When out on the refresher the trainer kept bollocking me for having my foot on the brake when approaching traffic lights. My arguments was that the foot was ready to act if the lights changed and also by showing the brake lights I was warning following traffic of my intensions. I tried his method but sailed straight over a red. I use this method of foot on the brake and showing warning lights thanks to Stephen Haleys exellent book ’ Driving minds’.
I find this approach much more relaxng and predictive for following traffic. It is a simple method and can save lots of harsh braking moments.
chippy:
When out on the refresher the trainer kept bollocking me for having my foot on the brake when approaching traffic lights. My arguments was that the foot was ready to act if the lights changed and also by showing the brake lights I was warning following traffic of my intensions. I tried his method but sailed straight over a red. I use this method of foot on the brake and showing warning lights thanks to Stephen Haleys exellent book ’ Driving minds’.
I find this approach much more relaxng and predictive for following traffic. It is a simple method and can save lots of harsh braking moments.
Anyone agree?
YES - cover the brake in readiness up to the point where you cannot stop and then move foot to accelerator.
Taking up the play of the pedal which does not activate the brake but puts the brake lights on is also highly recommended as it warns others behind of your possible intention.
I have to ask this - what sort of [ZB] assessor did you have
If you’re not breaking or at least slowing down then you shouldn’t be showing the break lights, covering the pedal is fine in appropriate situations but actually depressing the pedal to the point that the break lights would show is in my humble opinion a bad habit.
also by showing the brake lights I was warning following traffic of my intensions
In my opinion you’re telling people that you’re breaking when you aren’t, and that’s likely to lead people to ignore your break lights when you are breaking, the break lights aren’t there to show people what you may do, they’re there to show people what you are actually doing.
As I said this is my opinion and other people may disagree
I agree with Tacho, cover it by all means, only activate lights if you are actually slowing down. If your brake lights are on when approaching, the pleb following too close might not react in time if you actually have to stop, followed by all the paperwork etc etc etc.
What do break lights mean? I am slowing, stopping. How can you tell someone is stopping or slowing by use of the breaklights? They are warning lights. There is no definate answer. The lights do not say I am stopping neither do they say I am slowing down. Perhaps there should be two sorts of brake lights
The point is that by using the break pedal before you need to use it, the prat behind is going to wake up earlier. Therefore no paperwork
chippy:
What do break lights mean? I am slowing, stopping. How can you tell someone is stopping or slowing by use of the breaklights? They are warning lights. There is no definate answer. The lights do not say I am stopping neither do they say I am slowing down. Perhaps there should be two sorts of brake lights
The point is that by using the break pedal before you need to use it, the prat behind is going to wake up earlier. Therefore no paperwork
You’re right chippy, break lights are just warning lights
They warn people that you’re using the brakes and therefore slowing down
It would be interesting to know what purpose you think brake lights are supposed to serve ?
The point is that by using the break pedal before you need to use it, the prat behind is going to wake up earlier. Therefore no paperwork
The point is that if you drive down the road with your brake lights on for no good reason the prat behind is likely to ignore them until they’re protruding through his front grill when you do eventualy break. Therefor more paperwork
Brake lights are red for a reason. Red is a warning. When vehicles following behind see red lights they should immedietly be alerted to a stop if necesesary situation. …Well they should but some dont get it
ROG: YES - cover the brake in readiness up to the point where you cannot stop and then move foot to accelerator.
Taking up the play of the pedal which does not activate the brake but puts the brake lights on is also highly recommended as it warns others behind of your possible intention.
Just to add - I assume you only do this when there is a ‘possibility’ of the lights changing against you
If yes, then this is the advanced driving way of doing it but is not the traditional DSA way
chippy:
So would the prescribed method of foot on the brake be acceptable on the dsa test, when the need was apropiate and does anyone teach it.?
If you mean using the stop lights when you’re not slowing down then I certainly hope not
Is it possible to use them without slowing down - right foot is off the accelerator…
There are plenty of situations where you wouldn’t be slowing down just because the foot is off the accelerator, there are also plenty of situations where you would need to keep the foot on the accelerator when approaching traffic lights, but you may still need to stop so do you use the left foot on the brake pedal to warn people following
You should always be prepared to stop at traffic lights and I’m certainly not suggesting that you shouldn’t cover the brake pedal if the situation requires it, but driving with the brake pedal unnecessarily depressed is likely to give people behind you a wrong impression of what’s going on, it’s also likely to lead to excessive and unnecessary wear on the brakes.
The fact is of cause that as with so many things in life there is no hard and fast rule that covers all situations, however I was always taught and still believe that riding the brake as with riding the clutch unnecessarily is a bad habit, but I’m always willing to learn new methods if they’re logical and make sense
You should always be prepared to stop at traffic lights and I’m certainly not suggesting that you shouldn’t cover the brake pedal if the situation requires it,
Agreed
It is also useful to show brake lights on the approach if someone is too close as it may ‘wake them up’ to a possible situation - there are many other times when the showing of brake lights is also useful.
In many ways they are the same as indicators - to be used when appropriate.
when is appropriate? - good driving skills will determine that.
how do you get those driving skills? - either learn by experience or get good training - or a combination of both
I use the method in the car to great effect. Most drivers brake to late by using then new method one can break or have the foot ready for action with no delay
therefore most late breaking is avoided and the flow of traffic behind is kept calm and alert to possible problems. You are less likely to be suprised by a problem when using the on method.
When i did my Cat C a few weeks ago, on the test the examiner was quiet chatty which i didn’t mind, at the end of the test ( which i passed ) he mentioned to me that i should, when approaching traffic lights that are already green, be prepared to stop by having my accelerator foot ( Right Foot ) hovering over the brake pedal, as on the approach to traffic lights that are already green, as he explained, you wouldn’t necessarily know how long they had been green so best be prepared to stop.
Rocketman:
When i did my Cat C a few weeks ago, on the test the examiner was quiet chatty which i didn’t mind, at the end of the test ( which i passed ) he mentioned to me that i should, when approaching traffic lights that are already green, be prepared to stop by having my accelerator foot ( Right Foot ) hovering over the brake pedal, as on the approach to traffic lights that are already green, as he explained, you wouldn’t necessarily know how long they had been green so best be prepared to stop.
Quite right to, however the foot should be touching the brake and depending , the slack may be taken on the pedal.
