Blog Archives

"How cars were meant to be"

30/1/2023

That's the phrase used by the instructor whose talk convinced me, in 2019, to "go electric".

And I'm sure Nikola Tesla (and Mr Musk) would agree.

But, apart from smoothed motion (by not requiring you to change gears) what other automatic features does my modern car have?

exterior lights (when gloomy or dark)
windscreen wiper-ing (when front screen becomes unclear)
rear windscreen wiper (when reverse drive is selected, if front wipers on)
louder audio warnings (if you're going fast)
cruise control (so you can rest your right foot)
high beam headlights
Reversing camera with “overhead” view
Reversing guide-lines (curve as you steer)
one-touch window controls
emergency "hazard" lighting (if stopping abruptly)
dialling the emergency services (after a crash)
release of parking brake (on use of accelerator)
self-cancelling turn signals (on straitening steering)
climate control (of the passengers/cabin)
anti-rollback (when an uphill slope's detected)
collision warning (when following too close)
lane-keeping assistance (if you start to waver)
voice control (of Bluetooth devices)
defrosting of mirrors (if heating rear screen)
locking of doors (above 6 mph)
capping of speed (to counter over-acceleration)
monitoring of speed and mandatory roadsigns
mirroring iPhone / Android functions (if plugged in)
tyre deflation monitoring ("TPMS", constantly)
scheduled pre-heating (if defined via the app)
stability control (by ABS and ESP systems)
airbag deployment (via inertia switches)
anti-lock braking system, “ABS” (to combat skids)
reversing signals (white rearward lights when reverse gear is selected)
brake signals ...naturally

Only two of these were on the car I learned to drive, in 1979 !

0 Comments

Airbag damage ... keep your feet on the floor

23/1/2023

0 Comments

This x-ray image follows a non-fatal 30mph collision. The passenger had their feet up on the dashboard when the airbag went off. So now you know how 7 people each year become paralysed.

0 Comments

The perfect driver ? People "fortunate enough" to get zero faults on test.

21/1/2023

0 Comments

Clock the frosty image for the latest numbers

0 Comments

Should I be a therapist? Yours?

6/1/2023

0 Comments

A recent news article showcases a driving instructor with some previous training in counselling.

She makes the salient point that, once trust has been established between student and teacher, all sorts of intimate information might be shared.

And, as instructors, we should be able to respond in a helpful (and certainly non-judgmental) way. Perhaps signposting the person to a more qualified expert, someone with relevant experience, or a "safe place".

What would you say?

0 Comments

Orange, not green, automatic headlight function lamp

5/1/2023

0 Comments

A fellow e-208 owner writes:

"Driving home this evening, the indicator lamp for the automatic headlight function was lit orange instead of normal green. While it was orange it was slow to change between dipped and main beam. Halfway through the journey, indicator light went green and headlights became normally responsive. There is no mention of light being orange in the handbook."

Forum commentators surmised it was caused by condensation within the camera/sensor housing, which self-clears after a few minutes.

0 Comments

The Gods, the BADIs, and the Uggerly … invaluable

2/1/2023

0 Comments

If you’re an instructor lacking support (and it can be lonely work), click the graphic to see if the professional association of Birmingham ADIs could help.

We’re not driving gods, seldom “uggerly”, but defo BADIs … each any every one.

0 Comments

<<Previous