The Irish Driving Scene.An Instructors Perspective.Written by Robin Piggott
The Irish Driving Scene.An Instructors Perspective The Driving Environment Today’s motoring environment is very different to that of thirty or even fifteen years ago for a number of key reasons and we will examine these to get an idea of kind of skills needed to survive in today’s world and stay accident free. For first time in over one hundred and fifty years our population has exceeded 4 million and continues to increase steadily. Demographics The age of our population is quite unique and according to 2002 census there are approximately 640,200 people in 15 – 24 age bracket who are in, or approaching, age at which they will want to drive. Lets be clear on this point …every person in today’s Ireland will aspire to drive and own a car in this prosperity environment, for career, family and social reasons .In past until you had potential to be able to own a car it was quite common not to bother to learn to drive. Those that needed to get to work from a distance tended to rely on neighbours and friends or relatives to be ever present chauffeur. It’s very common today for an exodus from city limits out to open country to live, with huge numbers of houses, sorry mansions; being constructed at seemingly breakneck speed. The draw of country air and sweet sounds of birds in morning seems to be an irresistible magnet for city dweller. A car or three is taken for granted. Of course , we are a nation of keen gardeners now and regular trip to garden centre could not be undertaken by public transport because it doesn’t exist in most rural areas. All of this means that we have a far greater number of cars and drivers on road than thirty years ago and at different times of day due to many variations in working hours. So there is hardly a time when you are unlikely to meet another vehicle. Six am during working week can be just as dangerous as five thirty rush hour. Learner Drivers Current numbers of learner Drivers are estimated at 350,000 and this continues to be swelled by increase in our immigrant population, both expatriates and non-nationals setting up home here for first time. The waiting list for a Driving Test has reached an all time high due mainly to these demographics, but also to relatively small number of Driving Examiners . This situation is being addressed at moment with probability of an outside agency being drafted in to undertake a further 40,000 Driving Tests over course of a year .While it is unfortunate that all drivers have to wait such a long time in order to sit their Test it is an opportunity for them to learn some very essential skills and to prepare well for Test. It is very common for candidates to leave their lessons to last moment which very often produces a negative result. Worse still, is mistaken belief that longer one is driving greater chance of passing Driving Test. Without professional lessons chances of passing Test are pretty remote; but more crucial will be lack of basic skills leading to accidents which can and should be preventable .Passing Driving Test, while certainly a milestone in a person’s driving career, is only beginning of a life –long process not end. Professional Tuition Safe Driving for Life can be achieved, with correct mind set and knowledge that good basic driving skills are foundation for learning process and need to be provided by Professional Instructors and not relatives or friends. Practise with Mum or Dad is very useful but only in conjunction with proper Tuition. Being able to move a car down road and perhaps change a gear or two and even steer out of trouble is not level of skill needed to stay alive and is about as far from required Driving Test standard as we are from Moon.(about 250,000 miles, sorry 400,000Km at last count).I am not suggesting that we need to drive a quarter of a million miles
| | The Waterloo Boy Tractor: Beginning of the John DeereWritten by Dave Cole
Waterloo Boy Model N 1916 to 1924Anything that can be done on farm by horses, can be accomplished by Waterloo Boy Tractor. The Waterloo Boy tractors had a water cooled, two cylinder engine that burned kerosene, a cheaper fuel for farmers to purchase. The transmission was located on left side of engine, instead of in line or behind engine. It had automotive type sliding gears, Model L and R had only one forward speed, while Model N had two. (Although bull pinion gears as an in field add on were available by special order for farmers who found need for more speed) The Model R Waterloo Boy Tractor Until 1919, Model R Waterloo Boy tractor was sold in 13 different styles, from A to M. Style N, which became Model N Waterloo Boy tractor was introduced in 1917. The Model R was much same as Model L, except that R was given a 6.5 bore where L had a 5.5 bore, both had a 7 inch stroke. A little over 8,000 Model R's were manufactured, including those shipped overseas. The Model N Waterloo Boy Tractor The Model N Waterloo Boy was manufactured from 1917 thru 1924. It was known as a 12-25 tractor because tractor delivered 12 horsepower at drawbar and 25 horsepower at belt pulley, at 750 revolutions per minute. The new and improved Model N had two forward speeds, 2 1/1 and 3 miles per hour. Pulling a 3 bottom plow, or a 9 foot disc harrow, or 2 binders, new Waterloo Boy Model N had two forward speeds with a 6.5 bore and 7 inch stroke engine. It delivered 16 drawbar horsepower and 25 at belt with an engine rpm of 750. The outer bull pinion gear on final drive was changed to have teeth face inside of drive wheel to decrease wear on final drives and help shield them from dirt. The Model N was an immediate success with almost 5,000 units being sold in 1918. Waterloo Boy and Deere & Company Noting success of Waterloo Boy Tractor, Deere and Company's sales manager Frank Silloway began to investigate. The philosophy of upper management was that Deere and Company could no longer just manufacture implements, it was time to move on to business of selling tractors.
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