Junction question

spammachine

Hi all,

I have a question regarding closed junctions, but first i'll give a brief overview of how I've been taught to drive so far, to clear up confusion.

My instructor has taught block changing when approaching a junction. When approaching a junction, start to brake in good time and then decide if it's open or closed. If open and the road is clear, change to second at the appropriate speed, (keep observing and stop if needed) and take the turning. If the junction is closed (or busy), keep breaking to a near stop, then change to first (before stopping but at an appropriate speed). If needed, stop (handbrake if a wait) and peep-creep, if when crawling to the junction you can see it's clear, take the corner and move to second etc.
My question is regarding the clutch at the point of going to first. I'm usually aroud a car length or two from the junction, my speed has reduced to one appropriate for first, so i move down to first with the intention of stopping if needed. What I've found myself doing is when i change to first, I keep the clutch pushed down - so if i stop I wont stall, and if I find I can take the corner, I bring it to bite and go. Is this bad? SHould i go to first, clutch up, then clutch quickly down if needed? I want to get out of any bad habits while i can.

WUSBDesign

Clutch half-way while moving slowly at 1st gear, as if the biting point has been attained while at complete stop.

TwoShedsJackson

If you keep the clutch pedal pushed all the way in after you put the car in first, you're coasting which is not good as you have less control over the car - doing this on the test will cause problems too.

Keeping the clutch in with the particular purpose of 'so I won't stall' is not a good way to think about it either, I did the same thing when starting to learn and you should realise it that it should be more about having the car at an appropriate speed, and stopping if neccesary, than slowing down and worrying about stalling for going too slow.

I would be disinclined to go down into first when the car is already moving. Go down to second, the car should be ok down to around 10 - 15 km/h and if you feel it starting to judder and you haven't been able to make the proper observation on whether or not it's ok to go, clutch in and stop, then go into first and bring it up to the bite point to start creeping forward.

Once you see it's ok to proceed, then you can just accelerate and go up the gears etc. This is easier and safer then coasting.

spammachine

Thanks for the replies! My instructor tells me to put it into first if i'm going too slow for 2nd - and this is only when coming to a blind/closed junction. In an open i'd either still be in 2nd if clear, or preparing to stop if not.
I'm usually not far from the line at this point, car is probably <5mph and i'll either stopping or peep-creep'ing. This is when I slip it into first - but have been keeping my clutch down. I don't keep it down specifically to stop stalling, I just think that if i bring my foot off the clutch after going into first, i'd still be taking off speed, and in a second or two i'd either have to stop or get the bite and go -and so push the cluth back down almost immediately. I'm not coasting for more than a car length or so - and only coast at <5 or near a crawl (i.e. i'm not coasting all the time while braking towards the junction).
This is my only real issue with driving at the moment - i've had 12 lessons, and don't want to ingrain bad habits from the start.

GreeBo

AFAIK you should drive in 1st gear unless moving off.
Your car can crawl in 2nd gear (on flat) without stalling, as was said if you get near cutting out you probably needed to stop anyway

Alanstrainor

GreeBo wrote: »

AFAIK you should drive in 1st gear unless moving off.
Your car can crawl in 2nd gear (on flat) without stalling, as was said if you get near cutting out you probably needed to stop anyway

I agree with this. you can go surprisingly slow in 2nd, and if you do need to go below this you're probably going to stop. I was told by both my driving instructors that first was a no no unless starting off, or on a particularly bad hill.

chris85

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I agree with this. you can go surprisingly slow in 2nd, and if you do need to go below this you're probably going to stop. I was told by both my driving instructors that first was a no no unless starting off, or on a particularly bad hill.

+1, only ever new one corner ever in my life that i had to drop to first while moving. The Lucan Hill which is infamous in the area