Charles Morgan
MB Enthusiast
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2010
- Messages
- 8,206
- Car
- Mercedes 250CE W114, Alfa Romeo GT Coupe 3.2 V6
For the last few months I have been learning the RoSPA taught Advanced Driving course, which is based on Roadcraft, the Police driving manual (with tiny differences). After an induction day with the local Thames Valley group, I was assigned a local tutor, a volunteer, and we would go out about once a week to work on all the aspects of Roadcraft, including commentary driving.
The reason behind it was a cumulative awareness that I was having too many incidents where I felt my safety in the car was being compromised. Taking the view that while I felt most were the result of others bad driving, I was at equal fault for not anticipating the dangers, so decided that I had to improve the safety of my driving.
Apart from the commentary driving (where you describe what you observe as hazards to you as you drive) the use of road position, smooth braking and acceleration, far and near observation and pull push steering, all were about refining and improving how you drive. Plus of course, refreshing the memory about the Highway Code, which I admit I last read before my driving test 35 years ago.
I found my tutor, Olly, excellent, a fair critic of what I was doing wrong and a great help in building on what I was doing right. Finally, after two postponements as I was ill, I had my test yesterday. It was taken by a retired tactical pursuit traffic police officer, and he set me a course and observed my skills over nearly an hour and a half. Apart from slightly going over the speed limit on two occasions, which I quickly corrected, and a degree of nerves at the start, he stated I'd passed with a gold, the highest standard possible at this stage.
Apart from improving my driving, it has really revitalised my enthusiasm behind the wheel. Nothing will make sitting in a jam more pleasant, but many a tedious drive has been improved by a commentary and implementing the system of driving well. I heartily recommend it, it requires a modest financial commitment (about £50 to join the local Roadar group and the same to sit the test) but a greater time and effort requirement.
The reason behind it was a cumulative awareness that I was having too many incidents where I felt my safety in the car was being compromised. Taking the view that while I felt most were the result of others bad driving, I was at equal fault for not anticipating the dangers, so decided that I had to improve the safety of my driving.
Apart from the commentary driving (where you describe what you observe as hazards to you as you drive) the use of road position, smooth braking and acceleration, far and near observation and pull push steering, all were about refining and improving how you drive. Plus of course, refreshing the memory about the Highway Code, which I admit I last read before my driving test 35 years ago.
I found my tutor, Olly, excellent, a fair critic of what I was doing wrong and a great help in building on what I was doing right. Finally, after two postponements as I was ill, I had my test yesterday. It was taken by a retired tactical pursuit traffic police officer, and he set me a course and observed my skills over nearly an hour and a half. Apart from slightly going over the speed limit on two occasions, which I quickly corrected, and a degree of nerves at the start, he stated I'd passed with a gold, the highest standard possible at this stage.
Apart from improving my driving, it has really revitalised my enthusiasm behind the wheel. Nothing will make sitting in a jam more pleasant, but many a tedious drive has been improved by a commentary and implementing the system of driving well. I heartily recommend it, it requires a modest financial commitment (about £50 to join the local Roadar group and the same to sit the test) but a greater time and effort requirement.
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