To think what the driving instructor has told Dd is wrong?

[JacobReesMogadishu]

Apparently you never do a shoulder check unless you’re stopped. So if you’re changing lanes on a motorway or coming down a slip road you just use your mirrors and don’t do a quick shoulder check. I know it’s a long time since I took my test but I was told you must because of blind spots.

Second thing is apparently when stopped at traffic lights, etc you don’t need to put your hand brake on. Again I was told you must so if someone rear ends you hopefully you don’t crash forward into the person in front. She’s driving an automatic if that makes a difference.

So last week when driving with me she was stopped at lights with quite a hill start and hadnt got the hand brake on. It’s a good job she is in an automatic or she’d have rolled backwards when she took her foot of the brake to move forward!

She has her test in less than two weeks! 😱

Both DC’s passed in recent years and find it strange that I put my handbrake on when I stop. They obviously weren’t told to.
I always check my blind spot by glancing over my shoulder. Not sure if it’s taught now though - will find out

I passed my test in 1991 and was taught to look o er my shoulder.

Handbrake is still a bone of contention for me. I failed my first test on one thing, 'overuse of the handbrake'.
My instructor was steaming. She marched back in the test center and asked how the hell could I be failed on that. Tester shrugged and walked off. My instructor took me to a different test center the following week where I passed without issue.

I assume for some reason the tester either didn't like me or my instructor and as I'd had a perfect test that was the best she could muster.

On the handbrake, no one in real life puts it on when stopped

Except me when driving my manual.
Gives my foot a chance for a wiggle.

I passed a year ago, in an automatic and was definitely told, repeatedly, to check blind spot when pulling out etc, and to put handbrake on at traffic lights, if likely to be stopped a while, ie if the lights had been red for ages when you approached then probably don't put handbrake on etc. I followed those instructions on test and passed with no minors in those areas.

On the handbrake, no one in real life puts it on when stopped

Speak for yourself

Handbrake used here. High level brake lights dazzle other drivers especially at night - which bloody annoying and dangerous. Also saves your clutch.

You're absolutely right. Always check when changing lanes. Especially on a busy motorway.

I'm quite surprised this isn't in the theory test. DD is 16 and has started learning for when she turns 17 in January.

Totally wrong,these checks over the shoulder are called lifesaver checks for a reason.

The highway code says use a shoulder check where appropriate. It's down to the driver's discretion when to use it.

I basically just learned to sit quietly in the passenger seat when I accompanied DD when she was learning to drive.
I used to think maybe she had got hold of the wrong end of the stick with what her instructor had told her, as it wasn't how I remembered being taught.
Anyway, she passed first time, whereas I would probably fail if I took a test these days...

On the handbrake, no one in real life puts it on when stopped

We have several very large roundabouts near us with long times on the lights, if I catch them at the wrong moment I wouldn't get home with a working ankle if I didn't use the handbrake 😂

I was told by my instructor to never accept a gesture by another driver, so if they slow down and signal for you to pull out you shouldn't.

On my test this happened and I was failed for obstructing traffic! I knew I should have pulled out but I for some reason I took my instructor at his word.

I think a lot of them make up the rules as they go along.

I passed last year and I put my handbrake on if I'm stopped for more than a few seconds. I drive a manual though. I was definitely told the thing about not getting shunted into the car ahead if hit from behind, plus it gives me a chance to rest / stretch my right foot. And I prefer to get sorted to set off without worrying that I'm going to roll.

I don't specifically remember my instructor saying anything about shoulder checks, but I do them, so he must have told me to! I probably check over my shoulder for more manoeuvres than is necessary, but I mostly drive in a busy city and I'm always worried that a cyclist will have popped up without me noticing so I'm really cautious.

Interesting how much it seems to vary!

I'm a truck driver and don't shoulder check. In fact, you can't in the truck as there are no rear windows or mirror. I've not yet hit somebody in my blind spot and I drive a 40ft truck for almost 50 hours a week.

@ManOfPies

Don't trucks have extra wide side mirrors so you don't have a blind spot?

Most cars here in the US are automatics. I got pulled over by the police for a broken tail light once and put the hand brake on whilst the officer did all of his paperwork. He then said he wanted to write me a ticket for “parking in a no parking zone”. He said putting the hand brake on is considered “parking”, even if the engine is still running. I told him it was just a force of habit from having learned to drive in the UK.

[quote Hobnobsandbroomstick]@ManOfPies

Don't trucks have extra wide side mirrors so you don't have a blind spot?[/quote]
They have huge blind spots. Driving a lorry is a skill.

@Runningjump

I was told by my instructor to never accept a gesture by another driver, so if they slow down and signal for you to pull out you shouldn't.

On my test this happened and I was failed for obstructing traffic! I knew I should have pulled out but I for some reason I took my instructor at his word.

I think a lot of them make up the rules as they go along.

@runningjump My Dad (in 1971) failed his test because another driver waved him across traffic and he did (it was safe too no cars coming) and the driving test examiner said exactly what you said about never accepting a gesture from another driver!!!

Seems even in driving things are “in” or “out” of fashion!!

Whatever the 'technical' rights and wrongs of a shoulder check I think it's good practice, and I always would whatever I was told. It's saved me a number of times. I use my mirrors, but there are going to obviously be times when you are not 100% sure what's in your blind spot; If you've been busy keeping an eye out on some idiot in the inside line who's been busy weaving in and out of traffic, or watching for traffic on a short slip road you're passing, or keeping a close eye on your inside mirror for a cyclist etc, there's every chance that someone could have driven into your blind spot while you were focused on another potential danger.

I have heard that people are taught not to, and I find it really strange, it would be like driving without a seatbelt It's so ingrained an Instinct now.

I drive an auto, handbrake only on when parked no idea of this is right or not, but as you don't roll back, it seems logical.

I did my driving test 5 years ago and only got 3 minors, 2 of those were for not doing a shoulder check. She needs to clarify this with the instructor as I imagine shes misunderstood.

Never heard of putting your hand break on unless you’re still for ages I.e. outside a shop OR on a VERY steep slope x

@Tinty

You always do a shoulder check in case someone has raced up into your blind spot.

I was taught, you put your handbrake on at the lights, unless you are in the first car at the lights.

I was taught the opposite, hand brake on unless you are last car in the queue, the reason being that having brake lights on will warn any cars coming up behind you that traffic is stationary.

I never used to shoulder check to my husband's dismay (professional driver with every licence you can get), until I got onto a dual carriageway one day on a bend and I nearly blindsided someone, mirrors would not have (and didn't) catch them. Rules or not it's stupid to not look over your shoulder.

Handbrake I don't know, we were crawling in M4 traffic when someone went into the back of us, because the handbrake wasn't on it just nudged us forward with a few scratches on the back bumper, had it been a handbrake it would have been a bigger debt.

Omg I had an instructor who did similar things. You should always check your shoulders. Especially in a when parallel parking etc and motorways. They’ll fail you if you don’t make it obvious your checking mirrors at all times like going around a roundabout. The handbrake thing is true. My old instructor told me to put it in at all times which was wrong and often left me flustered. My new instructor is teaching me clutch control and to hold the car at lights etc, unless on a hill where you should apply the handbrake.

I remember 15+ years ago that my instructor said that it was now good practice to block change gears rather than wriggle through each one in sequence. Car design changes as do skills.

I've always been sharp on keeping a good awareness of my mirrors. I don't manually check over my right shoulder because being short in a modern car, all I can see is chunky pillars which are not informative at all! Instead I lean forwards to change the range of the blindspot view in the mirrors. It is now standard for modern cars to have a broader view in the wing mirror to compensate for the chunky design of the pillars for rolling.
I am very rarely surprised by something appearing that I didn't anticipate (and it's inevitably a black german car that comes charging up aiming to do a ton that has far more to do with their driving style than my blind spot habits.

On handbrakes, I was told that if it's likely to be more than 30s use the handbrake and find your bite point. Don't point the steering towards oncoming traffic incase you are shunted from behind.
If it's clearly going to be a minute or so, I'll use the handbrake and go out of gear as it can get tiring stretching for the clutch reguarly.

Modern cars are not designed well for short women!

Advice for driving tests does change over time. I don't know how much my instructor's advice has changed, but it has stood me in good stead.