get told off still at not looking far enough,any advice,where am i to look.?

by **daz6215** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 7:57 am

Hi Lucy, try reading the signs first in the far distance, working back towards the vehicle, it's important to scan the whole road and not fixate too much on one area, and that of course includes the far distance, remember the roads are dynamic and the hazards (actual and potential) change constantly so its also important to prioritise. Mix that with some basic form of commentary i.e. tell the Instructor what the signs are, and you will be on the right track! What you are trying to achieve is to gather as much information as possible, this will help formulate your driving plan and may assist you to avoid unwanted situations further down the road, it's important to actively search for hazards and not wait for it to happen, by driving in a more pro-active style you may very well react quicker if the need arises, hope this helps underpin the importance of observations and driving with a plan.

by **MrToad** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 11:54 am

Hi Lucy - welcome to AD-UK. I'd agree with Daz's advice. In order to gather all the information about the scene in front of you, it's important to keep your attention moving. Starting by looking to the horizon and then scanning back towards the car is good because when you look far away, things that are closer will be picked up by your peripheral vision. If you only look close-up, you'll never notice the things that are further away.

The trick is to remember to look to the distance again after you've completed the scan, and not to let your eyes come to rest on any one thing for too long.

This will get easier as you gain experience. I imagine at the moment when you spot a potential hazard you probably feel more comfortable looking at it until you've dealt with or passed it - the problem with this is the risk of missing what's coming up next. In time, you'll be able to notice something potentially hazardous in the distance and file it in your short-term memory, leaving you free to keep observing.

Hope this makes sense - feel free to ask more questions, and don't forget we can be even more useful after you've passed your test.

by **lucy2011** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 12:49 pm

thank's guys for your advice very helpfull,regarding commentry driving as long as i keep talking i'm fine,when i lose concentration and stop talking cause i made a mistake, and me insrtuctor shout's at me and tell's me off, things go down hill from there. then i tell my self what am i doing here and dread the next lesson.

by **daz6215** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 1:05 pm

Try a different instructor Lucy, if he is loosing his temper and shouting, I would!

by **lucy2011** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 1:21 pm

easier said than done ,got my test booked on 27th of june,i know i can do it,i just got to do commentry driving ,and drive safely and look far,scan ahead,etc my only problem is my theory expires in november,i could kick myself for not doing it when i was 20,then i just wanted to study and get to uni.i told me teenage daugther your going to learn straight away when your 18 no but's about it.

by **ROG** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 1:52 pm

Lucy, you are paying for this ADI to upset you!!

ADI, you are upsetting me so please stop it and then inform this ADI that he will not get any more money if he does it again

by **Angus** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 2:32 pm

Two weeks is plenty of time to find an instructor who will fit you in for a test. It may cost you an extra couple of hours, but if it helps your confidence and makes you more likely to pass then it's worth it.

Talk to your friends and ask for recommendations. Perhaps consider a lady instructor.

by **fungus** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 4:28 pm

Angus wrote:Two weeks is plenty of time to find an instructor who will fit you in for a test. It may cost you an extra couple of hours, but if it helps your confidence and makes you more likely to pass then it's worth it.

Talk to your friends and ask for recommendations. Perhaps consider a lady instructor.

Most instructors will take you on provided you are prepared to have a few lessons. As Angus said, talk to friends and ask for reccomendations. However don't be under the illusion that lady instructors don't shout. My wife had a lady instructor thirty odd years ago who shouted.

If commentary helps you concentrate, and works for you, then do it. I had a pupil five or six years ago whos concentration was not brilliant, but she was a natural talker. When I introduced her to doing a simple commentary, her driving improved considerably. And I see no reason why you shouldn't do it on your test.

by **lucy2011** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 7:34 pm

thank you again for your kind words,i feel a little better now that i have shared my problem and got some advice from you guys. p.s. it's a lady instructor i have,i will consider talking to me friend's about changing to another
instructor,

by **IVORTHE DRIVER** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 10:15 am

Hi Lucy.

I go along with some above, change instructor, good teachers do not need to shout!

As to forward planning and looking far enough, it will get easier with practice but in the mean time try this (some on here may disagree but).....look ahead, scanning both sides of the road, remember the further you look the wider your field of vision becomes so moving objects within that area will be more noticeable and your periphical vision will still pick up movement closer to you, if it moves its a hazard if its not moving its a potential hazard, the trick is learning which ones to focus on first..ie the car to your left reversing from a driveway is a hazard whereas the bus stopped up ahead is a potential hazard....has the car driver seen you? if so you ignore him and look ahead to the bus and so on.
As those above have said do not focus on any one object too long or you will miss the next hazard., the more you see the smoother and easier the drive should be.

Sorry if thats not too clear, its easy when you have the experience to fall back on, sometimes not too obvious when you are learning.

Ivor

by **Horse** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 12:59 pm

Try some of these:
http://the-ride-info.blogspot.com/p/diy ... ining.html

They're intended for riders, but most can be used (or adapted) for drivers.

Also, I thoroughly recommend going for a walk! Really - park up and walk along the side of the road (pavements can help

) and look as far ahead as you can, take your time to look ahead and around, rty to build both a picture and a plan of what's likely to happen if you were driving along that road.

Them when driving, if you try a commentary, try to ensure it 'stays ahead' of you. ie If you find you end up talking about something as you're passing then either your commentary is far enough ahead to allow planning or you're going too fast

by **gfoot** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 7:17 pm

Buy a day pass for the bus, and sit at the front of the top deck. Your view will be too good, due to your height from the ground, but it can still provide good practice at looking ahead and identifying hazards.

by **jont** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 9:03 pm

gfoot wrote:Buy a day pass for the bus, and sit at the front of the top deck. Your view will be too good, due to your height from the ground, but it can still provide good practice at looking ahead and identifying hazards.

Although you might quickly wish you had a brake pedal for when you're out-anticipating the driver.

by **Horse** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 9:22 am

jont wrote:
gfoot wrote:Buy a day pass for the bus, and sit at the front of the top deck. Your view will be too good, due to your height from the ground, but it can still provide good practice at looking ahead and identifying hazards.

Although you might quickly wish you had a brake pedal for when you're out-anticipating the driver.

http://the-ride-info.blogspot.com/2010/ ... ation.html

planning and looking far ahead

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