You may want to record this for posterity, but .....I agree with Chris :shhh: :duh:

I clearly cannot drive:eek: .

Seriously though - I am yet to have an accident in approaching 2 years. I must be doing something (perhaps not right) but not that far wrong:O

my instructor was a ex copper.... once we had the regular lessons he couldnt think of anything else to teach me:D

What driving class copper was he? :eek: I'm surprised that he was unable to teach you anything else too ... did you cover any of the contents of Roadcraft in your lessons?

I've been driving for many years now and I've had the pleasure of riding with PC1's as well as HPC/RoSPA/IAM members and they teach me something new everytime I go out with them

Chris

No. Oh dear' date=' what have I put my foot into now?

Examples:

You are in traffic going down hill, stopping and starting. Do you keep the car in a low gear and brake and accelerate as you need to or just let gravity do its bit (in neutral) and just brake to stop yourself going into the car infront.

You are in 4th (for example) doddling along and you come to a round about. Do you: 1) stay in the gear until the car juddersto a stop. 2) Block shift down, for instance 4th to 2nd to 1st. 3) Drop down regimentally in the gears 4th - 3rd - 2nd 1st? 4) Knock it into neutral and coast to a stand still.

etc etc.

When I had Vlad and I needed to drop about 10mph on a motorway and I would need to regain speed again (for instance when waiting for a gap in the other lane to overtake) I would left foot brake keeping my foot a bit down on the accelerator so as I would have ooomhp behind me to actually do the over taking.

Now I have a car with more gears (and a diesel as well as other diffrences), I am really having to change my driving style. It is totally baffling to me.[/quote']

coastings bad!!!!

Emily - www.iam.org.uk and www.roada.org.uk

Get yourself signed up.

I clearly cannot drive:eek: .

Seriously though - I am yet to have an accident in approaching 2 years. I must be doing something (perhaps not right) but not that far wrong:O

how often do you see people crashing in your rear view mirror? spinning/sliding past you? hitting other cars next to you?

just out of interest that is

and all those that are saying that it is the incorrect way to drive and that it is dangerous go watch a racing driver and see what they do

and all those that are saying that it is the incorrect way to drive and that it is dangerous go watch a racing driver and see what they do

Do you have any in car footage of a racing driver driving a road car on the road?

Chris

what difference does it make where they are driving? or does being in 2nd at 45mph make my car dangerous and about to blow up or something?

what difference does it make where they are driving? or does being in 2nd at 45mph make my car dangerous and about to blow up or something?

Because there's a world of difference between "Racecraft" and "Roadcraft".

Chris

Interestingly, a friend of my dad's is an HGV instructor. He says you should "never use the gearbox to chslow down because gearboxes are more expensive than brake pads."

what difference does it make where they are driving? or does being in 2nd at 45mph make my car dangerous and about to blow up or something?

mine does 62 in 2nd:)

The question to ask is this ...... How much are a set of brake pads and discs??

how much is a gearbox/clutch assembly??

the I.A.M. will tell you that you slow down to the correct speed for the hazzard and then select the appropriate gear

I don't think many people would seriously consider changing from 6th to 5th to 4th to 3rd to 2nd whilst slowing down before (for example) accelerating onto a roundabout, but 6th to 4th to 2nd (again for example) would be reasonable. That way you're never coasting and you do have a reasonable chance of being in a gear with a bit of pull if you need it.

What nobody has mentioned is that changing down through the box rather than braking is much more fuel efficient.

changing down through the box rather than braking is much more fuel efficient.

Care to explain why?

Chris

I would like to know too!

It depends on how aggressively I am driving.

If you want to be hammering around then use the breaks with s small amount of gear dropping so that you will always be on the power.

99.5% of the time, no it's the brakes and a block shift before you start applying power again.

Don't touch the brakes or the clutch on a bend, can make a real mess as you lose control. You have to look at the vanishing point and adjust your speed etc accordingly. When I learnt to drive in Her Majesties mud chuckers, you were told to use engine braking, changing to driving with blue lights, they taught use the brakes, only change to the gear you need for the speed you want, as mentioned above pads are cheaper than clutches and boxes.

Information

Position

Speed

Gears

Accelerate

If you can find a copy, read the Roadcraft book, full of handy tips.

Brakes.But....

On very rare occasions if I am going slightly too quick and I don't fancy applying my brakes (ie its a bit late I feel safer changing down a gear (talking 4th to 3rd situations) rather than braking.

Repeat.Very rare occasions

There is one corner on my way home tat I know I can take at 40mph without crossing the white lines. It is a tight left hander with a clear view and a straight at each side.

My usual technique is...

Approach at a 5th gear speed

lift off, change to 4th, let the engine brake a little

Use the foot brake, drop it into third on the last bit of straight

Feet off everything as I enter the corner and steer into it, as I reach the apex I feed in the throttle so I'm at full throttle, ready to change into 4th once the road is straight.

I think thats how it goes, its hard to say without actually being there!

Whats wrong with that then?

If you can find a copy, read the Roadcraft book, full of handy tips.

Available at all good bookshops (and some not so good ones!)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0113408587/202-5117380-1465443?v=glance&n=266239&s=gateway&v=glance

Chris

Care to explain why?

Chris

I don't know the full scientific explanation, but I'm surprised nobody else does, given the level of knowledge on driving techniques exhibited here.

Have you ever watched the instantaneous mpg readout whilst decelerating under engine braking ? The numbers go off the scale. This is because the momentum of the vehicle keeps the engine running with very little fuel being used.

If you're braking with the clutch in (or in neutral) the engine is still idling at 1,000 rpm and is using fuel to do so.

Whats wrong with that then?

What does 4th gear buy you? Why not just leave the braking later, brake firmly, and then drop it into 3rd gear as you know that's the appropriate gear for the corner. I'd also be slowing down more so that I could go round the corner under power to keep the forces on the vehicle nice and stable (rather than having no feet on the pedals and the car still decelerating because you entered the corner too quickly ). No qualms with the exit of the corner though - get on the power as the view opens up.

Chris

If you're braking with the clutch in (or in neutral) the engine is still idling at 1' date='000 rpm and is using fuel to do so.[/quote']

I've not read this thread yet so correct me if I'm wrong but why would you brakewith the clutch in? :confused:

If you're braking with the clutch in (or in neutral) the engine is still idling at 1,000 rpm and is using fuel to do so.

Thought we already established coasting is bad :P When I brake, I move my foot from the accelerator to the brake so the instantaneous fuel reading should "go off the scale" With changing down the box, you're also making the engine turn faster than with simply braking, so I'd expect it to be using more fuel....

Chris