Special Towing Category for driving licence.

[bigcol]

I do as well, but when I have a smoke - I lapse...........
also STILL drive on road / off road with my thumbs on the outside of the wheel..........

(mate broke his thumb 4wding once, when he hit a rock, and the steering wheel spun... and he had his thumbs on the inside of the wheel.......)

 

[dagree]

just as a "for instance" how many here actually drive with their hands at the 10 to 2 position on the steering wheel
we ALL have to master that to get our License

but how many still drive that way....................???

and

why NOT.............?

I still do @bigcol even when the elbow's on the window sill
And the thumbs are never sitting inside the steering wheel..... Two things that still sit in the back of this ol' brain after years of motor racing!!!!!

 

[crackacoldie]

I do as well, but when I have a smoke - I lapse...........
also STILL drive on road / off road with my thumbs on the outside of the wheel..........

(mate broke his thumb 4wding once, when he hit a rock, and the steering wheel spun... and he had his thumbs on the inside of the wheel.......)

I always drive with thumbs out for that exact reason, my eldest is learning to drive and he been taught that before he got behind the wheel. I know the middle one had a go at one of her teachers at school for driving with her thumbs wrapped around the wheel

 

[bigcol]

my point is
as has been said, you can teach, and give information, but we ALL modify that information to suit our circumstances.........

same as towing................

 

[crackacoldie]

my point is
as has been said, you can teach, and give information, but we ALL modify that information to suit our circumstances.........

same as towing................

There is bad habit creep in all of us, that is a certainty. Without training though, many times it is monkey see monkey do, so if you have seen others bad habits, you will create worse habits.

While training will not fix the issue, it is a bloody good start.

 

[dagree]

Drovers Tip #467.........As you cruise down the road play a game with the kids, call out everything within 150 yds, posts, dogs, people, car on left, car on kurb, car behind, kid in driveway left, car with reversing lights on on right etc........showing them and you exactly the things you need to be aware of as a driver, they then get an idea of what is required which isn't shown in the book. Do it often enough and it will be happening when your not even thinking about it, as it should be.
Played this game with my kids and a little girl is alive today as my son had hit the brakes in time, he was aware, he'd played the game.

Another similar lesson I was given by some mentors when motor racing.... I was taught not to look just at the car in front but through it and see what was happening 3 to 4 cars ahead. Still do that when on the road and it has saved my backside (and the car ) quite a few times over the years.... BUT Never take your eyes off the car in front at the same time. Make sense?

 

[bigcol]

yeppers,
the grumpy old Sgt. that taught me how to drive said the same thing
LOOK at whats in front of you
BE aware of whats around you
KNOW whats ahead of you......

funny how I still remember, and say it with his gruff voice....

 

[Drover]

the grumpy old Sgt. that taught me how to drive said the same thing
....

We were taught in the same school, similar vehicles as well.. @bigcol ..........my SGT (also brother in law) would also belt my knee if foot rested on clutch.


Thumbs are always out, a necessary requirement with Armstrong steering, still carries on today just in case.

 

[Dobbie]

You're luck Drover. My instructor (my father) kicked my ankles if my foot even hovered over the clutch.

I still remember the experience ....and so do my ankles.

 

[Drover]

I'm sure my ankles would have copped it but in a Landy the upper leg was in range.

 

[millers]

Hi all,

Training is always good for doing things the right way and for determining what not to do. Do not load van so that ball weight is negative causes all sorts of fun. I am sure that we have all heard of stores where someone has loaded a van wrong and 2km down the road the van is pulled over and there is a slight discussion occuring as the van is re-packed correctly.

And certainly some of the car and caravan goodies (and mods) that can be done today help out to allow checks to be done. Trailer turn indicators on the dash, reversing cameras and ESC to name a few.

But with the potential issues (and energy) that can be released is training in the right way of doing things good enough. Do we have to go further and try and train people in how to recover from diaster not just avoid it.

Certainly the moto should be avoid, evade, recover.

Avoid issues by preperation, appropriate driving (defencive etc) which can be trained.
Evade disaster learn to see issues arising and change the circumstances that will cause disaster (good comment above about spotting things ahead), which can also be trained.
Recover from disaster is a little more problematic as to really do this you need to but people into disaster (for example at normal road speed have all wheels on one side of caravan blowout). There is no way that a training group is going to do this to their, mine or you van.

So adopting from the other industries (airlines) is it time to have a driving simulator modified and taken around to all of the caravan and camping shows to allow newbies and even experienced drivers the oportunity to actually feel what disasters are out there and how to possibly recover.

Even without a van peoples immediate reaction may not be appropriate (like swerving to mise an animal and crashing a car). The landing of the plane on the Hudson River was not a fluke, but more a calculated risk assessment made by a well trained pilot.

My thoughts

 

[Crusty181]

Great post @millers and smells like its coming from a position of knowledge. (If not, congrats, youve convinced me)

You cant take short cuts until your aware of what all the long way actually entails, its not a short cut if its the only way youve ever done it. You cant take calculated risks until you know what all the pitfalls are. Anyone can certainly add a bunch more material to any job, but you cant "over engineer it" until your an engineer to begin with. I agree with your recovery step, but people being told something is better than nothing even if the retention percentage is low, and its only theoretical.

A mate of mine recently purchased his first van, a 20ft full height Safari (crap van, but thats for a different post. Ha) He's owned many boats and is used to towing, just not giant square boxes. Coming back to Melb from the handover in Ballarat a passing truck moved the fan sigificantly, he $hit himself and then he panicked. No harm resulted. A verbal heads up certainly wouldnt have imparted him with experience and he still would have likely $hit himself, but we both think he wouldnt have panicked if someone had nothing more than mentioned it to him. I suppose i saying, the best most comprehensive training package as youve described is the way to go, but anything is still always better than nothing.

I hate flying, but the dude that drop the plane into the Hudson River must rightfully be the pilots pin up boy

 

[bigcol]

So adopting from the other industries (airlines) is it time to have a driving simulator modified and taken around to all of the caravan and camping shows to allow newbies and even experienced drivers the oportunity to actually feel what disasters are out there and how to possibly recover.

My thoughts

that SIR is a brilliant Idea............
now, if we could just get some Gov. sponsorship for the funding, you could be on a winner...........

 

[Crusty181]

that SIR is a brilliant Idea............
now, if we could just get some Gov. sponsorship for the funding, you could be on a winner...........

Nah ... no need for govt funding. Got an xbox, the realism is awesome. Or we could run the testing program at Timezone

 

[Smergen]

Nah ... no need for govt funding. Got an xbox, the realism is awesome. Or we could run the testing program at Timezone

As long as they throw in a pancake parlour voucher.... either that or Smorgies.

 

[Crusty181]

As long as they throw in a pancake parlour voucher.... either that or Smorgies.

You misspelt Smergies ... I want an undertaking its not pork your offering for the voucher

 

[17triton]

You misspelt Smergies ... I want an undertaking its not pork your offering for the voucher

Low blow lol.