How low can it go?

For years I was going to enroll in the AAA Advanced Driver Program. This the hands on day course taught by emergency vehicle driving instructors. Yesterday was the day.

AAA is now using a parking lot at Great Adventure which is a bit more convenienent than the lot at the racetrack. While there I saw the Fright Night hearses & the tan antique bus the creepy bald guy danced around in the TV ads.

The day starts with some paperwork & an abridged driver safety lesson. We then caravanned to the "Batman" parking lot through arriving traffic. Yes, if you went to the park & looked to your right just before the toll booth you saw us.

Four courses marked by cones were set up:

serpentine
u-turn
obstruction avoidance
reverse lane change

Participants ranged from teenagers (3) to middle-aged guys (like me). The prius was joined by a Ford Fusion & a Honda Civic in the car dept. and a RAV4, Mazda's version (both identical red) & a big black Lincoln. The purpose was to explore the limits & performance of the driver & the vehicle. Knowing what can & can't be done in an emergency situation can make the difference between a fatality, a casualty & a good story.

The courses were explained & we ran through them in a van driven by one of the instructors. Then it's our turn.

I reset Trip B. I need numbers.

The serpentine is a warm up to practice turning the steering wheel 180 degrees. This was the easy one. Fast & forward at ~27mph. No, I don't know how fast I was going as I'm a little too busy to have my head in the cockpit but I know I entered at 27. The 1st lesson of the day was: the Sticky Pad isn't. My Scangauge is stuck to the Sticky Pad with a worm of 3M Blue Putty. The whole assembly flew across the dash, popped the OBDC cable (the clip is already broken off), and ended up on my floorboard. So much for getting data. It rode in the tray the rest of the day.

I didn't notice a difference between ECO & PWR modes. I did not engage the LKA--didn't even think of it.

This was probably as fast as it got.

The u-turn is just that--make a sharp u-turn using lane position & maximum steering.

The reverse lane change is harder than it sounds or looks. Go as fast as you want through the course making 2 lane changes & come to a stop. Repeat the process backwards. As fast as you want backwards is probably 1 mph, maybe 2.

The valuable lesson here was that the backup camera is useless for backing up. Looking out the hatch with the right arm on the passenger seat & the left hand at the top of the steering wheel works the best. This was work.

The obstruction avoidance was a surprise. Accelerate toward the obstruction, make a quick lane change & a u turn. Going slower than in the serpentine the VSC alarms sounded which spooked me the 1st time. I don't know if there were any lights or messages on the dash as again I'm occupied elsewhere. I also didn't notice any control inputs from the car. Every pass right & left on this course tripped the warning.

Time for lunch. I'm fatigued from the driving and down to 2 to 3 bars from a full charge. The battery will stay that low throughout the session. Lunch was al fresco in the parking lot. I can say I ate at Great Adventure & it didn't cost $20 because you had to bring your own.

The afternoon challenge is a long course. We have a walk through with the instructor explaining what to do & why & what happens if... Then the instructor drives the van through slowly, then we get to ride the van.

It starts with a lane change, goes into a tight curve, come out to an obstruction avoidance into a diminishing radius curve then a serpentine to the end.

The 1st girl in line with the SUV doesn't want to go first. The 2nd girl in line also with an SUV doesn't want to go 1st either so they pull up so I can show them how not to do it. I was in trouble from the 1st turn. The only reason I didn't take out a row of cones was because I stopped & backed up. That had to be a memorable performance.

This course put the earlier 3 (no reverse) together & should be done in 30 seconds. Everyone had trouble on this & we kept at it until everyone got through.

From this course I found the car's limitations & my own. I had to adjust the pitch of the steering wheel because I'd hit my leg & my fingers would catch the wiper switch. There aren't pictures but I'm sure it doesn't look cool to go through the course with your wipers on.

Between my body & the steering wheel I had a hard time doing & holding a 180 so I'd cheat with a lot of rapid wheel motion. I got busted. The instructor said I was getting through the course only because the car was so short. I don't know if I need more upper body strength or more flexibility in my shoulders. Maybe the steering wheel should be a different size.

I had to shift my seating position. The driver's door needs A LOT MORE padding. I'm driving now with my stadium blanket tucked between my knee & the door.

At the end of the day the driver has a bruised left knee, sore shoulders, bruised & hurting hands & fingers. (I bruise easily.) I was satisfied with the Prius' performance. How low can it go? For a good 4 to 5 hours of hard acceleration, slow speeds, and standing around in temps ranging from 75-81F (no radio or AC) the average speed was around 3 mph & the fuel economy averaged around 22-24mpg. This day's worth of driving is probably going to knock 1 or 2mpg off the tank average (which I expect to be around average).

I got a t-shirt, a book & a certificate. I don't know if this course qualifies for the insurance discount. I have to ask. The Prius got a name change. It's not a V-AT, it's a GT. I'm not one for badging but if I found a GT badge I'd really consider slapping it on.

The AAA course is a fantastic learning experience even if you aren't going to autocross. Next year, schedule permitting, we're entering the 21st Century Automotive Challenge at State College.