lol so it isn't just coca cola after all - you have a secret formula too!
Basically, I get what you mean (in simple english!) i.e. familiarize yourself with the road - sort of anticipate where the pesky potholes are and just drive in a way that the tires do not go over them.
Which so far, involves a sudden jerky movement on my part... resulting in swerving the tires away and missing the damn hole by a hair's breath!
But I'm getting there.... s l o w l y...
A hair's breath -- very impressive!
Srsly though. Ok so you can put the car where you are looking. If you are jerky with the wheel it would appear you need a longer visual lead time.
According to Bertil Roos you need 'two full seconds of looking in a new direction before following after with the car'. Personally I think that can be shaved down to a shorter time interval -- but lets go with Bertil's advice on this ( Fer pete's sake this is Bertil freakin Roos afterall!).
So are you spoting these road imprefections soon enough to give your eyes enough time to plot a direction change?
lol in other words, don't take your eyes off the road! My problem is that I'm focusing so much on the changing traffic in front of me, that I hardly look down at the road.
But I guess, that's the difference between a great driver i.e. he/she is able to focus on many things in front of him at the same time - in other words, the art multitasking while driving I guess!
And Bertil Roos, excuse my ignorance, but I had to google him to find out more...!
According to Bertil Roos you need 'two full seconds of looking in a new direction before following after with the car'. Personally I think that can be shaved down to a shorter time interval -- but lets go with Bertil's advice on this ( Fer pete's sake this is Bertil freakin Roos afterall!).
Bertil Roos? The Swedish Formula V competitor? I know his racing school, and suddenly I understand why you still maintain the (nowadays archaic) style of avoiding weight transfers. Bertil Roos is known to insist on this technique, even though trail braking was taught in other major racing schools as early as the eightees, only to become the common practice by the late ninties.
Getting back to the subject of vision: There is no limit as to how far ahead you should be planning. In a normal road driving pace, you should be at least 15 seconds ahead of your own car. Two seconds is a good minimal gap because anything short of it does not offer any chance of responding to the hazards detected within that range.
The idea is to look as far ahead as possible, while keeping your peripheral vision in charge of the mid-range, and reading both the traffic ahead and the road surface. A good way of practicing this is to take the car to a winding mountain road and focus on the limit point. Most people who try to look further ahead will look at the edge of the their visual field, but have their eyes drawn closer and down by focusing on objects within that range.
The solution is to look at what is obstructing your view or the limit point. As you approach the corner, it's far end would seem like an "arrowhead" that seems to unfold and move forward as you advance towards it. Notice the rate of it's movement and adjust yourself to it. If it's accelerating forward than the turn tightens up. This can get you into the habit of keeping your horizon higher and positioning the car correctly.
The next step is to run the same road while looking far ahead towards the limit point and trying to use your imagination to visualize your path towards it as an imaginary "line." Now, place your "reference points" on that line: Choose a point where you want to start turning the car into the corner, and a point where you "clip" the inside of the corner (apex).
The third step is to execute your plan: Drive through the visualized line and through the set "mental" reference points. The key here is to know when to shift focus: Coming up to the corner, you look down at the point at which you set to turn-in. As you get closer, you shift focus to the apex point and identify the exact turn-in moment with your peripheral vision. As you near the apex, shift focus forward towards the limit point.
Joined: Oct 05, 2008
Posts: 79
Location: Albuquerque NM
Posted:
Wed May 16, 2012 3:56 am
Good visual technique IS important.
When one is learning to ride a motorcycle, the Motorcycle Foundation Safety foundation course teaches that riders should look where they want to go and that staring at something they want to avoid often causes them to ride right into it. That would also be true when driving a car. However, even though I've read many driving manuals and books on safe driving, I have not seen that advice in any of those places.
Here in the U.S. of A., driver training is scandalously inadequate.
When one is learning to ride a motorcycle, the Motorcycle Foundation Safety foundation course teaches that riders should look where they want to go and that staring at something they want to avoid often causes them to ride right into it. That would also be true when driving a car. However, even though I've read many driving manuals and books on safe driving, I have not seen that advice in any of those places.
Here in the U.S. of A., driver training is scandalously inadequate.
This is a very interesting point you make here - I never realized there was something called a visual technique when driving. I just look everywhere and anywhere and try to take in as much as possible. But what you're saying seems to suggest that actually narrowing one's focus is the key, right?
Joined: Oct 05, 2008
Posts: 79
Location: Albuquerque NM
Posted:
Wed May 16, 2012 6:06 pm
Not exactly.
Scanning is important; you have to be aware of cars, pedestrians, and other movable things that are not directly in front of you at the moment, but may move into your path.
What I mean is not to focus directly on something you wish to avoid hitting, such as an object in the road, a pot hole, or anything that would not be good to hit. Instead, when encountering such a thing, focus on the path you must take to avoid the object. Avoid target fixation!
In the motorcycle training courses, they say that the bike goes where you are looking. That may not be exactly true, but there is a tendency to drive or ride where you are looking and therefore, you are more likely to avoid a problem if you focus your attention on where you have to go to avoid it. That also means that if you find yourself too close to the edge of the road, do not not focus on the edge of the road, but instead, focus on where you must go to avoid running off of the road.
You'll notice that in the video, the rider ahead of the camera bike crashes and runs off of the race course. The rider of the camera bike follows the crashed bike right off of the course and may have actually run into it. The reason? Target fixation. It can easily occur and is quite common.
The rider who crashed was probably OK. He was wearing full protective gear and didn't hit anything. Probably the occasion was a track day which is not for racing, but rather, to teach bike handling skills.
Some of the skills required to survive on a motorcycle are also helpful when driving a car.
Scanning is important; you have to be aware of cars, pedestrians, and other movable things that are not directly in front of you at the moment, but may move into your path.
What I mean is not to focus directly on something you wish to avoid hitting, such as an object in the road, a pot hole, or anything that would not be good to hit. Instead, when encountering such a thing, focus on the path you must take to avoid the object. Avoid target fixation!
In the motorcycle training courses, they say that the bike goes where you are looking. That may not be exactly true, but there is a tendency to drive or ride where you are looking and therefore, you are more likely to avoid a problem if you focus your attention on where you have to go to avoid it. That also means that if you find yourself too close to the edge of the road, do not not focus on the edge of the road, but instead, focus on where you must go to avoid running off of the road.
You'll notice that in the video, the rider ahead of the camera bike crashes and runs off of the race course. The rider of the camera bike follows the crashed bike right off of the course and may have actually run into it. The reason? Target fixation. It can easily occur and is quite common.
The rider who crashed was probably OK. He was wearing full protective gear and didn't hit anything. Probably the occasion was a track day which is not for racing, but rather, to teach bike handling skills.
Some of the skills required to survive on a motorcycle are also helpful when driving a car.
This was very helpful I must say, so thanks. Great link too.
Target fixation - yeah, I guess, that's the other danger. I often go too near the edge of the road (and almost feel my tyre grazing or even getting on to the curb), so yes, I understand that instead of focusing on the curb too much, I should focus on where to go to avoid it.
I know that with time and practice, this will all come more naturally to me...but right now, I'm so eager to get the technique right. And for that I really want to know as much as I can. Just so I can master the art of driving!
To try and master the technique, try to look further ahead. Instead of focusing in the foreground just before you - look as far ahead - as far as you can see the road and cars.
Go on an open highway and try to look as far ahead as possible - which might be a mile ahead! This way you can see anything like cars slowing down towards a sudden traffic jam - well in advance and make your reactions (like slowing down or changing lanes) earlier and more gradual. You also have time to check around you (looking in the mirrors, for instance) and see that your actions go well by the other drivers.
I call the non "Drivers" steerers as that is the extent of their skills. I have followed these people multiple times. In my state, curve warning signs are just that. A warning, not regulatory. I frequently drive a road with a 55mph speed limit which has multiple 35mph curve warning signs. I can take these curves at 55mph without "squeaking" a tire. I don't get angry at "steerers" negotiating these curves at 35mph. I do become very irritated when the "steerers" continue at 35mph when they reach the 1 mile long straightaway! Lacking oncoming traffic I will pass them. I did this about 1 year ago. As I passed I raised my hand through the sunroof. I did not give a single finger salute. I flashed my five fingers and thumb twice indicating 55! Did they get it? I doubt it. When I am turning from a stop I first look for traffic in the lane I am turning into. Before moving I then look where I am going. Pedestrians. Skateboarders, And bicyclists going the wrong way on a sidewalk (against the law, but never count on bicyclists obeying the law. They are saving our planet and are therefore above the law)! These people can appear suddenly. Always look where you are going before moving.
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