Night Driving Associate

[skodatezzer]

Here's one for my fellow observers / tutors out there in ADUK land. Got an associate, youngish chap, who because of a demanding job and a complex private life (weekdays in Surrey and a weekend commute to Cheshire), is only able to make it for an observed run on weekday evenings. This creates a bit of a problem in December on account of it being dark! He's actually quite good, and keen, and goes away and practises and stuff, so I want to encourage him, but I'm just not sure that we can cover all the wrinkles if every drive is a night drive. Bend work in particular is going to be a problem, innit! So we've done motorway, urban stuff, and have just had a concentrated session on brake/gear separation (don't start, please!! it's just to keep an IAM examiner happy), but has anyone any bright ideas/wizard wheezes for how I can keep providing a diet of interesting, varied and constructive sessions? anyone else got any experience of coaching in the dark? All suggestions gratefully received.

[WhoseGeneration]

Same considerations apply day or night. If he can do it at night it's likely he'll breeze it in daylight, assuming you manage to find routes that provide enough other traffic to interact with.

Way back when I was an Observer I always, whatever time of year, took my Associates out for some runs in the dark, to ensure their eyesight was ok and to give them experience in the dark, remember many drivers are less capable in the dark and it's worthy of note that your Associate is prepared to undertake the course in the dark, many would shy away from this.

A suggestion, which, of course, might not be on for either or both of you, some runs at dawn, especially as you mention Motorways which often start to become busy at 6.30 ish.

Bend work?, even better in the dark, plus you'll be able to explain the proper use of lights and how they can help in the dark with reference to others about whilst explaining about expecting the unexpected, in that never assume others, especially cyclists or pedestrians, will be adequately lit and thus visible.

[true blue]

I did most of my IAM work in darkness - it wasn't a problem. The only think we couldn't really cover was overtaking, but once the clocks went back we managed to find enough residual daylight.

Best advice is to find quiet roads where main beam is the norm rather than the exception. That way your chap will be able to assess the upcoming bend in his own time and in a steady fashion rather than being distracted / blinded by oncoming traffic.

If you find you're running out of things to work on and simply need light you could drop down to fortnightly outings in the interim.

[skodatezzer]

M'm. His motorway work is up to snuff (does enough of it on a weekly basis anyway), and motorways around here are all lit anyway, so I'm happy with that aspect. Trouble with bend work at night is that you just don't see the limit point so well. The other box I'm finding it hard to tick is making decent progress on NSL single carriageway roads - be great to find some with not too much traffic, so's we could use mainly main beam, but that's a tall order in this neck of the woods - and Surrey is another county that is plastering 50 and 40 limits all over the place on roads that were perfectly ok as NSL.

[true blue]

On the contrary - you see the limit point exceptionally well! It's where the light from the main beam stops...

There's something to be said for having such a clear distinction between visible and invisible - it means your chap has to really think about what he can see rather than guessing that the next bend will be OK at 60. The relatively short vision means that when the limit point doesn't extend as one approaches the corner, it's more obvious.

I agree that daylight is needed to advance and polish the skill of reading a bend, but you can certainly do some good groundwork now (traffic permitting...)

[jcochrane]

One of the problems encountered in night driving is being fixated in only looking as far as the limit of the headlight beams. (Eyeballs stuck on the end of the beams.) As you know by "looking up" beyond the beams much early information can be obtained of bends and other potential hazards. I think this is the main challenge when teaching at night.

I don't see that there should be a problem once a bend has been picked up by the headlights in learning and applying "the system" but looking beyond the beams is much harder to learn.

Once the discipline of eye scanning into the darkness for information is mastered he should have no issues when doing an IAM test in daylight.

[martine]

Good advice in earlier posts but I find it difficult to believe he can't do ANY daytime drives...is it a case of priorities?

[Custom24]

His examiner is unlikely to wish to conduct the exam entirely in darkness, so I'd say that you need to see him driving during daylight a couple of times. Apart from the examiner and exam, this is a point anyway.

It's conceivable that if you only see him drive at night, it will mask something that would be apparent in daylight. Lack of progress during the daytime might be possible, or things like looking in the right places or observation links. You'll know better than I, having sat beside him.

If you are unsure about what he'd be like driving in daylight, then as I see it you have some options, including

1. Postpone the continuation of the course until the light is favourable
2. Ask someone in Cheshire if they could have a run with him to check him out during the weekend daytime. Perhaps an ADUK member if you don't know any IAM contacts there.

[Tosh]

Just to add my two cents to this as I had a three hour progressive drive across twisty country roads during the week, pitch dark and constant drizzle. It was a mixture of single track laneways, B classified roads and non primary A classified roads. It was very tiring on the eyes and on the mind but as a training exercise it was invaluable. Building a mental picture of the road using headlights coming towards you and tail lights going away, lights from houses and streetlights in the distance all help to maintain a good steam.
As for limit points it was easier than I thought it would be, the one consideration that was needed was an earlier shut off the power, this allows your night vision to get a real focus and you can see the limit point move, it could be a hedge, grass verge, whatever you can see. I found deviation boards on the tighter bends really useful. In their absence, cats eyes and the centre lines are all picked up easily by headlights and will give a good indicator of the severity of a curve. As the presiding rule of being able to stop in the distance you can see to be clear, getting off the power early will make sure safety is not compromised. Overall it resulted in a very smooth, flowing and progressive drive and it showed to me that if you make use of what clues there are then progress does not have to be limited.

[revian]

2. Ask someone in Cheshire if they could have a run with him to check him out during the weekend daytime. Perhaps an ADUK member if you don't know any IAM contacts there.

And Cheshire is 'wide'... If he's near one of the many bordering counties (incl Merseyside) and Wales... That might provide a few more options.

Ian