DAY 66: Stage 2 Practical Lesson 2.08 Reacting to Road Hazards

I managed to get a try-sell slot at night. It was my first time driving at night. I decided to start going for night lesson because it is too slow to only have lessons during weekends. Furthermore it is good to have a feel of night driving, unless you're planning to drive only in the day for the rest of your life! However, do take note that there is no practical test at night so if you find that certain subjects are crucial to you, please do them in a day lesson.

Driving at night felt different than driving during the day (obviously). The roads were not as visible even with the street lights. It was quite difficult to notice people at the side of the road especially when the person was wearing dark clothes. However, the dashboard was very bright, I could see the speedometer, tachometer and odometer clearer as compared to during the day.

In the beginning, the instructor told me to go two rounds in the circuit to get used to the night driving before moving off to the streets. Today’s lesson was on ‘Reacting to Road Hazards’. We didn’t specifically go around looking for hazards but more on react-if-I-see-one kind of lesson. As this was the first time I’m driving at night, the reduced visibility was already a hazard to me. I had some difficulties judging the correct distance of oncoming vehicles based only on their head lights. It was also quite difficult to see where the humps and pedestrian crossings were. My instructor told me to look out for cues like the ‘HUMP AHEAD’ marking on the road and the zig zag white line or the ‘X-ING AHEAD’ marking for pedestrian crossing. Throughout the lesson, I was driving all too careful. I was in gear 2 on some of the small roads which I used to be in gear 3 during the day. In one of the T junction (where Bukit Batok St 33 meets Bukit Batok West Ave 4), I made a mistake when I did the right turn too sharply until I went over the double white line. The instructor told me that it would be an immediate failure during test. There was also once I forgot to stop before a solid white line (with a Stop sign) at the end of a deceleration lane at at Bukit Batok West Ave 7, which is also an immediate failure.


Things to take note:

• Right turn be careful not to go over the double white line which would be an immediate failure
• When moving off in gear 1, don’t release clutch. Once reach sufficient speed, immediately step full clutch and change to gear 2.
• If you’re able to see red light from far, slow down (foot brake or engine brake if far enough) then change to gear 2 to engine brake.
• Engine brake is stronger at lower gear (reminder)

Expenditure

Practical              $68.48
Total cost so far:  $1315.35