Drivers License

[Kalvaer]

I've never noticed that before - fog lights yes, but not just brake lights - they have something wrong with their eyes if it blinds them! How do they handle oncomming traffic i wonder

Anyway, my foot stays on the brake pedal, handbrake or not!

Tell your brother-in-law to eat more carrots

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LOL I agree with the fog lights. The brake lights never bugged me at all.. until he mentioned it to me.. Now its just a pain in the butt and I laugh at it.

I suppose you actually meant in the case where you are at the front of the line, yea then you could be knocked into cross running traffic.

Yeah. I know quiet a few intersections that are 100km roads with traffic lights on them. In the morning if your at the front you can actually feel your car shake as the cars fly by. Its times like that, that I ALWAYS pull up the hand brake. Even moving 10 cm forwards would tear the front of your car off if another car hit me, and who knows what else... I agree, I'd rather not be there at all.

For real? Cos in that case, when I'm driving the Panelval the distance from me to the car i'm behind would be roughly 6 metres, and when i'm driving my little conquest, it would be about 500cm, and then .. if I angle my seat further forward .. the gap could be narrowed down to 400cm.

Its a general rule of thumb but yes, as you've stated, it can go wrong. It gets even worse if you stop behind a big truck, You can actually park under the bed before both tires disappear, but the theory remains the same. Check next time when your driving though, If you leave about 1m in front of your bonnet before the tires of a normal car fade away below your bonnet, you should have about 3-4 m distance from their back. I drive a hatch back and because my car seems flat, people tend to stop right on my butt.. One of these days I think i'm going to get out and kick thier lights out.. thats if I can squeeze in to kick

 

[Gunther]

I passed first time. I breezed it.

 

[The Axe Dude]

My Brother-in-Law is from the UK and I've seen him nearly get out and beat the living day lights out of people who hold their foot on the brake at a traffic light. Its blinding for the people behind you at night, and its just something that he says is never done in the UK. Try it there, and the cops know right away you are not using your handbrake as the law states.. and you'll get a fine.

I'm busy studying for my drivers, and I found this in one of the documents:

"Note C:
Brake lights are a signal that can be kept on (especially at night) and it is not necessary to cancel these
after the vehicle has been brought to a complete standstill."

(http://www.transport.gov.za/library/regulations/2006/k53/lmv-eng1.pdf)

Heh...

 

[Ivork]

If they really wanted to make a test that a baboon would have difficulty passing, they would teach these people to use their mirrors. That is what they there for isn’t it ? And those blind spot mirrors work wonders if you know how to use them.

A person should know what’s going on behind them at all times. You want to change lanes and 5 seconds later a red opel is missing in your rear view…..time to wonder!

All this turning your head 360 degrees every 5 seconds! Tell me how that’s going to help you in a panel van loaded up to the rear window. Worse, a caravan behind you. Turn your head all you like, you can’t see jack – all you have is your mirrors.

Make them do the reverse parking between those beacons looking forward using mirrors only.
Ask them to name the colours of the cars behind them randomly (without looking in mirror)
Now that would be worth something.

You must look forward mainly, looking for escape routes if you have a problem, but be aware of what’s going on at sides and behind as well.

K53 is BS in MHO.

@ Kalvaer:
About the hand brake: It used to be called a “park brake” probably for “PARKING” / emergencies . The poms have so many of those old mini’s and I can assure you those cables would not last 6 months if you had to use them every time you stopped.

I also drove a car once, I think it was a 4x4 or maybe a kombi, but the hand / park brake was to the left of the steering half under the dash and you had to bend forward over the steering wheel and stretch to pull this lever on a long rod. To release you had to do same contortions and pull, twist, and push back in.

I would suggest not driving one of those cars if you intend using that brake at every stop street etc.

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[Lord Anubis]

Well I got my lic leik 25+ yrs ago in the goeie ou dae. The traffic cop took me for a spin. We went to the butchery. He hopped out baught some droe wors. We rode back. It was over like in 15 minutes. Thank God for the "goeie ou dae"...BTW, I never have learnt to parrallel park n'all but still drive JHB every day.....that said....never made an accident!

 

[Ivork]

Brake lights are a signal that can be kept on (especially at night) and it is not necessary to cancel these
after the vehicle has been brought to a complete standstill."

That would be because when you standing dead still at a stop you want the (half pissed) person comming up behind you to notice you are standing dead stationary in the road. The more you light up your ass like a christmas tree - the better imho!

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[The Axe Dude]

That would be because when you standing dead still at a stop you want the (half pissed) person comming up behind you to notice you are standing dead stationary in the road. The more you light up your ass like a christmas tree - the better imho!

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Lol, true

 

[Kalvaer]

You should have your rear lights on anyway. at night that come on automatically. if your standing there in the middle of the night with no rear lights on.. your just as stupid as the idiot about to drive up your butt.

I also drove a car once, I think it was a 4x4 or maybe a kombi, but the hand / park brake was to the left of the steering half under the dash and you had to bend forward over the steering wheel and stretch to pull this lever on a long rod. To release you had to do same contortions and pull, twist, and push back in.

I would suggest not driving one of those cars if you intend using that brake at every stop street etc.

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I've driven a few of those cars... I know what its like LOL.. not the nicest thing I agree.. We might not agree with the way in which its done.. But they teach you these things when you do your license for a reason... I promise you they hate doing it as much as you.. but I think somebody has done much more research into this than we have.. otherwise they wouldn't fail us if we dont do it?????????

 

[bwana]

My Brother-in-Law is from the UK and I've seen him nearly get out and beat the living day lights out of people who hold their foot on the brake at a traffic light. Its blinding for the people behind you at night, and its just something that he says is never done in the UK. Try it there, and the cops know right away you are not using your handbrake as the law states.. and you'll get a fine.

Just because the brake lights are on it doesnt mean the handbrake hasnt also been applied.

 

[redarrow]

I also drove a car once, I think it was a 4x4 or maybe a kombi, but the hand / park brake was to the left of the steering half under the dash and you had to bend forward over the steering wheel and stretch to pull this lever on a long rod. To release you had to do same contortions and pull, twist, and push back in.

Yea, my mom's Toyota Venture has one of those "pull and twist" handbrakes too. A lot of older bakkies and kombis have those, Not at all user-friendly for frequent use..

 

[noxibox]

What do you do then? Put a brick behind your wheels at every stop?

It's all in the reflexes. Quick feet no need no handbrake.

 

[Pitbull]

It's all in the reflexes. Quick feet no need no handbrake.

called Clutch control

I can pull away at a 45 deg angle with ease. If you can judge the stop speed, slag down a bit ride out the hill and keep the car standing still on the hill with the correct clutch pressure. But this takes practise. With a hand brake it's rather easy

 

[nauseous_monkey]

Rumor has it that the Humansdorp Traffic Dept. is one of the worst to pass out at.

 

[stoke]

called Clutch control

I can pull away at a 45 deg angle with ease. If you can judge the stop speed, slag down a bit ride out the hill and keep the car standing still on the hill with the correct clutch pressure. But this takes practise. With a hand brake it's rather easy

Surely advising people to overheat and therefore speed-wear their clutches is not useful?

 

[Pitbull]

Surely advising people to overheat and therefore speed-wear their clutches is not useful?

Not really, if you can afford a nice clutch to go with your nice car, that is just prepairing it for the straight at the next robot

Custom built Copper Clutches FTW !

 

[Ivork]

I see the logic behind useing the hand brake every time you stop, but it is flawed - you are not the only car on the road - ie too much traffic.

You ever stopped behind a learner at a stop street and waited for them to check around the whole place pull up & put down hand brake etc? Now imagine you are 10 cars back, and every single one of the cars in front did the same thing! take you 10 frikkin minutes before you got to said stop street! Take you an hour to drive round the block!

and keep the car standing still on the hill with the correct clutch pressure.

Don't you do that with my car buddy - i rather value my clutch plate

Lightning speed from brake to accelerator lifting clutch simultaneously FTW

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[dj_jyno]

You ever stopped behind a learner at a stop street and waited for them to check around the whole place pull up & put down hand brake etc?

I know this isn't quite applicable to stop streets. There's a trick to doing your observations, releasing the handbrake and pulling away before that C55 AMG next to you - watch the traffic lights. If you do your observations and get clutch control when the other light turns amber, you just have to release the handbrake when your light turns green.

Don't you do that with my car buddy - i rather value my clutch plate

+1

 

[stoke]

Not really, if you can afford a nice clutch to go with your nice car, that is just prepairing it for the straight at the next robot

Custom built Copper Clutches FTW !

Bragger!

 

[Ivork]

Ok, handbrake (park brake) is great good idea – but not practical, we mostly agree on that.

Make them do hill start with no hand brake and not slip, lets say (new drivers) 10 cm’s.
Reverse and parallel park looking forward, only using mirrors.

That would prove skill and vehicle control to me.

All the stuff they currently test is BS.

Park a caravan on a hill somewhere like a slope in Seapoint – see if your miserable handbrake will hold your rig – esp if drums!
Then pull away!!!!

Something else they fail to mention, cars with drums (excluding fancy high end disc brake all round ) at the rear are based on the Lockheed system whereby the brakes pads will “bite” in the reverse motion (complicated to explain but the cable pulls the shoes at a certain angle), ie if someone hits you from the front no problem, but if they plow into you from the rear that brake will help you jack – (ok maybe a tad, but you'll still get pushed forward if drums on rear) - better to try keep your foot on the pedal – I wonder why they even bother pushing with this “handbrake-every-stop” practice at all!


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[Claymore]

Well I agree with the rolling back part. Drive around joburg nowdays and you will see why. Everyone stops about 2 cm from your rear end forgetting completely that the law states you have to be able to see both back tires of the car in front of you clearly when you come to a stop.

That's not a law, but it is a good habit.

I would seriously like to see us have simulated driving tests in the future. Where they have kids running across the road, people who slam on brakes for no reason, Taxis that dive across lanes without indicators..

Taxi manoeuvres aren't unexpected! Everyone knows the taxis will do something daft.

"Check blind spot before indicating" - ? Why? So long as you check your blind spot before actually changing lanes I see no reason to check it before indicating.

If you indicate before looking, it shows other drivers that you're unobservant, and also can cause confusion because now other drivers don't know exactly what you're going to do. Rather look, indicate, and go.

That would be because when you standing dead still at a stop you want the (half pissed) person comming up behind you to notice you are standing dead stationary in the road. The more you light up your ass like a christmas tree - the better imho!

Agreed. At night especially, people not focused on their driving may not realise that a car with only lights and not brake lights on is actually stationary. I want to make sure that other drivers can make the best assessment of my situation and intentions.

called Clutch control

I can pull away at a 45 deg angle with ease. If you can judge the stop speed, slag down a bit ride out the hill and keep the car standing still on the hill with the correct clutch pressure. But this takes practise. With a hand brake it's rather easy

One thing I hate is the drivers who stop on a slope, and then hold the car with clutch, rolling back slightly, pulling forward, rolling back, etc. One day, one of them will be startled, will lift foot off clutch, stall, and roll back, and then I'll be forced to bliksem him.