"Drive like a cop"
Discussion
http://autos.aol.com/article/safety/v2/_a/drive-li...
I saw this on a motoring blog, http://xo.typepad.com/blog/cars/index.html
I think some of it is rather questionable, the side window part about the "brush guard of the SUV" makes little sense as it would have smashed the window anyway, I also wondered about the locked door theory.
I saw this on a motoring blog, http://xo.typepad.com/blog/cars/index.html
I think some of it is rather questionable, the side window part about the "brush guard of the SUV" makes little sense as it would have smashed the window anyway, I also wondered about the locked door theory.
Looks like the usual list of advice given by police and transport authorities.
Also it seems the journo just picked some stuff out of odd "police driving" books, instead of actually doing/observing police driver training and interviewing real instructors.
Also it seems the journo just picked some stuff out of odd "police driving" books, instead of actually doing/observing police driver training and interviewing real instructors.
Edited by Jungles on Saturday 2nd June 16:09
Beyond Rational said:
Beyond Rational said:
Here's a final tip: if you see blue lights in your mirror, pull to the right immediately.
Perhaps we should avoid that bit of advice in the UK, as the officer on your offside might not really appreciate that.Gordon
imbecile said:
School boy said:
Every single one.
They do have the odd 'super pursuit' such as a Corvette which may be manual, but the normal ones are all autos.
No real reason for having manuals, is there?They do have the odd 'super pursuit' such as a Corvette which may be manual, but the normal ones are all autos.
In Australia, most standard patrol vehicles are auto. Pursuit vehicles, and some other specialised vehicles are manual. This is in a land that still has unrestricted speed roads, and arguably the worst roads (and a pretty big proportion of unsealed roads) among developed countries.
A good auto box will perform better than a good manual box for 90% of driving situations anyway, and auto boxes reduce information and task load for a driver.
imbecile said:
Very stupid guide said:
The police instructors and I found common ground: Left-foot braking is a legitimate advanced technique, but one that's far too advanced for the vast majority of Americans.
It is an advanced technique, and really only useful in advanced driving - trackday, wheel-to-wheel, auto-x, etc. That is not to say never useful in daily driving, but after 20years and 100's of thousands of miles I have yet to encounter a situation when it was of value.
mko9 said:
imbecile said:
Very stupid guide said:
The police instructors and I found common ground: Left-foot braking is a legitimate advanced technique, but one that's far too advanced for the vast majority of Americans.
It is an advanced technique, and really only useful in advanced driving - trackday, wheel-to-wheel, auto-x, etc. That is not to say never useful in daily driving, but after 20years and 100's of thousands of miles I have yet to encounter a situation when it was of value.
The other kind I found useful in the focus for maximum roundabout speed...
mko9 said:
imbecile said:
Very stupid guide said:
The police instructors and I found common ground: Left-foot braking is a legitimate advanced technique, but one that's far too advanced for the vast majority of Americans.
It is an advanced technique, and really only useful in advanced driving - trackday, wheel-to-wheel, auto-x, etc. That is not to say never useful in daily driving, but after 20years and 100's of thousands of miles I have yet to encounter a situation when it was of value.
That guide is a load of tripe. Firstly if I jammed my left foot against the floorboard to see out of the back window I'd stop because there's a clutch pedal down there. Secondly, I'm short so I can only reverse accuarately by looking in the side mirrors, funnily enough that's why cars have them. And thirdly I don't have an airbag or power steering so shuffle steering is not possible in all situations.
Jungles said:
A good auto box will perform better than a good manual box for 90% of driving situations anyway,
Not in 90% of my driving situations - maybe 10-15% at most (ie time spent in traffic/round town). I guess for cops(or people in general) who spend most of their time in cities your statement may be correct, but out on A and B roads autos don't really cut it. Pretty much all of our police cars in NZ are auto, and quite frequently they get crashed during pursuits (or "shortly after ceasing pursuit" as they tell us) because they cook the brakes. Having a manual gearbox may not solve that problem completely but would definitely help with engine braking.
Jungles said:
and auto boxes reduce information and task load for a driver.
Thats probably a factor - one less thing for them to remember and do, though its not that hard to know what gear you're in and most experienced drivers can change gears without even really having to think about it anyway. Maybe health and safety got in on it and thought they could get a sore leg from the clutch?Edited by GravelBen on Friday 15th June 05:10
GravelBen said:
Jungles said:
and auto boxes reduce information and task load for a driver.
Thats probably a factor - one less thing for them to remember and do, though its not that hard to know what gear you're in and most experienced drivers can change gears without even really having to think about it anyway. Maybe health and safety got in on it and thought they could get a sore leg from the clutch?Plus you have to think about OST issues (Operational Safety and Tactics) during pursuits or emergency response driving. If you consider that officers have to coordinate their driving, radio, lights/sirens, approach and take-down procedures, etc., it's a lot of stuff to think about and do.
GravelBen said:
Jungles said:
A good auto box will perform better than a good manual box for 90% of driving situations anyway,
Not in 90% of my driving situations - maybe 10-15% at most (ie time spent in traffic/round town). I guess for cops(or people in general) who spend most of their time in cities your statement may be correct, but out on A and B roads autos don't really cut it. Pretty much all of our police cars in NZ are auto, and quite frequently they get crashed during pursuits (or "shortly after ceasing pursuit" as they tell us) because they cook the brakes. Having a manual gearbox may not solve that problem completely but would definitely help with engine braking.
Jungles said:
and auto boxes reduce information and task load for a driver.
Thats probably a factor - one less thing for them to remember and do, though its not that hard to know what gear you're in and most experienced drivers can change gears without even really having to think about it anyway. Maybe health and safety got in on it and thought they could get a sore leg from the clutch? And the Met do not only cover the City.
They arnt meant to be performance cars, otherwise they wouldnt have bought diesel astras so an auto box is no worse.
Also an auto box is less easy to break, as like everything, some of the drivers are better than others.
Edited by School boy on Friday 15th June 18:35
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