Mistakes

PhysiologyRocks

I just passed my test last week.

I was on a dual carriageway today and indicated to change lane to the left. I moved slightly left when I thought someone was letting me out. I realised he wasn't, so I maintained my position until he passed, as there was a massive gap behind him. However, he beeped at me even though I was feet apart from him.

I just still feel I have a fair bit of improving to do. I haven't done anything dramatically wrong, but still feel I have some way to go.

I'm wondering if people often get penalty points for genuine mistakes.

Also wondering if anyone else with a full licence has felt a need to improve.

Leeg17

PhysiologyRocks wrote: »

I just passed my test last week.

I was on a dual carriageway today and indicated to change lane to the left. I moved slightly left when I thought someone was letting me out. I realised he wasn't, so I maintained my position until he passed, as there was a massive gap behind him. However, he beeped at me even though I was feet apart from him.

I just still feel I have a fair bit of improving to do. I haven't done anything dramatically wrong, but still feel I have some way to go.

I'm wondering if people often get penalty points for genuine mistakes.

Also wondering if anyone else with a full licence has felt a need to improve.

I suppose it depends really on the severity of the offence, and sometimes the attitude the guarda has. Clearly if you've been caught driving on the mobile you cannot say that it was a mistake. Likewise if you've been doing 70kmph in a 50kmph zone it most likely won't be waived if caught. However if you do 50-55 in a 50kmph zone (not that I'm advocating speeding) and you are caught the guard might let you off with a warning if you are sincere and say it was a mistake.

Yea I think nobody ever stops learning and improving since they pass their tests (although some people think they're "perfect drivers" :rolleyes:). For me I know I've had to work on urban driving as there's a big difference between driving in the town and in a busy city.

Edit : Oh and congratz on Passing

RustyNut

PhysiologyRocks wrote: »

I just passed my test last week.


I just still feel I have a fair bit of improving to do. I haven't done anything dramatically wrong, but still feel I have some way to go.

Also wondering if anyone else with a full licence has felt a need to improve.

With an attitude like that you will do very well, I passed my first test more than 25 years ago:( and have been driving for a living since and still am still learning. the day you think you know it all is the day to give up. Roads, traffic, cars, rules, laws are all evolving so we must all keep learning.
I find blowing kisses at people who blow their horn has the right effect and Im a hairy trucker.:pac::pac::pac:

Leeg17

RustyNut wrote: »

With an attitude like that you will do very well, I passed my first test more than 25 years ago:( and have been driving for a living since and still am still learning. the day you think you know it all is the day to give up. Roads, traffic, cars, rules, laws are all evolving so we must all keep learning.
I find blowing kisses at people who blow their horn has the right effect and Im a hairy trucker.:pac::pac::pac:

Good advice on the day you know it all bit.

sentient_6

PhysiologyRocks wrote: »

I was on a dual carriageway today and indicated to change lane to the left. I moved slightly left when I thought someone was letting me out. I realised he wasn't, so I maintained my position until he passed, as there was a massive gap behind him. However, he beeped at me even though I was feet apart from him.

I guess to get down actual specifics.......try to get into the habit of always checking the mirrors & then double checking, & as a general rule i always wait till i can see all of the car behind me in the mirror before actually moving. This is where a bit of assertiveness comes in then, the confidence to move when your sure you have the space. Dont be afraid to put the boot down a bit if there's space ahead to create room either.

& as the audi ad goes: mirrors, signal, maneuver. Always. Repeat it to yourself ever time you go to make a lane change or take on any junction.

In this situation(as i read it) ye where both kind of wrong, i.e you might have made a move to soon, & he should have relaxed back a bit when you indicated to move in, as opposed to continue to move forward & undertaking you.

It good your not thinking 'my driving is perfect now cos iv passed my test'. At the moment i say strive for good driving technique, there's a book called Roadcraft makes good reading for this. & maybe at some stage you could consider an advanced driving course in the future?

PhysiologyRocks

PhysiologyRocks wrote: »

Also wondering if anyone else with a full licence has felt a need to improve.

Always need to improve - getting complacent is sure to lead you into trouble.
Got a shock when I was beeped at and "wtf"'d at yesterday for not checking blind spots thoroughly enough - live and learn!
Just be careful and don't get too upset

daveharnett

PhysiologyRocks wrote: »

I just still feel I have a fair bit of improving to do. I haven't done anything dramatically wrong, but still feel I have some way to go.

That's exactly the right attitude to have. As long as you can recognize and acknowledge your mistakes, you are improving.

PhysiologyRocks wrote: »

I'm wondering if people often get penalty points for genuine mistakes.

Very very rarely. Unless a driver is hopelessly incompetent, the chances of them making a points-worthy mistake in view of a garda is close to nil. In the great majority of cases, people collect points when they deliberately break those few rules that the gardai actively make an effort to detect/enforce - speeding, alcohol, mobiles, seatbelts, insurance, tax, nct, licences.

PhysiologyRocks wrote: »

I was on a dual carriageway today and indicated to change lane to the left. I moved slightly left when I thought someone was letting me out. I realised he wasn't, so I maintained my position until he passed, as there was a massive gap behind him. However, he beeped at me even though I was feet apart from him.

This is all a bit strange. On a dual carrigeway, the right hand lane is for overtaking - there should be no question of the car in the left lane passing you. Can you describe A:How/why you were in the right lane in the first place? B:Why you wanted to move into that particular 'space' in the left lane?

PhysiologyRocks

daveharnett wrote: »

This is all a bit strange. On a dual carrigeway, the right hand lane is for overtaking - there should be no question of the car in the left lane passing you. Can you describe A:How/why you were in the right lane in the first place? B:Why you wanted to move into that particular 'space' in the left lane?

Should have clarified! I was overtaking a lorry that pulled out in front of me and drove at 40kmph, when I came to red traffic lights. As there was more traffic in left lane, I ended up quite far ahead in queue in the right lane. Then, when lights turned green, the car in question took ages to take off, giving impression he was letting me out.

He started to move, and I soon realised I was wrong and stopped moving left(I was still in my own lane, just going left a bit as I thought I could), and then he beeped. This was all happening at about 20kmph and was quickly rectified, but I felt I could have done better.

sentient_6

Ah! I dunno there's a whole lot can be done in situations like that other than hope for someone sound to let you out. Good thing you stopped moving & noticed he wasnt letting you in.

PhysiologyRocks

Thanks for all the replies!:)

Nearly had a funny mistake today - I stopped at a red light, and the light at the other side of the junction appeared to go green soon after. However, it turned out that my light was still red, and the light that went green was belonging to another set at a pedestrian crossing that was only a few metres away, so near it seemed to be my light.

I realised what happened just in time, and didn't go. I was wondering what would happen if I had - would repercussions be very serious?

I know this route very well, and those lights are rarely red, hence my difficulty.

Thank you again.

**Timbuk2**

I have a full licence as well, but find myself still learning! I have bought the Roadcraft Police Driving book (would definitely recommend the book - it has helped me considerably) and even do a running commentary of my driving as I drive (helps to read the road and stay alert). As I'm only 18, a lot of my friends take a 'once you pass the test, you're a good driver' approach but there is a big gap between passing the test and being experienced, in my opinion.

Having said that, I drove over 650km in my father's car last week (on holidays in the west of Ireland) and I notice that my awareness and experience has increased even after that short space of time. I love encountering a situation that I have encountered before and noticing that I handled it better this time than I did in the past - a sense of achievement?

PhysiologyRocks

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

I have a full licence as well, but find myself still learning! I have bought the Roadcraft Police Driving book (would definitely recommend the book - it has helped me considerably) and even do a running commentary of my driving as I drive (helps to read the road and stay alert). As I'm only 18, a lot of my friends take a 'once you pass the test, you're a good driver' approach but there is a big gap between passing the test and being experienced, in my opinion.

Having said that, I drove over 650km in my father's car last week (on holidays in the west of Ireland) and I notice that my awareness and experience has increased even after that short space of time. I love encountering a situation that I have encountered before and noticing that I handled it better this time than I did in the past - a sense of achievement?

Oh my God, I just did the same thing in Kerry this weeekend!

Love the sense of achievement too, and always comment to myself (not properly, but tis fun!).

Planning on buying book.

My main worry is that I'll inadvertently break rules and have licence taken away - and I try so hard to be by the book!:eek:

On a side note, how do you all cope when you're on the limit and people are behind you beeping? I'm not about to break any limits, and sometimes there isn't enough space to pull in!

**Timbuk2**

PhysiologyRocks wrote: »

On a side note, how do you all cope when you're on the limit and people are behind you beeping? I'm not about to break any limits, and sometimes there isn't enough space to pull in!

That happens very regularly to me! I try to ignore them, but the sight of cars following very closely in your rear view mirror is intimidating - I have been tempted to speed up.

To solve this, I usually just tell myself "If they are in a hurry they should have left the house earlier". Also, if they are complaining about how slow I am going, they will eventually look at their speedometers and see that I am doing the speed limit, so they really have no reason to be hassled.

Don't pull into the hard shoulder to let them past. I see it happen regularly enough, but I think it creates more problems. Often a car pulls into the hard shoulder ahead of me, while still moving and letting cars past, but it's not always clear when they are going to pull out. It has often happened that a car has pulled it's way back into the driving lane, causing me to slow down to let them in. Pulling into the hard shoulder should be avoided as many collisions happen in the hard shoulder, such as into broken down vehicles, or bicyles, or those select few who remain in the hard shoulder on approach to a junction (cars emerging from side roads tend to pull out on the hard shoulder to increase visibility).

If there are cars following close behind, make sure to give very advance warnings of your intended manouvres. If I am being followed closely, and I want to turn left up ahead, I will very gently press the brake pedal, just so that the brakelights turn on without a significant loss in speed, to let them be ready for when I do slow down. Don't speed up to accomodate them as they will still follow just as close, but have less time to react to situations if they do occur.

daveharnett

PhysiologyRocks wrote: »

On a side note, how do you all cope when you're on the limit and people are behind you beeping? I'm not about to break any limits, and sometimes there isn't enough space to pull in!

If the person directly behind is beeping at you in that situation, he is a moron. My policy with really impatient drivers is to get them away from me as soon as safely possible - that means getting them past me so I can dictate the separation distance between us.

In your scenario, it's more likely the person directly behind you who is the real target of other driver's ire. The largest obstruction on long drives is not slower drivers, it's the driver just behind them who is unable/unwilling to take overtaking opportunities, and following too closely to allow others to progress. Opportunities to double-overtake (it is allowed!) are pretty thin on the ground on our N roads.

2yung2adm

The driver who beeped at you was driving correctly. At first I thought this was a manoeuvre that was done at high speed and there a different set of 'rules' would apply.
He was driving correctly as he was obliged to sound his horn in case you drove out in front of him. The car horn is defined as "an advanced warning device" its purpose is to let other drivers know in advance of the approach. Many cases have failed or have been greatly reduced in the civil courts when a driver was not able to state that he sounded his car horn before the accident occurred-obviously not entirely on its own but in the sequence of events-
By your own admission you accept that the other car was quite near to you and that there was plenty of room behind the car to allow you to carry out your manoeuvre safely.

PhysiologyRocks

2yung2adm wrote: »

The driver who beeped at you was driving correctly. At first I thought this was a manoeuvre that was done at high speed and there a different set of 'rules' would apply.
He was driving correctly as he was obliged to sound his horn in case you drove out in front of him. The car horn is defined as "an advanced warning device" its purpose is to let other drivers know in advance of the approach. Many cases have failed or have been greatly reduced in the civil courts when a driver was not able to state that he sounded his car horn before the accident occurred-obviously not entirely on its own but in the sequence of events-
By your own admission you accept that the other car was quite near to you and that there was plenty of room behind the car to allow you to carry out your manoeuvre safely.

I wasn't saying he was wrong!

The thread is about my mistakes.

I want to improve and be the safest and best I can possibly be.

2yung2adm

PhysiologyRocks wrote: »

I wasn't saying he was wrong!

The thread is about my mistakes.

I want to improve and be the safest and best I can possibly be.

I am sure you have now learned from that experience and therefore you are progressing.