Driving tests..

[keithmac]

I was waiting for a bus coming the other way (line of parked cars on my side, narrow street) and some tool in a BMW overtook the car behind us, my car and trailer and nearly hit the bus head on.

How he didn't see the bus was anyones guess, I had my right indicator on as well so was obviously waiting for a gap to appear..

This was on the test, I my have involuntarily muttered knobber or similar, examiner just rolled his eyes and gave a "very poor lack of foward planning" in a deadpan voice. It lightened the mood a bit!.

 

[keithmac]

Thumbs up! I pull a trailer on a daily basis and my biggest bugbear is tailgating. A scary majority leave enough space for the truck, NOT the trailer. Maybe it's invisible?

Paint it bright Yellow/ Orange and slap L plates all over it, majority will give you plenty of room then .

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

The whole line of traffic I was in pulled over to let an oncoming ambulance through on Thursday. The one handed driving lady behind me moved out to overtake

 

[Nigel-YZ1]

The police are having problems finding people to drive the (wrongly named by the press) 'riot' vans, because the youngsters don't have it on their licence.

Don't the police have driving instructors like the ambulance service? Or was that part of the cuts too?

 

[Drago]

Yes, they still do, but as part of efforts to streamline the department (ie, cost cutting) five different forces combined all their driver trainers into one big regional department, and halved their numbers.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

Talking of towing, I once saw someone dash off the kerb and run between two cars that were stationary in a traffic queue......and go flat on his face when he tripped over the tow rope between them.

I didn't laugh.............well not much anyway.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

Talking of towing, I once saw someone dash off the kerb and run between two cars that were stationary in a traffic queue......and go flat on his face when he tripped over the tow rope between them.

I didn't laugh.............well not much anyway.

I believe you. In 12 years I have had 2 peds try and run between the rear of my truck and the front of the trailer. The mudguards are bendy plastic. The peds were bendy meat and bone. Deep breathing, red faced, kind of lucky folk, both of them.

 

[keithmac]

This was me after 2 days of stress and then big relief at the end.

Another lad was doing his B+E as well but picture hasn't appeared on the training site yet so hope he passed as well.

 

[Tanis8472]

Whats with the blue hi-viz?

 

[keithmac]

Whats with the blue hi-viz?

Picture was taken at DVSA test station, Hi Viz has to be worn in the yard (so HGV's don't run you over presumably!).

 

[Drago]

Hi Vis? Looks almost invisible next to that lovely blue Hi-Lux.

 

[Tanis8472]

So hi-viz that isn't seen lol.
I've got that to look forward to in august. Class c test

 

[Heltor Chasca]

[QUOTE 4839235, member: 259"]I don't have to take the test but it looks like I might be pressured into buying a 'van, and there's no way I'd tow that without having some tuition.

I can reverse a small single axle trailer VERY slowly and with a lot of reverse mirror thinking (basically, do the exact opposite of what you think you should do), but I would not be confident with something bigger.[/QUOTE]

I wouldn't worry at all. Smaller, single axles are much harder in practice. Harder to see and they are much more sensitive to directional correction. You are already most of the way there. The mirror thinking will become second nature.

 

[keithmac]

With the caravan it's the swing of the back of it (after the axle) that you have to be mindful of, same again when on the road.

For me the short trailer follows the car a lot better/ neater than the 'van (22+ ft long). Some of the roads I went down during training would have been a nightmare with our Sterling on the back.

 

[keithmac]

Hi Vis? Looks almost invisible next to that lovely blue Hi-Lux.

Must admit I've bonded with the Hilux, work have just bought a new Ford Ranger Wildtrack as well.

We considered a Ranger last year but would be overkill as the wife uses our family/ tow car for work as well.

Sad to say but the auto gearbox does leave more thinking time for driving..