A short while ago I did a drive with another instructor who was introducing the SAFED driving system to me.
I’m all for saving fuel, especially at it’s current cost level, but I felt that it compromised safety.
We had an empty artic with a 4 over 4 range change box and were driving through the city.
For 30 mph, gear 6 was the most flexible gear in this situation but I was encouraged to use gear 7 to save fuel.
Although both gears put the revs in the green band I had to brake and change down from 7 to 6 every time i encountered a hazard and then change back up to 7 again.
As I was doing the gear changes so often due to the number of hazards in this type of situation, I felt that I had lost the flexibility and safe control from the accelerator.
I can see that using a higher gear but keeping it at the lower end of the green rev band on say, a rural main road with few hazards where the flexibility of the accelerator is unlikely to be needed will save fuel but where numerous gear changes are needed seems to me to be defeating the object.
we got safed trained and the guy wanted us to block change from 6 to 8 whilst pulling a fully loaded petoltanker. needless to say it “juddered” somewhat and had to downshift everytime but the trainer would not have it as wrong.
Firstly, in my opinion, nothing should compromise safety. The choice of gear should be based on flexibility and control before economy.
Secondly, surely a new clutch would cost a lot more than the small savings made by using too high a gear.
Since the power band of a lorry is fairly small, you would need, as Rog has said, to change down whenever a bit more power is needed. This means that the gear change is added to the process of dealing with the hazard and takes what could be valuable time and concentration away from the more important matter of the hazard itself.
I would agree on all of the above. I thought the whole point of saving fuel was minimum gear changing and anticipating hazards ,so a gear change is not needed. The dsa are to assess eco safe driving in the car test. As usual they have not advised us on how we are supposed to do it. My mate does the safed training and he reckons gear changing should be kept to a minimum but not at the exspense of safety.
So far you folks are thinking the same as me - SAFETY and gear FLEXIBILITY comes before FUEL saving.
So why oh why is the SAFED way being taught in the way that it is
To my mind, it seems that using the brakes less, without using the gears more is the way forward to saving fuel and keeping SAFE - or have I missed something
ROG:
So far you folks are thinking the same as me - SAFETY and gear FLEXIBILITY comes before FUEL saving.
So why oh why is the SAFED way being taught in the way that it is
To my mind, it seems that using the brakes less, without using the gears more is the way forward to saving fuel and keeping SAFE - or have I missed something
I would say no.
Safed is being wound up as far as I can gather. They asked me to do it but when I found out what was involved and the cost I didn’t bother.
ROG:
So far you folks are thinking the same as me - SAFETY and gear FLEXIBILITY comes before FUEL saving.
So why oh why is the SAFED way being taught in the way that it is
To my mind, it seems that using the brakes less, without using the gears more is the way forward to saving fuel and keeping SAFE - or have I missed something
Agreed Rog. Passed the course, but do my own thing now, still safe, produce v.good economy figures and fleetboard driving style figures. Some instructors just toe the party / course line, mine was very good, used alot of common sense, not just the book
Ever since I did that drive I wondered if I was not getting it
Form the replies on here and my own thoughts - the bottom line seems to be…
Drive SAFE without harsh acceleration or braking and reduce the number of gear changes to only what is absolutely necessary.
As that is what I do already, I think SAFED is a no, no for me.
The DSA are introducing a SAFED element into the on-road LGV test drive soon but this will NOT count towards the test result - I hope they will take the view that we all seem to do…
Wheel Nut:
They should train these SAFED men up Sutton Bank
Didnt think lorries were allowed up there?
Thats if its the one in North Yorkshire you were referring to?
Yes Lorries can and do use Sutton Bank on a regular basis. I was quite disturbed though to read a Vosa or Hato poster about how to drive up it. It is hung in the entrance to Barton Park.
DAF95XF:
Didnt think lorries were allowed up there?
Thats if its the one in North Yorkshire you were referring to?
Trucks can use it, caravans are prohibited.
I came down the Bank a couple of weeks ago, loaded, in the wet…scary enough for me (even with 20+ years experience in artics). Low gear, engine brake on max, dabbing the brakes to prevent burn out.
Made it to the bottom with no dramas, but met a French driver going the other way. He’d stopped before the ascent and I stopped to ask him if he was OK. He was, but he explained the truck was empty and in the wet he’d no chance of making up! Poor sod was stranded there, I offered to call anyone out to get him turned round safely, but he declined the offer.
Shrek:
Trucks can use it, caravans are prohibited.
Blimey, I thought they were all banned
It scary enough going down it in my car, wouldnt ancy going down it in a truck
My mum is actually from Thirsk which isnt at all far away from Sutton Bank
I first drove up there as a beginner in an ERF with a drag on the back. Not that much weight on but: Stop at the bottom - engage crawler - go for it and pray you dont meet anyone coming down on the bends.
Stop at the top to let the engine cool down and get tea from the caravan.
Santa:
I first drove up there as a beginner in an ERF with a drag on the back. Not that much weight on but: Stop at the bottom - engage crawler - go for it and pray you dont meet anyone coming down on the bends.
Stop at the top to let the engine cool down and get tea from the caravan.
Excellent advice.
P.S. don’t forget to stuff a couple of pies down with yer tea
Agreed Rog. Passed the course, but do my own thing now, still safe, produce v.good economy figures and fleetboard driving style figures. Some instructors just toe the party / course line, mine was very good, used alot of common sense, not just the book 
