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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

263 replies

JacobReesMogadishu · 06/10/2020 21:09

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! 😱

OP posts:
FiveShelties · 07/10/2020 09:52

@jonny9487

As for the shoulder check, I imagine all car mirrors cover blind spots better now and whilst moving, looking over your shoulder is more likely to make you drift. I learnt in 1991 and was told this

The number of times I've nearly been wiped out on my motorbike because people think they don't have blindspots. And if you can't avoid drifting if you look over your shoulder for a second, you really shouldn't be driving.

Absolutely. No wonder people are pulling out in front of me and I cannot believe they have not seen me - they really have not seen me because they have not looked.
CherryValanc · 07/10/2020 09:54

@jonny9487

As for the shoulder check, I imagine all car mirrors cover blind spots better now and whilst moving, looking over your shoulder is more likely to make you drift. I learnt in 1991 and was told this

The number of times I've nearly been wiped out on my motorbike because people think they don't have blindspots. And if you can't avoid drifting if you look over your shoulder for a second, you really shouldn't be driving.

It might be you've been nearly been wiped out by drivers who don't check their mirrors, more so than not thinking they don't have blindspots. There's far too many who don't.
ThatDamnScientist · 07/10/2020 09:58

I passed my test about 14 months ago (in an automatic) and it was drilled into me to put handbrake on when I stopped for that reason. My husband would whinge everytime I did (30 years driving a manual), needless to say I listened to my instructor!

I would be very concerned about your daughters instructor and his advice! And not checking blindspot?? 😮 surely that is a recipe for distaster!

YeahItsJackie · 07/10/2020 10:01

I'm a learner and my instructor is extremely clear on how important shoulder checks are. Someone shouldn't be on the road if they "imagine" mirrors are good enough. Worrying.

drivingmisspotty · 07/10/2020 10:03

Hand brake is interesting. I only found out recently on here about the risk of being shunted forward if you don’t use it but my driving instructor used to say it is there to help you. So, you can sit with your foot on the brake pedal at the lights if you like but why not put your handbrake on, rest your foot and then it is easier to find the bite when you go. (Appreciate that this might not be relevant in automatic cars).

She also pointed out that if you have your foot on the brake pedal your brake lights are probably shining directly in the eyes of the person behind you in the queue of traffic so maybe do them a favour and use your handbrake. I have definitely been behind some suvs with high up, ultra bright led brake lights and wished they would do that.

My instructor also advised to use handbrake if you were stopped and pedestrians were crossing behind or in front of you. It’s just an extra safety measure to be sure you don’t roll and frighten the pedestrians. Of course you can control your car with your feet but why not use the wonderful handbrake you are provided with to make things easier? I love my handbrake!

user1469544430 · 07/10/2020 10:07

passed three years ago and my instructor said to do a quick shoulder check for changing lanes / joining on slip roads. Yes you could drift, but the skill you are learning is not drifting while you do this: just a quick check is fine, and keep the car steady while you do it.

Many times there has been someone in my blind spot, especially changing lanes in a busy place.

I love my handbrake - use it all the time!

Henio · 07/10/2020 10:13

He's wrong! I almost crashed when I first past my test years ago because I didn't check my blind spot while exiting a slip road, scared the life out of me and I've never forgotten to check it since

CherryValanc · 07/10/2020 10:34

@YeahItsJackie

I'm a learner and my instructor is extremely clear on how important shoulder checks are. Someone shouldn't be on the road if they "imagine" mirrors are good enough. Worrying.
Well, that's your instructor. The OP's DD's instructor says differently - so the OP's DD could very well think someone shouldn't be on the road, that those that 'imagine' they need to turn their heads away from looking forward.

Both topics are split - handbrake on is dangerous as you'll "break" your neck or it's needed as you'll be shunted forward without it.

The only thing agree on is the way each individual does these things, then that individual says is the correct way.

ChristopherTracy · 07/10/2020 10:44

If you learn in an auto and you are doing an auto test then you don't use your handbrake until you park.

TeaStory · 07/10/2020 10:50

If you learn in an auto and you are doing an auto test then you don't use your handbrake until you park.

That’s the exact opposite of what I was taught!

SunShinesAutumn · 07/10/2020 10:57

@Rosebel

Its wrong. I passed in an automatic in 1999 and was told to always check the blind spot. My driving instructor said you shouldn't roll on a hill in an automatic but to put the handbrake on regardless.
Perhaps things have changed in 20years? People who say it was okay back in my day need to understand things move on, change and science gets updated. Of course driving might have been changed in the last 20 years. Also medicine and child rearing advice and seatbelts/car seats/weaning as well heads up might be different from 3 decades ago.
ChristopherTracy · 07/10/2020 11:00

@TeaStory did you learn recently? I learnt recently with the AA and that was the instruction. Though if you are in an auto that does roll back like the forementioned Focus that might be an issue.

TeaStory · 07/10/2020 11:06

@ChristopherTracy ten years ago.

My car doesn’t roll back but it feels safer to use the handbrake as I was instructed and it gives my foot a rest.

Hiddenmnetter · 07/10/2020 11:07

For those saying you don't need to put handbrake on in an auto, that's only true if it's a mild incline, on a steeper incline it will roll back just the same. You should always use a handbrake for a hill start.

Also you should always check your blindspot when you merge. Using only your mirrors is a real problem if there's a motorbike in your blind spot...

Hiddenmnetter · 07/10/2020 11:11

My car doesn’t roll back but it feels safer to use the handbrake as I was instructed and it gives my foot a rest.

Some modern cars have rollback protection systems. That's not cause it's an auto though, it's essentially an automatic handbrake.

AdobeWanKenobi · 07/10/2020 11:24

I can't shoulder check as it makes my steering swerve!

If you cant adequately check over your shoulder without losing control of your vehicle you probably shouldn't be driving.
I'd suggest taking yourself to a quiet industrial estate and practising.

amusedbush · 07/10/2020 11:32

I passed in an auto 5 years ago and I was taught to only use the handbrake when parking. I never use it at lights or even on a hill because my car doesn't roll.

I didn't have any lessons involving joining traffic from a slip road so the topic of shoulder checks didn't come up, however I always check over my shoulder when joining the motorway because that's what my dad does Blush though he passed his test in 1979 (and jokes that his licence was carved into a stone slab) so maybe I should reevaluate!

redvest · 07/10/2020 11:32

Been driving a long time and I had got very lazy over the shoulder check, until I went to change lanes on a dual carriageway, checked the right hand mirror and slowly started to pull over when I saw a car that had been in the blind spot. Learned a lesson. Tell your DD to look into the blind spot rule.

imissthesouth · 07/10/2020 11:45

I'm learning to drive again atm and told to do a shoulder check when moving off and changing lanes. Your DD driving instructor is wrong, on her test she would actually fail if there wasn't something she hadn't seen in the blind spot.

Babdoc · 07/10/2020 11:45

Decades ago, when I learned to drive, my instructor would suddenly cover my mirror with his hand and demand to know what colour vehicle was behind me. If I couldn’t tell him, I got hell for not using my mirrors frequently enough!
You should be checking your rear and wing mirrors often enough to know exactly what vehicles are behind and beside you at all times. That means reading the road and the traffic flow, so you are never surprised by anything being in a blind spot.
Flicking your eyes regularly between the rear and wing mirrors should be an ingrained habit, so you don’t need to twist round for a shoulder check except when pulling away at the start of your journey, when you haven’t had the opportunity to read the road in advance.

HibiscusNell · 07/10/2020 11:47

NickyNacky
I don’t think anyone is saying that you should NEVER look over your shoulder, I do if I’m not convinced the road is clear but it shouldn’t be done routinely. And I check my mirrors every few seconds as habit anyway

Exactly and I also constantly check my mirrors. I aim to always know what is behind me especially on motorways. What’s behind you is really important. I’ve certainly made mistakes when driving but I can’t recall ever pulling in front of a car in my ‘blind spot’ .
It’s noticible how many people don’t check their mirrors when emergency vehicles come up behind you on a motorway. Some people clearly don’t see them. I drive maybe 20k a year so nothing like a professional driver but enough to know what works.

I once drove a car with van style wing mirrors, I felt they made driving safer. I wonder if car manufacturers should increase the size of wing mirrors.

ChristopherTracy · 07/10/2020 12:13

@Hiddenmnetter it doesn't roll back on a steep incline. I have driven it in all sorts of places and it just doesn't. Plus what do people think they do itn the States - they just don't use it either as there's no need.

Hiddenmnetter · 07/10/2020 12:16

@ChristopherTracy if it doesn't roll back on a steep incline then it's because your car has rollback protection. When you're on an incline you'll see a little light on your dash- a car on a little slope. This is effectively an automatically applied electronic brake. No slushbox on idle will hold back the weight of several tonnes.

Isthisthehilltodieon · 07/10/2020 12:55

I totally agree OP! But, my DD has just passed her test and her instructor also told her she didn't need to put her handbrake on at lights etc. He did however, tell her to check over her shoulder when making a manoeuvre, but not when simply changing lanes.

Nat6999 · 07/10/2020 13:03

If you have a modern car that has blind spot & blind spot warnings for overtaking cars then you don't need to do a shoulder check, but otherwise then yes you do need to check over your shoulder. If your can has an electronic handbrake then it will come on automatically if you have set the handbrake assist to come on if you have come to a stop.