DSA - test routes anyone?

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FJSRiDER.

04/02/2006 at 12:50

Blimey!

Find your local DSA test centre by letter - then look on the right - a list of test routes.

What??

mallettsmallett

04/02/2006 at 13:34

They have to publicise them don't they?

I got an old lady come out her house and shout at me when I was on my DAS. The instuctor said that she's made complaints about schools using right outside her house for u turns all the time. The DSA took that road off the route list.

That's why *some* instructors just teach you the route and where you're more likely to do the key maenouvers.

Don't fucking 'errrr' me, Greek boy! How is it that your so-fucking-stupid, soon-to-be-dead friends thought they might be able to steal my gear?
And then sell it back to me? Is this a declaration of war? Is this some sort of white cunts' joke that black cunts don't get? 'Cos I'm not fucking laughing, Nik-ol-aaas.

The Wellsie

04/02/2006 at 13:37

Well, that's lovely, but I really don't think they'll be much use at the moment, but the novelty is nice

. If I could find someone who would take the time (FREE) to take me round each route, telling me all the faults I make then they'de be great

. The Gipsy lane in Leicester routes are all basically just as bad as eachother as the whole place is one big evil mine-field of speeding motorists and painful road layouts. I'm hoping to get a nice easy route for this week...

You've been silent-kev'd

The Spin Doctor

04/02/2006 at 13:39

I can see a busy weekend with the GPS coming up!

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"Force has no place where there is need of skill" Herodotus 450BC :burnout:

The Spin Doctor

04/02/2006 at 14:29

Quote

If I could find someone who would take the time (FREE) to take me round each route, telling me all the faults I make then they'de be great

You could always film yourself doing the route and work out for yourself what you were doing wrong, based on the rules you should already have learned.

"Force has no place where there is need of skill" Herodotus 450BC :burnout:

FJSRiDER.

04/02/2006 at 14:30

The Spin Doctor wrote

I can see a busy weekend with the GPS coming up!

Not just me then? This is a new departure for the DSA?

When I was training the examiners could (and often did) go where they wanted but, as mallettsmallett suggests, I see this leading to route learning. And that is something I don't really like the idea of.

Horse

04/02/2006 at 15:03

I live C. 300yds from a car test centre (and 100 of those are it's access road . . . ), so I get used to seeing 'L' cars with yellow-jacketed passengers . . .

But [Dear Points of View] whyohwhyohwhy are car instructors apparently only capable of teaching e-stops on the test route?

When I first moved here we were doing work on the house, so about during the day - scared the daylights out of us th number of tyre-squealing halts we heard! "What sort of a road is this?"

Training info is (C) Malcolm Palmer. He asserts his right to be identified as author under the Copyright Design Patents Act 1988 & may be quoted only as part of a post in the Visordown bb by another board member. Author should be contacted for written permission before any other use, storage, transmission or recording, by any means.

Read my mutterings:

http://the-ride-info.blogspot.com/

Horse

04/02/2006 at 15:04

Oh - I'm on the DSA's email update, so had heard all about this.

Not.

Read my mutterings:

http://the-ride-info.blogspot.com/

The Spin Doctor

04/02/2006 at 15:15

Quote

Not just me then? This is a new departure for the DSA?

When I was training the examiners could (and often did) go where they wanted but, as mallettsmallett suggests, I see this leading to route learning. And that is something I don't really like the idea of.

Because of the need to keep the tests as standard as possible between centres, and also I suspect the need to swap examiners from centre to centre, they've been operating test routes for some time - there's a polite notice in the test centres asking ADIs NOT to practice on them because of the problem with the public complaining about U turns/E stop/reverse park etc etc..

Of course, if you take a wrong turn, you CAN end up anywhere.

Actually, it's not really time effective to ride round and round the test routes - you end up doing a lot of miles for no real gain, although there's always the odd trainee who says accusingly (after he's just passed) "the examiner didn't take us anywhere YOU took us" - "all the better, you got the easy route" is my normal reply

IMO it's far better to concentrate the training on particular problem areas. After all, one set of traffic lights is just like another, and you should be able to do a right turn safely wherever you are asked.

It's making sure they know things like road markings on the approach to lights (often hidden under queues) so they get in the right lane or at least react appropriately when they get in the wrong lane, and knowing that the right turn they are about to take is a b*stard 150degree turn with a nasty camber.

"Force has no place where there is need of skill" Herodotus 450BC :burnout:

FJSRiDER.

04/02/2006 at 15:45

The Spin Doctor wrote

they've been operating test routes for some time - there's a polite notice in the test centres asking ADIs NOT to practice on them because of the problem with the public complaining about U turns/E stop/reverse park etc etc..

We had that - but it related to certain roads that were the once they used for U-turns, e-stops and the like.....

See that it says 'Please note that any route is subject to alteration at the discretion of the examiner' at the bottom of all the ones I've looked at so far!

The Spin Doctor

04/02/2006 at 15:52

Quote

We had that - but it related to certain roads that were the once they used for U-turns, e-stops and the like.....

I'll re-read next time I'm in there...

Quote

See that it says 'Please note that any route is subject to alteration at the discretion of the examiner' at the bottom of all the ones I've looked at so far!

To allow them to deal with roadworks and the like... for a month or so two summers back they had so many roads dug up in Tun Wells, there was only one route they could sensibly use.

"Force has no place where there is need of skill" Herodotus 450BC :burnout:

QUALCAST

04/02/2006 at 16:25

I give people mock tests on roads i know are used in the area, but a good rider should be able to train in kent ,fly to scotland and take a test and pass.

If my job was to ride around the same route all day so the student will pass the test but have no idea how many situations can arise and be able to cope with whatever comes up , i wouldnt be interested in doing the job anymore.

elldrivers

04/02/2006 at 20:31

Freedom of information.
Like most things DSA have had to supply and should have made available all the test routes. AFAIK they were recently challeneged because they had not done so.
Bit like having to supply all the questions for the theory test

done it dont want to do it again
COG#4 TIT120 SG82

Training in and around Oxfordshire

Yambo

04/02/2006 at 22:57

I think that SS has gone some way down this road before, discussing the erosion of driver training standards.

It is perhaps easier to teach people to pass a test - and training on test routes does this - than to teach people to drive/ride so that they can cope in situations wherever they are. However, the fact is that people want a licence and they do not necessarily want to learn how to drive/ride in the way that more experienced road users would like. Driver training is a misnomer in todays world - it is licence acquisition training - like it or not.

The situation hasn't really changed in years, I think that the difference seems to be the willingness of the DSA to 'advise' on test routes. An acceptance perhaps on what they have known for ages - that instructors will train on test routes if they can.

As some of us on this forum are involved in 'advanced' training and picking up the pieces when the poorly trained get it wrong, it may keep a few of us in work for the forseeable future.

I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.

QUALCAST

05/02/2006 at 08:51

My job is to teach someone to safely ride a 500cc bike according to the highway code, and make them aware of the hazards they will face and how to negotiate them.

An F1 drivers job is to learn a specfic track.

I dont want to hear a day after someones passed their test that they have crashed because they havent been on dual carriage way before or havent been round a roundabout with 5 exits during training , because we have spent 3 days learning a route.
I also think that most students wouldnt want to just learn a route, some may and as they are paying if thats what they still want after i've explained it to them, then thats what they will get. They have the choice.

For novice riders one of the first things i ask is what will the bike be mainly used for, then i can factor extra time into the course depending on their answers, sunny weeekend rider, we spend time out in the country , city commuter - we spend time in built up and busy areas , this is covered in all courses anyway but i have the time to focus some extra training in these situations.

BigFella

05/02/2006 at 09:00

QUALCAST wrote

My job is to teach someone to safely ride a 500cc bike according to the highway code, and make them aware of the hazards they will face and how to negotiate them.

For novice riders one of the first things i ask is what will the bike be mainly used for, then i can factor extra time into the course depending on their answers, sunny weeekend rider, we spend time out in the country , city commuter - we spend time in built up and busy areas , this is covered in all courses anyway but i have the time to focus some extra training in these situations.

Great reply! - and a super example of what ethical instruction should be about. I touches me forelock to you sir!

Hendon Shuffler & Spanner Addict

The Spin Doctor

05/02/2006 at 11:34

Quote

I dont want to hear a day after someones passed their test that they have crashed because they havent been on dual carriage way before or havent been round a roundabout with 5 exits during training , because we have spent 3 days learning a route.
I also think that most students wouldnt want to just learn a route, some may and as they are paying if thats what they still want after i've explained it to them, then thats what they will get. They have the choice.

The other point is that one wrong turn and they're off the test route anyway...

Years ago, the examiner beckoned me over for a quiet word after a test (pass BTW) and said "that was the oddest test I've done for ages. He went the wrong way at virtually every junction, and I've seen bits of Folkestone I've never been to before. Rode it all fine, anyway!"

"Force has no place where there is need of skill" Herodotus 450BC :burnout:

FJSRiDER.

05/02/2006 at 12:04

elldrivers wrote

Freedom of information.
Like most things DSA have had to supply and should have made available all the test routes. AFAIK they were recently challeneged because they had not done so.

Really? Challenged on what grounds?

elldrivers wrote

Bit like having to supply all the questions for the theory test

I'm not so sure - as I remember it the questions existed before the test. So students could learn them and prepare.

OTOH do you think I can ask for all the video clips and answers to the hazard perception test?

FJSRiDER.

08/09/2010 at 08:15

Boing!

Test routes being taken off line!

I suppose it would make the 'independent driving' part a lot less tricky if people knew where the routes were!

Edited: 08/09/2010 at 08:16

The Spin Doctor

08/09/2010 at 09:02

Funnily enough I was wondering about that just y'day when I watched a video showing how that would be conducted... the video didn't make it look too tricky - but then the DSA video showing the "high speed" manoeuvres is being done at 20mph on 50cc scoot, not 30mph on a 500cc bike!