It's not a practical application that you'd use; The theory test requires you to need to know them. But once you've passed you won't need them.
Considering an intensive driving course.
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It's not a practical application that you'd use; The theory test requires you to need to know them. But once you've passed you won't need them.
It's a 2 second gap. If you can't watch the car in front pass a sign and say 'Only a fool breaks the two second rule' while following a car in front, you probably need more lessons...
And once you realise how big a gap that is, you start to wonder why there aren't a LOT more accidents!
in general - Only A Fool Breaks The Two Second Rule. If the car in front gets to a point - say a street lamp, or a road marking - if you say "Only A Fool Breaks The Two Second Rule" and you reach the same point before you finish saying it in your head - you're too close. As you travel faster, you'll want to rethink this, but it's a good starting point.
In general you want to leave about 1 metre per mph you're travelling. Or from 30mph leave 3 car lengths - then as you add 10 mph, add another 3 cars. 40mph = 6 car lengths. 50mph = 9 car lengths. 60 + 70 leave more space (I can't remember the numbers).
When driving, if you ever have to ask yourself the question "if they stop in front of me right now, will I crash?" then the answer is yes - you will crash.
Vans and things are usually manual even these days. I'd never buy a manual car, but to not be _able_ to drive a manual would be quite limiting i feel, for the sake of something which is very easy as soon as you are taught and get the hang of it.
That'll take an awful long time to filter through to the more local companies even if the new fleets became fully automatic right now. If you avoid the big names and just want a big luton van for the cheapest price, as i have when renting something to move some big items for example, the vans which i have been given are more often than not over 10-15 years old!
I realise that this is an occasional use thing which you could work around, but why worry your whole life about the gearbox that something might have, for the sake of something so easy to learn
The problem is as soon as you leave that sized gap some other plonker comes along and thinks "Oh yeah I'll fit nicely in that gap"
It's even more irritating on a bike where you really do want to leave that gap.That'll take an awful long time to filter through to the more local companies even if the new fleets became fully automatic right now. If you avoid the big names and just want a big luton van for the cheapest price, as i have when renting something to move some big items for example, the vans which i have been given are more often than not over 10-15 years old!
I realise that this is an occasional use thing which you could work around, but why worry your whole life about the gearbox that something might have, for the sake of something so easy to learn
True - some of the smaller names will probably buy some of the manuals off the bigger ones as they move over as well maybe.
Definitely, i assume that they naturally filter down through the auctions until well and truly end of life.
One Luton which i rented quite recently was so old (a Ford) that it had a huge near metre long shifter coming out of the floor, with a dash design similar to a Mk1 era Mondeo (it had a private plate on it with the company name as the last 3 letters, as all of the vans do at this local place in Abingdon, Oxon). It'll be a while before that company has an automatic one i'd think
When the motorway is busy you see heaps of cars travelling at 50mph plus and you'd be a millionaire if you got a quid for everyone not following it.
I like the "only a fool breaks the 2 second rule", I'll keep that in mind.
I like the "only a fool breaks the 2 second rule", I'll keep that in mind.
Pretty much this. You'll quickly find that the biggest danger to you on the road is everyone else. When we drove to Bath in torrential rain you could barely see 5 car lengths ahead. I could count the number of people doing less than 90 on 2 hands for most of the journey - it was absolutely ridiculous. Unsurprisingly, we drove past at least 3 accidents.
1 car was stuck in a concrete siding.
1 car was wrapped around a tree.
3 cars crashed into each other and blocked a lane.
Any of them would've been lucky to get out without some kind of major injury.
I've also realised this is making it sound horrific driving! It's not that bad once you realise that it's a dog-eat-dog world, but so long as you drive responsibly, that's one less person being a ____.
The problem is as soon as you leave that sized gap some other plonker comes along and thinks "Oh yeah I'll fit nicely in that gap"
Absolutely - and its worse if you're driving on active cruise control because the car then slams on the brakes to re-establish its minimum safe distance...
The issue is that (allegedly) 80% of all drivers think they are above average, so by definition the remaining 20% must be really awful to drag the average down so much...
I learned to drive 37 years ago and there was no written test, the eyesight test was to read a car number plate at 10m (30 feet) and basically all you had to do was NOT lock the wheels up when doing an emergency stop (which the examiner indicated he wanted you to do by hitting a rolled-up newspaper on the dashboard). When my dad (now 91) learned to drive he literally filled out a form at the post office and drove up and down the runway at Edinburgh Airport a couple of times to familiarise himself with the controls before roaring off like Toad of Toad Hall doubtless! Is it any wonder there are so many bad drivers out there?
The freedom it gives you is one of the best things in the world though.
Soldato
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I personally found learning (in SE London) quite mentally taxing, as the roads round here are quite busy other than the residential estates you’re initially taken to for the absolute basics. At first I wanted to do loads of double lessons multiple times per week, but that quickly become just a single lesson twice a week because otherwise I’d end up drained and making silly mistakes towards the end. As I got more proficient I took some doubles as my test was coming and I could handle longer drives, but I couldn’t imagine doing hours and hours at a time, especially early on.
First thing is just to get the driving theory/hazard awareness apps and rinse them, then go and take that test and pass it, which should be easy if you’ve done all the mock ones several times. Then find a good private instructor who does semi-intensive or where you can do multiple lessons per week, and who wants you to be a good driver who will pass the test easily, vs the approach of many a company/driving school where they’re happy to just get you to a level that’ll probably be enough not to fail as long as you don’t rack up too many minors, then you’re let loose on the road with no further instruction.
It’s also worth bearing in mind you have no idea how long it’ll take to get sufficiently capable behind the wheel; some people pick it up quicker than others, whether that’s the operation of the car (and you should learn manual because even if they’re being phased out gradually here, you might go abroad and hire one and not get another choice), road sense or the combination of the two - you might not need 48 hours total to pick it up, you might need more, but you can’t know until you do it.
First thing is just to get the driving theory/hazard awareness apps and rinse them, then go and take that test and pass it, which should be easy if you’ve done all the mock ones several times. Then find a good private instructor who does semi-intensive or where you can do multiple lessons per week, and who wants you to be a good driver who will pass the test easily, vs the approach of many a company/driving school where they’re happy to just get you to a level that’ll probably be enough not to fail as long as you don’t rack up too many minors, then you’re let loose on the road with no further instruction.
It’s also worth bearing in mind you have no idea how long it’ll take to get sufficiently capable behind the wheel; some people pick it up quicker than others, whether that’s the operation of the car (and you should learn manual because even if they’re being phased out gradually here, you might go abroad and hire one and not get another choice), road sense or the combination of the two - you might not need 48 hours total to pick it up, you might need more, but you can’t know until you do it.
That’s like turning up a secondary school and being told you’re going to skip 4 years and go straight into A-levels. Driving in London is just hellish. Not quite up there with Paris or Rome, but still off-the-scale difficult.
The OP is in a rather nice part of Manchester with plenty of quiet streets and even some lovely dual carriageway right on their doorstep. It’ll be a doddle compared to
The problem is as soon as you leave that sized gap some other plonker comes along and thinks "Oh yeah I'll fit nicely in that gap"
That's my partners biggest pet peeve. She's been in a couple of motorway shunts and likes a good gap infront of her to brake if needed. There's always some clever clogs who fills it up!
Soldato
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My mum learned in central London more-or-less, so I had it easy in suburbia. TBH it’s more the attitude of some drivers rather than the amount of them that can make it annoying, but it makes going anywhere else a doddle.