Part 2 – Lesson 4

By Annie | 25/05/2018 | Comments Off on Part 2 – Lesson 4

AIMS

Commentary Driving
Practice all manoeuvres
Assessment 2

LESSON PREPARATION

1. Continue to work through the Part 2 Driving Workbook

2. Read the following sections Driving the Essential Skills

  • All-weather driving
  • Driving at night
  • Bends
  • Overtaking

DRIVING PRACTICE

  1. Work on any areas highlighted during your last session
  2. Complete Project 5 - Negotiating Bends
  3. Complete Project 6 – Overtaking

NEGOTIATING BENDS EXERCISE

In your Part 2 test you need to be demonstrating that you can make maximum progress for the road, traffic and weather conditions without risking safety. This will require good forward planning and awareness, particularly when overtaking or negotiating bends in the road.

The purpose of this exercise is to give you practice at recognising how sharp a bend is and realising what is the most appropriate speed to make the most progress without compromising safety.

Remember…just because you can take a bend at 50mph doesn’t’ mean that you should, especially if you can’t see what’s around the corner.

As you approach the bend you should be constantly scanning to road for information, especially about:

  • traffic in front and behind
  • the road surface and the effect of the weather conditions on it

ACTIVITY:

  1. Read Des section on ‘bends’
  2. Read about Limit Point Analysis
  3. Read the handout about the ‘Roadcraft , The Police Drivers Handbook’ method of driving around bends
  4. Drive for 3-5 miles on rural roads practicing the DeS method
  5. Drive the same 3-5 mile route practicing the Roadcraft method
  6. Make a note of the advantages and disadvantages of both methods
  7. Take your notes to your next lesson to discuss with your trainer

Limit Point Analysis

The limit point is the point at which the right and left-hand side of the bend meet. This point is the most distant point in the bend you can see.

To use this technique as you approach the bend be sure that, if needed, you could stop before you reach the limit point.

Ask yourself, is the limit point getting further away?
If it is and you can see further ahead, your speed is ok.
If the limit point is getting closer you should continue to reduce your speed until the limit point begins to move with you and your view opens up again.

OVERTAKING

The aim of this project is to teach yourself how to feel more relaxed and confident to overtake other vehicles in a safe manner.

More importantly, when not overtaking is safer and to avoid impulsive opportunist overtakes.

REMEMBER…IF YOU DON’T KNOW, DON’T GO!

The time to decide whether to overtake or not is when you first come up behind a vehicle, not when you see a gap.

You may decide to overtake a vehicle and then follow it for miles before an opportunity arises…the opportunity may not arise at all!

This lesson will help you to use the full M S P S L routine to perfect the overtaking technique.

Never attempt an overtake if there is not enough time to consider each step carefully before acting. You should become as relaxed about overtaking as you are about any other aspect of driving.

ACTIVITY:

  1. Read about overtaking in DeS before going out to practice the exercise
  2. Watch LDC Lesson 14 (particularly from 6.10min to 11.08min, although it would benefit you to watch the whole video).
  3. You should aim to spend two 30 minute to 1 hour sessions practicing overtaking
  4. You may find it easier to learn the routine safely on dual carriageways first
  5. Then practice again on A class roads
  6. Make a note of how well you managed this project
  7. Take your notes to your next lesson to discuss with you trainer

The aim of this project is to safely overtake as many vehicles as possible.