Parking in gear

[cla5h]

Was never taught to leave in gear, although, as already stated, Highway Code suggests doing so and turning wheels when on a hill, which I do.

I have had one or two occasions where I've jumped into someone else's car and started it, only to find they do leave it in gear - cue lurching forward, and stall - odd, because in 99% of cases when in my own car, I check it's in neutral before starting.

[s29ttc]

If I have the car in the garage I leave it in 1st gear with the handbrake off as I dont want the pads binding to the discs.

If I have the car out and it will be used within a day I will apply the handbrake and leave it in first.

I can't remember what I was taught but I am in a habit of stoping the car with clutch down and turning it off. Bad when I move my mums car and she is not used to it and juts forward when she tries to start it.

Another good question I usually put my handbrake on at traffic lights if I am going to be waiting for more than 10-20secs. Most people you see though just hold their foot on the brake, which is correct?

[Dominic]

Another good question I usually put my handbrake on at traffic lights if I am going to be waiting for more than 10-20secs. Most people you see though just hold their foot on the brake, which is correct?

When I was taught (officially in 1991), and did my IAM (1992), it was 'handbrake on'. Louise learned to drive about 6 years ago, and was taught foot brake.. AFAIK.

[S111Y TT]

handbrake is correct, luckily i did turn the steering wheel when i parked my car, otherwise i would of been up the back of a white van! instead it veered left and went about 15 feet down the brae, it must of been moving very very slowly seeing as the marks on the car are not very bad at all.

Scotty i'm confused, why will i be off the road for a year?

Ian

[james]

Current driving instructors tell you to leave it out of gear now. I always leave it in gear (but then I was told to do that and anyway my first car had a rubbish handbrake.)

Why are yougsters being told to leave it in neutral? Probably health n safelty or some other tosh.

[Scotty C]

Scotty i'm confused, why will i be off the road for a year?

Ian

How did you visit go with the local plod

[S111Y TT]

ah right, they have no case as far as i'm concerned but if they choose to make an example off me my license will go, but seeing as i still drive correctly, for example leaving the car in neutral i'll pass my test again no problems, i still use my mirrors all the time which is more than most people do when they have been driving for 2 years.
I'll just take it as it comes as it's more or less a 50/50 as to whether or not the procurator fiscal will follow it up, wo we'll see. Witnesses say i was only doing between 60mph and 65mph, it was chokablok traffic up till then anyway, so we'll see. Fingers crossed.

Ian

[S111Y TT]

Statement:
Ian McLeod Duncan
12/02/1990
Maidstone House Abbey Street Old Deer AB42 5LN
01771622971 / 07903981841
Born Aberdeen
I was heading home from work, forgotten which day it was now but I have a feeling it was the 6th of March. I came along the dual carriageway and upon exiting the roundabout going towards Peterhead I was now behind a farm like jeep who was swerving very badly, at some points he was even crossing the white line and this is a very wide road so that shows just how bad it was I came round the bend and he was still driving slowly so I overtook him, he was no longer a problem to me but should not of been on the road, was either drunk or just could not drive, either way a danger none the less. I was now driving at 60mph behind a few cars, there were spaces to overtake but since traffic was moving at 60mph I did not, I wasn’t in any hurry. I followed in traffic to the toll of Birness and took the left heading towards Mintlaw, it was head to tail traffic just before the toll of Birness, I don’t know what the speed was at current, about 40mph, once headed to Mintlaw I sped up to 60mph then about 30 feet before the tight right handed bend I was behind the Suzuki jeep, he was driving at 40mph, however I had already slowed for the bend to 40mph anyway with about 2 car lengths between myself and the jeep, there were 3 cars coming down the long straight, they passed us just as we exited the bend, about 10 – 20 meters after the bend the jeep showed no intention of speeding up past 40mph so I put my car into 4th gear seeing as the straight is up a hill my car couldn’t make it past in 5th, and started to accelerate to overtake, I indicated to pull out as I gained speed and was at about 55mph when I pulled out. When straightening the steering wheel to take the car passed the jeep I my car did not straighten and I realized I had no traction, I overcompensated turning left to try to regain traction and avoided the brakes as that would have worsened the situation, I turned too far left when trying to recover and realized I was going to make contact with the jeep, I then pulled right and put myself into the field in the hope to avoid the other vehicle, I made contact with the jeep however it was very obvious that any contact was very light contact, this was shown by the fact that there was only a very slight impact mark on the jeep which will be shown in any pictures that have been taken, then again maybe not as it was such a slight touch. I would just like to emphasize how small the impact was. I was fully aware of my surroundings before and at the time of the accident. The car immediately behind me drove straight on and did not stop, I think that was just a female driver by herself I can’t remember the model of car though, a middle aged female with her child stopped and I think that they were two or three cars behind. The other driver got out his car before I got out mine and was already shouting abuse at me. I apologized and said I obviously didn’t mean it. The first thing I did was I phoned 999, this call will be recorded in my phone records, I was told as long as both cars were off the road and out of the way and nobody was injured in anyway then we were just to exchange insurance details and the police were not needed. I think someone else maybe phoned and demanded the police come down though as they later arrived. I wrote all my insurance details down and gave a copy to the man, asked for his but he said he didn’t know his insurer or details and was reluctant to even give me his name and phone number. Should this man of been wearing glasses when he was driving and was that why he was driving so slowly? His insurance will say if he is supposed to when driving as he wasn’t wearing any. Another elder man had stopped he was the driver of the old farm vehicle I had overtaken earlier on, he was attempting to move along traffic but was just shouting and being aggressive to everyone telling them to move out the fcuk way, he was highly abusive to me and when my parents arrived was aggressive towards them as well, from seeing this man weave about the road and how he wasn’t capable of driving above 40mph and then seeing him when he stopped and how he could not talk without slurring his words and was in a highly aggressive state it was more than obvious that this man was drunk, however none of the officers deemed it necessary to breathalyse the man yet I believe they took a statement a possible drunk?
When I was taught to drive to DVLA standards if you did not overtake a car driving at 40mph given the perfect opportunity to overtake at a maximum of 60mph you would fail your driving test, all I did was drive to dvla standards as I was taught, I do not drive recklessly or carelessly, I am a highly responsible driver for my age and am being punished for driving in the manner I was taught and which passed my test so I cannot make any sense why I am being charged or what your reasons for.
My dad is a disabled war pensioner and me having a license means I can help out with the shopping transportation of my younger brother and help my dad where ever he needs to go. I work two jobs and as you discovered when trying to contact me at my home I am rarely there. If I lose my license then transport to both my jobs will then be a problem. I am not the sort to go for little joy rides in my car, it is a method of transport not fun for me, and is an essential to my way of life. Without my car my work will struggle and so will my family as I contribute money from my salary to help them and their financial state as money is a problem these days.

[tut]

They are charging him with careless driving, so it will now go to the PF. He will decide if it goes to Court, which I am pretty sure it will, minimum points will give him 6 which means his full licence will be taken away and he will then have to apply for a Provisional.

He will then have to take his test again, which he can apply for straight away, and he goes on to his 12 points allowance next month.

He wrote out a statement which he gave them a copy of and asked them to sign his to show that they had received and read it, but they refused.

tut

ps Ian. I don't have a copy of your statement on this Netbook, so if you want to post a copy from yours.

[campbell]

the numbskull is at least sat in the car and therefore able to do something about the situation.

LOL - classic imagery there!

[jj]

Unless I have very much missed the point here, you were driving along a country road, overtook someone, clipped them, binned it, and went into a field?

What would the chat on here be if it had been one of us you had clipped during this fail of an overtake?

Someone else being drunk, people going too slowly in front of you, people being aggressive, poor family that you need to ferry about... I think we all know the truth here, and its amusing when your old man does it to blag parking tickets and free leccy, but this is slightly more serious?

Man up and take the ban and stop trying to blame everyone else?

[Shug]

Have to say I agree with the J

I feel for you Ian, but having done a daft thing whilst a young driver myself and having got handed punishment I felt was extreme for the actual offence, I know better than most that you're better accepting that on some days you're the Pigeon and on some you're the statue.

You put the car in a place where you couldn't get out of danger and didn't have the experience to realise it. No terrible thing, but simple fact is you got it wrong and you need to take the hit.

Sorry bud.

[campbell]

What would the chat on here be if it had been one of us you had clipped during this fail of an overtake?

Hm, quite so. Or indeed one of us who did the clipping. Doesn't bear thinking about actually.

[S111Y TT]

....

[Shug]

Draw a line under it mate.