Ive been asked to post my experiences and thoughts after my meet up yesterday with scoobychris.

We met at 6pm in Andover, after breif introduction we went along a predefined route (one of many that chris has), it was starting to get dark and i got to see how advance driving works. It wasnt all slow driving either and became quite informative.

After 45 mins we got back to the start and swapped cars, it was me now to drive the course we just been round so off we go.

After about 5 minutes (and now dark) we go along this country road, i get the car up to what i feel is a safe speed for a road i dont know, here scoobychris points out how you can tell that the road is going to get tighter (and from tighter to less tight) by the cats eyes:thumbup: this started to bring me out of my comfort zone as ive so far always taken it easy on back roads i dont know. After getting use to it i beleive i progressed at it.

Still getting myself into the habit of slowing down and then changing gear and not doing it together (at the same time) this became one thing that was pointed out to me, if i slowed down a bit earlier i could do all this in good time instead of rushing it. The reason for this is to control the vehicle so you dont end up losing grip and then losing the bend to a field.

I also put into place getting up to the speed limit and reading the road, we had a couple of occassions where a road sign was missing which caused a quick brake at the T junction and when one of the country roads was caked in as much mud on the road as their was on the field.

Scoobychris gave me a couple more pointers and said if i keep up with it and get my braking/gear change sorted then their should be no reason for me to not pass my advance.

So any of you on here mocking the advance, its not just about driving slow, it makes your drive more pleasurable, faster but safe and will also teach you a thing or two that you probably didnt realise you were or were not doing. Basically dont mock it till you tried it.

Thanks again to scoobychris i enjoyed that, shame my car was filthy when i got home from the weather (clean now).

Sounds like a good start, Paul. Fun chasing cats-eyes in the dark eh

hmmmmm. not on a road i didnt know well not at first.

Probably something I should ask you to help me with too Chris.

Not a prob, Stu - we can sort something out

Chris

Im sure Chris wont mine swapping his mondeo for your vrs stu

Yes but then he'd realise he wanted one.

Well clearly it's wasted on Stu :P:rofl:

Chris

at this thread

Em, I always take it a bit easier on unknown roads in the dark, not because I can't judge bend acuity, but because I don't know what unsigned junctions are or aren't lurking just out of sight round the next bend.

Em, I always take it a bit easier on unknown roads in the dark, not because I can't judge bend acuity, but because I don't know what unsigned junctions are or aren't lurking just out of sight round the next bend.

But surely that's exactly the same for daylight? :confused:

Chris

But surely that's exactly the same for daylight? :confused:

Chris

Not always, at least for me. I find I can pick up things like a drop in verge level easier in daylight.

its even more fun with xenons

I bought Samantha 50% brighter Quartz-Xenon bulbs from Powerbulbs (in a 2 for one plus blue-white sidelight bulbs offer).

Not always, at least for me. I find I can pick up things like a drop in verge level easier in daylight.

Ah ok - the phrase "out of sight" confused me in your previous post Yes, speeds at night tend to be slower, but effective safe progress can still be made on unknown roads.....

As an aside, I'm still not convinced by the xenons - maybe if they were on main beam too, it'd be different....

Chris

Ah ok - the phrase "out of sight" confused me in your previous post Yes, speeds at night tend to be slower, but effective safe progress can still be made on unknown roads.....

As an aside, I'm still not convinced by the xenons - maybe if they were on main beam too, it'd be different....

Chris

Actually, misleading as it might have been I've just realised that I know a few places where it's true. In daylight you can see a road leading up to a point where, unless someone's stopped building it within a few feet of the one you're on ther must be a junction just round that next corner, but in the dark you can't see the side road in your lights.

And I'm not convinced by claims about plasma discharge units either. I know several people who dislike them because they (according to these people) have a sharper sideways cut-off, which reduces your peripheral vision, and create deeper shadows.

Its a shame Chris cant ask for payment for these sessions as he's not an ADI. However I'm sure anyone going on a session would agree that buying him a tank of diesel wouldnt' go a miss

Not that he can ask you to this himself, of course.

I'm not sure my drives are worth a tank of diesel! :rofl:

Chris

Little tip from my son which might prove useful - he says when in unfamiliar territory, on country roads, he glances at the sat nav to get forewarnings of junctions / whatever coming up.

i did mention that one to chris about the sat navs (very useful on single track roads across the yorkshire peak district)

i did mention that one to chris about the sat navs (very useful on single track roads across the yorkshire peak district)

I was quite impressed - he's only been driving 15 months (post test), using his head I'm glad to say.

Yep that's a good tip and it may be useful as an aid, but I'd personally want to be driving within what I can see so if sat nav tells me the road is straight (and therefore that an overtake might be considered) I wouldn't take it without being able to clearly see the bit of road I was planning on using.

Chris

You can certainly get the speed up to chase the cats eyes when you have the sat nav on as you can see the nasty bends approching on screen too (second set of eyes).

Chris,

I'd be interested on your opinion on the following,

It can often be heard that people are worried about driving "progressively" on roads they don't know. I think it's dangerous to think that you "know the road" I think leads to complacency and often ends in disaster.

Every road should be "read" at the time it's being driven. Sure, there is nothing wrong with learning certain charecteristics of unique corners etc which may allow you to progress more quickly but other than that, if you read the road as it opens up in front of you, you will stay more alert and get more out of your drive. MHO only of course.