FEATURE
Early-Drive puts Transition year students on the right road more difficult due to high insurance costs and increased traffic volumes.” Over the course of the half-day session the programme consists of classroom/tutorial, Brake Reaction Simulator/Brake Test Demonstration and driving lesson in a dual-control car under the guidance of an ISM instructor. To round off, students are given the unique opportunity to visit the Mondello Motor Museum where the focus is again on safety and the evolution of racing car design.
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ondello Park, the venue for top class motor racing always has safety as its number one priority both on and off the circuit. One of its non-competitive activities includes Early-Drive – a specially designed programme dedicated to begin the process of developing the driving skills of young people in a safe, controlled environment. Early-Drive is a joint venture project established in 2004 in association with the Irish School of Motoring (ISM), aimed at
Transition Year Student Groups. John Morris, Managing Director of Mondello Park explains, “Teenagers are very impressionable and we aim to make a lasting impression of safe and responsible driving. It has been proven that if a driver is trained properly from the start they will carry both a better att itude and a higher standard of driving skill into the future. We want all our young drivers to be trained professionally, in order for them to become more responsible on the roads, yet on the road training has become
Direction’s Jarlath Sweeney, sat in with the recent visit of Collinstown Community College, Clondalkin to the County Kildare Motorsport Circuit. Under the guidance of teachers Walter Doolin and Cristine Cowpp, the Transition Year Students were directed to the various workshops co-ordinated by Mondello Park’s Conor Flood. Normally 3 groups are formed so that around 15 students can comfortably concentrate on each of the elements proceedings. Tutor Mark Hafter welcomed us to the classroom located in one of Mondello’s hospitality rooms overlooking the track, and explained the activities ahead. The session began with a video, which demonstrated some good but mostly bad driving habits. Interviews with members of the Garda Traffic Division, emergency services and Mark Procter, the team doctor to BP Ford WRC. While behind the wheel he showed some exemplary driving and made an unforgett able comment – the good thing about being a driver is that you are an “Alive Driver”. Therefore some respect should be made to that statement something that we take so much for granted. Respect to themselves and other road users. In addition to rules of the road and speed limits, issues such as the effect of minimal alcohol consumption on drivers was shown using a video recorded at Mondello Circuit by the Automobile Association and the Gardai. Following that Mark asked a number of multiple choice questions in relation to the various presentations which drew good interaction and discussion from the attentive students. The classroom session concluded with a moving video from Noleen Murphy who tragically lost two sons in separate road accidents. After a short break, the practical elements were introduced. Each student then experienced the Brake Test Simulator. With Mark sitt ing alongside the driver in a stationary MG Rover 25, the simulator measures the time taken by each
30 DIRECTION FLEETCAR | Summer | Summer 2010 2010
Text & Photo: Gerry Murphy - gerrym@fleet.ie
FEATURE driver to move their foot from the accelerator to the brake in an emergency and Mark then calls out how far the car would have travelled during this reflex action. According to Mark, the average is 0.67 seconds. The lowest recorded here was 0.35 seconds with the slowest exceeding 1.1 seconds. The Brake Test Demonstration had Conor Flood behind the wheel of another MG Rover 25. Here the famed Mondello straight is used. Th is test sets out to demonstrate the actual distance required to stop the car travelling at 50 km/h when the brakes are applied suddenly simulating an emergency stop. The students are asked to predict the stopping point and place traffic cones alongside the test run and once safely behind the barrier the test begins. Students are genuinely astonished at the distance required to bring the car to a complete halt and invariably it is at least 20 metres further than they have estimated. The students then discuss the results with the tutor who explains the various factors that influence the stopping distance of a car and students are asked to consider the result of this test from three different perspectives:• As pedestrians crossing roads • As cyclists who share the roads with motorists and • As motorists when they begin driving. Driving on the track proved to be the most popular aspect of the Early-Drive Course. Th is ISM instructed session lasts 20 minutes per student and is seen as an introduction to driving for the majority attending. Some of them
maybe due to get their first provisional driving licence. A tour of the Museum of Motorsport culminates the visit and it is here that the students are presented with their Certificate and gather for a group photograph. Congratulations to all involved with EarlyDrive. It’s so much more than a glorified driving lesson. The course carefully blends the theoretical with the practical with litt le or no time for the student to get bored. Every European countr y except Ireland has some element of compulsory car driving tuition – it’s time to readdress that imbalance now by starting with taking a leaf or two from the Mondello/ISM EarlyDrive programme.
Text & Photos: Jarlath Sweeney - editor@fleet.ie
www.fleetcar.ie | Summer 2010 31
INTERVIEW
One-to-One with Mark Dodd, AdvanceDrive by Jarlath Sweeney editor@fleet.ie
not seeing the training as relevant. There is also the perception among course participants that many of the trainers are simply not up to delivering CPC material and do not have a comprehensive knowledge of the subject they are teaching. I have heard of many cases, from reliable sources I might add, where trainers simply spend the day reading from the book without using the slide presentations or any reference material. I would like to see CPC trainers going through an examination and testing process similar to the very comprehensive and professional ‘Approved Driver Instruction’ testing process conducted by the RSA on driving instructors. JS When will we see a practical element introduced into the Eco-Driving module?
Tom Sharkey & Mark Dodd
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ligo based Mark Dodd, Managing Director, AdvanceDrive is in a unique position to discuss issues within the broad portfolio that is Driving Instruction. Mark is an Approved Driving Instructor (adi), and AdvanceDrive is approved by the RSA to deliver its adi training programme to prospective adis. Mark is an approved trainer for the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC) and the Transport Manager’s Certificate of Competence (CILT). AdvanceDrive is also an ‘Approved Training Organisation’ for the delivery of the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council’s Emergency Driving syllabus, (the organisation that set training and testing standards for the ambulance sector), and in addition to training ambulance drivers to advanced standard.
In the lead up to the Chief Fire Officer’s Conference 2010 Jarlath Sweeney met up with Mark. JS Has the Driver CPC requirement finally sunkin amongst the HGV and PSV sectors that the course is a positive move in creating and raising standards in the industry? MD Not yet or for a long time to come I think. It will take time to change the negative att itudes among drivers as training within the transport sector to date has been poor and drivers in general are very reluctant to take part in any training. More often than not because they are simply not used to it. We train quite a lot in the emergency services where a very good culture of training and refresher programmes exists and because of this culture we rarely encounter resistance or negative attitudes. Until training becomes the norm in the transport sector and the courses have a more credible image negative att itudes will persist. Th is lack of credibility is also contributed to by the theory-only training material. Driving is a practical occupation and it is my experience that without a practical element, drivers can find it most difficult to relate to theory alone. Notwithstanding fairly positive assessment sheets drivers in private will generally admit to 38 DIRECTION | Summer 2010
MD Not soon enough! The weakness of the EU allowing each Member State to transpose the Directive as they saw fit has resulted in Driver CPC being delivered in many different ways in different countries. For example if I was to undertake Driver CPC in Denmark or Holland it is likely that I would spend more than half of the required 35 hours in a truck. I have been training drivers for Scania in economical driving practices since 1998 and it is simply not possible to have effective training unless it is done in a loaded vehicle over a specific route and utilizing a Flow-Meter to measure fuel usage. Theory in this instance will only reinforce the practical subject material and can never be effective training alone. The Irish Driver CPC system of theory only training will be weak and ineffective until a practical element is introduced. JS As an improved Driving Instructor, what is the standard at present among the current batch of learner drivers? MD It does not vary greatly from one year to another in our experience. The difference though since the introduction of the Driver CPC is that people are no longer taking the test simply ‘to have the truck licence’. The people we now see are committed to getting their truck licence with the objective of pursuing a career where a truck licence is required such as a truck driver or heavy vehicle mechanic. JS What is required to attract more young people into the sector – male and female? MD Professional driving is poorly regarded, and even more so now than when I was driving in the eighties and nineties. Th is is because of an abundant supply of good quality drivers, mainly from abroad who are prepared to work for poor rates. Driver CPC will not improve this situation. Regulation and enforcement will event ua l ly ensu re drivers are not exploited b y u n s c r upu lou s employers but only a levelling of standards of living among EU member states will
ensure drivers demand better rates. Only then can the job become more att ractive. JS Part of your business takes in Driver Training and Advanced Driver Training for Emergency Services – what’s involved here? MD We take personnel who have already passed their driving test, for the vehicle they are driving, Fire Appliance, Ambulance etc and take them through a 10 day Advanced Driver Programme based on the standard system of Police Advanced Driving. Th is involves refreshing the learner on basic driving skills in addition to teaching commentary skills, i.e. the driver, while driving is constantly identifying all actual and potential hazards encountered and talking through the correct position, speed and gear to negotiate the hazard. We also take the learner night driving and get them to perform several emergency stops under strictly controlled conditions. We also spend up to 1.5 hours covering theory each day, an important part of which is teaching how our att itudes affect the way we drive and how we learn or why we do not from our mistakes. At the end of ten days learners are tested by an ex-Garda Driving School Tester and if successful are accredited as an advanced driver. We provide refresher training after 5 years. JS The Scania Young European Truck Driver of the Year Competition comes around in 2010, you are involved in the organisation of same again? MD Yes, I am this year’s co-ordinator again and delighted to be asked. Of course with the economic climate we must cut our cloth accordingly and the competition will be smaller but good drivers will have ample opportunity to take part and represent Ireland in Sweden. We have 3 RSA Driving Testers again as assessors and judging panel again this year and I would like to pass on thanks to Michael Rowland of the RSA for his help. Anyone interested should log on to www.scania. ie and navigate through the Driver Competition section to apply. JS Of course, the Irish representative can go one step further than Tom Sharkey who finished runner-up in the European Finals last time around. MD Yes, Tom came second in 2007 and did us proud and I’m sure we will have as good a fi nalist again this year. It would be great to see the new Scania R-series truck, (which is first prize) coming to Ireland. This interview continues on www.fleetcar.ie
TEST
Skoda Octavia – The Model Range With Something For Everyone
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t can be easy to dismiss the Skoda Octavia as old hat; after all it has been part of our motoring landscape now for over a decade, and even though it has undergone a couple of updates in that time, the familiar silhouette of the car which fi rst saw light of day in 1999 has been retained. It is a car that has enjoyed considerable success in Ireland, not least we suspect because of its saloon like looks despite being a hatchback. Indeed, the Octavia is responsible more so than any other model for the transformation in Skoda’s image. Only those stuck in a 1980’s time warp will dismiss a Skoda as an inferior product these days.
The Octavia received a facelift last year bringing it more in line visually with the new Superb, and giving it generally a more contemporary appearance. Inside too the cabin benefits from some detail changes and now exudes a feeling of quality up there with the best of its Volkswagen brethren. We recently drove two different models in the Octavia range, both diesel, but appealing to different markets. First up was an Elegance specified saloon with a new common rail 1.6 TDI CR engine and 7-Speed DSG automatic gearbox. Replacing the tried and tested direct injection 1.9 TDI, it offers significantly improved emissions and fuel consumption. Falling into the tax band B with CO2 emissions of 123 g/km (the manual version gets into the lowest band with 119 g/km CO 2) our week with the car returned average fuel consumption of 5.2 litres/100 km (54.3 mpg). Not quite up to Skoda’s quoted 4.7 l/100 km but impressive nonetheless. The engine is a refi ned unit that feels much more rapid than the 0-100 km/h of 12 seconds would indicate. Compared to the old 1.9 it is perhaps not as torquey, but has a wider power band making for a relaxed drive. The DSG gearbox provides silky smooth and instant gear-changes. Sadly the fact that it puts the car into a higher tax band compared to the manual version is likely to deter most customers for going for this option. It’s a shame as it would be our choice every time. As an all-round family car the Octavia takes some beating. Long lauded for the size of its boot (which is indeed generous to a fault), there is still an amazing amount of cabin room for a car that shares its floorplan with the VW Golf. Prices for the 1.6 diesel start from €19,340. We’d be tempted though to stretch to the Elegance specification as tested, which comes with nearly every toy and extra you could wish for.
If the 1.6 TDI Elegance model is about refi nement, practicality and fuel consumption, the RS 2.0 TDI Combi offers a more sporting take on Skoda’s best seller. While hot hatches may not figure too highly on many fleet managers lists, this is a performance car that presents a very plausible case for a rethink on company car policies. With 170 bhp it is more than respectably quick, yet falls into tax band C while returning fuel consumption figures most petrol cars can only dream of (5.7 l/100 km officially, we averaged 6.4). And in Combi (estate) form it is even more capacious than its hatchback brother. Unlike other hot hatches the sporty suspension set-up is just about right for Irish roads – not too soft for enthusiastic cornering without threatening to remove your fi llings. Extremely well equipped as standard, visually too the RS looks the part thanks to LED daytime running lights and exterior body modifications giving a purposeful yet subtle appearance.
Conclusion It is not hard to see why the Skoda Octavia has been a sales success over the past eleven years. Reliable and long lasting, it offers big car practicality for small car money. Interior fi nish, an occasional criticism of older models has been addressed with the latest facelift , and build quality is now right up there with VW’s best. With the latest generation diesel engines offering both performance and economy we would have no hesitation in recommending anyone looking for a family car to put the Skoda on their shortlist.
Skoda Octavia Elegance 1.6 TDI CR DSG Price (as tested): €25,300 Capacity: 1,598 cc Power: 105 bhp Torque: 250 Nm at 1,500 – 2,500 rpm Top speed: 190 km/h 0-100kmh: 12 seconds Economy: 4.7 l/100km (60.1 mpg) CO2 emissions: 123 g/km
Text & Photos: Cathal Doyle - cathal@fleet.ie
Skoda Octavia RS Combi 2.0 TDI CR Price (as tested): €28,615 Capacity: 1,968 cc Power: 170 bhp Torque: 350 Nm at 1,750 – 2,500 rpm Top speed: 225 km/h 0-100kmh: 8.4 seconds Economy: 5.7 l/100km (49.5 mpg) CO2 emissions: 155 g/km www.fleetcar.ie | Summer 2010 39