Lowndes behind push for better driver training

[fpv_gtho]

Lowndes backs driver training

Craig Lowndes: “I would still love to see today a state put everyone through a driving course”.

V8 Supercar star Craig Lowndes supports training for new drivers on our roads

By BRUCE NEWTON 15 December 2004


ON the eve of a major road safety forum held at Parliament House in Canberra this week, leading Ford V8 Supercar star Craig Lowndes has backed increased training for drivers.

One of the key issues to be discussed at the forum is a scheme endorsed by Federal Transport Minister John Anderson for mandatory provisional license-holder training.

A pilot scheme involving 14,000 Victorian and NSW P-plate drivers undergoing an eight-week intensive driving course is about to go into development. Their skills will then be compared to another 14,000 drivers who have not undergone additional training.

The current plan is to roll the program out nationally in 2007. The scheme is endorsed by the Federal Government, Australia’s four car manufacturers and many car importers.

State and territory governments will also have to participate if the scheme is to fly, and representatives have been invited to the forum.

While taking no part in the proceedings in Canberra, where touring car legend Peter Brock will make a key presentation, Lowndes endorses the direction the forum is taking.

“I would still love to see today a state put everyone through a driving course,” Lowndes told GoAuto.

“People disagree with that because they say you are just educating people to drive faster, but I look at it as educating people to survive and (to) save themselves.

“Ninety per cent of the time, when a driver puts a car sideways on a road that’s the last time.

“They never see the light of day again because they are wrapped around a pole, a tree or gone off a cliff.

“That’s because they haven’t got an understanding of what the car is potentially going to do.”

But Lowndes’ vision goes further than pure car handling. He believes the educational needs of Australian drivers are more widespread than that.

“It’s really for me a frustrating thing, because when you see people on the road driving around, they don’t look far enough ahead, they park too close behind at a set of lights, and what really irks me is no-one indicates.”

While not currently involved actively in driver training or road safety initiatives, Lowndes has previously been involved in community awareness campaigns in Western Australia and Queensland. He also worked as an instructor at Jim Murcott’s driving school in Melbourne in the early 1990s before breaking through in V8 Supercars.

It was his period as an instructor with Murcott that helped form his strong views on the need for driver training.

Lowndes remembers learner and provisional drivers attending the courses and the L-platers being more receptive to instruction because the P-platers believed they knew how to drive because they “had passed the test”.

He also admits to loathing the process he had to go through to gain his own driving licence, remembering being taught the push-pull steering method by his instructor, a method he rejects as outmoded.

“That certainly frustrated me and I know it’s frustrated a lot of good drivers,” he said. “It’s been an ongoing battle to get the government and educators to understand that side of it.”

Lowndes, 30, learnt how to drive on his father’s property and racing go-karts. He is a three-time V8 Supercar champion and won Bathurst in 1996. In 2005 he shifts to the Triple Eight Racing team, his third Ford-backed outfit since moving from Holden to the Blue Oval in 2000.

[Blue Supra]

Damn good thing to see! thanks for the FPV

Im glad the govs off its arse and is going to run a trial at least, wish i was IN the trial but hey these things happen

the Push - Pull steering is the BIGGEST LOAD OF BULLSH!T!!! its ridiculous, you cant control the car properly and gives unsmooth turns. it a crock, not once have i used it since i got my license and i probably never will.

[fpv_gtho]

even then, its 2007 they'll implement it if this 28000-people study turns out a success in their eyes.

you'd think though that they'd teach people different steering methods, the idea of spending 12 months wasting time learning something you never use again is as stupid as the speed camera's being limited everywhere and the rest of the governments policies for driving

[Spastik_Roach]

You don't see any bloody Holden drivers behind this stuff do you! HAAA!

[Spastik_Roach]

Seriously though, this is a great move by those stupid aussie government fullas.

Anyone care to explain what the hell push pull steering is?

[fpv_gtho]

i pretty sure its when you never cross your hands over when your steering....

imagine the steering wheel as a clock, your taught to hold the steering at the quarter-to-nine or the ten-to-two position, whichever is more comfortable

turning left, you hold on with your left hand and swing it down till its about 6. then, you grab on with your right hand at about 5 and continue turning. that should give you the basic idea. you just continually switch hands with turning around the middle up the top and bottom, making sure you dont cross over your hands as they reckon it confuses new drivers.

knowing my luck though, Bluey'll come on and say thats not the push/pull system ive described

[Matra et Alpine]

He's an Aussie.

I thought it was PUSH the throttle and PULL the birds !!!!!

[fpv_gtho]

well whatever works

[SlickHolden]

Yeah push pull is almost imposable with no power steering, I just say forget push pull try not to cross the hands over if you can but most of all whats the safest and best for yourself go and do it

Hey Spaz i seen a VZ holden on tv at one of these driver training places decked out with all the holden paint

[quattro_20v]

with powersteering in daily traffic 1 hand is fine (or with knee when im rolling a cig :P), but when I drive fast or something like that I use 2.

[SlickHolden]

You pussy go one hand at 180kph

[Matra et Alpine]

Originally Posted by SlickHolden

Yeah push pull is almost imposable with no power steering,

Nah SLicks you're all just a bunch of nancy-boy wooses.

How do you think they chucked the Escort RS1800s around the forests ?

Interested in the way push-pull is taught down-under. We have a 10to2 description and advised to mvoe the wheel from 7t11 and 1to5. When necesary 2 hands are used. Do they teach it down there only one hand at all tiems ? Crazy if they do

[fpv_gtho]

Originally Posted by SlickHolden

Yeah push pull is almost imposable with no power steering, I just say forget push pull try not to cross the hands over if you can but most of all whats the safest and best for yourself go and do it

Hey Spaz i seen a VZ holden on tv at one of these driver training places decked out with all the holden paint

i know what you mean, first time i hopped in my brothers HQ ute, i tried parking it and was all over the place crossing my hands over to turn the wheel in any decent sort of time. when your going at 60km/h its no problem though

[SlickHolden]

Originally Posted by Matra et Alpine

Nah SLicks you're all just a bunch of nancy-boy wooses.

How do you think they chucked the Escort RS1800s around the forests ?

Interested in the way push-pull is taught down-under. We have a 10to2 description and advised to mvoe the wheel from 7t11 and 1to5. When necesary 2 hands are used. Do they teach it down there only one hand at all tiems ? Crazy if they do

They teach you comfort is most of all important, Hold hands at 9-3.
They do say dont ever turn with hands together, And try not to cross the arms over when turning it can can be a problem.
But when you have power steering you would be amazed at how easy it is to turn and not cross hands over, You cant help it with none power steering it's to heavy, So for me it's rip the bigger with all and make people think you have power steering when you don't

Originally Posted by fpv_gtho

i know what you mean, first time i hopped in my brothers HQ ute, i tried parking it and was all over the place crossing my hands over to turn the wheel in any decent sort of time. when your going at 60km/h its no problem though

That's right the experts don't think about poor older cars, that don't come with power steering It kills the arm's at slow speeds, but your right get up sopme speed and it's no problem then on

[fpv_gtho]

new cars typically have 3 turns lock to lock, im not sure what older cars without power steering would have, ive heard around 5-6 turns lock to lock so around a bout double then.....but you can still get quick steering ratios at least, i know Falc always used to say how he rathered a quick ratio (maybe 4 turns) non power steering to any power steering setup as there was just so much more feel in the old steering