am I driving wrong ? uphill traffic clutch ect ..

[norlander]

It's years since I had a bike but ...I you just brake hard without the clutch don't the rear wheel lockup ?..that's how I failed me bike test ...in the 70s ....jeff..

Its a possiblity,yes, but it never happened when we did the exercise-and the bikes were Harleys and when you stall a big vee, you would think the rear wheel would object but I don't recall any problems at the time.
You were pumping down on both front n rear and hogs have a humungous rear disc so I guess by the time she stalled there was not much rotation going on back there.

 

[norlander]

just did the first round of rider training ?Gold Star?. I was taught to leave the clutch until you were almost at a standstill to prevent a stall, so you were then able to move off quickly and safely.

Yep- as I said, I did the exercise on the course as required, but I never used it afterwards, I dont want a dead engine and no power in amongst shopping trolleys-aint no airbags and crumple zones if someone shunts you up your tailpipe.
Plus, I would think if they whack you with your motor dead and still in gear, the impact is gonna be worse??

 

[the snooper]

I use the left side of my foot on the brake and the right side on the throttle and just angle my foot, like this:-

Ha There is no law that says you have to use which foot on which pedal as long as you are in control.
I recovered some people in their car 200 ish miles and came back , a few years ago for the RAC, and the clutch linkage went pedal to the floor on my IVECO recovery truck, shortly after loading the car, they where in the back of the crew cab and hadnt a clue anything was wrong.
thing that was funny, their car, the clutch fork had broken nothing else wrong and I drove it on the truck !!

well you certainly wouldn't pass your test that way and you must use your handbrake during a test so I would imagine it is illegal to straddle 2 pedals with one foot and there is no way you have full control over either pedal, I bet there will be a law written somewhere that states how those controls must be used otherwise you couldn't be failed for it on a test

 

[normspanners]

there is no way you have full control over either pedal,

Sorry but I totally disagree you have complete control of the vehicle, that is why race and rally drivers do it for the control Ok I know you are going to say, well that is different that is competition but that is where you need that control.
Most people that I feel confident with and consider good drivers, drive that way.

 

[Justme]

well you certainly wouldn't pass your test that way and you must use your handbrake during a test

I am sorry but that is complete rubbish.

You could do you entire test & only put the hand brake on once at the end.

The examiner is only interested in the "outcome" not how it is achieved. As long as you never roll back when you should be going forward or forward when you should be going back then you have not lost control of the vehicle. It might not be the best way to do it for the car but you will not fail an L test for it.

 

[owas]

I barely used the handbrake on mine expect when he told me to pull up on a hill and set off again .. and that was only because you have to put the handbrake on when parking.

 

[daleyd]

I barely used the handbrake on mine expect when he told me to pull up on a hill and set off again .. and that was only because you have to put the handbrake on when parking.

Emergency stop, and manoeuvring round a corner/ into a parking space/ parallel parking? I would have thought you should also use it there?

 

[owas]

Didn't need to in the emergency stop, they don't care aslong as you stop properly and pull off safely.

Only maneuver i had was parallel park, i used it when i stopped in the space but other than that i didn't use it while stopped in traffic/hills ect

 

[normspanners]

You use one hand on a m/cycle for the brake and throttle, it is exactly the same, I passed my test the day after my 17th b/day and my HGV 1 first time driving like that.
How could you drive a non sychro gear box or a dog box without pressing the brake and use the throttle at the same time?? BTW the hgv I passed in had a dog box on the first two gears
you cannot get the gears otherwise, IIRC the examiner said I drove unconventionally, but he could not knock me for it, as I was in control.

It might not be the best way to do it for the car but you will not fail an L test for it.

But it is best for the car because you are matching gear speeds by bliping the throttle between gears on a down shift.

 

[daleyd]

Didn't need to in the emergency stop, they don't care aslong as you stop properly and pull off safely.

Only maneuver i had was parallel park, i used it when i stopped in the space but other than that i didn't use it while stopped in traffic/hills ect

It's been a while since I did my test so I wasn't sure, but I'm sure I used it in those circumstances though I'm also sure things have changed !

 

[normspanners]

Actually you dont need to use the clutch either on up shifts and on a dog box you dont need to use it at all.

 

[Bill Edwards]

on a hill ?

You shouldn't ever have the clutch pedal just held down (in gear or not) unless you need to - i.e, put the clutch down and select a gear when the car in front of you, or in front of that, is going to move. Holding the clutch pedal down for excessive periods of time is bad for the thrust bearing.

Last time I did an advanced motorcycle training course with police riders, the new thinking on the emergency stop was brake hard and leave the clutch alone and allow the bike to stall as it stopped you faster.

Personally, I did not like it as it leaves you with a dead motor, and having avoided contact with the numpty in front,you cannot accelerate out of the way of the numpty coming up your chuff.

Well if you pull in the clutch just before you reach stall point you would utilise the full benefit of the engine braking then disengage at the point where it's counterproductive to stopping leaving a running engine.
Maybe best not taught to some though as some may find it a bit much to think about in an emergency.

well you certainly wouldn't pass your test that way and you must use your handbrake during a test so I would imagine it is illegal to straddle 2 pedals with one foot and there is no way you have full control over either pedal, I bet there will be a law written somewhere that states how those controls must be used otherwise you couldn't be failed for it on a test

I don't think there will be any laws on what foot must be used for which pedal. And something that may lose points or fail on a driving test may not necessarily be illegal.

 

[Justme]

But it is best for the car because you are matching gear speeds by bliping the throttle between gears on a down shift.

I was talking about the original method IE holding the car still whilst in gear using the clutch.

I match engine to road / gear speed when changing up the gears. When coming down in speed the newer method is to miss most of the down changes & only change down once you know which gear you will actually need.

 

[rtbcomp]

..........How could you drive a non sychro gear box or a dog box without pressing the brake and use the throttle at the same time?? ...........

You couldn't, but I'd heel & toe rather than use one side of my foot for each pedal, less chance of my foot slipping off between the pedals.

Back to the original topic - It would have never occurred to me not to use the handbrake on a hill start because that's the way I was taught. I did have to use the feet only method once when I suffered a broken handbrake cable, but I find it easier to use the handbrake, and if it's easier there's less chance of making a mistake and therefore safer.

I don't think there will be any laws on what foot must be used for which pedal. And something that may lose points or fail on a driving test may not necessarily be illegal.

+1 It's all down to the examiner's opinion

 

[Justme]

Emergency stop, and manoeuvring round a corner/ into a parking space/ parallel parking? I would have thought you should also use it there?

The E stop is only done in 1/3rd of all tests. You still dont need to apply the H brake as long as you remain in control of the vehicle.

As each stop on the manoervers is so short there again is no requirement to use the H brake. Its taught that you use the H brake so that you are less likely to roll so more likely to pass. Its a numbers game. The hill start is much much easier to do when using the H brake but if you can do it without & still maintain control you will pass.

 

[normspanners]

another example I have driven this way all my life

but I'd heel & toe rather than use one side of my foot for each pedal,

on modern cars there isnt space for heel and toe

PS try heel and toe with size 15 shoes BTW

 

[daleyd]

The E stop is only done in 1/3rd of all tests. You still dont need to apply the H brake as long as you remain in control of the vehicle.

As each stop on the manoervers is so short there again is no requirement to use the H brake. Its taught that you use the H brake so that you are less likely to roll so more likely to pass. Its a numbers game. The hill start is much much easier to do when using the H brake but if you can do it without & still maintain control you will pass.

I thought the e stop was done in all tests and it was a couple of the manoeuvres out of the set , though I'm not sure - I could have just made all that up!! (It a been a while since I did my test)

 

[daleyd]

another example I have driven this way all my life

PS try heel and toe with size 15 shoes BTW

I've known racing drivers have done it for years but can't say I've ever felt the need to do it on the road. Getting to tesco has never been that important I need to shave a few seconds off!!

 

[normspanners]

I've known racing drivers have done it for years but can't say I've ever felt the need to do it on the road. Getting to tesco has never been that important I need to shave a few seconds off!!

it is not about shaving seconds off anything----- OK racing is all about car control------ driving anywhere is about car control the more control the better IMO

 

[Justme]

I thought the e stop was done in all tests and it was a couple of the manoeuvres out of the set , though I'm not sure - I could have just made all that up!! (It a been a while since I did my test)

Trust me its now 1 in 3 tests get the E stop. You then get one manouver out of the turn in the road, reverse left, parallel park or bay park & the reverse right (yes thats right a reverse right is an option but not used very often). They also added in the independent drive section of about 10 mins.