4 Tips That Will Make You A Better Driver

[Msterbeau]

Assuming you practice them. None of this is worth much if you don't do it until it becomes second nature.

Courtesy of Aurthur St.Antoine of Motor Trend Magazine. The last one is amusing. (Or disgusting.. depending)

"1. Be smooth. Your car's transmission, its tires, its chassis -- they don't like abrupt inputs. Slamming on the gas throws the car's weight to the rear, unsettling the front tires (hey, you need those to steer). Diving on the brakes hurls the car's weight forward (now your poor front tires are overloaded trying to brake hard and steer, and the suddenly light rear tires just might decide to swing the tail around on you). Driving well is all about weight management, controlling the ever-shifting mass of the car so the tires are never overloaded. That means rolling the steering wheel gracefully into turns, squeezing on the gas and brakes, moving the transmission lever (if you have a manual) as if the shift knob were an egg. I was lucky enough to ride once with three-time world champion Sir Jackie Stewart in an original Ford GT40. The guy made that clattering old race car move as if it were swimming in Wesson Oil. Even though we were blazing around Laguna Seca, I wasn't being tossed around inside the cockpit. Instead, I was gently pushed from side to side, eased forward and back, as the Maestro conducted a ballet at the wheel. The sensation had much more in common with riding in an expertly driven limousine -- don't spill our champagne, Jeeves -- than with the typical Hollywood portrayal of "expert" driving. Trust me on this: Smoothness at the wheel is the single biggest indicator of driving skill. (Conversely, driving like Rambo is a dead giveaway that you're a wanker.)

2. Turn later. "All God's children turn in early," a racing instructor once told me. And he was right. Watch the car ahead of you on a twisty road sometime. See how he crosses the yellow line when turning left? That's turning too soon. Even when driving briskly, you should always be able to corner within your own lane. Same thing happens when racing students first hit a track. "Why, that turn is coming up so fast and the road is running out so I'd better steer now!" And what happens? They clip the inside of the corner too soon and the resulting arc carries them right off the outside of the turn. Turning later takes practice, but it's key to balancing your car on the road and maximizing speed on a track. In effect, you're slowing down a little earlier, letting the car roll a little father into the turn, smoothly arcing the wheel so the tires can bite and provide you with maximum grip. Most important: Turning later means you can get on the gas earlier. If you turn early, you'll have to back off the throttle to keep the car from arcing off the road. Turn later, and your balanced machine will be ready to glide through the apex and charge toward the exit under power. Given that accelerating is the hardest thing for a car to do, the more time your right foot can be on the gas, the quicker you'll be around the track.

3. Look ahead. Nope, not at the car in front of you. No, not at the car in front of him, either. I want you looking as far down the road as you can. On a mountain road, you're not looking at the corner you're in, you're looking for the next one. On the highway, your eyes are scanning the horizon, often a half-mile or more down the road. On the track, you're always looking where you want to go. Each of us is equipped with an Early Warning System, but too often we don't use it. Get your eyes up, and suddenly you've got advance info. You know what the next corner looks like before you fly into it. You can see that crash ahead before the driver in front of you pounces on his brakes. On the track, your hands and feet will instinctively follow your eyes; look where you want to go, and your car will go there. (Why do so many drivers crash into the only tree around for miles? Because they're looking right at the thing they don't want to hit.) Looking ahead takes practice, but you'll be amazed at how well it works –- and at how much close-up information you're still picking up simply from peripheral vision. Suddenly, you're not playing connect the dots with individual lane stripes; you're flowing past them, aiming at that spot way in the distance. You have more time to react; you can plan your next move, keeping your car in that critical balance. You're smoother, in better control, a vastly improved driver. Try it.

4. Brake like you're taking a crap. Apologies if I offend, but this lesson from another racing instructor (yes, he was French) explains proper braking more effectively than any other. Remember Tip #1, Be smooth? In braking it's especially critical. Brakes are very powerful and can easily upset a car's balance -- even if you have ABS. So, in the words of my teacher: "Braking well is like taking a big poop. First you squeeze, then you push very very hard, and then you gently taaaaper off at the end." There. Now you know everything there is to know about how Lewis Hamilton dives so deep into corners. The best part: You can even practice while reading the new Motor Trend. "

[Daevion]

the best drivers are the ones who get out of my way

[creatureofthenyte]

People drive best when, driving is the ONLY thing they're doing when they're on the road.

Why people insist on doing 45 other things while driving their vehicles on the road, is something I will never understand.

Do I talk on my phone when Im on the road?

Yes, but I have a bluetooth hands-free ear piece that I talk on my phone with.

Its ALOT easier to keep control of my truck with BOTH hands on the wheel.

It scares the hell out of me when I see people out on the road, in their vehicles, with a phone in one hand, and a cigarette lighter, or beverage, or they're trying to apply some sort of make-up, all while driving down the road.

If the person has both hands occupied doing other stuff, which hand do they have on the steering wheel ??

I think there is one tip that would make alot of people into better drivers would be, that when you get in the car, and if you're the driver, just drive the car and do all that other stuff before you get on the road or after you get off the road.

[JaneDead]

i think another one they should add in there is:

if you are a chick- stay off your damn cell phone, stop putting on mascara and driving 45 mph all at the same time. yeah, i think that's a good tip too.

[Head Wreck]

using a phone when driving here adds points to your liscence and a hefty fine.

i missed out on an earlier trip to the US due to being hit by a driver:

• going to fast
• to close to the curb
• using a mobile
• smoking
• in a Hyundai accent (POS Korean car)

[Msterbeau]

Drivers "education" in this country is an abomination. People's attitudes are worse. Granted, probably not so bad as some third world countries where the roads are basically anarchy...

If we wanted to make traffic accidents go down dramatically, classes that taught car control skills would be a top priority.

[Head Wreck]

never EVER EVER drive in rome.

their nucking futs!

[Shade Everdark]

Sorry, dude.

I don't think there is anything under sun or moon that could make a better driver. The suck is too strong with this one.

[jadnifer]

I could never imagine putting my mascara on while I was driving.

I can stick myself in the eye with it just fine without a bumpy ride.