Articles
A selection of article submissions from some of our members, discussing some of the Group's various activities
Reflections on taking the Advanced Driving Test
After several very helpful training sessions, I had my first RoADAR driving test, having previously taken the IAM and IAM Masters tests. Roger Ware (RoSPA Examiner) and I met at Exeter services - a good location as it allowed me to have a nerve-settling coffee and bacon roll before the test! From our initial meeting and throughout the test, Roger was extremely pleasant and approachable whilst being totally professional and very observant. Our starting point was an eyesight test and walk around the car with me explaining various aspects of it, including particular characteristics, the technologies available and how I planned to use them on our drive, and why. This was followed by a run-through of POWDERY, with an emphasis on “You” (it’s worth remembering the mnemonic: “I M S A F E”. It is also worth mentioning any particular personal aspects that may impact on driving - for example I have diabetes and arthritis in my thumbs). Inside the car we went through the cockpit drill prior to a clear explanation from Roger of what was expected during the drive and the approximate route we were going to take. The route was a mixture of urban, country A roads and motorway. Directions were excellent; really helpful at some of the more confusing roundabouts and junctions around Exeter! We left the Services, headed past the Met. Office towards the University and onto the A377 near St David’s rail station. This part of the journey had lots of traffic, making progress slow. Turing off the A377 onto the A396 we passed over the narrow bridge near the Fisherman’s Cot (unfortunately without a refreshment stop!). We kept on the A396 into Tiverton, following a rather slow-moving car with the only potential opportunities for overtaking being accompanied by approaching vehicles. There was very little chance of demonstrating dynamic driving which I had hoped to do for part of the route - next time! We headed through Tiverton, onto the A361 and returned along the M5 to Exeter Services about 80 minutes after leaving. We ended the drive reversing into a car parking space at the Services, going through the shut-down procedures, followed by a useful debrief from Roger. Throughout the drive I gave a commentary in various levels of detail: somewhat fuller near the start, including a few explanations of the IPSGA system of car-control and limit point at bends. Subsequently, I concentrated on observation and consequential planned actions: “conscious decision-making”. Roger asked several questions whilst we were driving. Roger’s subsequent test report provided clear comments on a wide range of areas (worth thinking about each of these when preparing for the test, there is good explanation on the RoSPA website) and in a note by clicking HERE.: To my surprise I found the experience most enjoyable and are looking forward to my next test in three years’ time (and hopefully another gold!)
Report on a recent drive / ride (1)
The route was from Marsh Barton to finishing at Heron Farm, Weston (near Honiton). Weather forecast had looked awful, but on the morning it seemed the bulk of that weather pattern had managed to skirt us by earlier giving bright sunny skies. Which actually led to adding further challenges. You’ll have to read on! The briefing was about following the theme on from a previous Group meeting about giving ourselves space from the vehicles in front to get better views up and around the road ahead. That there will be plenty of pinch points, closed in high hedges and narrow bridges, so looking up ahead to where those pull-in areas are was a must. As well as dealing with any local traffic users doing their bombing around. Using the old back roads, route was out of Marsh Barton and pass Pathfinder Village onto Tedburn St. Mary. Then turn north to head for Crediton. This road saw lots of narrow pinches with undulations and concealed entrances to watch out for. Before Crediton town centre, taking the Tiverton direction for Bickleigh, this leg was generally quicker with easier road ahead reading. Turning right over Bickleigh Bridge (which was mercifully quiet for the cars bringing up the rear!) and down the A396 to pick up the Silverton turn off. There was a good example on this single road for not bunching up with a car in front, using forward observing and holding back near passing spots. Car 50-75 yds behind afforded help to the car in front having to manoeuvre back to accommodate an oncoming bus and cars following it (well done!) This allowed the flow of traffic to work itself out, to keep moving and pass each other without any dramas. Silverton to Ellerhayes Bridge Then onto Broadclyst to take the left elbow turning passing the Culm Valley College past Broadclyst Station. Quick mention in case you saw it about my taking that left elbow turn wide-deep. It gave me better view which then allowed me to straighten and tuck on the inside to avoid an oncoming 4 x 4 straddling the centre line nonchalantly! Using the old A30 took us through Fairmile, Gosford and Fenny Bridges then onto that ‘S’ bend going under the main A30 before the Weston turn off. Arriving at the Heron Farm we were warmly greeted by two members who had grabbed a lovely table under cover to soak up the autumnal sunshine (actually turned out to be baking!). Refreshments and cakes were a great way to catch up with everybody. Casual de-briefing revealed how we all experienced the awkwardness of the sun’s reflection on the wet roads after heading south over Bickleigh Bridge. Not only did the dazzle ‘hide’ the road markings, but also ‘lit up’ your dashboard making forward visibility trickier. Plus those conditions highlight (pun?) if you’ve kept your windscreen clean both inside and outside. Interestingly, being a new route for us, all felt our concentration and forward observing became sharper. Though is that saying whenever we’re on our regular routes (particularly those day in, day out ones), we might not be so switched on?!
Report on a recent drive / ride (2)
Three cars and three bikes met at Ajoy’s in Exeter. Again, it was great having both cars and motorcycles: makes for more interesting discussion! This time, the drive/ride was focussed on spotting drivers and riders who appear to be doing something dangerous, illegal or 'wrong'. Perhaps those who are inattentive, distracted, tired, ill or just downright 'poor' drivers or riders! We also tried to predict these sort of behaviours before they happen, using that information as part of our planning. After the usual interesting discussions in Ajoy’s car park, we all set off at about 14.15. The drive took us through Exeter and out along the A30 before turning off through Cranbrook and finding the road closed. Fortunately there were several ways around the closure (not signposted!). South on the B3180 took us to the A3052 and through Seaton for a look at the sea. From there we headed north, ending up at the Fordmore Farm Shop for refreshments. Unfortunately, we arrived there at about 16.05, just as they were shutting. Still, a good discussion amongst the car drivers/passengers about what was spotted on the journey ensued in the carpark. The Bikers were very sensible in stopping at a garage/café a bit earlier. Our sat navs and phones highlighted a major road closure on the M5 and chaos on the surrounding roads, so instead of completing the route as planned, we headed back to Honiton and either drove home or returned to Ajoy’s. Lots of ‘silly’ things were spotted, including: Two cars going through red lights, one accelerating madly (in both senses of the word!) 20mph zone in Cranbrook: ‘boy racer’ catching us and then driving too close clearly unaware of the speed limit or the two second rule On the A35, a motorcyclist that was riding too close behind one of our bikers at the rear. He then overtook and did the same to our two other riders. Ironically his bike was a 125cc with L plates on it….so clearly it was us that had too little talent and not him! At least one of his overtakes were done on bends as well, without good visibility A really “interesting” driver who first went across the give-way at a roundabout, luckily the car on the roundabout managed to stop a metre short of a crash. The driver seemed to not understand that there are two sides to most roads, drifting needlessly over the centre line. He/she also accelerated towards a pedestrian crossing, braking just in time to miss the people crossing. They also drove really slowly for about 5 miles braking now and again when there was no obvious need. Luckily, they turned off our route! Roundabout on the A35: a vehicle on the roundabout did not signal (and was possibly in the wrong lane), which caused me to have to brake abruptly at the give way line. Had they given correct signals, I would have made a smoother stop A car swerving into ‘our’ side of the road to avoid a poor road surface on their left – luckily I’d spotted the surface and kept to the left as far as possible, a bit of lucky anticipation there! A car bouncing up the pavement to get past a car waiting to turn right Several cars crossing double continuous white lines, including on bends with low visibility Cars passing cyclists far too close (though most were very good) A ‘one-handed’ wobbly cyclist – the other holding his phone; no helmet
Report on masterclass:
Emergency braking and obstacle avoidance (1)
A wet empty airfield on a Saturday in October? Sounds like perfect conditions for practicing emergency braking! We advanced drivers often hear the words "plan" and "practice". They go hand in hand; a plan is pointless without having first tested it. Practice drills are everywhere - on warships, when learning self-defence, or for an office fire-drill. We can say the same about driving. Our dashcams aren't filled with incidents of cars coming at us from all directions. But has their infrequency made us take our foot off the pedal (no pun intended) with practicing for them? With the above in mind, the masterclass on emergency braking and avoidance was welcome. We visited Smeatharpe airfield to practice what we (fortunately) don't often need to do. We had exclusive hire of the facility for the day, providing a safe environment. The weather was poor but the low-friction wet surface was a bonus. It reduced tyre wear and allowed practice in difficult conditions. There was no pressure to perform or to outdo each other, as such the event was suitable for all members. For safety. we divided the facility into slow, medium, and fast zones and set out situations to work through. These included a braking point and then a marked obstacle later to avoid. In the slow (30mph) zone we practiced emergency stopping and steering (on ABS) around obstacle in tight urban situations. We had a broad cross-section of vehicles present. The differences in performance caused by varying centres of gravity and vehicle weights were interesting. As we moved up to the medium (50-60mph) zone, we practiced the same, but in more challenging conditions. Interestingly, these situations proved to be uneventful, as the majority of modern cars handle them easily. Moving to the high speed zone (70mph and above), was a very different story. We first practiced emergency braking at increasing speeds, until we were performing stops from well over 100mph! The differences in stopping distances were shorter than we thought, but we do need to remember reaction time/distance. At 70mph we travel 31m/s but at 100mph this increases by around 50% to 45m/s. Once comfortable with these high speeds, we raised the bar by braking and avoiding obstacles. Bikes, roof-boxes and builders rubble falling from vehicles is not uncommon. The emergency services are under increasing pressure and aren't clearing these obstacles as fast as we would like. The rising speeds tested our mettle - emergency braking from 100+mph and swerving around obstacles requires skill and fortitude! It took a couple of attempts to feel comfortable with this. These extreme situations are very unlikely, but being able to handle them benefits us when driving at legal speeds on normal roads.
Report on masterclass:
Emergency braking and obstacle avoidance (2)
I set off from Plymouth with doubts about the weather which was promising to be rather wet. The drive to the meeting café was reasonably straight forward. There were two accidents on the Plymouth side of Haldon neither of which were serious or held me up for long. I caught up with a car on the last leg to the café and thought from their driving that they must be on the same mission which proved to be correct. It says a lot about the general way people drive that it should be so obvious when following an advanced driver! Coffee and a bacon roll with the other members who had arrived were very welcome and we then had a briefing about our objectives for the day. I was pleased to see that there were several women there as the ratio often leaves a lot to be desired. It was also good that some relatively new members to the Group came. We then had a speedy drive to the airfield, so speedy that several of us couldn’t keep up. What was the speed limit on those roads came to mind?! On arrival at the airfield time was taken to inspect the runway surfaces for the safety of the bikes and to work out the way to use it best for all. Braking distance cones were put in place and a braking/steering maze set up. Everyone took time to test their braking at various speeds from thirty to whatever the fast ones did (in a few cases close to 100mph)! Those in the know also tried braking hard while steering as well but it didn’t occur to me and I don’t remember anyone mentioning it. I was very happy with the fast and easy way my car behaved though. The maze was also tried by most. I found it a good lesson in not going into things too fast. I upped my speed until it was obvious I would have hit something, I think that was at about forty for me the way it was set up. We were all pleasantly surprised by the way modern cars handled and stopped so well under extreme conditions both braking and through the maze. We then went on to speed. The weather was drizzly and misty which meant both visibility and the surface were poor. We were parked about halfway and just off the runway where another crossed it. Nick was safety officer indicating when it was safe to make the run. At first it was very hard to see him, so his subsequent use of a light signal helped. I was interested to see how fast I could make my BMW go and was under the impression that it had a 1800cc engine, I subsequently learned that it was only 1500cc which made me feel even better and yes, I should have known. The runway had a slight fall to about halfway and then rose up sufficiently to not be able to see over the top to the fence which was not much further on. This meant that it was a game of chicken as to when to brake. I had several runs none of which got me to over 100mph but I live in hope that had the runway been longer I would have reached well, goodness knows what. I did apologise for my one run the wrong way down the runway which I did after carefully looking to make sure it was safe but in the heat of the moment without remembering that was the safety zone, oops. At least three of the drivers managed close to 130mph on this part of the day, quite an achievement given the conditions! All said how exhilarating this was, even if a bit scary on the damp surface and seeing the fence loom-up rather quickly. Even at this speed, all were very happy how their cars performed. The extreme situations we practiced are very unlikely, but being able to handle them benefits us when driving at legal speeds.
Christmas meal 2021
The December meeting was a festive event, spent at The Cat & Fiddle in Clyst St Mary. The venue was easy to find (somewhat biased as I already knew where it was!) and parking ample. It had been refurbed during the dreaded Covid and pot holes were now non-existent, inside was pretty good too. I suspect due to ongoing doubts arising from Covid it was quite quiet, and we had a big area to ourselves (or our reputation preceded us!). We spent a relaxed evening chatting and getting to know everybody. The food was good with plenty of it, nothing gastro pubby but decent fayre. Damian excelled himself with the quiz, which was amusing and kept us all occupied. This was mainly because we collaborated so our team skills were put to good use. Not quite the idea Damian had in mind I suspect but there was a winner, with many runners up to share the sweety bounty. I seem to remember a retro theme to the quiz, cleverly followed with retro sweetie prizes. Nothing if not thorough is our Damian! All in all a much needed enjoyable, relaxing evening
Christmas events in 2022 and 2023
These two years, by popular demand, we held our Christmas social gathering in our normal meeting room at the Kenn Centre. These events involved a "pot-luck-picnic", members bringing food and/or soft drinks that they liked which could also be shared. We also held a fun quiz. In 2023, there were two short quizes: (a) three driving/riding related questions (and answers!) from each of us for others to answer; (b) photos of our first car or bike for others to guess who each photo belonged to. The events were well attended, with over 20 people at each
A past treasure hunt
The object was to have members go out on a Treasure Hunt. Armed with a sheet detailing simple route out and back. Interspersed with questions to observe for clues to answer. A big thank you to both Jason and Nick who had devised the route and tested it beforehand. Even though there was the odd crafty clue that could send you to a different spot or car park, I found the prepared sheet accurate (even though we came last). In between each clue, there was a description of the next stage together with ‘expected’ mileage in separate box. Nicely laid out and easy to read for the navigator. And to make sure we all arrived back at the Kenn Centre at the same time for a lovely treat of different barbequed ‘Hot Dogs’ or burgers. Passing the Powderham Saw Mills and Kenton clues, we saw a white Mercedes competitor (who had set off before us) driving in the wrong direction. Obviously someone is competitive! Then for the half way point task of “Take a selfie of you with the sea behind” we purposefully drove into the wrong car park just to see how many fellow competitors mistook that one. There was one that can run on alternative fuel who not surprisingly beat us back to base. Ha! We thought as we discreetly drove away waving and off up the steep winding road out of Shaldon sniggering “We’ve got this in the bag.” Did any of you know there is an interesting car/bike meet at Labrador Bay car park every Wednesday evening? We must have looked very strange rolling in and out after selfies! But our car still came last overall. Apparently. So I tucked in to more boys’ BBQ delights. Thank you Nick and Jason for the Treasure hunt and barbeque. Great evening had by all. And thank you to my navigator Claire. Great observations, sure we were the winning team
Treasure Hunt 2024
On a pleasant evening various pairs of treasure hunters gathered for a route, interspersed with various observational challenges to write down. These ranged from road signs to slightly cryptic clues on other things like building signs. Of the teams that went out ,we sadly had one “did not finish” due to motion sick-ness of the navigator. A couple of teams missed a turn or two and therefore some questions. However two teams got a good batch of answers in with both missing just one so it came to a tiebreaker. The question was in regards to route 1 which goes around all of Australia and how long it was. Ajoy and David got impressively close to the actual number of just over 9,000 miles so were declared the hunt winners. An enjoyable evening somewhat hampered by a road closure near Kenn Centre and a rather last minute route alteration and question swaps. Jason Simons
Smeatharpe 2024
This venue has become a regular in our calendar and is well supported. At the last meeting Nick, ably supported by Jason, produced a well organised event that provided opportunity for members and guests to explore both their own and their car’s capabilities. Manoeuvring exercises to begin with helped participants get more familiar with their vehicles leading up to the use and control of greater velocity. As if on cue, the dramatic change in weather provided another opportunity to experience vehicle and driver behaviour in extreme wet conditions. Not exactly a skid pan (the surface not really smooth enough), but loss of traction could be experienced for those prepared to turn off all the built-in safety devices. Hopefully, none of us will experience real-time traffic skids as the existence of anti-skid technology for three decades has almost eliminated this problem in all but the most serious wet conditions. As someone who was driving all sorts of vehicles before ABS was freely available, I strongly recommend everyone to take advantage of this facility when you can. There is no requirement to push your car or yourself any further than you are comfortable with. Guidance from Nick and well briefed safety protocols make sure safety is paramount. If you haven't had a chance to see how both you and your car behave when pushed beyond the every day normality, sign up to a Smeartharpe event. I thoroughly recommend it. Keith Hayman
Weekend of the Year (W O T Y) Wales 2024
HOW DID IT COME ABOUT? As a sort of follow-on from our usual Sunday DriveRides to this having an away trip for driving with socialising. Apparently, some driving aficionado clubs have a yearly W O T Y as in the ‘Weekend Of The Year’ and we wanted to try one out for ourselves. Six members in five cars turned up. The original idea was to share this weekend with the bikers but alas that didn’t materialise. The weather was not good; this was a shame as the mixture makes for some varying and interesting perspectives. THE ROUTES Being two days worth of driving, we had a base in Merthyr Tydfil. The planned drives for each day were two routes in mornings and afternoons. Route ‘stages’ were about 30-40 miles each with the completion of each being at a café or eatery for refreshments and a catch-up. The routes were mostly countryside, rural villages and towns. The smaller of these had the 20mph limits that felt like it went on forever and continued even into the countryside. Sometimes we got experiences of the speed limits shifting rapidly (eg from 20 to a 60 and vice versa). When we got onto the countryside roads there were some routes that resembled the Dartmoor area but weren’t at the 40mph limits we’re used to. WEATHER Although it was expected at that time of year, it was dank with occasional breaks for more dank! If it wasn’t low cloud cover it was occluded skies with drizzly rain episodes. Alas there was only a brief chance for Ajoy’s drone to be flown in clearer skies to give a different view. A few times the sun broke-through and shine down into the valleys which looked amazing in the sunbeams. NAVIGATION Chris’ routes were clear and easy to follow as he had made previous visits beforehand. We had both printed as well as a Google Maps versions to navigate from. And even route variations to suit our tastes. There were a few road altering projects which understandably threw me off course a bit. Signage was generally prolific and there being no desperate time constraints it was easy to get back on track. We decided to mix things up by having some of us pick a day just to be a passenger/navigator. Changing cars at each stop-off. This meant we got to spend more time together and the drivers were able to concentrate more on the scenery and unfamiliar roads. STOPPING OFF PLACES Having the Premier Inn as a natural start and finish point, the various routes all had stop off place for the much appreciated cake and coffee and for a re-group and chat. There were a few times when I noticed Chris had arrived before us (undisclosed shortcuts or heavy footwork?) However this was really helpful with securing seating for us especially for the Sunday Roast meal at Nantyffin Cider Mill (which was excellent). Brilliant choice of places to stop off including a golf club, scenic national park and some varied tourist locations. One of which was the recommended wild birds Red Kite feeding at Llanddeusant. EVENINGS Our first evening was really just a nice sociable one in the next-door pub for a meal and drinks. Chatted and planned the next day’s itinerary. Though Wales was well within driving time distance for us, almost everyone had travelled up on the Friday so as to be fresh and unhurried. On a previous visit, Chris had found a very nice Italian restaurant (Casa Bianca in Merthyr) not far from our base hotel. Booking was certainly essential as it was very busy with no vacant empty tables (a good sign). Great food, lovely atmosphere and we didn’t embarrass ourselves there. THANK YOU We have to give a big thank you to our chairman, Chris who got the ball rolling, then worked out the various routes plus organising those stopping off points to be ready for our arrival. But more so for actually driving up there beforehand to physically check these routes. Next time there is a weekend away for our club, you should try it out for yourselves. In the meantime, worth asking yourself what place(s) and what you think would make a good weekend away for your driving pleasure. The weekend was undoubtedly a success and hopefully subsequent ones will be even more so with more members and more feedback on what we want to see from these events. Barrie Keith
Wales Weekend: Personal View from Wendy
As I was not driving I had the opportunity to be a passenger/navigator in all the five cars in our group. It was a fascinating and instructive lesson in their completely different but all demonstrating Advanced Driving styles, each matching their personalities beautifully! I had not visited the Brecon Beacons before and hadn’t realised how beautiful they are in any weather. This plus the benefit of the good, sometimes great, eateries that Chris had discovered and good company made being a passenger very worthwhile (I wasn’t keen to take my car so I had a lift to Merthyr). The whole experience was inclusive, friendly, sociable and fun! All in all it was a great outing which I am very glad to have taken part in. Wendy Dampney