I wrote this article more than ten years ago, when I was the guest presenter at the Alberta Safety Council Annual Meeting. It still holds up as an overview of the principles of driving well, and driving safely. I use it now as part of the classroom materials that my winter/advanced/precision driving students get in their confirmation package.

For driving tips, archived articles, and more information, please visit www.sidorovprecisiondrivertraining.ca or www.spdt.ca.

PLOTTING YOUR DRIVING 'LEARNING CURVE'

Chances are you consider yourself a skilled driver. Unfortunately, there is not a readily available system in place that allows us to assess our driving skills. Most of us know how we rate as skiers, tennis players or golfers. In driving, once you've passed the test, you're on your own.
Statistics show the average motorist stops learning after the first 8,000 kilometres or so of driving. This is certainly one of the reasons why, despite having good roads, good vehicles, and relatively low traffic volume, our crash rates continue to be high.

You are unlikely to become a gourmet simply because you eat regularly. By the same token, the fact that you drive every day or that you have driven for many years does not automatically make you a good driver.

The first and hardest step on the learning curve is accepting there is something you need to know. John Kirkpatrick, who runs the Jim Russell Racing Driver's School in England, is fond of saying, "There are only two things you can't tell a man he does badly, and one of them is drive a motorcar." While I'm sure John means his comment to apply to both sexes, it is worth noting that women often do better than men in advanced driving classes. It seems the male ego is a distinct obstacle to progress.

What is advanced driving or for that matter good driving? It most definitely is not roaring around, squealing the tires at every opportunity, hoping to attract admiring glances from your passenger and other motorists.In advanced driving schools, we teach emergency braking, skid control, emergency lane changes and a variety of other exercises, but the real focus is on improving the driver's level of awareness.

Simply put, people are not accustomed to the high level of concentration that operating a vehicle skillfully demands. A good driver knows his or her vehicle's limitations. This means, for example, that someone driving a pickup truck or van (that has considerably poorer brakes and handling than do most passenger cars) will allow extra room for each manoeuvre.
If there is a bus or truck behind, a skilled driver will take into account that vehicle's inability to stop quickly. A thinking motorist will adjust speed to conditions. On rainy days at the racetrack, we put on special tires, re­adjust the suspension, and still have to drive more slowly. On the highway though, many drivers don't even bother to slow down if it snows. Even light rain cuts available traction by about 30 per cent, and that's if you have good tires.

When a racing driver gets ready to go out on the track, total concentration is devoted to the task at hand. Everything has been thoroughly checked, from nuts and bolts to tire pressure.
Now think about some of the circumstances under which the average motorist might drive more quickly or aggressively than usual. Late for work? Angry at a fellow motorist? Showing off for a friend? What's on his or her mind? You can be sure it's not driving. While it is difficult to prove statistically, I suggest that these are some of the most dangerous miles we ever drive.

On the racetrack and on the street, a driver should maintain a 360-degree envelope of awareness around the car. We teach our students to check the mirrors about once every seven seconds, and to look at least twelve seconds ahead of their car. Most people look approximately
three to five seconds in front, and less when they're in heavy traffic.
Following too close behind another vehicle cuts visibility as well as response time, and is only recommended to those who enjoy lots of time with their insurance adjuster. We suggest a three-second following distance. Anything less than a two-second interval is tailgating. A bigger gap allows you to gather more and better information. This permits added time to make decisions, so you can pilot the vehicle smoothly.

The best racers in the world are silky smooth with the controls, which reduces wear, saves fuel and keeps the chassis in balance. A rough driver is an inefficient driver.

Using the overtaking lane to impose your preferred speed on other drivers is asking for trouble.
It forces other drivers to pass you on the wrong side, a move which the British aptly refer to as 'undertaking.' One of the side effects of California's rash of freeway shootings was that for a short while, drivers became incredibly well-mannered. It is a bit sad to think that it took the threat of being shot to make people realize that a car is simply a transportation device, not an extension of your person.

The good news is that even at everyday speeds, we can practise and improve driving skills. We've started by laying out the ground rules and covering a few of the basics. The next step is understanding that under stress, we tend to revert to our dominant habits. It is important to make sure those habits are good ones, so we can avoid self-sabotage behind the wheel.

by Alan Sidorov
Reprinted from The Edmonton Journal

Meet Alan Sidorov at the ASC Annual Conference in Banff,
November 2-4, 1995.

Alan will be the presenter of the DDC/PDIC Instructor Workshop.
(Alberta Safety Council)