23 Feb 2008 03:21:11 | Robin Piggott
The latest round of changes to the Irish Driving Test were
implemented on, Feb.14th 2005, as part of a chain of
E.U.Directives.
Test Candidates are now required to have a basic level of
mechanical knowledge, which any good professional School of
Motoring would have been teaching from day one in any event.
The car of today is a very different beast compared with its
grandparents and any driver, young or old, should have a range
of skills that enable them to identify problems and take the
necessary remedial action.
The Driving Examiner will select three questions at random from
a list of technical aspects which will include opening the
bonnet. While it is not exactly space technology, the ability to
identify this range of equipment and to describe how individual
checks would be performed, does require some thought and a
little practise. Some of the equipment will have accompanying
warning lights on the instrument panel some does not, so some of
the requirements will already be known (hopefully!)
Candidates will be asked to explain how they would perform
checks on three out of the following list:- Engine Oil: Coolant:
Steering: Brakes: Horn: Indicators: Lights: Tyres: Reflectors:
Windscreen washer.
The under the Bonnet checks relate to:-Power Steering Fluid;
Brake Fluid; Engine Oil; Engine Coolant; and Windscreen washer
Fluid. In a newer car all of these pieces of equipment are
easily identifiable by coloured tops to the various reservoirs,
which have an easily recognisable icon painted or etched into
them. The location of these five essential items does vary a
little from model to model so if you have changed your car in
the lead up to the Driving Test then spend a few minutes double
checking.
In the event of very bad weather (rarely a feature of the Irish
climate) it is unlikely that the Examiner will ask for the
bonnet to be opened but since he or she has already spent time
outside the car, checking brake lights and indicators and
paperwork, it’s not impossible. If he or she is a fisherman or a
boating enthusiast then a few drops of rain will be water off a
duck’s back. Just keep an eye on the weather and ensure that
your heater or demist controls are pre-set .Two persons in the
car during rainy weather will mist up the windows extremely
quickly and the candidate needs to be equally deft with the
controls.
Questions on brakes will cover both the footbrake and handbrake,
and on steering will deal with cars that both have power
steering and those that don’t .Of course there are still a few
older cars out there without P.A.S. It’s worth adding to the
list , one more item of importance to the Driver—that of the
Alternator and it’s drive belt .The fact that all the above need
to be demonstrated on the Driving Test should not detract from
the need to perform these checks on a regular weekly basis. It
is precisely because of the importance of all these pieces of
equipment and their monitoring, that it was deemed essential to
include them in the scope of the Driving Test.
Show Me –Tell Me……..Below is an example of the question and
answer technique to one of the Test Questions .The full
questions and answers will be provided in another follow up
article and on the Astral School of Motoring website shortly.
Checking the Oil Level. “Show me the Oil filler cap and tell me
how you would check for the correct level of Oil in the
Engine”…Examiner “Here is the oil filler cap and to check the
oil level I would first withdraw the Oil Dip Stick, wipe it
clean and then replace it momentarily. I would then withdraw the
dip stick again and ensure that the level of oil showing was
between the minimum and maximum marks on the base of the dip
stick, preferably nearer the maximum mark. In the event of the
oil level being lower than the half way mark I would top up to
the maximum level”…Candidate
This latter sentence has been put in for good measure since it’s
not much good knowing how you would check the oil if you didn’t
then follow through on the result!
Since all equipment in your car needs to be in tip top shape and
regularly inspected if we are to stay safe and avoid accidents,
look on the acquisition of these technical skills as two sides
of the same coin ….Safety and Economy .If you look after your
equipment you will be both safe and economic. In a number of
future articles we will explore the advantages of correct
techniques and the impact they will have on your safety AND your
bank balance.
About Author :
Robin Piggott has spent a lifetime on four wheels (mostly )and
is now trying to help a new generation of drivers to achieve the
skills needed to stay safe.He runs Astral School of Motoring in
Limerick.
