Driving Question

[Dice Man]

Sup everybody.

I am taking driving lessons at the moment, and everybody I talk to seems to have a different opinion on this. How much should you use the handbreak when you stop? My instructor tells me to use the clutch and footbreak at most stops, and I also see the vast majority of people stopped at traffic lights with their brake lights on. But surely the car is only said to be "under control" when it's driving in a straight line or when the handbreak is on. It's not beyond the realms of possibility to slip or accidentally take your foot off the brake or clutch and go flying forward, whereas if you use the handbreak you're pretty safe. I've also been told that if you keep the clutch down at every brake you'll wear it out about 30x faster than if you use the handbreak. Anybody have an opinion on this?

[DannyC]

wow, this is completely the wrong method if you want to pass dude...

when at lights etc I ALWAYS use clutch control rather than handbrake, but on your test you should always use your handbrake if stopped for more than 3 seconds... believe it or not one of the guys who teaches Advanced Driver Training courses for the police even said he failed on his first test for not taking proper control of the car, at a junction he used clutch control instead of handbrake and it was an instant fail back then.

Even once you've passed it will take you some time to get used to the clutch on your new car, and it does wear it down, something like 30x the amount over a period of like 3 years...!

You can even get an insta-fail on 'gearing down' now as opposed to braking...

[Dice Man]

Yeah I wasn't claiming that I pull up at traffic lights just using the handbrake. Just that as soon as I've stopped with the clutch and footbrake I put the handbrake on and into neutral.

I've been told I can go from 4th to 2nd gear and 3rd to 5th gear if I have enough power. I've stalled the car a few times trying to slow it by going from 2nd to 1st, and also braking around corners. Being too fast at the start of corners is probably my biggest weakness at the moment. But otherwise I think I'm doing pretty well.

[extreme eddie]

I was taught to use the handbrake at the lights or when stopping, and have the car in neutral, i admit i never ever do this now, same with feeding the steering wheel through my hands, i never do this (as i'm sure most don't) in fact most of the time my left hand does'nt leave the gear stick when i'm driving through the gears, these are all no no's, but once you've passed your test i'm sure you'll adopt your own little ways, my driving is'nt text book but as long as your safe i don't see the problem, just do whats is necessery to get you through your test, then experience is the best thing for you.

[rfph1]

Only thing I would add to Matts response is that whilst having an advanced driving lesson (a company requirement to stop us killing ourselves) with a collegue, the instructor pulled my collegue up for going down through the gears when stopping. Skipping gears on the way up was considered acceptable.

...but this was and advanced / defensive driving course !

(PS going around a roundabout at high speed, trying to level the car with the accellerator but missing the gears and ending in neutral was a complete no-no that got you telling off !)

[DannyC]

Pulling up at lights just with the handbrake? lol no, I meant whenever your stopped for more than say 3 seconds always put handbrake on. The way they teach is fucked up as said, as it's not convenient, and they also teach you to ALWAYS use second gear on a roundabout... I don't know about you but my car is sooo powerful I have to use 3rd to smoothly go round a roundabout at 15/20mph, second will just lift my front end up and aim at the moon lol

[boz75]

just a quick comment on the gears thing.
i'm taking lessons too,my instructor keeps getting at me for going down the gears("it's not a subaru").he claims it helps drivers behind if you use the brake rather than the gears,the brake lights make people aware of your actions.
dont see how this helps the traffic light situation.i'd use the handbrake if the lights had just gone red and clutch otherwise,but i'm not qualified to comment on that until i pass my own test.good luck with yours.

[DannyC]

If we look at it from a common sense approach yes, but from a 'technical' and 'safe driving' approach, they always teach you to brake, if you can go then select appropriate gear, you should only technically, gear down to brake in hazardous conditions such as snow, as it prevents skidding. I gear down quite alot to be fair, but I know in my conscience that it is gonna knacker my engine soon, as they're not built to be ragged, well the new ones anyhow

[Raiser]

Dice... This is the one thing that you can not over-think about! Do not think! Do not analysis!

Just do what ever the driving instructor tells you do to, even if you disagree with it! He will teach you how to pass the test and you can learn to drive in your own time.

Do not even argue with this post as i am right. lol

[DannyC]

Man lover's post could actually be right Dicey.


One thing though...

Do not analysis