driver67
driver67 wrote:
samcro wrote:
...I’d be interested to explore the pros and cons of coasting, whether it really is dangerous or not, and whether you really don’t have proper control of the car/vehicle or not. Are there situations when it is aceptable to coast, and are there situations where it's dangerous?
...I sometimes coast towards lights if I can see they are red. Does coasting stop me form having proper control of the car?...
Being a Driving Instructor this is one of the faults we have to pick up on quickly, the amount of times the learner turns into a side road to the left or right and doesn't bring the clutch pedal up causing the vehicle to go into the junction too fast narrowly missing the bollard or other vehicle coming out of the road is very frequent.
That would be poor and the result of poor and inexperience of spacial awareness so more concentration is on the important 'where' they are driving. It is of lesser importance to the learner of total car control which takes second place to ensuring they don't crash, so the corner takes more of their attention while learning. Gradually as confidence builds they learn to manage and judge both successfully.
I don't know if you have slalom courses (or any driver private 'parks' or routes), that they can do which can help their steering ability before worrying about the gear and clutch control?
By separating this process I would have thought then once competent at steering the gear and clutch, can then follow and be joined with the steering.
driver67 wrote:
Two reasons for getting the learner to understand this is;
1). It does give more control as said earlier you make use of engine braking which can help your brakes to slow the car down. You would probably agree that when going to a lower gear you will find that the steering will feel more positive as well, which gives more overall control.
You are not actually 'helping' the brakes of course as engine braking tends to be alone in action, possible braking near the end of engine braking as you swap or transfer to the braking action. Coming off the throttle too fast can cause unintended effects too and esp if any steering is in play.
The slower speed gives steering less emphasis, not more. Variable steering feature will vary this of course. Faster speeds make a greater effect to small steering input. Why moving when steering is so helpful whilst parking.
If in second and driving about at approx 30mph then small steering input also has significant effect.
driver67 wrote:
2). The second reason the examiner will pick up on this fault on your driving test, you will get driving faults each time you coast possibly leading to a serious fault which would be a fail or a dangerous fault(again fail).
Do you train for passing the test and also for the road after the test ?
driver67 wrote:
]What types of coasting would be acceptable then? Well if you are approaching a set of traffic lights or traffic that is queuing you would put your clutch pedal down when the gear you are in can no longer cope with the speed, but on the other hand if you are about 50 car lengths away this wouldn't be the correct way because then you should be dropping gears so as to gradually reduce your speed, we all coast a little when changing gears, approaching T junctions but that is acceptable.
Well coasting might be good for a moment to allow better hearing, to conserve on fuel (perhaps trying to make for a garage - not ideal but ...)
experiencing about knowing how it feels when the engine might die.
If you wait for the engine to labour as it 'runs out of that gear' that can damage the engine, surely this is not taught to learners ! ?
I think there can be times to coast in safety while a pause in condition considerations takes place but it is better - far better to be in gear as you look about considering options and judge.
The T junction issue depends on whether you drive so that you are 'ready to go' or 'ready to stop' ..... alters the way you approach and behave.
Engine braking or passive braking can be used to best effect when anticipation skills are very high, making braking sometimes redundant. You are unlikely to be coasting at these points. Finding that a brake pad has started grinding makes great & necessary use of engine braking.