|
Answers
Back
to Top of Page
Learning
To Drive
1.
(Should I practice with my
parents or friends first, and then go to a professional instructor
for the finishing touches, or should it be the other way round?)
Many of the answers we give on these pages depend quite
strongly on which country you happen to live in, and this is one
of them.
If you live in a country where the standard of the driving test
(and therefore almost inevitably the standard of the driving
instructors themselves) is high then we would advise that all
of the initial training sessions should be with a professional
instructor, until the instructor is confident that you have
mastered the basics and can now go out and practice under the
supervision of other individuals.
In such cases, it is important that your family and friends do not
try to alter what the instructor has already taught you.
If, however, you live in a country where the driving test is easy,
and/or becoming a driving instructor does not require a person to
undertake rigorous examinations for ability and suitability, you
may want to take a different approach.
In all cases, it has to be added that if after a reasonable time
you are not comfortable with a particular driving instructor, move
on; get another!
Back
to Top of Page
2.
(How can you best get the "feel" of your vehicle so
that you feel confident you are in control of it?)
Practice! -- No, we are not trying to be flippant or offensive
by stating that, because it is true.
The important thing, however, is that if you are nervous or
apprehensive about driving you should continue to practice the
absolute basics for as long as it takes you to get comfortable
with each and every stage.
In general, your instructor or supervisor should not push you into
moving on to the next step until you have mastered the one you are
on.
For example, for a driver who is apprehensive it would be a
mistake to move onto busy, multi-lane roads until such time as
that driver is comfortable driving on quiet and moderately busy
roads.
Back
to Top of Page
3.
(Do driving
simulators help?)
There may be occasions when simulators can be helpful but in
our opinion these are very limited.
In particular, they should never be used as an alternative to
real, on-the-road driving practice. That sounds like a
contradiction in terms and to some extent it is meant to be.
At DSA we are concerned that some makers of driving simulators
(who are, with the greatest of respect, in business primarily to
make money) are trying to market their machines as being
alternatives to on-the-road lessons.
There is NO substitute for the real thing... period!
A simulator that could factor in the huge range of problems that
can beset a driver on a busy road, and handle all variations
appropriately, would cost millions.
Finding a good driving instructor would be a far safer
thing for a student/learner driver (or parents) to do.
Back
to Top of Page
I
Panic. I Don't Know What To Do
1.
(How can I get away from the panic I feel when I drive.)
(a) Get as much practice as possible, in quiet areas initially,
until you are ready to move up a notch. Do this
for as long as it takes. Unless a professional instructor is
gently trying to build your confidence try not to
let well-meaning family or friends push you into anything before
you are ready for it.
(b) Learn routines. One of the most effective and useful of these
is the British "M-S-M" ("Mirror, Signal,
Manoeuvre")
(c) At all costs avoid practicing with instructors or friends who
make you feel worse.
Back
to Top of Page
Driving,
In General
1.
( Are multi-lane streets
and highways laid out so there can be few accidents? Do the
signals really direct people so that there is very little chance to
make a mistake? They look complicated! Is it best to study
the driver's manual to know how to proceed?)
This is effectively three questions in one, but one factor
binds them together and that takes us back to our earlier comments
about answers depending upon which country you happen to live in.
In more developed or richer countries, the roads, streets and
highways tend to be laid out quite well, but the standards can
vary dramatically even between such countries.
We would argue that this is a factor that significantly affects
the number of crashes and casualties in various countries and in
this respect it has to be said that the USA does very poorly by
comparison with other other developed nations.
Road signs, pavement markings (i.e. road markings) and road design
here in America often leave a great deal to be desired.
Take, for example, "cloverleaf intersections" where
vehicles that are accelerating to join a highway have to cross the
path of other vehicles that are slowing down to leave it. Clearly
this is ludicrously bad design and makes the road less safe, not
safer.
Such factors, however, can only be changed very slowly, as new and
better techniques come into play. So the answer to this aspect
actually lies in the question above:
Yes, it is vital to study
the driver's manual (or "highway code", etc.) to know how to
proceed. It is vital to learn what it says in the
book. Many people simply read it once or maybe twice until they
pass their driving test then never read it again as long as they
live, even after many years have passed and many rules have
changed. And those people are simply asking to be hurt in a crash.
Read the book.... every few months. Even the highest
qualified road drivers in the world go back to the most basic
books periodically, otherwise they would eventually miss or forget
something important and loose their standards.
Back
to Top of Page
2.
(How do you best avoid hitting someone or something, and what
are the best actions to take when this is unavoidable?)
Wow... the six-million-dollar question -- and it has a whole
host of answers. The key factors are:
(a) Learn to drive with a reliable, professional instructor.
Many student/learner drivers, and even their parents, see
"passing the test" as being the goal but they need to
think! Scraping through a driving test that may, in itself, be far
too easy (again, unfortunately, the USA stands out as having a
very low standard) and certainly does not make anyone into a
"good" driver. Is it really worth worrying about a few
hundred dollars or pounds spent on proper lessons? The hidden
benefit could very easily be the fact that those lessons may make
the difference and keep a person alive.
(b) One of the most basic yet most important rules for
driving anywhere is: Never drive so fast that you cannot
stop comfortably, on your own side of the road, well within the
distance you can see to be clear.
(c) If something unexpected happens and you cannot stop
before reaching the problem, the most important thing you can do
is use "eye control". If the road ahead is suddenly
obstructed by a vehicle, a pedestrian, etc., look instantly at
where you want your vehicle to go -- look for a safe gap and
keep looking at it. If you look at an object (such as a
car that has partially pulled out in front of you, you WILL hit
it. And -- hey presto -- if you look at a gap through which you
want your vehicle to go, you WILL "hit" it. Many people
are skeptical about this advice but not only does it work, it
works superbly well. Think of it in a different context; think of
a baseball or cricket player who has to catch a fast ball.
"Keep your eyes on the ball (otherwise you'll miss it)"
is the oldest advice known, and for a driver to look at a
"safety gap" is an exact and even more vital equivalent.
It works!
Back
to Top of Page
3.
(Some people tell me that I should angle the exterior mirrors
on my car outwards, at a wide angle, so that I can see cars that
are almost alongside me on the highway, but other people say that
I should be able to see a little bit of my own car in each of the
exterior mirrors. Which is correct?)
The latter version -- setting the exterior mirrors so that you
can just see a tiny bit of your own vehicle -- is correct for a
whole range of reasons. There are NO good reasons
for setting the exterior mirrors at a wide angle; it is laziness
and unsafe.
There is a full web page, on the DSA website, devoted to this
specific topic and outlining all the reasons. View
it here.
Back
to Top of Page
Highways/Motorways
1.
(How do you best remain safe and calm when on a highway or
merging into a highway?)
Answer to follow
2.
(How do you get the hang of looking and switching lanes and
making sure the path is clear?)
Answer to follow
Back
to Top of Page
Reversing/Backing,
and Parallel Parking
1.
(What is key in learning how to parallel park and back up? How
do you think in reverse?)
Answer to follow
Back
to Top of Page
If
Friends or Family Make Things Worse
Back
to Top of Page
Extra
Driving Courses
1.
(Should I do an "advanced driving course"?)
Unfortunately, this question opens a real can of worms!
The problem comes from the fact that in some countries
"advanced driving" is precisely what the name says -- a
very high level of skill, specifically in safety techniques. In
other countries, such as the USA, proper "advanced
driving" courses are extremely hard to find, and the courses that
are offered under that heading frequently use techniques that
although well-intended actually create more dangers than they
cure.
Without doubt, the best source of information on true advanced and
defensive driving in the USA and Canada is Advanced
Drivers of America, Inc.
Back
to Top of Page
|
