Thursday 26 November 2020

Not a clue what he means





If you are new to driving training, here is a very helpful blog to inform you of some of the turdimology, [oops!], terminology that is commonly heard in the industry.  The following is just a few, but it might help you on your way!


Clutch control - one of the earlier practical skills we encourage our beginners to practice for smoothness as the gears engage.  By slowly raising or lowering the clutch pedal, it pulls or pushes the clutch plates apart - this affects whether the vehicle begins to move.  There is a 'biting point' range that it is good for a pupil to experiment with by very small adjustments with the clutch pedal.  [TOP TIP - the thickness of their shoe sole can make this hard work]


Limit point - A tricky one to describe in words alone but in essence it is technique used to judge the sharpness of a bend in the road.  This is useful to have in the armoury as the sharper the bend, the slower the approach (and lower the gear).  For maximum stability of the vehicle, we want pupils to have done braking and gear changes BEFORE entering the bend.


Safe space - This is attempting to develop a safety margin of space between the vehicle being driven and anything else.  It applies to the front, back and sides of the vehicle.  A good notion to get in the mind of our pupil early on, as it helps to keep everyone safe.


Defensive driving - A big subject in itself.  This is all about reducing danger/risk by heightening our pupil's awareness of what is happening around them or in the not too distant future.  It's a fundamental mindset of safe driving because it incorporates many different (invisible) skills such as awareness, control of emotions and the vehicle, planning, anticipating.  This is an interesting subject because it raises many topics that could otherwise be overlooked as it goes into far more detail than just physically driving.


Full lock - the full extent of steering that can be applied to the steering wheel.  It doesn't do any harm showing pupils how much steering actually affects the front wheels in either direction.


Less vision, less speed - instructors probably mumble this one in their sleep.  It sounds so obvious, but should be expanded upon initially, as it is a vital concept for maintaining long-term safe driving.  This is an example of when an instructor can say something to a pupil, but if it is not properly understood, simply repeating the phrase adds very little benefit to the learning.


Blindspot - there are many of these for a driver when in the driver's seat.  With engine off, get out the vehicle, walk around, bend down, just hide in various places and demonstrate to the pupil in the driver's seat, just how little they can see!


You me me you - a little ditty that some pupils will find very useful to remind them which way to turn the steering wheel on a reverse parallel park


Progressive braking - a good braking technique with many benefits. It describes the intensity of braking at three stages of normal braking.


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