Very Special Testimonial
The following is an unsolicited letter from a former ILR Car Control student:
“I am a 65 year driver of a Canadian built 2009 Toyota Matrix XR who has taken, at my own expense, several driver training courses, most recently Ian Law’s Car Control School, given in Brampton,Ontario.
On Monday, April 12th, a bright, sunny afternoon, I had occasion to practice all the driving skills I’d learned, and test the emergency responses of our Matrix.
Driving east on County road 86, a west bound transport truck made a sudden left turn at Huron County Road 12, across my direction of travel. I immediately braked, only to have a large truck grill filling my front view, steered left to avoid the tractor and trailer, only to find our vehicle facing the driver’s door of a right turning pickup truck in the turning lane. I then had to steer right aiming between the bumpers of the trailer and pickup truck, fortunately, avoiding everything.
I had practiced this brake, steer left, then steer right manouever last September while taking the Car Control School in Brampton.
All the Matrix emergency controls worked flawlessly, the ABS slowing my rate of speed and still allowing steering input, the steering proved accurate, the dynamic stability control kept the vehicle’s body level, and the seat belts keeping my wife and I securely in our seats. No sudden acceleration was experienced.
If you drive in Ontario please take advanced driver training, if you own a vehicle keep it in excellent repair, because there are idiots out there driving bigger vehicles than yours.
B. L.
Wingham, Ontario
Great article post.Thanks Again. Want more.
This testimonial is very concerning in regards to the quality of instruction received at the School.
“the ABS slowing my rate of speed and still allowing steering input, the steering proved accurate, the dynamic stability control kept the vehicle’s body level, and the seat belts keeping my wife and I securely in our seats. No sudden acceleration was experienced.”
ABS does not slow you vehicle, it actually increases your braking distance. If you did the maneuver properly and safely, you wouldn’t have the ABS engaged as you’re turning.
DSC does not keep the car “level” – it corrects over or understeer for the unskilled driver.
Good to hear your Toyota didn’t take off for the hills, as some have.
On the positive, it’s great to see a 65 year driver taking instruction at schools – maybe they should just be attending better qualified schools that really help students the science of car control.
Bob, he obviously received some excellent training in collision avoidance as he is alive today to write about his experience. You seem to be quite anal about his use of terminology. He is a 65 year old man who wanted to be a better driver not an automotive journalist. So he doesn’t quite grasp exactly how his car’s safety features work. Neither does 99.9% or the rest of the drivers. At least he has some idea of what is happening and he now has the driving skills to use them.
What is more important, his writing skills or driving skills. He did not sign up to know the exact details of his safety systems. He signed up to learn how to use them, which obviously saved his life!
Can you name a better qualified school?