Churchtown routes (couple of questions)

samsamson

Hey guys, have my test soon and worried now that the instructor was a bit of a cowboy (had my suspicions..) because it turns out he isn't part of this new ADI qualification. :rolleyes: So I'm worried over whether he has properly covered the routes with me or not;

Are there any other hills where hill-starts can be tested, other than the steep one on Woodside Drive just off Braemor road?

Turnabouts can be tested in around the Meadow Villas area and in Grange Downs, are there any others I should take a look at before the test?

Lastly, there are 3 corners for reversing around in Beech Lawn, are there any others I've missed?

Thanks alot and wish me luck!

Kenny_D

That steep hill is where I was taken on my actual test out there. Make sure you pull up that handbrake nice and tight and give it a good bit of gas when moving off. Watch out for traffic in around the estates. I failed for failing to notice a woman pull out of her drive as I was turning left

John Mason

it does really matter where you have driven the test route before. you still have to do the same driving.

i completed my tests on roads and areas of glasnevin, i have never seen or heard of, and there is no way i would ever be able to find it again.

just relax a few deep breaths and you will be fine. no matter what route you do, the works of the car or your driving ability will not change

Dexter2008

There is atleast one more steep hill start near orwell road, but i am not sure where it is. but i would say that dont unduly worry about which hill it is - just make sure that you do not forget your observation(both while stopping & moving off) & release your handbrake only after you are confident that u've got the clutch bite point(that way u ensure that the car doesnt roll back).
there's another route worth taking a test drive on - on braemor road, take the right turn into braemor park - and then turn left into orwell road. go straight past the rathgar center and drive on - you'll reach a junction which leads to a few narrow roads on the right - i strongly recommend you to drive on these roads atleast twice before you go for your test. believe me, that'll equip you to deal with any narrow roads you'll come across in places near churchtown center. Keep in mind to read the markings ON THE ROAD properly, and while changing lanes naer to the junction, DONT CUT a continuous white line.

Regarding reverse round the corner - practice this - stop the car very near to the curve... say hardly 1.5 times the lenght of your car - and then try to reverse round the corner. there is a curve on the route i mentioned above where you'll come across a curve where there is a speedbreaker ramp just after the curve. the tester might ask you to stop before the ramp and reverse back into the corner. so be prepared for that. (i dont want to make you nervous - but its better to be prepared).


Hope u pass the test.

giddybootz

Hi Jaytime...could you please PM that teachers details too?

Mamakat

hi all,

Sorry, don't mean to hijack this thread, but just spotted it and now have major worries! My test is next week, and like samsamson I feel my instructor has not brought me around the possible test routes. We seem to spend more time in the Nutgrove area than anywhere else?

If anyone has some specific areas they know I have a good chance of being brought through on D-DAY, please could they let me know. I understand that whether I have been there before shouldn't matter and that its my driving skill that is important, but I am such a nervous (but safe!) driver at the best of times, knowing possible areas/roads etc would be a psychological advantage to me!!!!

Thanks so much!
Mamakat

betterdrive.net

You should also be covering the Rathmines area as this is a potential area that the tester could take you to.:D

Midnight_EG

While still being a learner, I'm waiting for my test date, but my instructor took me all around churchtown, up by whitechurch, marley, ballyroan and a bit of ballinteer.

Good luck

Sunjammer

I wouldn't get too caught up in knowing the actual test route, there's no need! A left and right turn are just that, a turnabout is a turnabout and a reverse around the corner is just what it says on the tin, so practice all those manoeuvres...

Practice the manoeuvres in different conditions for example, the reverse find as many different corner angles as you can and find ones where you will be reversing up and down a slope.

Turnabout find quiet areas with as narrow a road as possible and again also find ones where the camber of the road has an up and down slope also. make sure to practice when pulling in to the left for the turnabout not to pull up in front of an entrance so have a kerb on both sides and especially on the test, they don't want to see you unnecessarily obstructing anyone.

Practice driving around residential streets or estates with narrow roads and lots of right and left turns this is where you will find all the little surprises, kids, dogs running out on the road, cars reversing out in front of you, cars parked dangerously, right turns left turns stop lines / signs yield lines / signs etc etc .

Practice on as many roundabouts and traffic light controlled junctions as possible.

Doing this at different times of the day and week will ready you for any route anywhere they can throw at you!