Appaling driving from driving school car

Yolina

I've seen several time in my area some trully appalling driving from learners in driving school cars. For example running through a red light :mad: They were going along at some 15mph (I know because I was behind them!) and the light went to amber about 20m before they got to it. They didn't slow down or brake, just went straight through as if the light simply wasn't here. Thankfully no-one was coming from the "green" side. I didn't do anything other than watch in dismay but I was wondering if, next time I come across that standard of driving, I should report the instructor and if so, who to? I know that it's someone's livelihood but surely there's something very wrong if they let learners run red lights...

maninthestreet

Was the driver accompanied or not? I've seen some really bad driving by DS cars, where the driver was alone.

Yolina

Definitely accompanied, and it was a Red Driving School car, which for some reason seem to be the ones who have issues with instruction standards around here - a few months ago I saw one pull out to turn left from a side road causing the driver of a car travelling on the main road to brake rather sharply.

Buellguy

Easy, just call the company and tell em

Yolina

Yeah but if that's how well they train and vet their instructors, I'm not sure that they'll care much! Not saying they're all bad, but it seems quite a coincidence that all the fairly dodgy driving has been from their cars. I was chatting with a neighbour a few days ago who mentioned that he'd noticed that Red DS seemed to be a bit of a problem (we have *loads* of learners around here from a whole bunch of different driving schools, as it's fairly quiet on the Isle of Dogs. There's a bit further down my road which they use a lot to practice parking, 3 point turns and emergency braking... It makes things "interesting" at times )

jd87

Presumably you were also a learner once? Either that or you aren't a driver at all in which case you don't know what you're talking about.

When people learn to drive, one of the things people are always unsure about is "What do I do if the lights start to change when I'm already at them?" Any experienced driver obviously knows that the answer is "It depends on how close and fast you are, stop if it is possible and safe to do so."

People who are learning find it difficult to know if they are going to be able to stop, and what you are witnessing is learners who should be stopping at the red but are misjudging it. What would you like to happen exactly? Would you like the instructor to slam the brakes on, completely shattering the learners confidence and potentially causing an accident? Or would you like the instructor to use his judgement, allow the driver to continue, and calmly explain the mistake as he probably is doing?

Candles_by_Lisa

Totally agree with jd87. My daughter has just started learning to drive and fear plays a big factor in it. You may have found that the instructor let her go through the amber/red light as it would be dangerous for him to suddenly brake (i.e. if you are right up to the back of the learner the potential to crash is pretty high dont you think).

Give the learner a break we all had to do it at one time or another.

Yolina

Yes I was learner once, and I know how nervous you feel when you first start (Coventry ring road anyone?! :rotfl: I will *always* remember the first time my instructor took me on there - scariest thing ever!) I've never run through a red light or similar though and I'm sure most people haven't either. If anything, I don't think my instructor would have actually let me do anything like that. In the case I mentioned, I don't think that the instructor would have needed to "slam on the brakes", they were going slowly, there was plenty of space behind them and they would have had time to stop safely. As I've said, we get loads of learners around here and it mostly isn't a problem, I just give them *plenty* of room in case they stall, get the wrong gear or brake when you wouldn't normally expect someone more experienced to do so. Most of the instructors round here are kind enough that if they see a line of cars forming behind them because their learner is going very slowly, they have them pull on the side of the road if there's enough space or turn into a side road to let everybody else on their way.

I am not learner-bashing - they are, well, learning, and that's why there is someone with them. It's just that really don't think that letting them run red lights is particularly good guidance...

Edit: but hey, fine, I shall not mention it any further... If they cause a crash, I just hope that no-one is seriously hurt (and that it doesn't involve my car)

fivetide

jd87 wrote: »

Presumably you were also a learner once? Either that or you aren't a driver at all in which case you don't know what you're talking about.

When people learn to drive, one of the things people are always unsure about is "What do I do if the lights start to change when I'm already at them?" Any experienced driver obviously knows that the answer is "It depends on how close and fast you are, stop if it is possible and safe to do so."

People who are learning find it difficult to know if they are going to be able to stop, and what you are witnessing is learners who should be stopping at the red but are misjudging it. What would you like to happen exactly? Would you like the instructor to slam the brakes on, completely shattering the learners confidence and potentially causing an accident? Or would you like the instructor to use his judgement, allow the driver to continue, and calmly explain the mistake as he probably is doing?

I was always taught if a light is green there is only one colour it is going to next and you should get ready for that. An experienced driver should be able to stop in time if the light changes on them.

It surprises me how many more people can pull up in time when there is a camera on the lights versus gatso free junctions!

dggar

Candles_by_Lisa wrote: »

(i.e. if you are right up to the back of the learner the potential to crash is pretty high dont you think).

.

What sort of moron drives right up to the back of the learner

jd87

fivetide wrote: »

An experienced driver should be able to stop in time if the light changes on them.

Yes, exactly.