Simon Noonan, Author at Emmaus Driver Training

Turning Right at Traffic Lights

October 26, 2015 By Simon Noonan Leave a Comment

Confusion for Experienced and Beginner Drivers

There is much confusion amongst all drivers, both experienced and beginner, on how to handle right turns at traffic lights. However, it is one of the most critical driving skills to master for a young driver, as the consequences of an incorrect decision can be catastrophic.

Most drivers are familiar with the simple rules, if the right turning arrow is red, you don’t go; if the arrow is green, you can proceed (with caution!). However, many of our learners get it wrong when there is no arrow at all. Unfortunately, a good percentage see the light they are facing turn green and begin their turn into the path of oncoming traffic (thank heavens for the dual control pedals!).

Where Should You Wait?

Experienced drivers know that the correct thing to do is to wait for a safe gap in the oncoming traffic before making a right hand turn. What is less well known is where you should wait for that safe gap to appear. The correct place to wait for the safe gap in oncoming traffic is forward of the stop line in the intersection. This way, if the oncoming traffic continues until the light turns yellow (or even red), the turn may be completed on the yellow or red light. To be in the “intersection” the car must be far enough forward to be in line with traffic that would be approaching from your right.

Steering Straight Ahead

It is important to note that it is only allowable to do this when conditions are safe and only the first vehicle should move forward into the intersection. Also, it is important to remember as you move forward that you should keep your steering straight ahead. If your steering is turned to the right and the car behind bumps into you, you will be shunted into the path of the oncoming traffic.

The ability to turn right at a traffic light which has no right arrow correctly is one of the most important skills we believe a learner driver needs to have prior to sitting their licence test and we make sure that every one of our customers can perform such a turn safely.

If you’d like to know more about this blog or any aspect of our training, contact us for further information.

The Driving Assessment

October 12, 2015 By Simon Noonan Leave a Comment

What You Should Know Before Test Day

Ever wondered how a driving test is assessed? Here is some valuable information on what you should know before your test day.

The test lasts approximately 30 minutes and assesses a driver’s ability to operate a vehicle safely and correctly in a variety of driving situations. There are a number of “performance checks” the examiner will assess you on which fall under the headings of Pre Drive Checks, Vehicle Operation, Hazard Recognition/Decisions and Speed.

Errors

Each time a driving error is made, it will either be categorised as a Non-Critical Driving Error (NCDE) or a Critical Driving Error (CDE).

Non-Critical Driving Errors

An NCDE is an error that does not by itself compromise safety to road users or the safe operation of the vehicle. Common examples of these are:

Failing to indicate correctly in various situations
Insufficient or no shoulder checks when required
Incorrect road position
Stalling the vehicle without causing a dangerous situation

Nine or more NCDEs will result in an unsuccessful test. (Some NCDEs can culminate into a Specific Repeated Driving Error (SRDE), but this only happens on rare occasions).

Critical Driving Errors

A CDE is a driving error that compromises the safety of any road user or indicates an inappropriate level of skill or ability. Common examples of these are:

Speeding
Failing to Give Way to another vehicle
Failing to completely stop at a Stop Sign
Mounting a kerb (this is considered to be a collision and is known as a General Critical Driving Error
Disobeying a directional arrow (going straight ahead over an arrow directing a right turn)

One Critical Driving Error will result in an unsuccessful test.

Training Safe Drivers

When applying correct systems to their driving, as taught by our trainers, our experience is that very few clients are unsuccessful due to a culmination of too many Non Critical Errors. A single Critical Error is more commonly what brings an applicant undone on test day. The goal in lessons leading up to the test day then is to aim for Zero Critical Errors in their lessons. It is a good goal for a newly licenced P Plate driver to strive for also as it will help them to remain safe beyond their driving test.

If you’d like to know more about this blog or any aspect of our training, contact us for further information.

Lane Allocation Signs Approaching Roundabouts

September 28, 2015 By Simon Noonan Leave a Comment

When driving in unfamiliar areas, it can be quite difficult to know which lane to be in approaching various intersections, especially multi-laned roundabouts. With the help of a couple of illustrations, hopefully we can make this easier for you.

Rode Road Roundabout

McDowall Roundabout

The first image is of a sign approaching the intersection of Rode Rd, Queens Rd and Old Northern Rd in McDowall. As you look at the image, notice that there are two thick lines which represent the two lanes that enter the roundabout.

The line on the left (indicating an approach in the left lane) shows that it is legal to exit into either Rode Rd (1^st exit) or Old Northern Rd (2^nd exit).

The line on the right (indicating an approach in the right lane) shows that it is legal to exit into either Old Northern Rd (2^nd exit), Queens Rd (3^rd exit) or Old Northern Rd (4^th exit).

It is important to note that if you intend to take the second exit into Old Northern Rd towards Everton Park/City, entering the roundabout in the left lane will require you to exit into the left lane as you leave the roundabout. Entering in the right lane will require you to exit into the right lane as you leave the roundabout. Changing lanes within the roundabout is both illegal and dangerous!

Rothwell Roundabout

The second image is taken on Anzac Ave heading from Mango Hill towards the roundabout at Rothwell. Notice on this picture that there is three lanes entering the roundabout, so care must be taken to enter the roundabout in the correct lane.

The left most line, shows that this is the only lane into which a turn into McGahey St (1^st exit) can be made. It is also the lane to be in if you wish to enter the left lane of Deception Bay Road (2^nd exit).

The middle line, shows that this is the lane to be in if you wish to enter into the right lane of Deception Bay Rd (2^nd exit) or the left lane of Anzac Ave (3^rd exit).

The right most line shows only one path that may be travelled and that is a turn into the right lane of Anzac Ave (3^rd exit) heading towards Redcliffe. As with all roundabouts, this right lane is also the only lane to be in if you wish to make a U-Turn at the roundabout.

Changing Lanes on a Roundabout

Once again, changing lanes within the roundabout itself is both illegal and dangerous. If you are unlucky enough to be in the lane that does not take you where you want to go, it is always a better option to exit the roundabout safely, find somewhere to turn around and approach the roundabout again (hopefully in the correct lane this time). Any time lost in doing this is a small price to pay for remaining safe on the roads.

If you’d like to know more about this blog or any aspect of our training, contact us for further information.

Changing Lanes Whilst Driving

September 14, 2015 By Simon Noonan Leave a Comment

A Risky Manoeuvre

Changing lanes in traffic is recognised as one of the most risky manoeuvres we perform when driving. This is mainly due to the challenge in looking for vehicles in spots that are not normally seen when negotiating other traffic situations.

The MISS System

A simple system for making sure you give yourself the best chance to perform a lane change safely is to use the MISS system.

Mirrors
Indicator
Shoulder Check
Steer

Mirrors

Mirrors: Before driving, your mirrors should be adjusted for maximising vision around the car. The centre rear vision mirror should allow for vision through the rear window of the car. Each of the side mirrors of the car should be adjusted so that only a minimal part of the car is visible on the inside edge of the mirror (the rear door handle for example). If you can see a vehicle in the side mirror to the side you wish to merge, but do not have a clear view of the front of the vehicle in the centre mirror, that usually suggests the vehicle is too close to you to move in front of.

Indicator

Indicator: Sufficient signalling should be given to allow time for other vehicles to know your intentions. Usually, 5 seconds is enough.

Shoulder Check

Shoulder Check: As an exercise, sit in the driver seat with your mirrors properly adjusted. Then, ask another person to walk around your car standing in places that are just outside the viewing area of your mirrors. This will show you how much you need to turn your head to be able to see vehicles that are in your “blind spots.”

Steer

Steer: Once you are satisfied that it is clear to proceed with the merge, it’s time to then change lanes. Avoid steering while you are still shoulder checking. This will make your steering erratic and unsteady. Also, it is much smoother to pull on the steering wheel with your hand that is on the side that you are merging rather than pushing the wheel with your opposite hand. Make sure your indicator remains on until the merge is complete.

When NOT to Change Lanes

Lane changing (especially for inexperienced drivers), should be avoided, where possible, when approaching traffic lights. This would require awareness not only on the lane change process, but also on the traffic lights themselves. You don’t want to perform your shoulder check, then look forward to see a yellow light not knowing how long it’s been yellow for. It is also not advisable to change lanes approaching any other complex road situations for similar reasons.

Also, care should be taken when changing lanes on motorways with three or more lanes. Be sure that there are no vehicles moving into the lane you wish to occupy coming in from a lane two across from your current lane. This is a common cause of many motorway crashes.

Whilst gaining confidence in your lane changing techniques, a good idea is to advise any passengers you have in the vehicle that you are about to change lanes as the extra set of eyes can help scan for other vehicles.

If you’d like to know more about this blog or any aspect of our training, contact us for further information.

Automatic or Manual Driving Lessons?

August 12, 2015 By Simon Noonan 1 Comment

Automatic or Manual?

It’s a question we are often asked by learners and their parents. Should we go for an automatic or manual licence? The simple answer is that it is not a case of one shoe fits all. We’ve come up with a number of thoughts that can be considered when making this decision.

Driving Options

For some people, there is a decision that is made from an early stage that an automatic licence is all they will ever need. For many this is true. However, we have many clients every year contacting us to assist in upgrading from an automatic licence to a manual one. While this is not normally a difficult process – many clients in this position feel comfortable with their general driving and learning the gears is not as challenging as first thought – it is still an expense in time and money which leaves most wishing they’d just gotten the manual licence first time. If there is any probability that a manual licence could be needed for a job or even just driving a friend’s car home after a night out, then our advice is always to consider getting the licence that gives you the most driving options. That is, the manual licence.

Pathways to a Manual Licence

Let’s consider some pathways towards achieving a manual licence. Firstly, is there a manual car to practice on at home? If the answer is yes, it is definitely worth thinking about starting with manual lessons. This way, the learner has the opportunity to learn good manual driving habits right from the start. It might take a little longer to get to a point where the learner can drive to school or the shops, but this will provide a greater learning benefit in the long run.

If there is only an automatic car for the learner to gain their hours on, a couple of auto lessons at the start will allow the learner to get to a point where they can drive with Mum and/or Dad to get their driving confidence up. Manual lessons at this stage can be worthwhile, but the inability to practice between lessons increases the number of lessons required (which also increases the cost). Saving manual lessons for closer to the finish of the learner period will help gain momentum in manual driving leading up to the test.

Some families are lucky enough to have both automatic and manual cars available for the learner. In this situation, there is no right or wrong answer. Some prefer to do up to 50 hours in the auto building up a learner’s road craft skills, then switch to the manual. Others go into the manual car at the start so a learner does not get too comfortable driving an automatic, which could lead to anxiety about switching to a manual car later on.

Manual & Automatic Car Driving Lessons

Whether it be manual or auto, Emmaus Driver Training has the vehicles and the trainers to support you whichever way you decide to go.

If you’d like to know more about this blog or any aspect of our training, contact us for further information.

What to Expect at Your First Driving Lesson

July 27, 2015 By Simon Noonan Leave a Comment

So, you’ve just turned 16, popped down to the transport department and passed your learner licence test. Congratulations!! Now what?!

Many of our customers are quite apprehensive about their first driving lesson. A common fear is “what if I crash the car?” or “what if I can’t do what they expect me to be able to do?” We realise that although the trainer has delivered a “lesson one” hundreds of times, it’s the first time for our customer.

In a Manual Car

For a manual car, lesson one is all about allowing a beginner driver to learn and experience how the mechanics of the car work through explanation, demonstration and “having a go.” We take the learner to a quiet, flat road and explain, with the assistance of diagrams, how the clutch, accelerator and brake interact with each other to get a car moving and stopping. We encourage learners to spend time feeling where the “friction point” of the clutch is without using the accelerator at all. Bit by bit, we introduce the accelerator on take offs, how to change gears, how to do hill starts and in most cases, we begin an introduction to using a System of Vehicle Control which drivers use as best practice for approaching intersections. Again, this is all done in a quiet area away from traffic and complex road situations. Our goal is for a beginner driver to come home knowing how to “drive a car” even if they haven’t yet mastered the skill. Other concepts such as learning how controls such as wipers, headlights, air controls etc are a part of our overall program. However, we prefer to focus on basic vehicle operation skills in the first lesson to inspire our learners to feel that driving a manual car is not beyond them.

In an Automatic Car

For an automatic car, it’s obviously easier for a beginner driver to learn the basic vehicle operation skills. The accelerator makes the car go faster and the brake slows the car down. Our focus shifts to working with the learner on “feeling” the pedals to achieve a soft and gentle transition through speeding up and slowing down. We also work on correct steering and vision techniques for left turns and right turns to achieve the most effective turning positions when cornering. Once again, this is done in quiet streets away from other traffic to ensure our customer is not distracted or intimidated by other road users. If the learner demonstrates enough competence and confidence to drive the car home at the end of the lesson, we encourage this to happen to enhance the sense of achievement.

Prior Experience

Of course, many of our lesson one customers already have some driving experience. Rather than forcing them to sit through explanations of things they may already know, we work with the customer to explore the things they can already do well and identify the areas that require teaching and improvement. We always like to provide the reasoning behind why one particular driving technique might work better than another and allow the learner the opportunity to try a variety of options to discover a system that works for them within the expectations of a driving assessment. Getting a car moving on an uphill slope is an example of this.

Dual Controls

It is most important to remember that we have dual control pedals (clutch (for manual cars), accelerator and brake) installed in all of our training vehicles. With the exception of steering and indicating, we can (and often do) fully operate the car from the passenger side. Some of our more nervous learners enjoy their first experience behind the wheel to simply be steering to get a feel for how the steering wheel impacts on turning the car. It is also not uncommon for a customer to ask for a family member to come along as well as an observer. This practice is most definitely encouraged by us as it helps to provide a consistency for the learner between lessons.

If you’d like to know more about this blog or any aspect of our training, contact us for further information.