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A place for new members to introduce themselves and give some background information as to their experience with driving, likes, dislikes etc. It is advisable to post here first before posting to other forum's on the site.

Postby Driver8 » Sun Aug 23, 2015 6:44 pm


Hi,

My name is Steven and I've been driving for around 20 years. I'm just now starting my advanced driving journey having made initial contact with my local RoADAR group and hope to pass my test within the next 12 months or so (they are very busy and have a waiting list for observers).

Despite a relatively blemish-free driving history I've never really felt too confident behind the wheel and can get a bit stressed in busy traffic but hopefully I can tame my demons!

I've been lurking on the forum for a while and have found the discussion and all the advice excellent and have already started to put some into practise - though I'm not sure I'll ever conquer my bad BGOL habit!

Anyway, I look forward to chatting with you all in the time to come.

Cheers, Steven
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Postby akirk » Sun Aug 23, 2015 7:15 pm


Welcome Steven,

the biggest battle in Advanced driving is that initial decision to do something about it - the rest is all practice / coaching / etc - easy by comparison!

hopefully you will have an enjoyable experience

Alasdair
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Postby Horse » Sun Aug 23, 2015 9:05 pm


Hello! Find what works for you :) And if you don't think what you're asked to do makes sense, ask your tutor to explain and justify.
Anything posted by 'Horse' may be (C) Malcolm Palmer. Please ask for permission before considering any copying or re-use outside of forum posting.
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Postby waremark » Sun Aug 23, 2015 11:01 pm


A good decision. Where do you live?
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Postby Zebedee » Sun Aug 23, 2015 11:09 pm


Hi Steven,

Welcome!

Whilst you're waiting for an observer, you could always watch the Roadcraft DVD and/or read Reg Local's Advanced and Performance Driving book.
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Postby Driver8 » Mon Aug 24, 2015 1:34 pm


Thanks everyone for the warm welcome!
waremark wrote:A good decision. Where do you live?

I live about 20 miles outside of Edinburgh in a wee village surrounded by some quite trick NSL roads - which was part of my motivation for brushing up on my skills!
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Postby Driver8 » Mon Aug 24, 2015 1:38 pm


Zebedee wrote:Hi Steven,

Welcome!

Whilst you're waiting for an observer, you could always watch the Roadcraft DVD and/or read Reg Local's Advanced and Performance Driving book.


Thank you! I have the Roadcraft book and am finding the advice really useful. I did look at the DVD on Amazon, but it seemed to have a few poor reviews regarding the picture and sound quality, although I've no doubt the information is top notch. It also looks like it's quite dated and could be due for updating?

I'm also quite tempted to pick up Chris Gilbert's Ultimate Driving Craft DVDs, but I'd probably be best getting to grips with Roadcraft first.
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Postby TripleS » Mon Aug 24, 2015 2:21 pm


Driver8 wrote:Hi,

My name is Steven and I've been driving for around 20 years. I'm just now starting my advanced driving journey having made initial contact with my local RoADAR group and hope to pass my test within the next 12 months or so (they are very busy and have a waiting list for observers).

Despite a relatively blemish-free driving history I've never really felt too confident behind the wheel and can get a bit stressed in busy traffic but hopefully I can tame my demons!

I've been lurking on the forum for a while and have found the discussion and all the advice excellent and have already started to put some into practise - though I'm not sure I'll ever conquer my bad BGOL habit!

Anyway, I look forward to chatting with you all in the time to come.

Cheers, Steven


Hello Steven, and welcome to ADUK.

Don't worry about your 'bad BGOL habit' until you've explained what you're actually doing and had comment/advice on the subject from a qualified source. BGOL isn't always a bad thing, but some people do get a bit worked up about it. Their numbers do not include me. :P

Best wishes all,
Dave.
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Postby WhoseGeneration » Mon Aug 24, 2015 11:15 pm


Driver8 wrote:but I'd probably be best getting to grips with Roadcraft first.


Welcome but take care, Roadcraft, just read and not being applied alongside someone who understands it fully can lead to problems.

I learnt that decades ago.

BGOL? That's where an Observer will help but to get you started, just take things a bit slower. BGOL, unless used with reason, as part of the driving plan, tends to mean lack of observation and a rushed approach.

We'll leave heel and toe until you've mastered the basics. :D
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Postby TripleS » Tue Aug 25, 2015 4:58 pm


StressedDave wrote:
Driver8 wrote:Thanks everyone for the warm welcome!
waremark wrote:A good decision. Where do you live?

I live about 20 miles outside of Edinburgh in a wee village surrounded by some quite trick NSL roads - which was part of my motivation for brushing up on my skills!

Can't help thinking that you're a lucky sod...


Yes, it sounds like it; but I reckon I'm quite lucky too. Well I can't be moaning and whingeing all the time. :D

Oh, by the way, I don't think BGOL necessarily leads to a hurried and unplanned approach to hazards, so I don't think one should feel guilty for doing it, but completing the braking first and then making the gearchange does take longer, so we get the speed down earlier and have more time to assess the hazard we're approaching.

Having said that, it might not do us much good if we spend too much time thinking about the braking, and then thinking about the gear selection, rather than concentrating on evaluating the hazard. :roll:

Best wishes all,
Dave.
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Postby Silk » Tue Aug 25, 2015 10:21 pm


TripleS wrote:
StressedDave wrote:Can't help thinking that you're a lucky sod...


Yes, it sounds like it; but I reckon I'm quite lucky too.


I'd say I was pretty lucky this way as well, all things considered. We certainly have the best motorways. :wink:
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Postby TripleS » Wed Aug 26, 2015 8:18 am


Silk wrote:
TripleS wrote:
StressedDave wrote:Can't help thinking that you're a lucky sod...


Yes, it sounds like it; but I reckon I'm quite lucky too.


I'd say I was pretty lucky this way as well, all things considered. We certainly have the best motorways. :wink:


Well I'm glad you're happy too; but I don't actually find motorway driving at all enjoyable. I much prefer single carriageway A and B roads, including some of the narrow and tricky roads, with a sprinkling of small towns and villages along the way. That's what we have here, and I think it's splendid.

In fact, and I know this may sound implausible to some of you, although the main roads can sometimes be busy with holiday traffic, and at the ends of the day with people travelling to and from work, most of the minor roads are so quiet it still feels like the early 1960s when I was tootling about in the Sprite. 8)

Best wishes all,
Dave.
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Postby fungus » Wed Aug 26, 2015 9:55 pm


TripleS wrote:Well I'm glad you're happy too; but I don't actually find motorway driving at all enjoyable. I much prefer single carriageway A and B roads, including some of the narrow and tricky roads, with a sprinkling of small towns and villages along the way. That's what we have here, and I think it's splendid.


I quite agree Dave.

SWMNBO and myself are off to Bellingham in Northumberland on the 26th of September for a weeks holiday. I'm not relishing the thought of the A31, M27, M3, A34, M40, M42, and M6, but the 400 mile journey woud take ages on interesting roads. I'll leave that until we get to Northumberland.
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Postby Silk » Wed Aug 26, 2015 10:21 pm


fungus wrote:
TripleS wrote:Well I'm glad you're happy too; but I don't actually find motorway driving at all enjoyable. I much prefer single carriageway A and B roads, including some of the narrow and tricky roads, with a sprinkling of small towns and villages along the way. That's what we have here, and I think it's splendid.


I quite agree Dave.

SWMNBO and myself are off to Bellingham in Northumberland on the 26th of September for a weeks holiday. I'm not relishing the thought of the A31, M27, M3, A34, M40, M42, and M6, but the 400 mile journey woud take ages on interesting roads. I'll leave that until we get to Northumberland.


I find so called "interesting" roads to be interesting only in small doses. When you have to get somewhere and back in the same day, you want a road that's up to the task. That's why, although there are some nice places in Dorset, it's not somewhere I look forward to driving to/through due to its awful roads. Chasing limit points and constantly looking for overtaking opportunities that rarely materialise starts to get very tedious after the first 50 or so miles. Motorways are only as boring as you make them. If you take the trouble, they can be just as interesting as "interesting" roads. It just depends on how much interest you take, I suppose.

Living only a short distance from a major motorway intersection is the way to go if you want to get on with your life.
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Postby revian » Fri Aug 28, 2015 9:51 am


StressedDave wrote:
fungus wrote:SWMNBO and myself are off to Bellingham in Northumberland on the 26th of September for a weeks holiday. I'm not relishing the thought of the A31, M27, M3, A34, M40, M42, and M6, but the 400 mile journey woud take ages on interesting roads. I'll leave that until we get to Northumberland.

Why M6? Surely you're trying to get to the northeast rather than the northwest...

Can't get a visa for Yorkshire? Got to go around it...?
:wink:
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