How to drive off the track...

I've been thinking about the GRM article on safe driving and teen drivers. In general I like the idea of teaching new drivers how to "drive", not just get a license. With this in mind what are some of the lessons that you have learned while driving?

Here are my lessens learned...

I don't do reverse well, so I take these extra precautions... I look for obstacles behind the car before I get in. I look both ways before pulling out. I pull out very slowly incase a person or car goes behind me. This may be for me only because I know I'm not good in reverse.

2:00am watch for drunks, I avoid driving during this time. 9:30pm - 11:00pm watch for people going to the bar that have had a few drinks.

On the highway, I drive in the right lane until I want to pass. Exception is when the right lane is so bad from semi trucks, then I drive in the left lane but watch for faster traffic and move over to the right lane early enough so they can pass without thinking about passing me on the right.

Some passengers are more distracting than others. I actually drove off the highway when my best friend through a pickle at me, I don't like pickles. Note to self, when my friend is in the car with me pay extra attention to driving.

The blind spot by the C Pillar.

Do mental "What if's" while driving. For example what if a driver decides at the last second to merge into my off ramp lane? Do they know I'm in their blind spot? This probably won't happen but every once in a while it does and I'm not in a position to be hit by them.

You can position your side mirrors to almost eliminate your blind spots.

Hot days in the afternoon are the most likely time to be rear ended. Usually at a stop light after you have been stopped for at least 8 seconds.

Old people drive during the day.

People getting out of work around 5:00pm drive much more aggressively than drivers during the day.

A green light doesn't me go, it means proceed with caution.

It's hard to see if traffic is actually stopping at the red light when an SUV is next to you. Twice I've seen a car run a red light and would have hit me if I pulled out when the light turned green.

The most dangerous red light runner happens when they are the only car travelling in their direction.

I have no idea why a person runs a red light. They may be having a heart attach, a seizer, a brain fart. The light is red for over 6 minutes and there is no opposing traffic. They are trying to make the light but have no chance. Their jerks. I try not to get angry, because I really don't know the reason, although my first instinct is to get angry.

I use my blinkers when cars are not around, because bicycles and pedestrians need to know what your intentions are.

A lowered car looks closer in the rear view mirror because you can't see the head lights or even the hood at a stop light.

fully expect every other driver to do the stupidest thing possible in any given situation. That way, you're prepared when they do.

The best thing I ever did for making me a better driver. I got a job driving a truck. When your vehicles limits are MUCH lower (except for braking, an empty truck will probably out brake even a porsche... at least on the first couple of attempts) you learn how to exploit them to the best of your abilities.

When you cannot see behind you, you learn how to really use your mirrors.

When you cannot see beside you well, you learn to keep a constant "bubble" around your vehicle where you are almost telepathically aware of what is near and what is not. Again, it comes from using your mirrors.

Backing up.. an old trucker told it to me best when I had to back down a ramp into a basement loading dock. Basically a dark hole in the ground that you cannot see into until you are in... "keep backing until you hear screams or breaking glass."

Keeping aware of what is going on around you. When I see a car stopped at a crossing intersection, or cars, I pay attention. Don't tailgate, only wears out your brakes. Pet peeve, drivers who use there brake pedal as a switch and or ride with their foot on the pedal.

I try to avoid hooking my thumbs in the steering wheel.

No one would be allowed back in my car if the threw veggies at me, pickles or not.

Also, I hate it when people brake check others... If I have a tailgator, I swerve quickly, and slightly (staying in my lane) as though an animal or something ran out in front of me. This always gets them to back off.

Also, watch for turtles. They don't jump out in front of you, so If you hit one, it must have been on purpose, or you were not paying attention, which is just as bad.

Joey

joey48442 wrote: Also, I hate it when people brake check others... If I have a tailgator, I swerve quickly, and slightly (staying in my lane) as though an animal or something ran out in front of me. This always gets them to back off. Also, watch for turtles. They don't jump out in front of you, so If you hit one, it must have been on purpose, or you were not paying attention, which is just as bad. Joey

1. Never thought about the swerving thing, have to try that one, though in Alachua county it could get you shot by a law enforcment officer.

2. DUDE have you seen the gopher turtles around here? If you hit one of those with a miata you're likely to do some serious damage. Those things are HUGE!

Rick wrote: Some passengers are more distracting than others. Like scantily clad and busty blondes, brunettes, and redheads.

FIXED

mad_machine wrote: The best thing I ever did for making me a better driver. I got a job driving a truck. When your vehicles limits are MUCH lower (except for braking, an empty truck will probably out brake even a porsche... at least on the first couple of attempts) you learn how to exploit them to the best of your abilities. When you cannot see behind you, you learn how to really use your mirrors. When you cannot see beside you well, you learn to keep a constant "bubble" around your vehicle where you are almost telepathically aware of what is near and what is not. Again, it comes from using your mirrors. Backing up.. an old trucker told it to me best when I had to back down a ramp into a basement loading dock. Basically a dark hole in the ground that you cannot see into until you are in... "keep backing until you hear screams or breaking glass."

+eleventeen

I may only have a class B CDL but really driving truck really helped increase my situational awareness. And, yeah, an empty box truck with airbrakes stops on a dime.

My girl friend has distracted me a couple of times, I didn't stop her, just pulled over and parked.

my guiding principle is: don't hit anything.

Fact 1, even the best driver makes mistakes.

Fact 2, when the best driver makes a mistake, a dumbass will make it into an accident, despite the best driver having avoided the last 10,000 dumbass mistakes.

aussiesmg wrote: Fact 1, even the best driver makes mistakes. Fact 2, when the best driver makes a mistake, a dumbass will make it into an accident, despite the best driver having avoided the last 10,000 dumbass mistakes.

Fact 3, sometimes the best driver has a dumbass moment. See my post in the airbag thread. Not that I'm claiming to be the best driver, just better than average.

A turn signal of an oncoming vehicle does not mean they are about to turn. It means that their turn signal works.

If I've stopped in the road, waiting to make a turn, I always stand on the brake pedal. So the potential idiot following behind knows I've definitely stopped.

I usually lift off the throttle over blind crests, too, just in case.

Properly adjust your mirrors. And even then, if you can-turn around and look at your blind spot when changing lanes. Make sure you do it quickly, just in case the guy in front of you hits the brakes while you're looking rearward.

Know your own physical condition. If you've been up all night, and especially if you've been partying, back off and really make sure it's safe to change that lane or run down that 2-lane full of houses with driveways. If you're sleepy or hungover, you won't have the reflexes to deal with an emergency-even if you manage to see it in time.

Back off in bad weather, especially if it's down a road you don't know very well. Even on the Interstate, you don't know where the water will puddle unless you've driven that route every day for a month. Since most of us drive sporting cars, our tires are a lot wider than most folks have, and will hydroplane a lot quicker. Swallow your pride, and back down to a speed where the tires won't leave the ground even if you hit an unexpected 1/4" of standing water. Yeah, our rubber compounds will let you get on it in damp conditions, but a puddle will end your day really quick, especially if you're on less than full tread. (I know about this personally, I put a street car on it's roof once from this). Let the old couple in the Buick go around you, they're probably on 60 series all-seasons, and probably have better grip through the standing water than you do. If not, let them crash instead of you.

If you own different kinds of cars, be tender with the loud pedal when you're in the one you haven't driven in awhile. It's a lot more difficult to see out of the back of my Corrados (especiallly when I'm going fast enough to have the spoiler up) than it is to see out of my Golf. Also, be careful with low-speed manuvers like parking when you've changed cars. It takes the brain awhile to realize the size of the car is different. Also, if you're changing from your car to your truck (SUVs are trucks), realize that the different weight changes your braking, cornering, and acceleration rates. Ignore your instincts, and drive the thing you're in, instead of reacting as you would in the thing you drive everyday.

And (as others have previously said), realize that you will eventually make a mistake. No matter how good you are, there will come a time that you let your concentration drop for an instant, or come upon a situation you've never seen before. Always be aware of what's around you, and you may escape with nothing more than a high heart rate, and a story to tell (provided it's not too embarassing..).

Two things I learned in HPDE classrooms that have saved my butt on the street when things have gone amiss:

1) Look where you want to go, not where you're headed. This really works.

2) Even when you think you've lost control, never stop fighting to regain it. At some point, traction will return. It's nice to be ready for it and it may prevent a crash from happening or continuing into something far worse.

staying on the track is sometimes much more difficult than driving off it... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2kUWGm6KJI

but really, I agree with buzz.. dont hit stuff, dont let stuff hit you.. and your golden...

I'm a OTR Class A driver. The company I work for has a saying. "Expect the expected". Basically, we all know stupid people do stupid things. Be ready for it to happen, as much as you can.

The things that bothers me the most is when I'm driving down the interstate and the person driving down the on ramp fails to check the traffic the are trying to merge into and expects me to move over for them. Well, sometimes I can't. And don't draft/tailgate me. You don't know if I'm carrying 45000 lbs or empty. If a hammer the brakes you might be surprised at how fast I can stop & if you rear end me I might not notice and drag you down the road. I saw that happen once. I Honda Accord rear ended a big truck hard enough to kill the driver. The big truck didn't know and had to be pulled over...2 miles from the incident.

Don't drive faster than you can see.

924guy wrote: but really, I agree with buzz.. dont hit stuff, dont let stuff hit you.. and your golden...

And don't piss-off the big trucks. Some of us will run your goofy ass right off the road.

If you've really lost it or had a spin and are now headed for a "target rich environment" keeping the brakes locked normalizes a spinning cars direction of travel. It also prevents the car from firing off at an odd angle when it finally regains traction. Tends to ruin tires though...

A local car talk guy always says something like "keep a look out for the other guy, he's aiming for ya"

What i have found is showing people your driving characteristics will rub of on them. My girlfriend for example: When i first met her, she thought her car had a mind and feelings. She was a terrible driver and was too concerned with makeup and texting which terrified me. Now, after a year and a half together and her sitting in the passenger seat watching my driving habits, I have noticed she is a completely different driver for the better.

She now lets the engine brake when she sees standing water and anticapates hydroplaning instead of standing on the brakes, she doesnt jam on the brakes while going down hills, and when she brakes hard, say coming up to a sudden stop, she puts the car in park and pulls the emergency brake so she doesnt warp the rotors from standing on heated up rotors. She also stays in the slow lane, doing the speed limit and only passes when she needs to.

I really want to get her into some type of high performance driving corse one day when we have the money to buy a racecar and go lap Road Atlanta. If i could keep rubbing my good habits onto more people, i will feel alil bit better about others on the road.

SillyImportRacer wrote: And don't draft/tailgate me. You don't know if I'm carrying 45000 lbs or empty. If a hammer the brakes you might be surprised at how fast I can stop & if you rear end me I might not notice and drag you down the road. I saw that happen once. I Honda Accord rear ended a big truck hard enough to kill the driver. The big truck didn't know and had to be pulled over...2 miles from the incident.

F = MA (KNOW IT AND USE IT!)

ultraclyde wrote: fully expect every other driver to do the stupidest thing possible in any given situation. That way, you're prepared when they do.

QFT. It's called defensive driving, and it's your best bet.

In reply to SillyImportRacer:

I hear you about the merging. People in Atlanta have a very bad habit of attempting to join traffic while going 30mph slower on the on-ramp. I always check to see if the shoulder is clear now, since I've had to use it on more than one occasion.

Speaking of drivers in Atlanta, the only good thing about the traffic there is that if you have a strong performing car, and alert senses, it's not unlike wheel-to-wheel racing.

Dog eat dog all the way. Good practice, but highly stressful.

friedgreencorrado wrote: In reply to SillyImportRacer: I hear you about the merging. People in Atlanta have a *very* bad habit of attempting to join traffic while going 30mph slower on the on-ramp. I always check to see if the shoulder is clear now, since I've had to use it on more than one occasion.

haha, very true!

I always make sure i get up to speed before merging onto the freeways and i always notice, when im doing a good 70mph on the on ramp, the traffic on the freeway (especially in Forsyth County) will speed up to a good 80 or 90mph to make sure i will get on behind them, but i will not let them have the privilege and will make sure i am infront. Its like they dont want me in front. Dont get it...

Now, when it comes to people merging onto the freeway from an onramp, i will give them enough space to let them come on comfortably. If i am in traffic and notice the person behind me is sucked up on my rear bumper trying not to let anyone merge on, i let as many as possible in front of me just to piss that person behind me off...