Driving Tips?
10-26-2007, 04:42 PM
#52
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Manhattan Beach, CA
Posts: 695
RE: Driving Tips?
Good advice in this thread. Three things I didn't see. Thesearen't driving techniques, but worthwhile thinking about:
1. Be aware of the cars around you:
You should constantly observe not just the car right in front of you, but the cars next to you, behind you, and perhaps most importanly -- the cars 2 or 3 spots ahead of you. Not all accidents involve folks driving their own car off the road into a guardrail or wrapping their car around a telephone poll. Sometimes the jackhole in front of you or next to you does something completely moronic, and you'll have to react in time. So make sure you keep a safe distance back from the car right in front of you, and watch what the cars around you are doing so you can try to anticipate what they're going to do. I remember reading an interview with Jeff Gordon where he talked about how he has avoided accidents in the real world simply by observing the cars out in front of him and anticipating where they are heading, what they're going to do next, etc.
2. Avoid roll-overs:
This isn't as big a riskin a low,wide car like the Mustang. But it can happen. And it is much more likely ifyou're driving your wife/girlfriend/parent's suv.Simply put -- try to avoid swerving hard in one direction and then pulling the wheel immediately back in the opposite direction. This is a natural reaction for many folks when they unexpectedly see something like debris in their lane or if an animal runs out in front of them. More likely than not, you'll do more harm trying to swerve out of your lane and then back into your lane than you would if you just ran right through the debris/animal (assuming it's not the size of a deer, elk, etc.). My wife knows two different people who've rolled their vehicles and caused accidents which killed the passengers yet left the drivers alive (because thefront right of the car hit the pavement first and suffered the most damage).
3. Don't drive drunk or tired:
If you think it's tough avoiding an accident, try avoiding one with a much slower reaction time.
The suggestions about driving in an empty parking lot are good. Just makes sure you're nowhere near light poles or cement curbs. I had a buddy in highschool doing donuts in a parking lot and have his rear end clip a light pole. Not pretty.
1. Be aware of the cars around you:
You should constantly observe not just the car right in front of you, but the cars next to you, behind you, and perhaps most importanly -- the cars 2 or 3 spots ahead of you. Not all accidents involve folks driving their own car off the road into a guardrail or wrapping their car around a telephone poll. Sometimes the jackhole in front of you or next to you does something completely moronic, and you'll have to react in time. So make sure you keep a safe distance back from the car right in front of you, and watch what the cars around you are doing so you can try to anticipate what they're going to do. I remember reading an interview with Jeff Gordon where he talked about how he has avoided accidents in the real world simply by observing the cars out in front of him and anticipating where they are heading, what they're going to do next, etc.
2. Avoid roll-overs:
This isn't as big a riskin a low,wide car like the Mustang. But it can happen. And it is much more likely ifyou're driving your wife/girlfriend/parent's suv.Simply put -- try to avoid swerving hard in one direction and then pulling the wheel immediately back in the opposite direction. This is a natural reaction for many folks when they unexpectedly see something like debris in their lane or if an animal runs out in front of them. More likely than not, you'll do more harm trying to swerve out of your lane and then back into your lane than you would if you just ran right through the debris/animal (assuming it's not the size of a deer, elk, etc.). My wife knows two different people who've rolled their vehicles and caused accidents which killed the passengers yet left the drivers alive (because thefront right of the car hit the pavement first and suffered the most damage).
3. Don't drive drunk or tired:
If you think it's tough avoiding an accident, try avoiding one with a much slower reaction time.
The suggestions about driving in an empty parking lot are good. Just makes sure you're nowhere near light poles or cement curbs. I had a buddy in highschool doing donuts in a parking lot and have his rear end clip a light pole. Not pretty.
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