Driving Skills

Off Topic Discussion. These posts do count towards overall post count. This is by far the best subforum on the site.
LM

Postby LM » Mon Dec 31, 2007 9:14

I posted this on the "Other" forum, but never on this one....so here ya go... :D


A little about me - I was a BMF (British Motorcycle Federation) Motorcycle Instructor for 7 years. I raced on the local circuits for a few of those and also managed to obtain the Blue Ribbon standard of safety. I wanted to bring a little knowledge and experience to the table…


Let me get the nasty stat out the way - In 2000, the Colorado State Patrol investigated 36,800 motor vehicle accidents on Colorado Highways and roads. This was approximately one-third of all motor vehicle crashes that occurred in Colorado. Of the 36,800 crashes, 12,053 resulted in injury or death.
Driving is a very demanding skill - mentally and physically. It relies on good reflexes, good judgment and on your ability to cope with rapidly changing traffic situations. With this in mind I have put together a few known and maybe not so known tips that I hope will help you get to your destination safely.

Here we go:
Remember the 3-second rule.
Tailgating and following too closely is the primary factor in rear-end vehicle collisions.
Use the 3 second rule. How does it work? Glance quickly at a fixed object ahead of the car in front of you. The object may be a sign, light pole or, for this example, a tree. As the car in front passes the tree, begin counting 3 seconds (one-thousand one, one-thousand two, and one-thousand three). If you pass the tree when you finish counting off 3 seconds, you have enough braking distance to react and stop. You are now traveling at the proper following distance.
Remember - Double you're following distance (to six seconds) in poor weather.

Here are a few stats on braking distances.
In ideal (perfect) road conditions
Speed___Thinking Distance___Braking Distance___Overall Stopping Distance
20 mph__20 feet____________20 feet____________40 feet
30 mph__30 feet____________45 feet____________75 feet
40 mph__40 feet____________80 feet____________120 feet
50 mph__50 feet____________125 feet___________175 feet
60 mph__60 feet____________180 feet___________240 feet
70 mph__70 feet____________245 feet___________315 feet
80 mph__80 feet____________320 feet___________400 feet


In wet driving conditions
Speed___Thinking Distance___Braking Distance___Overall Stopping Distance
20 mph__20 feet____________40 feet____________60 feet
30 mph__30 feet____________90 feet____________120 feet
40 mph__40 feet____________160 feet___________200 feet
50 mph__50 feet____________250 feet___________300 feet
60 mph__60 feet____________360 feet___________420 feet
70 mph__70 feet____________490 feet___________560 feet
80 mph__80 feet____________640 feet___________720 feet

When the road is icy or covered with compacted snow, or diesel fuel has been spilled (which is a particular risk near certain gas stations) the 'braking distance' for your vehicle can be as much as ten times further than for dry roads/pavement.


Read the road.
Always look as far ahead as you can, not just at the few feet in front of you. Be aware of who is next to you and who is behind you. Keep your eyes moving. Check behind you every 6-8 seconds.

Blind Spot.
Sit in the driver's seat and face forward. Have someone walk around your car without you moving your head. You can use your mirrors. Discover how large your blind spot to the sides of your car is. Use the 'Life Saver' look. Look over your shoulders when turning or changing lanes. Never rely on just your mirrors. Be aware of the no zones around large trucks. Their blind spots are huge. Never stay next to another vehicle while driving. They might not know your there. Stay back from them or stay ahead of them.

Cruise control.
Never use your cruise control in adverse weather (wet/icy/snowy) conditions. Your car will try and speed up to maintain your cruise speed. If your wheels lose traction the cruise control will try to increase speed further causing you to potentially spin out of control.

Anticipate the possible.
Let's say you're approaching a major junction with side streets with waiting traffic. Has the driver waiting seen you? Will he pull out in front of you? Before you reach the junction, anticipate his move. If he did pull out in front of you, what will you do? Where will you go? Would it be safer to hit his car direct on or try and swerve? Determine an exit strategy. Consider slowing down. Consider sounding your horn so he knows your there. Make eye contact if possible. Position yourself in the road so you are more visible.
Use this technique at every type of junction to decrease your chance of an accident.

Incase of an accident.
Always keep your cell phone in a secure place within your car. Cell phones can be rendered useless during accidents if they bounce around your car. You never know when you will need it; you could be the only car on the road at the time.

The 10 and 2 Rule.
Try and train yourself to place your hands on the steering wheel in the 10am and 2pm positions. Any car racer will tell you that that's the only way to drive and handle a car.

Day time Head Lights.
Drive during the day time with your low beam headlights on. Volvo produces some of the safest cars in the world. In Europe (not sure about the US) you are unable to turn the lights off at any time in a Volvo for good reason. You will be 4 times more visible with your lights on than if they were off.

Alternate Routes.
If you drive the same route everyday, your chances of an accident will increase significantly. The main reason here is that, as you drive the same route everyday, you will begin to drop your guard. You will believe you will know the route well enough not to pay attention. Try alternating your route or try staying alert.

Peripheral vision.
Give this a try next time you're watching TV. Without taking your eyes off the TV, take note of everything else that is within your vision that may be around the TV, around the room. You will be surprised of how much you can actually see. Put this into practice when you drive next.

Finally
Never Drink and Drive…..you may very well spill it……lol.


Stay safe...

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tsx_guy
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Postby tsx_guy » Tue Jan 01, 2008 9:14

I read this and retained all of 15% of it... man doing all those things makes it hard to
drive...especially when I am drinking my latte and chatting on the phone....
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