A sign of bad driving

So on my way home yesterday, I tried a couple of these "bad habits" out. I sat at one set of traffic lights using the footbrake and with the clutch down and it in gear, and I did another one balancing on the biting point.

Both felt incredibly stupid and were far more awkward than knocking it into neutral and pulling the handbrake up.

... Err, not in that order. :p
 
What if shunted from the rear with the handbrake on? Only the rear brakes are gonna hold you. All four brakes is safer to keep you from contacting the car in front of you!
 
ndmrpwr said:
What if shunted from the rear with the handbrake on? Only the rear brakes are gonna hold you. All four brakes is safer to keep you from contacting the car in front of you!
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If you get hit from behind you'll probably let go of the brake to some extent, if not completely. You don't tend to sit in traffic holding the brake down like you are doing an emergency stop do you? The motion of the car jerking forwards will probably knock your foot off of the pedal.
 
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At lights I know, I sometimes keep it in first, because it gives me the flexibility of being fast of the mark, which can impact upon my success of a couple other lights. :p
 
ndmrpwr said:
What if shunted from the rear with the handbrake on? Only the rear brakes are gonna hold you. All four brakes is safer to keep you from contacting the car in front of you!
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No sitting with one foot on the brake and the other foot on the clutch is just poor driving practice.

Should you be unlucky enough to get shunted from behind, there's a pretty good chance you feet will slip from the pedals. Foot comes off the brake and you are into the car in front or worse pushed out into a busy junction. Other foot is off the clutch with car in gear and you may even drive into the car in front. With parking brake on it may well only be on the rear wheels but once it's on it's on. You don't have to hold your hand on it to have it help stop you.

Sitting with you foot on the footbrake in standing traffic is especially poor practice at night in misty foggy conditions. All the poor bloke who is behind you can see is the glare from you brake lights. It's just poor/lazy driving technique.
 
ndmrpwr said:
What if shunted from the rear with the handbrake on? Only the rear brakes are gonna hold you. All four brakes is safer to keep you from contacting the car in front of you!
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Yes I love it when the car in front with big bright LEDs that are high up shine in my face for 1 min while I wait at a traffic light at night. If you can't quickly release the handbrake and put the car in gear when the lights go from red to red/amber, go and practise in a car park or something.
 
Would be nice if driving instructors (or at least mine) would have said it causes damage sitting with your foot on the clutch. Taught to put handbrake on when you're expecting to wait like at traffic lights (and possibly to put it in neutral, can't remember tbh) but after passing just ended up sitting with feet on the pedals out of laziness. Will make sure I put it in neutral from now on.
 
Phantom Shadow said:
Would be nice if driving instructors (or at least mine) would have said it causes damage sitting with your foot on the clutch. Taught to put handbrake on when you're expecting to wait like at traffic lights (and possibly to put it in neutral, can't remember tbh) but after passing just ended up sitting with feet on the pedals out of laziness. Will make sure I put it in neutral from now on.
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Same. My instructor actively taught me to just rest on the pedal when stationary at lights and junctions unless it was an extended wait. He also discouraged handbrake use as he said that was a practice from long ago when car brakes weren't as good as they are now.

/shrug
 
MooMoo444 said:
Same. My instructor actively taught me to just rest on the pedal when stationary at lights and junctions unless it was an extended wait. He also discouraged handbrake use as he said that was a practice from long ago when car brakes weren't as good as they are now.

/shrug
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Your instructor sounds like a bit of a muppet who should be taught how to drive himself. :p
 
MooMoo444 said:
Same. My instructor actively taught me to just rest on the pedal when stationary at lights and junctions unless it was an extended wait. He also discouraged handbrake use as he said that was a practice from long ago when car brakes weren't as good as they are now.

/shrug
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:confused: Handbrake is much safer and much easier to use :L
 
Phantom Shadow said:
Would be nice if driving instructors (or at least mine) would have said it causes damage sitting with your foot on the clutch. Taught to put handbrake on when you're expecting to wait like at traffic lights (and possibly to put it in neutral, can't remember tbh) but after passing just ended up sitting with feet on the pedals out of laziness. Will make sure I put it in neutral from now on.
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Problem is there are a lot of "instructors" in the system who are not actually fully qualified and are instructing on a "Pink licence" instead of a full licence. The system really needs changing, problem is there is a lot of money being made out of training instructors.

Use of the parking brake is covered in "Driving the Essential skills" which is the syllabus for learning how to drive. In the parking brake section it covers it's correct use, which is what the instructor should instruct to.

Also instructors are periodically graded 6 being the highest. Only around 6% are at grade 6. Though there are rumblings the grading system will be changed at some point.

Grade 6 - A very high standard with no significant instructional weaknesses.
Grade 5 - A good overall performance with some minor weaknesses in instructional technique.
Grade 4 - Competent performance with some minor deficiencies in instructional technique.
Grade 3 - Inadequate overall performance with some deficiencies in instructional technique.
Grade 2 - A poor overall performance with numerous deficiencies in instructional technique.
Grade 1 - Overall standard of instruction extremely poor or dangerous.

Grade E - This is a grade 1, 2 or 3 but if you have been teaching for less than 1 year you get given an E (educational) grade and a kick up the backside.


Plus it's easy to allow poor driving habits creep without even realising, when you're left to you own devices.
 
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Is there any way to find out the grade of an instructor or do you just have to ask them what they got?

My instructor had taught my properly, but knowing what you should be doing is a bit different to knowing why you should be doing it though. Of course most instructors are just trying to get you to pass the test, not get you to understand the workings of the car. If I'd known it was bad for the car then I may not have crept into this particular poor driving habit.
 
I flick it into neutral if I'm standing still for more than about 5 seconds. More comfortable and less wear and tear. Even if I'm at some lights or a roundabout with it in neutral and the handbrake on, I can usually get going faster than everyone else around me. There's no excuse really.
 
Phantom Shadow said:
Is there any way to find out the grade of an instructor or do you just have to ask them what they got?

My instructor had taught my properly, but knowing what you should be doing is a bit different to knowing why you should be doing it though. Of course most instructors are just trying to get you to pass the test, not get you to understand the workings of the car. If I'd known it was bad for the car then I may not have crept into this particular poor driving habit.
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Easiest way is just ask. If they have a good grade they won't be shy it telling you. Instructors are required by law to display their badge while instructing. If it's a green one then they are qualified. If it's "Pink" then they are still in their training phase.

A decent instructor will tech you to drive and all the things that you should know, not just to pass the test. Not only should they tell you the how's and why's but give you the supporting knowledge. I instructed up until 2012 but had a few health problems and just got a bit fed up with it. There only so many times you can teach a turn in the road before going doolally...:):):)
 
Just had a new clutch fitted but got 125k out of the original one so not bad going IMO.

When stationary for anything more than a few seconds it's handbrake on and in neutral because I'm lazy and can't be bothered to sit there holding down pedals when I can do nothing.
 
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