AA Driver Training

[dpex]

I think I have a slight understanding as to why so many young drivers are bloody awful drivers, after what I saw today.

I came up behind an AA training car at the top of Golf Rd. All the way down the 2k road, the spotty at the wheel drove at between 60 and 70ks. Most of the time he was well within 2 seconds of the car ahead.

We got to the round-about at the bottom. Spotty spotted the one second gap and went for it, turning right. At the next RA Spotty took the next one second gap and went for it. For the next K to the next RA, Spotty got up to 65ks and sat there. About 100M from the next RA (a very busy one with five spur-roads, some Asian woman backed out. Spotty's response was to get on the horn. I noted his brake-light (one was not working) didn't come on.

He got through the big RA without to much hassle, then was on what was a effectively a dual-carriage (bus lane and car ). Spotty spotted a clear bus lane, ramped up to 65ks and merrily undertook upwards of fifty cars till we got to a crossing, choke-point. Spotty indicated for all of one tenth of a second and simply barged in ahead of another car.

For the next k he was within two car-lengths of the car ahead. At the bottom of the hill Spotty indicated to turn right and stopped in the middle of a wide, painted traffic separator. At that point I came alongside, tapped on the instructors window and asked, 'Have you just stolen this car?'

He looked at me blankly then replied, 'No. I'm a driver instructor.'

I said, 'Bud, if you're a driving instructor, the kid next to you has zero chance of passing his test with your help,' then I listed the infractions of the previous 7Ks, including the speed. 'Yes,' replied the instructor, 'I know he needs to slow down.'

That blew me away. The gap-jumping, the errant Asian and the horn response, the use of the bus-lane to undertake. All this went by the wayside. All the instructor could focus on was Spotty's speed, which he 'believed' needed controlling.

The point of the foregoing being, if this is what AA deem effective driver-training we are doomed.

I'm also being unfair on Spotty. He doesn't know any better. His instructor should.

I could identify both car and trainer here, but I won't. Maybe there's an AA bod who visits this site. Maybe he'll pass the message on; ergo, you all need to get some quality control going here. Because, if what i witnessed today was standard AA training then AA needs to get out of the business.

[FJRider]

Many (many) years ago, I did drivers licence training with the AA in Invercargill...in school time. It made me the maniac on the road I am today. Obviously not lacking in courage, or still at the bullet proof stage (remember that stage yourself ???). Auckland traffic would instill this behaviour...better to learn young. Or die in the process...

[varminter]

Sounds like acnelad will fit in very well with most of the other cage drivers I meet. I would suggest that all drivers spend a year or so riding a bike, would give them a sense of perspective.

Another thought: all motoring transgressions should carry a mandatory six months spent on a bike. That won't happen either.