Defensive driving site - your source of information and the place to share your experience
 Home    Save Gas    Forums    Encyclopedia    Articles    Polls    Videos    
Our Videos

Most Viewed Video How
How to sit properly while driving - Low Res

Latest Video Driving
Driving around slippery corner in Croatia

Highest Rated Video Driving
Driving in Moscow

 
Main Menu
· Home
· Articles
· Driving Links
· Encyclopedia
· Forums
· Highway Surveys
· Mapquest Driving Directions
· Video Library
 
Drivers Info
Welcome, Anonymous
Nickname
Password
(Register)
Drivers Online:
Visitors: 48
Member Drivers: 0
Total: 48
 

View unanswered posts
View next topic
View previous topic
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Author Message
Astraist
Master Driver



Joined: Mar 27, 2010
Posts: 209

PostPosted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 5:45 am Reply with quote Back to top

Over time, myself (and others) touched various aspects and methods of driving effectively. Today I am interested in whether or not these techniques 'hit home' amongst my more persistent readers, so I ask you to name the elements that you incorporated into your driving. Additionally, this thread is a good time to ask for guidance on each of these subjects, if you have further interest in them or if you fail to grasp or apply a certain aspect of them effectively.

To make it easier, I will list the different aspects:
- Car Maintenance
- Seating position in the car
- Mirror alignment for removing blind-spots
- Using the mirrors constantly
- Looking far ahead
- Proper steering technique
- Maintain the proper speed to the conditions
- Achieving effective steering through weight transfers
- Maintain the proper following distance in all situations
- Maintaining a following distance from the car behind
- Maintaining a following distance from cars in adjacent lanes
- Safe driving in night, summer and winter
- Safe driving in two-lane roadways
- Safe crossing of junctions
- Proper overtaking
- Effective driving lines
- Proper emergency braking and avoidance braking
- Managing the traffic behind
- Planning ahead and avoiding collisions
View user's profile Send private message
myownworld
Site Admin
Site Admin



Joined: Jan 06, 2010
Posts: 485

PostPosted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 8:07 am Reply with quote Back to top

Astraist, you always give the most useful and precise advice! Smile

Most of these points you've already explained well, but can you kindly explain for our readers, what achieving 'effective steering through weight transfers' means.

Also, by 'effective driving lines', I presume you mean, staying in your particular lane while driving?

Thanks Smile
View user's profile Send private message
Astraist
Master Driver



Joined: Mar 27, 2010
Posts: 209

PostPosted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 3:22 pm Reply with quote Back to top

Thank you for your words.

My point was to list all of the subjects I have touched in my previous posts and see which of those points you all actually adopted into your everyday driving.

Achieving effective steering is done by braking prior to corners and entering the corners while still braking, albeit very gently. This will make the car push down on it's front tires, giving them more grip. By the time you finished turning the wheel into the corner, you foot should be lifted from the brakes and the throttle should be applied gently so that the car is kept at a constant speed through the corner. Once the corner starts to open up, increase the throttle to accelerate slightly.

This method makes the car react better to your steering inputs and have more grip. Brake (gently!) coming into the corner, keep the speed inside the corner and accelerate out of it.

The "driving line" also refers to the cornering technique: For a passenger car (unlike a truck) there is room inside the lane to move about from left to right. Coming up to a corner, we need to keep to the far end of our lane to increase the cornering radius. Coming into the corner we "dive" into it, "touch" the inside and than straighten the car out of the corner. The key is that in a mountain road, you remain on the outside of the lane until the corner starts to open up. This way you have a better view around the turn in advance.

So, what elements did you adopt into your driving? Have you checked and readjusted your driving position? Have you opened up your mirrors as I described in the past? Do you manage the traffic behind as I explained in the past, to prevent being rear-ended? What else have you adopted or not? List them.
View user's profile Send private message
charn
Member
Member



Joined: Apr 03, 2011
Posts: 42

PostPosted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 1:02 am Reply with quote Back to top

I'll ignore most of the list and focus on the corners. I usually accelerate after I turn. I see them as separate activities, unless it's a long curve instead of a corner. It's a slower way to drive, but I can usually afford the extra minutes.
View user's profile Send private message
lonny001
New member



Joined: Sep 01, 2011
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 1:58 am Reply with quote Back to top

Driving is very important.. So you have to improve your driving knowledge.........
View user's profile Send private message
GerardWon
Master Racer



Joined: May 10, 2011
Posts: 46
Location: NYC Area

PostPosted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 9:07 pm Reply with quote Back to top

charn wrote:
I'll ignore most of the list and focus on the corners. I usually accelerate after I turn. I see them as separate activities, unless it's a long curve instead of a corner. It's a slower way to drive, but I can usually afford the extra minutes.


He's not talking about time it takes to get somewhere. He's referring to the grip or "bite" that the tires have when your turning in and driving through the turns.

Most drivers do not know that the gas pedal and the brakes have a dramatic effect on how well or poorly your car turns. And just as importantly: whether or not you will slide in slippery conditions. Like in the rain or the snow.

If your turning into and driving thru the entire corner while still slowing down as your post implies: this is a poor driving technique. I don't mean to offend you, but it is a fact. And I'd hate for any drivers to be misled.

Try to understand the reason he suggested it, you can google vehicle dynamics and the friction circle. If you have any questions please post them. Or better yet start a new thread. I will try to answer them -- and hopefully Astraist will have a go at them too.

I don't agree with Astraist 100% on his turn in advice. However it is a valid and educated way to drive. -- in many situations.
View user's profile Send private message
GerardWon
Master Racer



Joined: May 10, 2011
Posts: 46
Location: NYC Area

PostPosted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 9:18 pm Reply with quote Back to top

myownworld wrote:
Astraist, you always give the most useful and precise advice! Smile

Most of these points you've already explained well, but can you kindly explain for our readers, what achieving 'effective steering through weight transfers' means.

Also, by 'effective driving lines', I presume you mean, staying in your particular lane while driving?

Thanks Smile


Wow, I'm chomping at the bit to answer this -- but I've hijacked his thread enough. Surprised
View user's profile Send private message
myownworld
Site Admin
Site Admin



Joined: Jan 06, 2010
Posts: 485

PostPosted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 2:23 am Reply with quote Back to top

Astraist wrote:
Over time, myself (and others) touched various aspects and methods of driving effectively. Today I am interested in whether or not these techniques 'hit home' amongst my more persistent readers, so I ask you to name the elements that you incorporated into your driving. Additionally, this thread is a good time to ask for guidance on each of these subjects, if you have further interest in them or if you fail to grasp or apply a certain aspect of them effectively.

To make it easier, I will list the different aspects:
- Car Maintenance
- Seating position in the car
- Mirror alignment for removing blind-spots
- Using the mirrors constantly
- Looking far ahead
- Proper steering technique
- Maintain the proper speed to the conditions
- Achieving effective steering through weight transfers
- Maintain the proper following distance in all situations
- Maintaining a following distance from the car behind
- Maintaining a following distance from cars in adjacent lanes
- Safe driving in night, summer and winter
- Safe driving in two-lane roadways
- Safe crossing of junctions
- Proper overtaking
- Effective driving lines
- Proper emergency braking and avoidance braking
- Managing the traffic behind
- Planning ahead and avoiding collisions


Thank for explaining effective steering. I realize I'm not doing it as well as I should, and that I usually break too suddenly upon turning corners.

These are the things I mostly focus on:
- Maintaining distance from cars behind/adjacent lanes...
- Car Maintenance - the regular checks, tyre pressure etc.
- Seating position /Mirror alignment
- Making sure I then use those mirrors!
- Looking ahead and anticipating potholes, sudden changes in traffic etc.
- Safe driving according to weather and time of the day

I've even started to keep my car 'rolling' in a traffic jam and avoid stopping it completely. I guess, like many drivers, braking and steering are the things I need to perfect still!


Last edited by myownworld on Fri Sep 02, 2011 2:26 am; edited 1 time in total
View user's profile Send private message
myownworld
Site Admin
Site Admin



Joined: Jan 06, 2010
Posts: 485

PostPosted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 2:25 am Reply with quote Back to top

GerardWon wrote:
myownworld wrote:
Astraist, you always give the most useful and precise advice! Smile

Most of these points you've already explained well, but can you kindly explain for our readers, what achieving 'effective steering through weight transfers' means.

Also, by 'effective driving lines', I presume you mean, staying in your particular lane while driving?

Thanks Smile


Wow, I'm chomping at the bit to answer this -- but I've hijacked his thread enough. Surprised



lol no please go ahead Gerard! Healthy discussions are different from hijacking! Very Happy
View user's profile Send private message
Astraist
Master Driver



Joined: Mar 27, 2010
Posts: 209

PostPosted: Sun Sep 04, 2011 4:16 am Reply with quote Back to top

I'm very pleased to see that my former posts were taken to heart and my advice was adopted. Oh and, Gerard, feel free to "hijack" the thread. I too don't consider a discussion to be "hijacking", on the contrary.
View user's profile Send private message
AllanMiller
New member



Joined: Sep 22, 2011
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 5:54 am Reply with quote Back to top

I have incorporated some of the things listed here to my driving but sad to say also that there are some things mentioned here that I still haven't incorporated to my driving but I hope in time I can do so...
View user's profile Send private message
Astraist
Master Driver



Joined: Mar 27, 2010
Posts: 209

PostPosted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 8:43 am Reply with quote Back to top

Feel free to name them. The idea is that I can offer aid with whatever aspect you find troublesome or that you don't quite grasp.
View user's profile Send private message
GerardWon
Master Racer



Joined: May 10, 2011
Posts: 46
Location: NYC Area

PostPosted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 6:59 am Reply with quote Back to top

GerardWon wrote:
myownworld wrote:
Astraist, you always give the most useful and precise advice! Smile

Most of these points you've already explained well, but can you kindly explain for our readers, what achieving 'effective steering through weight transfers' means.

Also, by 'effective driving lines', I presume you mean, staying in your particular lane while driving?

Thanks Smile


Wow, I'm chomping at the bit to answer this -- but I've hijacked his thread enough. Surprised
View user's profile Send private message
myownworld
Site Admin
Site Admin



Joined: Jan 06, 2010
Posts: 485

PostPosted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 11:25 am Reply with quote Back to top

My eyes must be playing tricks on me! I swear I read a reply by Gerard here - some great advice - and now it's disappeared! Shocked
View user's profile Send private message
Astraist
Master Driver



Joined: Mar 27, 2010
Posts: 209

PostPosted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 2:12 pm Reply with quote Back to top

I've summarized ALL of these subjects into a series of articles I have published on articlebase. I suggest you all read them and apply the principles that are mentioned in them (and give me feedback).

http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/astraist/1006953/most-viewed
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:       
Post new topic   Reply to topic

View next topic
View previous topic
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001-2006 phpBB Group
:: Theme & Graphics by Daz :: Ported for PHP-Nuke by nukemods.com ::
All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Forums ©
 
Defensive Driving | Contact us | Privacy policy | Terms of Use | Texas Defensive Driving
Forums RSS Feed
NJ Defensive Driving | New York Defensive Driving| Fuel Economy



Page Generation: 0.07 Seconds
Fun and Safe Driving © 2006-2024