I was taught this is a big NO-NO. In fact huge NO-NO. Enormous NO-NOOOOOOO. It's a taboo, it's a crime, it's the end of the World. You never ever even think of gripping the steering wheel from the inside - if you are worth at least something as a driver, that's it.

And I lived like that for 40 years, never questioning this piece of wisdom.

Now, lately, my wife started to make such grips time to time. I taught her to drive, I am proud of what we accomplished together in her driving, and surely I was all ready to fix her terrible mistake before it develops into a deadly habit.

I got a problem though. I am always quite logical in my teaching, I always explain things, not just state them. "You do it this way because otherwise this, this and this bad thing happens" - you know...

My former posts in this board related to two aspects of driving:
a) Creating a safe enviornment before you drive: Adjusting the seat, wheel and mirrors for maximal safety and efficiency.
b) Basic emergency handling: What to do when things get out of hand.

Today, I intend to "fill" in the gap between the two and relate to how to deal with hazards, prevent emergencies or reach them with a "head start" -- all applicable in every standard drive. In relation to this I will talk about the following terms: Concentration, Vision, Observation, Anticipation, Planning, Visualization, Hazard-perception, scanning pattern.

This whole thing begins from the realization that driving is obsolutly NOT a simple chore. It's not something you can do "automatically". You nee...

I post this to bring into awarness certain cases of lack in accuracy in the site's encyclopedia. However strict it might seem, these comments have a profound effect on the understanding of the subject and on practical aspects of such important subjects. Road-Handling is the attitude of the car. Remember, cars never skid, their tires do. So, not all "skids" are alike. It's all a question of which wheel or axle slides first. If the front wheels of a certain car be more prone to slide, that would be considered a handling characteristic of that car.

When the front wheels start to slide first, the result is UNDERSTEER. Simple, the front wheels have the task of turning the car into the corner: You turn the wheel which tilts the front wheels into the corner. Get them to slide, and yo...

The cost of driving is increasing every day. Make sure to save money by choosing affordable auto insurance at Nationwide.com

While it's true that several major insurance companies will now allow auto insurance clients to purchase pet coverage, that coverage is meant to pay for your pet's medical care if someone hits you, not to be a liability insurance policy if you hit someone because Fido is bouncing around the car, blocking your vision. The fact is, as much as we love to drive with our dogs, an unrestrained animal in a car is a serious safety hazard - literally an accident waiting to happen. How then, should we handle having our best furry friends along for the ...

Often times, people drive to a different state and are totally confused by traffic patterns that may be unfamiliar to them. In large metropolitan areas, it's usually complex freeway interchanges. Here in my home state of Maine, it's less complex, but many out of state (and local drivers, too) can't seem to get it. How to drive in a rotary.

What is a rotary?
A rotary is a a large intersection where traffic travels in a circular motion until reaching the desired exit. Rotaries in Maine may be one or two lanes. Other parts of the world may know them as roundabouts or traffic circles.

A one-lane rotary is the simplest. Upon approaching the rotary, slow down and be prepared to stop. Traffic already in the rotary has the right of way. You have a yield sign, bu...

What distance is safe to maintain? Whenever you drive in traffic, you keep asking and answering this question every moment over and over again. How should you approach this task in order to always be as safe as possible? What are the rules and guidelines, and what internal and external factors should you consider? Some of it they teach you in a Texas defensive driving course, some they don't.

The usual rule of thumb is to keep two-seconds distance, with variations of three and even four, and sometimes corrections under bad weather. I do not have any problem with two-seconds rule as a baseline, as long as you realize that it is just a rule of thumb, imprecise by...

Our friend Joshua Nestor did some investigation on Texas defensive driving phenomenon. Not that Texas got all defensive and built a remake of Great Wall of China along its borders, But it's government and courts suddenly got all defensive about how bad the situation on the roads is, and decided to teach drivers to become defensive, too. I can't say I agree with their defensive approach, as their method seems to be yet another offensive money-making machine for the government, but looks like Texas defensive driving is here to stay, so I asked Joshua to take a look at it. He did an excellent job at it, and while I don't agree to everything what he says, I invite you to take a tactical moment to read his short essay on Texas defensive driving.

Gas Saving Tips - The Comprehensive List

Well, with gas prices approaching $4 all over the USA, this may be an interesting topic to talk about. I tried to put together all my experience and knowledge, and came up with the list of tips with explanations. They do tell you why every particular advice helps or does not help you to achieve best gas mileage.

Give it a try, I am pretty much sure you'll see a noticeably better gas mileage if you do - and no gas savers needed

I'm thinking about making a video series "Getting all defensive with Misha". The idea is that I just drive and comment on what is going on on the road. I think it is going to be much better than a dry lecture Texas defensive driving style. I have a wealth of information in my head, but it's a kind of tricky to get it from there when I'm sitting at my workstation and typing. Everchanging road situation usually triggers the memories, and information should be better consumed in relation to what happens on the screen (or I hope so).

I'm posting the test episode that I just filmed today on my way to the city center, and I welcome and solicit any comments/suggestions/ideas that can help to make this video better, more enjoyable, and more educational. I'm looking for a wide angle le...

Popular belief Texas defensive driving style seems to be just that - Speed kills! With the meaning - higher than speed limit speed kills. And the popular remedy to road dangers is - Slow down stupid! That's how many homegrown defensive driving classes have it. However, most experts in the field and almost anybody who takes time to seriously think about the issue come to the conclusion that speed per se is not the cause of deadly accidents, i.e. speed does not kill.

How this could be possible? And who is right? Since I did some serious thinking about driving, I came to the conclusion that speed does not kill. Now you are going to prove me wrong with all the examples of horrible high-speed crashes, right? But wait, I can tell you that yes, speed sort of does kill, too.

Isn't it a parad...