Advice Needed From Driving Instructors Please

[needawin]

My Grandson has been taking driving lessons with an instructor.
Car with manual.
He just failed his test last week. I took him out today for a lesson and was amazed by some of the things he told me.
The most surprising was when he was coming up to a T junction.
He stayed in top gear, slowed down and then when still moving put the car into first gear then stopped. I queried this and he said the instructor told him to do this.
Also he was told not to put the handbreak on and out of gear when sitting at lights or waiting to emerge on to the main road.
I have over 60 years driving experience with a clean licence and hold a Class 1 HGV licence and am amazed at this.
Is this the norm now?

[Hopkirk]

The gear selection, yes.

When I learnt I was taught to come down the gearbox and use engine breaking.

That's old thinking. Now they say gears to go, brakes to slow. Brake pads are cheaper than clutches.

[Hopkirk]

I discovered this when doing my HGV training. Slow using the brakes, then select an appropriate gear to resume moving.

[needawin]

But into first gear when moving?

[New Judge]

Gearboxes have synchromesh on first gear now :-)

[Hopkirk]

Our resident driving instructor, Dustypuss, might look in soon.

[Hopkirk]

I do think it is hard for a learner to know what is the appropriate gear to select when they have slowed, and need to resume driving.

[retrocop]

I ws trained as an Advanced Class1 Police driver and also motorcyclist.
I also have the 'Great I A M advanced certificate. I held a class1 PSV and Class 2 HGV licence as they were once known.
We were taught,as Hopkirk quite correctly states, approach a junction using brakes. Come to a halt.Engage handbrake and then select neutral gear.
When waiting at ATS (traffic lights). The car should be as described previously. The Car should have handbrake on and in neutral. The driver should be aware of ATS changes and then prepare to change into 1st or 2nd gear (as appropriate) and disengage handbrake before first checking quickly left and right plus rear view mirror.
Waiting at a ATS junction whilst in gear and riding the clutch with handbrake off is potentially very dangerous. Should an inattentive driver behind give you a rear shunt whilst in that condition the driver is likely to let out the clutch and the car to enter the junction due to momentum of impact. My son was told by some underqualified instructor not to bother with the Highway code and he was never taught a 3 point turn,hill start or reversing around a corner keeping close and parallel to the kerb. The standard of tuition and examination today is appaling

[retrocop]

Of courseriding the clutch as described above whilst waiting at ATS is not only dangerous but will burn out the plates eventually which is an expesive price for sloppy and dangerous practise.

[roopower]

A work colleague had been learning to drive for some time when I took her out in my car. It became obvious very quickly that she had no idea what the clutch was for. Her driving instructor must have been using his duel control.

[Tilly2]

All the younger members of my family approach traffic lights and junctions in fourth gear. They then break and put the gears in neutral. It makes me nervous because I was taught to slow down through the gears. I always imagine that they are not actually going to stop when they should.

[retrocop]

As stated earlier. It is bad practice to engage gears to slow down.It wears out the clutch which is more expensive to replace than brake pads/shoes. Gears to Go and Brakes to slow.
Lower gears should be engaged when about to descend a long and steep incline.
The younger members of your family are taking the correct approach.

[Tilly2]

So, Retro, I'm doing it all wrong? This is going to need a radical re-think!

[woofgang]

I was taught to do this when I learned to drive 25 years ago. I was also taught the 4 to 2 change down.

[JF85]

I passed my test in 1980 and was taught to slow down using the brakes in whatever gear had already selected. I was also told only to use necessary gears when pulling away again, rather than use every gear sequentially.

What seems to have changed is that I was told to press the button while engaging the handbrake to avoid wear on the ratchet teeth. My children don't seem to have been told this, but the noise still grates with me.

[TonyV]

I've had cars with no synco in any gear and double de clutching was necessary dropping down gears.
I father also taught me how to drive without using clutch at all, just getting engine revs right, so no graunching of gears. Helped me out when I did have a clutch failure.

[gulliver1]

I do know that Spanish Drivers only use their indicators when they put their cars through the MOT .

[retrocop]

JF85
Failure to use the handbrake pawl when engaging/disengaging the handbrake was one of many crimes at Hendon Police Driving School.
The defaulter paid for tea and wads for the whole car (instructor plus 3 pupils) at the next scheduled greasy spoons stop. Slamming the car door/bonnet was another no no. It came under the category of vehicle sympathy.

[woofgang]

I wish someone would teach my neighbour how to shut a car door/hatch door without slamming it....garage door too come to that

[JF85]

retrocop: I have known a few people say they know when their car needs a service by the number of clicks on the handbrake, but it was so drilled into me that I want to shout at my neighbour's when they abuse it.

[retrocop]

woofgang
Me too . My neighbour appears to have 12 doors and three boots on his BMW 3 series when he goes to work each morning at 0715. My bedroom is about 4 metres from his car. Nice people and not worth falling out over. At least I can crack on with the crossword early