P20SPD

iTrader: (1)

Been driving for 10 years this year and on 3rd and 4th july will be attending a police run driver improvement course. this is a compulsary attendedance (ie avoid large fine and ban) since i wrote no2 scooby off in february. overtaking 6/7 vehicles on mile long straight road at 6.45am and half way down the line of vehicles 7.5 tonner pulls out to overtake car doing 45 in 60 limit. i mounted grass verge with drivers side (foot flat down in 4th, 95mph +, did not have time to brake as nose of car was past his back end). missed hitting all the vehicles phew!!!. as went down grass verge (tree in front of me so had to) tyres had mud on drivers side (february) did not brake and car when into spin at 90+. spun once and dug into tarmac (tyres ripped off rim sideways at 90) flipped and barrell rolled several times and ended upside down in trees.

climbed out with just a couple of scratches from flying glass. the top of the windscreen was touching the top of drivers seat, which is why i lost my memory for a week, as i banged my head.

anyway story over! learned lesson now, even after owning sccobs for 3+ years, and doing this sort of manouvere day in day out, you just can not be certain.

so now on no3 scoob and do not overtake anymore than 3 cars in one go. sorry if you think this is whimpish but still have flashbacks. police said i should have been dead, as 4 witnesses thought i was when they screamed at me outside the car saying help the driver.(i was only one in car.

so now lesson is learned, we do feel a little invincible in these scoobs, and think we can drive, but you never know what some other **** is going to do. scared me ****less to think i could never have seen my wife (5 months pregnant at time) and my 14 month old son again!!

finally anyone else had to go on one of these courses.

!!!Please think before you overtake!!! as i wouldnt want this to happen to anyone else out there.

cheers steven

[Edited by P20SPD - 7/1/2002 5:33:59 PM]

P20SPD

iTrader: (1)

had all headlights on so assumed he would see me coming. now assume (more than before) that everyone else out there is out to kill me, so proceed with caution.

will let you all know what it involves.

the company running on behalf of north yorkshire police is called driving services. see www.drivingservices.com for any other info.

edited to say

do have pictures on dv camcorder, but not clever enough to upload to this thread, anyone tell me how. (i do have the software that reads from the camcorder)

[Edited by P20SPD - 7/2/2002 8:21:17 AM]

Jolly Green Monster 2

Your car must have looked a state..

I know what you mean about the phone, my radar detector was missing off the screen and turned up in the passenger rear foot well??! The cradle for my phone was a cheap one and was mounted on the righthand air vent (the phone was in my pocket) and the cradle got smashed to bits... I am carefull how I load my car now.. a push chair in an impact flying from the boot could be rather nasty etc.. and crock locks become missiles etc..

I remember driving along in that journey with my thumbs on the air bag part of the wheel thinking what happens if it goes off with your thumbs there? was it an omen?

Okay pics...





Hope I uploaded from the right directory... if it is a readers wives picture I'll edit the post quick only kidding.

JGM

Editted because I seemed to have two of the same pictures in here?
hopefully sorted?

[Edited by Jolly Green Monster 2 - 7/2/2002 1:24:51 PM]

richs2891

I had to attend one of the National Driver improvement course after being in a three car accident. Basicaly I had decided to change from the middle lane to the outside line after looking in mirrors and indicating and was hit from the side by a lady driving a volvo who later admitted to speeding in the rain (45 in a 30 mph) and being distracted by her baby in the back seat. I was pushed into the back of a stationary car Wonderful (!) police decided to all three people involed on driving course. Six month later got letter saying need to go on course in two days time and pay £130 for the privledge !

Can only IMO describe it as the biggest waste of time as a driving corse ! But its better than points !

Day and a half course, Ist half day in classroom (no therory test) just looking at pictures of accident and how tp percieve hazzards on road etc. rsst of time stuffed in a matchbox car with three other people. Got critised for dropping car into third whils going up a steep hill as the car (1.0 litre Renault clio) would not maintain 40 with 4 heavish set males in !
Got my own back when pointed out the instructors car was not mechanically sound IMHO as the wiper did not work and the rear wheel bearing was squealing and needed replacing.
Out of the three other people in the car spent noticabaly the least amnount of time driving.
When asked to comment on the course asked why not done in own car - was told it would be too hard to administrate. When commented on that surely the idea of the course is to improve your driving and not to be concentrating on driving a car that is very different to your own in so many respects - Got ignored !
Best advise is to stick the course out but drive like a complete muppet the first time get in the car, as passing the course is based on you showing improvment. Oh and try not to argue with the driving instructor.
Richard

[Edited by rsarjantson - 7/2/2002 8:57:30 PM]

tomstickland

Re: overtaking long line of traffic on A roads.
I was travelling through North Wales in the rain.
A coach had caused a 20 vehicle queue travelling at 40mph.
So I bit by bit worked my way towards the front.
Well I came to a 1 mile straight.
I pulled out and floored it.
I was making nice progress when a Volvo decided that he was going to overtake. He obviously didn't look in the mirrors and see my headlights. I braked hard because the front of my car was about 1m ahead of the rear of his as he pulled out.

Well luck was on my side since all 4 wheels locked up in unison and my car just slid in a perfectly straight line, knocking just enough speed off for me to remain just behind his rear bumper.

All the same, it was very close.
Bet Volvo driver never even noticed.

[Edited by tomstickland - 7/5/2002 12:15:13 AM]

matt.bowey

Wot happened to the lorry driver.........after all it was his poor driving that caused you to crash!

P20SPD

iTrader: (1)

carried on driving!!

Scoobydick

Got any pic's
Seriously though - I feel for you - I've spun one off and rolled it too - not at 95 though Still got prosecutued though - d'oh! Just points and a fine though.

RichS

Christ! - sounds like you are lucky to be alive!

Okay - probably not a clever move on your part (and I've done it too, so not having a pop) but that lorry driver had a lot to answer for [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

...sorry don't know much about these Police driving courses, but maybe you could tell us what you think when you've done it.

12LEE

Did HPC with John Lyon a few years ago. Great course for safe, progressive road driving.

John advocates sounding the horn when passing other cars and checking to see that they've noticed.

RaZe-=Buzz=-

and then the physco turnip with the bowie knife in his car thinks you are blasting your horn at him to complain about his driving, he floors it, rams you off the road and cuts you into pieces...

great idea. I'll stick to overtaking just one or two at a time wquietly thank you ever so much..

Dont tell me these people dont exist. Just last weekend I came upon the scene of an "accident" where a physco overtook a pushbike with a small sidecar attachment on it at great speed, causing the old guy to swerve. Old guy shakes his fist. Guy driving big black rangerover slams on and reverses...over the guy...and the sidecar, which contained a 4 year old girl.

Anyone who's seen the pic on Rotten.com entitled "I love my harley" can imagine what this did to the little girls face. I wont describe it and I'll never forget it, having a 2 year old boy myself.

The w@anker drove off, leaving the screaming wife on her bike, the bloke with multiple fractures of his legs etc and the girl in this mangled fabric and aluminum thing in the middle of the road.

He gave himself up that night. Wasnt that nice of him?

Watch out for them all. They are ALL idiots, 'cept you when you are driving, and thats the way to treat them.

12LEE

LOL - upon first reading I read "psycho" as "physio" and got a bit confused.

I'd bip, not blast, and do a thank-you acknowledgement if I'd felt the need to bip. Horses for courses.

HKSubaru

still 3 cars in a row!

chrome

are police driving courses available WITHOUT doing something daft?

snarly

try the IAM, they practice the police method of driving or see if your local scooby club has any willing police advanced drivers to take you out.

ChrisB

Using the horn when overtaking is an interesting / contentious issue.

I certainly like to use dipped headlights when working through traffic.

SimonH

Seem to remember they used to have a thing out in Oz called "Defensive Driving" (maybe they still do - maybe it's over here too; dunno) - the idea being that everyone else on the road is a incompetent f***wit who's sole aim in life is to kill you.

Everytime I go out driving I immediately assume this of everybody else on the road and trust no-one. If you assume the worst at all times then you won't be surprised when it happens.

As for the multi-car overtaking maneouvre (a regular event on A420 near here ), isn't that what PIAAs are for Whack on the main beam and PIAAs (not at night obviously) as you pull out - if bone-idle matey boy doesn't see those coming up from behind then frankly it's just not your day

12LEE

IMO - the problem with headlights/PIAAs during the day is that some/most/very few drivers don't use their mirrors as much as they could. I like using headlights during the day to increase my visibility - it was mandatory when I had a tarmac-coloured Elise - though I do find a quick bip grabs attention when I want it grabbed... and then I acknowledge people's attentiveness.

How long until the gov't reintroduces red-flag carrying oppos leading cars to further reduce the unemployment stats? I bagseye Linford Christie.



[Edited by 12LEE - 7/2/2002 8:29:04 AM]

Baby Blue

My better half had to go on one of these courses a couple of months ago after writing off her own (Mitsubishi Charisma) and another car in a head on. Basically (in Derbyshire) it is a 1 1/2 day course, mainly classroom based - you get to pay with matchbox cars to simulate crashes etc. followed by a couple of sessions with a driving instructor.

The idea is that you must show some improvement in your driving over the course in the eyes of the instructor, otherwise it's back to court.

Much better than prosecution and/or points & fine IMHO.

Good luck m8.

BB

DJFish

Tend to flick lights on as I'm starting an overtake of more than one car, your hand's already on the switch and it makes people more likely to see you, as opposed to if you drive with lights on all the time.

Scooby 1998S

Let's just be glad that you are ok and can spend some more time with your wife and child(ren - shortly)

You can never think that any driver has any sense what so ever, my first accident was due to a lorry deciding to drive down the centre of the road , even though I was overtaking him, at only 40mph as I had my aged Grand Father in the car, luckily all was ok, as I missed the telegraph pole by about 2 inches.
I thought it was said the lorry drivers were the best on the road, Urban Myth I think...
If you want to add pictures to the site find out by clicking here!

P20SPD

iTrader: (1)

my dad has been driving hgvs for 30+ years and is a bloody good driver. hes says that "these days lad there drivers and then there are screw-drivers, you never know which one you'll meet"

how true!!

Chris_S199

... and what do the police do about it? F*** all! Too much like hard work - much easier to hide behind a speed gun! My other half had her Corsa destroyed by a Portugese lorry driver on the M1 a couple of years back who didn't bother using the many mirrors he had on his cab before he changed lanes. Fortunately the Corsa stood up pretty well to the 70mph impact and she escaped with whiplash and a written off car, but it makes you think. The police were powerless to prosecute the driver *and* we had to pay for the privilege of claiming against his insurance as it was all done through the MIB (I think that's right).

Jen

Correct dearie

Jolly Green Monster 2

Glad you are okay, and you are lucky to get the course..

I had an accident.. following a van at 35mph for miles on a B road.. got to a nice straight and pulled out to overtake...
pulled back in and then went around a left hand bend and was now going too quick for it in the wet and with crap tyres... not much faster than normal and still within the speedlimit but too fast for the conditions.
Lost the rear end, steered into it and got it straight but it went the otherway steered into that and clipped the bank with the rear end.. this flicked me straight and I regained control with a sigh.... then something came around the bend the otherway at 60mph..... I was on the wrong side of the road at this point and we hit head on.. thankfully the other driver was unhurt.
I remember sort of coming round (not sure if I blacked out) and thinking my vision has strange cracks across it and there was a load ringing in my ears, then realised that the screen was cracked hence the cracked vision and the horn was going off.
I was rather dazzed and I think I must have seemed drunk as the Police breathalized me and looked at the result in disbelief as I hadn't touched a drop and looking back the people that stopped to help had reacted towards me as if I was drunk. Trying to use my mobile and I kept pressing the wrong buttons as my vision was blurred and I could see different images in each eye...

I remember shouting at some bloke who wanted to stop the horn on my car going with a hammer... I still remember shouting "You go near my car with that hammer and I'll shove it up you ****" and proceeded to get a pair of pliers out of the boot and remove the battery terminals. Air bag split both eye lids and my lips, and my nose was swallon so bad it bled as far as my nostrals and stopped as it swelled that quick.. but I was fine and looked back to normal 2weeks later which was good as it was Christmas. The only injuries that have remained was a lump under my chin and a pain in my wrist, I think my wrist got slammed under my chin by the air bag.

I got 6 points and a fine for Driving without due care and attention despite saying I wanted to do some training and intended taking my advanced test etc...

I now drive a lot more reserved and slow down for corners alot more and power around them rather than risking going in to fast...

I always treat everyone else on the road as an idiot only this time I was the idiot...

From riding a bike you get used to people pulling out on you when you are overtaking.. look at there front wheels for any angle change and at the drivers some look in the mirror or move their head but don't look so they can tick it off the mental list (ie. look at the mirror but not in it). Also the positioning of the car sometimes give it away but that is obvious.

I was going to put a picture of my crashed Scooby in but your thread was to do with the training and I am just moaning that I didn't get offerred it... unless anyone wants to see them?

Hope you enjoy the course...

JGM

ScoobyGrannyDriver

A lorry driver drove into my rear offside wing last December. He was in the right hand lane of a 2 lane road which was about to become a single lane and had to merge. Apparently he didn't know I was there and drove staight into me, (I was in a little Corsa at the time). It's now going to court as he is trying to say I was undertaking him! Undertaking a large lorry in a 1.2l Corsa?? I was almost stationary as there was traffic that had just merged ahead of me. After he hit me he got out of the cab and demanded to know what I was doing "racing up the inside like that"???!!! I have photos of the damage and I'm hoping that when it gets to court, the nice sharp dent caused by the corner of the lorry cab and lack of scuff marks will show I was barely moving and not trying to undertake him. Sadly no winesses stopped

Madness.

SGD

P20SPD

iTrader: (1)

jgm

would like to see your pictures, sounds like you were luckier than i was. talking of mobile phones, i went to find mine out of the wreckage, eventually found it in the tree. it was not sat in a cradle and the force of the crash sent it through the passenger window.

yes i know i am very lucky to be on the course and i am looking forward to it. but importantly lucky to be alive.


steven

P20SPD

iTrader: (1)

jgm

cheers for the pics

will try and upload mine tonight when get home. never done it before so will see.

my air bag didnt go off as there was not sufficient force on front to set it off.

i suppose we are diverting from the original thread, perhaps i will create a new one tonight called "how did you damage yours??"

spd

Jen

****

Glad you're all ok... My phone acutally remained where it was during the corsa/lorry/M1 incident...my wallet ended up in the middle of the first lane though! Luckly the lorry driver retrieved it for me The nice policeman even found a pic of my horse by a nearby tree....quite bizarre...

Jolly Green Monster 2

It was a bit bad really... impact speed was probably approaching 100mph.. never know for sure...

The scarey thing is that the front wheel is still attached! it pushed up under the foot well... thankfully my feet where not under the peddles at the time.. although the floor moved it was not a huge amount. I was that impressed with the impreza's crash safety I bought another one.. and I believe that if I had not had an air bag I would not have survived.

I had only had the car for 1month... doh...

I had just filled it with petrol... was thinking two things
1) luck it did not go up with 60litres of super unleaded on board
2) why could it not have happened before I spent the £40 on the fuel that some breaker will get to drain out and use in his van?

I nearly bought the car back off the insurance for the leather interior... I am still suffering the tweed cloth in the new car...
Which is more practical than the bucket seats (the head rests come off and that are not as wide etc) but look crap and don't hold you in as well.

My insruance renewal went from £1258 to £4440 after the accident...
funnily enough I went elsewhere... understandably they no longer wanted my custom.

JGM