D N E
The official magazine of Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists and Motorcyclists
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Group Committee Members for 2009/10 This magazine was published Group President: Tommy Jardine
by the Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists & Motorcyclists.
Chair, Graeme McColm Chief m/c Obs
01387 720425
Vice Chair
Jamie Wood
01683 300347
Secretary
Helen Cameron
07707 035518
Treasurer
Russell Wears
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Minute Sec
Anne Lind
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Contact the Group Secretary:
Assoc Coordntr Peter Dodds
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M/c Coordntr Phil Sayers
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Magazine comments and contributions to:
Events
Stewart Cameron 01387 264005
editor@iamdumfries.f9.co.uk
Committee
Andy Campbell 07717 798109 Neil Martynink 07725 941180 Maureen Hewitt 07734 662526 Andrew Bird 01387 259500 To e-mail any member of the committee, please in the first instance, use the group contact e-mail address: dumfries@groups.org.uk
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this magazine are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the Editor, Group or the Institute of Advanced Motorists, to which the Group is affiliated. Reg Charity No. SC 023511
What’s on? - check for details & late changes at www.iamdumfries.org.uk 14 December - SOCIAL NIGHT, come along with husbands, wives and partners (there will be mulled wine and Christmas pies too). Please let us know in advance (07707 035518) or e-mail the Secretary so we can cater for the expected numbers. 22 January (Friday) – RACE NIGHT at Dalston House Hotel. Fun night open to members, guests and friends - come along and support your group. Details on p20 8 February - MICHELIN MAN with Duncan Livingstone 8 March - Visit to FIRE STATION 19 April - Visit to SAFETY CAMERA PARTNERSHIP - the practical use of speed cameras 10 May - AGM Meetings are normally held at our home venue of Dalston House Hotel, Dumfries starting at 7:30pm unless otherwise stated.
Monthly events Don’t forget that group meetings are open to all Associates, full Members and those interested in finding out more about advanced skills. Check the group web site for the latest details of the monthly and other events. © Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists & Motorcyclists
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The Chairman’s comments - Graeme McColm Welcome to the winter edition of our Advance magazine. Firstly I’d like to take this opportunity to add my support to Alistair Cheyne, the IAM’s new Chairman, and wish him well in his efforts to increase the IAM’s membership. This has been a busy time for us all in the Group. Although the nights are drawing in and the weather has been awful since we last went to print it hasn’t stopped us from continuing our good work. We have had a good number associates taking part in both car and bike ‘skill for life’ courses this year and lets hope we can continue with more car and bike courses throughout the winter. Congratulations to all those who have passed their tests. Our observers, both car and bike, have all been busy, the word is getting around and we are growing at quite a pace. At present most of our associates have gone on to take and pass their tests, so now we are again seeking new drivers and riders to follow in their footsteps. PASS THE WORD AROUND. The winter programme of events is in full swing with lots of interesting nights ahead. Check out the ‘what’s on’ section in this magazine or visit our web site at www.iamdumfries.org.uk for details. It is always worth looking on the web just before an event in case there are any last minute changes. Now we are truly into winter time with the clocks having gone back, the spotlight is on us all to drive safely. With the potential of snow, ice and the effects of other winter weather just around the next corner we all need to be careful out there - we all want to avoid becoming a statistic. Have a safe and enjoyable Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.
CoSLA Award for Stewartry Young Driver’s Scheme We brought you news of our involvement with the Stewartry Young Driver’s Scheme back in 2007 but now the scheme which involves the Police, Procurators Fiscal Service and ourselves has gained national recognition after being awarded a CoSLA bronze award for innovative practices. It encourages young drivers, whose driving has brought them to the adverse notice of the Police, to take part in a ‘drive check’, an hour-long assessed drive with one of our observers. The scheme is at no cost to the driver. The scheme is now being rolled out throughout Dumfries and Galloway and additionally our motorcycle section have been asked to carry out ‘ride checks’ Thanks go to those of our observers who are involved with the scheme. © Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists & Motorcyclists
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Satnav survival guide The IAM believes that satellite navigation units (satnavs) can be a real aid to road safety if used sensibly, once the driver is familiar with technology, and it is no longer proving a distraction. Follow these tips to keep your satnav safe and get the best out of it: * Think about where you put the unit. It must not obstruct the driver's vision. * If your MoT is due and you leave it on, it must not be in the area the windscreen wipers sweep. * Also avoid anywhere where an airbag could be deployed. * Programme it before you set off, not while you are driving. * Have a map as a fall back: remember satnav equipment in not infallible so do have some idea of your route before you set out. * If the unit asks you to do something that is clearly wrong then disregard that advice; it is a tool to help, not a substitute for common sense. * Take particular care if you are driving a hired vehicle that is larger than one you’re used to: weight/height restrictions apply and can affect your route choice. * Use the audible instruction to guide you as much as possible (don’t try to read it). * Remove the unit before leaving the vehicle. Insurance cover may be invalid if reasonable precautions have not been taken to reduce the risk of theft. * Make sure that a visible “ring” is cleaned from the windscreen – it’s a giveaway. * Don’t programme in your “home” details; thieves have been known to use these once they have stolen the satnav unit to commit further offences. * If you need to programme an alternative route to avoid congestion, then pull up somewhere safe to do it. Do not attempt to re-programme the unit while driving. There is no legislation for the correct use of satellite navigation equipment, but the police have a number of offences they can use if they believe the driver to have been ‘”driving without due care” or for failure to have “proper control” which could result in endorsements of between three and nine penalty points on your licence. Lastly, sat nav speed readings can differ from the speedometer on your car - so never take a sat nav speed reading as accurate and a licence to driver faster. © Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists & Motorcyclists
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Motorcycle Chief Observer’s Diary - Graeme McColm This has, as usual, been a busy time for the motorcycle section with a good number of associates passing their advanced bike test, this despite the fact that the weather has not always been very kind to us. As we go to press another two people are due to sit their test, good luck to them. As a result of our associate’s successes we now have spaces available for new members. If you know of anybody who would benefit a ‘Skills for Life’ course please encourage them to sign up. Our recent nights out included Moffat Mountain Rescue which was hosted by Andy Campbell and the team. We were shown around the centre and given a talk on some of the equipment used during a rescue. This was very informative and enjoyable - see the picture on page 6. Thanks to all who helped out. A visit to Border Cars had been arranged for 9 November, however, due to the fact that we could not collate the numbers of participants in sufficient time, the event was postponed. If the group are to run events like this in the future, it will help with the organisation if members could let Helen Cameron know well in advance, (say two weeks before) that they intend to come along. The Bike Safe event on 6 September was a huge success. If you haven’t attended one yet get, yourself along to the next one in the spring, and even better, take a few friends with you. September saw members of the Motorcycle Section take part in what is now becoming an annual event - the biking weekend. Last year the event was held in June but this year despite being later in the year we enjoyed superb weather and fantastic views. To find out more about what happened check out Phil Sayer’s report later in the magazine.
IAM - not just for Christmas …… The Institute of Advanced Motorists’ Skill for Life programme has been especially designed to make drivers and motorcyclists more skilled, confident and controlled. Why not buy it as a special gift for a valued friend or family member? It is available as a gift pack in a personalised gift wallet or as a SfL Christmas gift voucher both of which cost £139. Alternatively you could consider ‘DriveCheck55’ for older family members who may benefit from a reassuring and confidence boosting check up on their driving skills. This costs only £35. ‘DriveCheck55’ has no tests, no published results, just a relaxed one-to-one 60 minute session with a qualified IAM Examiner, in the applicant’s own car, at a convenient time. The ‘DriveCheck55’ assessment will identify good driving © Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists & Motorcyclists
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procedures and maybe a few bad habits, and give reassurance about driving on our increasingly busy roads. At the end a comprehensive driving report is given to the applicant. Better driving really is a skill for life, not just for Christmas. You can find full details at www.iam.org.uk.
Motorcycle Coordinator Phil Sayers has taken over as Motorcycle Coordinator with immediate effect so please direct any relevant questions to him. Thanks go to Andrew Bird for all his efforts during his lengthy term in the post.
Nectar card scheme The problem with the group’s nectar card held at St Michael’s Services has now been solved and a new card issued. You can once again help the group funds when you make purchases, just ask the staff for the points to be added to the group’s nectar card when you pay for your fuel. Helen Cameron is arranging for extra cards which members could use to benefit the group when making purchases elsewhere. If you would like one please let Helen Cameron know.
Discount for members of Unison Funds are available for local members of UNISON to enable them to claim a discount of £33 against the cost of a Skill for Life course. If you are eligible or know of a Unison member who might want to take up this offer please contact Helen Cameron for further details on how to apply to take advantage of the scheme.
New car observers achieve Qualified Observer status Congratulations to Neil Whitelaw and David Booth both of whom have recently sat and passed their Qualified Observer tests - welcome aboard.
Toy run 2010 This year’s toy run will take place on Saturday 12 December. Please meet at Gates car park at 13:30 in time for us to set off at 14:00. Please uphold our standards and ensure the speed limits are adhered to at all times.
Discount reminder Scotspeed are kindly offering 10% discount to IAM Members at their Dumfries shop. Please remember that this discount does not apply to sale items, workshop servicing or bike sales - see their advert inside the back cover. © Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists & Motorcyclists
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Have you spotted one of these signs yet? These relate to places where people could be using the whole road for a range of activities such as children playing or for a community event. You should drive slowly and carefully and be prepared to stop to allow people extra time to make room for you to pass them safely. Have a look at Rule 218 of the Highway Code and P75 or ‘Know Your Traffic Signs’ (2007 editions).
New Road Safety Qualification coming soon A new award, due to be available from January 2010, has been developed by the SQA in conjunction with the DSA. Called the Safe Road User Award it is aimed at young people before they learn to drive and consists of two units: Ÿ Understanding How To Use The Roads - This unit focuses on developing the knowledge and understanding of safe road use. Ÿ Developing Positive Road User Attitude - This unit focuses on developing a responsible, careful and considerate attitude toward road use. Candidates who successfully complete the Award will be eligible for a partial credit towards the Driving Standards Agency Theory Test. Find out more from the www.sqa.org.uk
Moffat Mountain Rescue October’s Group meeting saw members visit the purpose built headquarters of Moffat Mountain Rescue. There we heard about the work of their members, all of whom are volunteers, and also got a chance to look around their modern facilities. The rescue service is on standby 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and since its formation has attended hunGroup members at Moffat Mountain Rescue HQ dreds of incidents dealing with both rescues and the recovery of fatalities. © Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists & Motorcyclists
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New crash barrier ends are safer You may have noticed, in your travels, changes to some crash barriers. Instead of the traditional ‘ramped’ ends there are instead vertical end plates usually painted in yellow and black stripes. The steel posts making up the end sections are designed to breakaway at ground level and the energy of the impact is absorbed through friction and deformation of the rails as they move. These barrier ends will help reduce the poor outcomes when vehicles run up the ramp ends at speed.
It started with a………Puncture? - Phil Sayers, Bike Co-Ordinator This year’s Bike Group run went to Braemar, Applecross and the Black Isle. On a sunny Friday afternoon in September our annual weekend run started from Tesco’s car park in Dumfries. I only managed 5 miles out of Thornhill before getting a puncture on the Dalveen Pass!! Chris Bardsley of Abbey Motorcycles, who was on the trip, offered to help out and we limped back to his workshop to make repairs whilst the rest carried on their way. Two hours later, with the puncture fixed, Chris and I made “progress” from Dumfries by the shortest route to Braemar catching up with the rest just as they rode into the Braemar Lodge Hotel! A hearty meal and an early night set us up for the next day, we had arranged two route options for the Saturday, the first route would be a 200 miler up to the Black Isle, the other a 400 mile route across to the West coast via Applecross and back to Braemar. Jamie Wood headed off with 4 bikes to Braemar, glorious weather and a fairly relaxed routed proved popular with those who went and the pictures from Cromarty looked beautiful. The rest of us headed west for Applecross via a quick stop at Loch Maree. We had fantastic weather and riding along the coast towards Applecross looking at Skye and the Cullins was on more than one occasion reported over the radios as “stunning”. © Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists & Motorcyclists
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Heading into Applecross for a well earned lunch. 400 miles on mostly single carriageway roads in one day was a considerably more than most riders had ever done before.
The hostelry in Applecross provided refreshments before riding over the hills to Tornapress. This road is reminiscent of the legendary Stelvio Pass in Italy and the views coming down the mountain road are exceptional.
An ice cream stop at the very popular Eilean Donan castle for the obligatory photo shoot. We then headed along Loch Ness, returning to Braemar in the dark, for a very welcome hot meal and the odd shot of the local whisky before collapsing into bed. Sunday morning started slowly with a wait for the petrol station to open. We then travelled via Pitlochry, Alberfeldy, Loch Tay, and Callander before “losing” our Chief Observer somewhere around the A80. He turned up at Abington muttering something about being sent the wrong way by his son!! And I always thought observation was the key to advanced riding! By the Dalveen Pass we were splitting up again and heading for our respective homes, the 800 or so miles in three days was thoroughly enjoyed by all who took part, particularly the recounting of events of the “camera bike” on the Saturday evening, over the odd dram. © Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists & Motorcyclists
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Graham Abrines did sterling work by planning the routes and leading the group for the whole weekend. His new bike performed wonderfully but noone was sure about that helmet!! I would personally like to thank Chris Bardsley, without his help it would have curtailed my weekend’s adventure, thank you Chris. So it begs the question, now where do we go next year?
Group Members and Associates can get a free basic car wash, or two jet wash tokens when you fill up. Just show your membership card, or for Associates your IAM confirmation letter. Let the staff know you would like the free bike/car wash before you pay for your fuel. This offer may be withdrawn at any time.
ADVANCED DRIVING OR RIDING - what’s different about it?
We advocate using the ‘Planned System of Driving or Riding’. Just because you don’t use our System doesn’t necessarily make you an unsafe driver or rider. What our method gives you is a means of driving or riding in a consistently safe and systematic way which leaves nothing to chance. Our method will not help you drive or ride through a hazard, say a bend, at the fastest possible physical speed but when perfected it should help you progress through it at the fastest speed consistent with maintaining stability and maximising safety. If you’re interested in improving your skills we can help you, why not find out more? E-mail or call the Secretary (07707 035518), or visit our web site - it’s a ‘Skill for Life’ DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY GROUP OF ADVANCED MOTORISTS & MOTORCYCLISTS Registered Charity in Scotland No. SC 023511
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Property and Estate Agency Wills and Estates Ind e p e nd e nt F i na nci a l Advice
Commercial Practice Family Law www.braidwoods.com 1 Charlotte Street, Dumfries DG1 2AG Telephone: (01387) 257272 E-mail: info@braidwoods.com
Girly weekend - Mo Hewitt The end of September 2009 saw the arrival of the lady biker group ‘The Curvy Riders’ who were booked in for three nights, in seven caravans, at Parkdean’s Southerness Caravan Park, for their annual Curvy weekend break. There were 34 of them from all parts of the UK, plus another six local Curvys. I had arranged to meet at Gretna Gateway with three Curvys and escort them to Southerness. So Davy and myself headed out to Costa Coffee to await their arrival - only two of them turned up as one couldn’t make it. After coffee we set out for Dumfries but on making our way through the car park I spotted another group of lady bikers so I stopped to ask where they were headed. It turned out they had just ridden up from Heysham having come off the Isle of Man boat. The Curvy Riders
I ended up lead-
ing around fourteen riders, in convoy, to Southerness. © Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists & Motorcyclists
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Thankfully we all got there safely without too much trouble negotiating all the roundabouts in Dumfries! Friday night was very much a “Meet and Greet” night, making sure all were comfortable and ready for a wild weekend! Myself and the local Curvy Rider’s Representative let the ladies know just what events we had arranged for them. I had organised, with the help of Graham Abrines, for Saturday to be a whole day ride-out. The route would take us along the coast to Dalbeattie, Haugh of Urr, Corsock, Ken Bridge, Dalry, Carsphairn, Moniaive, Thornhill, Dalveen Pass, Abington, Broughton, Beef Tub, Moffat and back to Southerness. The run was originally to include St Mary’s but time was against us so it was decided to cut the route short at Moffat and head back to Southerness. Instead of riding in one large group, we headed off in Buddy Groups with everyone given a map and a guide so that they could experience it for themselves. I led a group of eight, mostly slower, less experienced riders, apart from two who were a great help during our run. We started from Southerness too, however when we reached Ken Bridge I realised that we were not going to get round the whole route, so I took an executive decision! We had lunch in Ken Bridge, then rode through to Dalry. In Dalry, we turned right at the Cross, avoiding Carsphairn, but taking the lovely winding road that leads into Moniaive. We rode on to Thornhill but time was against me so I couldn’t take the Dalveen Pass (I needed to be home late afternoon for a wedding), so turning right I stopped at “Fusi’s” for tea and buns! All the girls, whether they did the long or the short route, thoroughly enjoyed the ride-out and thanked me for taking the time to organise it. My thanks, in turn, go to Graham Abrines for helping with the organisation. Saturday night, after the ride-out, was BBQ night (which I missed) and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the food and drink that was flowing! The only downside of the weekend was that one of the Manx ladies unfortunately had an accident on the Carsphairn to Moniaive road and ended up in a ditch. She suffered a broken ankle and collar bone and I believe her bike was a write-off. I have since heard that she is doing fine back home and raring to go next year, once she gets a new bike. Sunday saw a run to Campbell Toyota, in Lockerbie, to meet with John Campbell and Kenny Edwards for tea, biscuits and a chat about bikes and racing. It was very informative and enjoyable talking to the guys about their racing exploits. You can see a photo of us all on the first page of this article. When we left John’s Garage, I led everyone along the APR through to Moffat, where we had lunch in the Buccleuch Arms Hotel. This consisted of a beautiful © Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists & Motorcyclists
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two course lunch of soup, roast beef and yorkshire pudding, or roast chicken, followed by tea/coffee and mints. Clint Smith and his staff did us proud and made sure we were well catered for. Our grateful thanks go to Clint and his family for putting up with 40 noisy, lady bikers! (See their advert on page 12) After lunch, some of the girls decided to go for a run around St. Mary’s Loch, but I along with several others just decided to head back down to Southerness to relax after such a big lunch. Some ladies had work commitments on Monday morning so they had to head off home after lunch. I stayed over on the Sunday night and joined in with one or two glasses of wine, having a good time with those of the group who were staying until Monday morning. Monday was a day of packing up and getting ready to leave as we needed to vacate the caravans by 10.00am. Everyone was quite sad to go as we all enjoyed the weekend so much. The good thing was that the sun shone for our visitors and they got to play on some of our best roads. The next Annual Curvy Weekend will see us travelling to Northern Ireland although dates have yet to be confirmed. I, for one, look forward to going, as I was there earlier this year, had a lovely time and felt that I’d like to go back.
Recycling - they’ll be making roads out of waste paper next! Did you know that around 46 million tyres are scrapped each year in the UK? The EU Landfill Directive bans the disposal of tyres in landfill either whole or shredded so new uses for old tyres have to be found. One such use is in road building where bales of old tyres are used to form embankments. A new road near Bedford, currently under construction, will see around half a million old tyres used in this way.
Bales of old tyres under a new road
Another road in Bedfordshire has been resurfaced using recycled chip fat instead of bitumen. The waste material is called ‘Vegetex’ and complies with the relevant standards for material used in road surfacing. In a further new iniative a company from Wales has developed pellets, made from recycled newsprint, which are added to asphalt used in road surfacing. There has been a fall in demand for recycled materials in both the UK and abroad so alternative uses for such materials have been sought. Apparently this new material makes the road surface more durable. Sources: Highways Agency,IHT, NCE and Transport Research Laboratory © Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists & Motorcyclists
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The Secretary Reports - Helen Cameron Now that the dark nights are here the group’s observing activities decrease so this should give everyone more time to come along to our events. Next up is the social gathering in December to which you are invited to bring along your wife, husband or partner, I’ll need numbers in advance please - see page1. Our meetings are not always well attended, which is sad, as they are always well worthwhile; all who do venture out on dark evenings seem to enjoy it. Our recent garage visit had to be postponed due to lack of confirmed numbers. Unfortunately I did had a few more members who phoned just before the visit to confirm but these were too late to prevent postponement. Please bear in mind the garage have to pay staff to be on the premises for the visit so they need sufficient confirmed numbers to make this worthwhile. As it happens I think the numbers in the end would have allowed the event to go ahead. It is hoped to rearrange this event in late May or June so please let either Christine Donaldson or Stewart Cameron know in good time, if you want to come, to avoid the embarrassment of a further postponement. The annual bowling match which usually takes place in October was postponed this year as a result of difficulties experienced by Carlisle group who were due to make the arrangements. Hopefully it will now go ahead early in the new year and once I have the details confirmed I will put the date on the web site and ask Christine to e-mail the details to you. This is an event where we do need to have numbers in advance so the necessary reservations can be made - it is good fun so please come along and join in - just let me know. Christine Donaldson sends out a reminder e-mail regarding forthcoming events about one week before the event (a little earlier for events where need numbers to be confirmed). If you don’t receive these e-mails and would like to please e-mail Christine ( arthursplace20@btinternet.com ). The more members we can contact in this way the more efficient our communications will be. Congratulations go to our new members who have recently passed. If you have not already received your certificate then please come along to the December social where it will be presented to you. Associate
Observer
Associate
Observer
Chris Hobson
M/cTeam
Robert Richmond
Bob Sloan
Stewart Grey
M/cTeam
Brian Scott
David Booth
John Black
Alan Jones
Calum Sturgeon
Peter Robertson
David Potter
Graeme W
Kevin Costigane
Graeme W
© Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists & Motorcyclists
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O B S E R V E R’ S C O R N E R
This section is intended to help when considering the best course of action. It is up to every driver to actively assess each scenario.
Under/over-steer what does it mean for you? The terms under-steer and over-steer often draw blank faces but just what do they mean for a driver? Under-steer looks to the outside observer as though the driver has applied insufficient steering lock or ‘under- steered’. It occurs when traction is lost at the front wheels while cornering, forcing a vehicle wide on a bend. Under-steer is caused by a combination of a vehicle’s characteristics together with other elements such as: accelerating or braking on a bend, failure to slow (and hence using excess speed into a corner), applying too much steering lock for the speed or low grip (traction) conditions on the corner like mud, sow, ice, oil etc.
Actual course Intended course UNDER-STEER: tends to cause the car to run wide. You may run out of road and plough through the hedge forwards!
Clues that you are experiencing under-steer are: light steering and that your vehicle starts to drift towards the outside of the bend. There may also be increased tyre noise from the front wheels. The general rule of thumb to dealing with any situations where you are losing control is firstly to remove the cause and therein lies the problem - you usually need room to rectify the problem and you probably haven’t got much spare room on the public highway. If the lack of control is caused by excess speed, once you are rounding the corner application of the brakes or just slowing probably won’t do much to help you increase your control since braking on a bend can in itself is one of the causes of under-steer! It won’t help in low traction conditions either! To get © Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists & Motorcyclists
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control you could slacken the steering angle i.e. run wider but the chances are you won’t have room to do this either! In certain circumstances slackening the steering angle then applying some braking can help to move your weight distribution towards the front. This may in turn lead to extra grip and allow you to apply the lock again. If the understeer is caused by excess speed and you are braking and steering at the same time then reducing the braking effort may increase your steering ability and allow you to get round without running off the road. These scenarios are theoretical and not something than could be consistently and easily achieved without lots of practice. The best solution is to avoid getting into trouble in the first place through observation and planning and getting your speed off before you get to the corner. Many cars are set up to under-steer by manufacturers since this is a reasonably stable condition compared to over-steer which is the favoured attribute of so called ‘driver’s cars’. Over-steer like under-steer is caused by loss of traction but unlike under-steer it is the rear wheels that are affected. To the outside observer the vehicle appears to enter and start round the corner normally. Part way round the back end of the vehicle starts to step out - this can look as Actual though the driver has course applied too much lock i.e. over-steered. If it is Intended not corrected quickly the course rear of the car overtakes the front (i.e. it spins). OVER-STEER: tends to The vehicle may even cause the rear to break exit the carriageway away. You may run out of backwards, if you run road and exit the carout of steering lock to riageway backwards! correct the skid. Sometimes referred to as It is caused by a combidoing a ‘Torvill & Dean’! nation of the vehicles characteristics together with other elements such as: braking into or during a corner, excessive road speed on entry or accelerating too harshly on a corner. Lifting off the accelerator can also promote over-steer on some cars (weight is moved to the front as you slow so © Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists & Motorcyclists 17
the rear is lighter). Low grip conditions on the corner will also promote over-steer if your vehicle is set up with this attribute. The clues that you are starting to experience over-steer are: the rear of the vehicle feels ‘light’ and less stable, the front of the vehicle starts to ‘tuck in’ towards the inside of the corner. Again the key to controlling these situations involve identifying and removing the cause. You also will need enough available road width especially since an element of counter-steering will be required to control over-steer. Countersteering is effectively keeping the front wheels pointing in the direction you wish to go, this means you will be using opposite lock. If the problem is caused by braking on the corner, swiftly easing off will probably regain grip, similarly if the problem is caused by excessive acceleration ease off the accelerator. But if you don’t do this swiftly the skid could grow and you will have to counter-steer to control it. If your problems are caused by excessive entry speed or low available grip you are certainly in trouble and easing off or counter-steering could help, if you have room, since your vehicle will necessarily run wider. The only sure fire way of dealing with under/over-steer is to know your vehicle characteristics and use the Planned System of Driving, founded on good observation skills. This will let you effectively plan your position, speed and gear on approach to the bend so minimising the risks. By the way ABS may help you steer and brake at the same time but won’t change your vehicle’s basic characteristics to over or under-steer.
Tales of the unexpected Now that the winter is here you may do well to consider how to use advanced skills to minimise your risks on the road. It goes without saying you should make sure your vehicle is properly prepared with a clear windscreen etc but if you need basic winter tips look elsewhere such as at the IAM’s winter driving tips available from its web site. Here we are going to look at the subject of grip or rather reduced grip and how we might deal with it. © Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists & Motorcyclists
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The amount of grip available varies with the quality of the road surface and reduces significantly if the surface becomes wet or is affected by freezing conditions (or anything else on the surface such as oil or grit). Typically a heavy frost results in the road surface having about half the grip of a dry tarmac road, snowy roads have less grip still whilst ice affected roads may only have around one third of the grip available! In conditions of reduced grip the likely affects are: ~ Wheel-spin when accelerating, leading to possible loss of control i.e. skidding. This can occur on the move at speed not just when pulling away from standstill. ~ Loss of adhesive friction(traction) on corners - this can result in under-steer (front of car runs wide) or over-steer (rear of car tends to break away) or an uncorrectable complete loss of control. ~ Loss of traction under braking, resulting in extended stopping distances, loss of steering control and maybe leading to a consequent impact. Armed with this knowledge how can you apply it to difficult conditions? ~ Create extra space around you, position away from danger. Not only will this give you more room for braking but may also help you avoid getting caught up in someone else's accident. ~ Drive to the System, anticipate and plan. Brake before the bend. ~ Use the brakes very gently, plan to apply pressure and come off the brakes, progressively. ~ Monitor the feel of your brakes, changes in sound and feel when braking could signify there are slippery conditions. If you have ABS it probably won’t stop you any more quickly but it will allow you to steer. Keep pressure on the brake pedal and steer to try to avoid other road users and obstacles. ~ Use all vehicle controls with a light touch - you can maximise the available grip by being very smooth. Change gear, steer, accelerate and brake as smoothly and gently as you can. ~ Use the highest practical gear in very slippery conditions, it reduces the amount of torque at the wheels and so will thus reduce the chance of wheel spin. Remember heavy use of the accelerator can cause you to spin out of control in slippery conditions, not just when getting underway but when, for instance, you are travelling at speed say on a wet motorway at 60 mph, especially if combined with steering input such as when lane changing. Š Dumfries & Galloway Group of Advanced Motorists & Motorcyclists 19
RACE NIGHT FRIDAY 22 JANUARY 2010 - 7:30pm SOCIAL NIGHT AND FUND RAISER FOR IAM MEMBERS AND THEIR GUESTS AT: DALSTON HOTEL, LAURIEKNOWE, DUMFRIES. SIX RACES PLUS AN EXTRA AUCTION RACE & RAFFLE Ticket price £8.00, includes finger buffet. PROCEEDS FOR THE BENEFIT OF DGGAMM TO GO TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF NEW EQUIPMENT.
Why not come along, bring some friends with you, have a flutter and support your group at the same time. The event is restricted to a maximum of 70 people and tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Please contact Stewart Cameron to reserve your tickets. Tel: 01387 264005
Mobile: 07707 035518
Or email – dumfries@groups.iam.org.uk (use ‘RACE NIGHT’ as the message header) 20
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