Braking with the gears what ridiculous practice

Idiophreak

pault123 wrote: »

Theres no way anyone brakes with their gears approaching every stop incase their brakes fail! :rotfl:

If you're decelerating from (say) 60 to a standstill, by the time you get to 20, a lot of people on here will still be in fifth, just about to stick the clutch down. If you were using your gears you'd be in 2nd or 3rd.

Now, who stands more chance of being able to stop? The one that's already in second, or the one in fifth that's going to have to have to change hastily into second (through neutral)?

benjus

AdrianHi wrote: »

Something like 85% (forget where I found that figure now) of blowouts are caused by poorly maintained tyre pressure leading to heat build up when doing higher speed and the tyre then shreds.
Does you car have a DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) or similar (e.g. ASC) system? These systems are designed to keep the car under control in wet slippery conditions, but they also help a lot keeping a car under control in a blow-out situation.

I got rid of the car after that incident - it was pretty old by then so it didn't seem worth the expense of getting it repaired. I don't think it had any DSC or similar system - it wasn't anything special, and as mentioned was quite an old model (1997 I think).

Conor_3

Inactive wrote: »

We are not talking about 44 tonne trucks, we are talking about cars.

EXACTLY. They don't have the momentum of a 44 tonne vehicle to stop.

Conor_3

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers! wrote: »

Dropping through the gearbox to slow the car to a halt is a very silly idea.

1 - it requires more thought
2 - it takes one hand from the wheel
3 - it unbalances the car
4 - overall, it causes the driver to be less in control of the vehicle than he/she otherwise would be

1) If that's a problem, you're not fit to drive.
2) If that's a problem, you're not fit to drive.
3) FAR LESS than braking.
4) Rubbish.

Conor_3

Inactive wrote: »

Do you?..

Yes thanks. I'm an advanced driver. I've passed 4 tests first time for four different classes of vehicle. Have you got any further than the BASIC driving test?

Inactive wrote: »

your driving style flies in the face of advice given by the DSA, so don't tell people how they would fail a driving test.:rolleyes:

Actually it doesn't. If you slow down a lorry only using brakes, you'll fail your driving test. In fact, there's even a gearchange exercise in a HGV test where you are expected to slow to a crawl on gears alone. DSA do the HGV tests...

So it doesn't go against the advice given by DSA at all.

And at the end of the day, a car driving test is a BASIC driving test. IAM and RoSPA are advanced and teach you different.

Conor_3

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers! wrote: »

You are wrong. Slowing a vehicle on ice using gearchanges will result in instability, possibly causing the rear end of the car to swing around and a subsequent loss of control.

Using the brakes applies force to all wheels, not just those wheels that are driven, and changing gear while braking just means that the driver is less capable of correcting any loss of control with the steering wheel.

OH.MY.GOD. If you use the brakes on ice, you lock the wheels up. That means that there is NO BRAKING whatsoever.

Conor_3

Idiophreak wrote: »

Any links to support this?

I was always taught to avoid braking whenever possible on snow/ice...

Me too...when I did a driving course with the Army for driving in snow and ice. And if Pew Pew Have no Clue was right, why then all those people who use their brakes on ice with the guaranteed result that they crash?

Conor_3

pookienoodle wrote: »

I drive an automatic what should I do?

Take your foot off the accelerator and brake at the point you need to slow more to stop.

Inactive

Conor wrote: »

Actually it doesn't. If you slow down a lorry only using brakes, you'll fail your driving test. In fact, there's even a gearchange exercise in a HGV test where you are expected to slow to a crawl on gears alone.

So it doesn't go against the advice given by DSA at all.

And at the end of the day, a car driving test is a BASIC driving test. IAM and RoSPA are advanced and teach you different.

We are not discussing HGV Driving, we are discussing car driving skills, yes I know full well what is involved in the IAM Test.

I assume that you do not.:rolleyes:

I assume that you are or were a DSA Driving Examiner to know what will cause a fail on a driving test.:rolleyes:

IAM and ROSPA do not teach anything different to the DSA, go on an open day to Cardington if you need to verify.

Conor_3

Actually, IAM and RoSPA do teach a lot that's different to the DSA because the BASIC DRIVING TEST doesn't include a lot of it. The BASIC DRIVING TEST is a test of a BASIC LEVEL OF COMPETENCY.

And in the HGV test, WHICH THE DSA CONDUCT, you are required to use your gears as well to slow. So again, you're wrong.

Stick to driving cars and having a 500% accident rate of that of HGVs because Cat B licence holders are so knowledgeable and competent. Stick to stopping solely using your brakes on snow and ice and sliding into the car in front but you'd better make sure you have protected NCB. I'll use my gears and stop before I hit them.