Lane Position - What do trainers and examiners know about the real world?

[Emefef]

Forum Sponsor

In a recent thread about a specific scenario (lane position while stopped in a dedicated left turn lane), there was a lot of discussion about blocking position, the handbook, the M2 Exit test, and the real world.
From that thread, and others that have popped up, it's apparent that even though many of us do the same things, we may not be doing for the same reasons, or may not be describing the situations (or understanding the examples) enough to recognize that the goals we're arguing about are essentially the same.
In these debates, the bigger issue for me as a trainer and examiner, is the notion that you should "just do what you have to for the test, then use your own judgment in the real world." It's even more frustrating when new riders are asking and that's the advice they're given. It's an issue for me from the training perspective because our M2 Exit training program does not teach the "absolutes" that some people have been advocating, and others have been dismissing. We teach lane positioning for as many scenarios as we can dream up. It's an issue for me from the examiner perspective because most of those scenarios are also covered in the scoring criteria for the test. The test doesn't require proper blocking position, it requires proper lane position in a number of different scenarios.
I'm hopeful that some of the posters that have been dismissive of the training programs and testing procedures as being the "simple basics" will read some of the information below and recognize there's a lot more to it than just blocking position, and many of their very valid points are actually included already. I'm also hopeful that those that advocate "always blocking" will recognize that's not always the priority.
These points are taken from (without reproducing in whole) the official scoring criteria. They are also primary coaching points in our M2 Exit training program.

Riders should be in a lane position that best achieves four objectives:

1. Gives the applicant "control" of the lane so that other motorists are discouraged from sharing the lane (commonly referred to as "blocking position";
2. Maximizes distance from potential hazards;
3. Maximizes ability to monitor traffic, and be visible to other motorists and pedestrians;
4. Provides the smoothest road surface with the best traction.

Much of the time there is a single tire track choice that will accomplish all four, but there are many situations where the objectives may conflict with one another and there is no single position that will accomplish all four. In those situations the rider has to use judgement to determine a position that gives the best compromise.

With those objectives in mind, the following general [emphasis added] rules give the best choice:

1. in the right-most lane, the rider should be in the left tire track.
2. In a passing lane or left-most lane, the rider should be in the right tire track
3. On a curve to the left with a short sight distance, the rider should move to the right to maximize the sight distance.
4. On a curve to the right with a short sight distance, the rider should keep as far left as possible without risking conflict with oncoming traffic that may be "cutting the curve" or straying over the center line.
5. In any curve or turn, the riders may choose a line that produces a shallower curve than following the curve of the road (apexing).

A different tire track should be selected when it provides a significantly better way of accomplishing the objectives of controlling the lane, keeping away from hazards, monitoring traffic, and staying on a good surface. Here are some common exceptions to the general rules:

1. Changing tire track to get greater separation from hazardous traffic.
2. When following a large vehicle in low speed dense traffic, the rider may periodically change position to get better view, or to give the driver of the large vehicle a better view of the rider.
3. In wet weather or a poor road surface, changing tire tracks or keeping out of the tire tracks may provide a better road surface.
4. In a strong or gusty-cross-wind, the rider may have to use the center of the lane or a tire track different from the usual tire track
5. When approaching the crest of a hill, the rider should use the right tire track to minimize the risk of meeting a vehicle [I love this one. emefef] that has strayed into the rider's lane.
6. On a curve to the left that has a short sight distance, keeping to the outside of the curve gives better sight distance than taking the shallow line through the curve.

The general rules are good "rules of thumb" for most situations, but the examiner should be considering whether the chosen position best accomplishes the objectives of controlling the lane, keeping away from hazards, monitoring traffic, and staying on a good road surface.

I didn't post this specifically to further or end any debate about specific situations, but to demonstrate the training programs and the M2 Exit Test scoring criteria are most definitely not advocating "always blocking position", but rather, with the real world considerations, "best lane position".

Mark

 

[Macs]

Real questions, not meant to be confrontational:

How many of your colleagues actually care enough to administer the test and rules properly? How many just use the "general" guidelines as RULES to make their marking easier? How many are riders themselves? How can you tell back in your car what I see and judge to be "best" from my vantage point? You're watching me, I'm watching traffic.

 

[Emefef]

Real questions, not meant to be confrontational:

How many of your colleagues actually care enough to administer the test and rules properly? How many just use the "general" guidelines as RULES to make their marking easier? How many are riders themselves? How can you tell back in your car what I see and judge to be "best" from my vantage point? You're watching me, I'm watching traffic.

Well I would have to give a reasonably diplomatic response here, so there may be some holes you have to fill in yourself.
First, the examiners can't just watch the bike, they have to watch traffic to be able to identify the hazards to the rider and how the rider manages those hazards.
That said, I believe your points are valid - there is a significant difference between examiners that are active riders, those that simply have M licences, and those that have been trained to administer the test. Keep in mind that at a drive test center, it's not the examiner's responsibility to educate the rider by describing the scoring criteria after the test - so riders may not really get a full explanation of their errors. This is especially true when most people are just content to have passed with a reasonable score.
I know I usually only promote it quietly, but I am strong advocate for rider training, and as I've pointed out, these are things that ARE taught in our program. Things that a lot of people regard as common sense once they understand or experience them for themselves. When you take a training program, the people that teach you are the people that test you - and they are active riders. They know what you were taught, and they know what to watch for when you're out there. Usually when we review errors at the end, the rider knows exactly why it was an error.

Forum Sponsor