Town driving

[tonyg58]

I'm not sure if this is advanced driving or not, but with cars becoming increasingly sealed and also with music/phones etc, you are being cut off from outside.
So, in town i drive with my window open about an inch so i can hear a siren from further away and can try to figure out where is is coming from.
Is this worthy of discussion or is there any reason why i shouldn't do it?

[CoreyDog]

Definitely a good habit to get into and does fall under advanced driving.

I was taught this on my first advanced course back in 2009 through the IAM but to do it at blind junctions as may give you a better indication if a car/motorbike/emergency vehicle was coming.

[Wusss]

As a bike (motorised) rider, I am grateful :-)
I never bother with windows down as such, though it's a good idea for reasons you said, but I don't have a stereo blaring either.
I don't like the safety aspects of all this driver cocooning at all, in any guise. But I'm terribly old fashioned, apparently.

[darkblueturbo]

One of many little phrases I remember from my old IAM observer… “when in town, windows down”

[Jaguar99]

I have never been told to do it but I nearly always drive my coach with the window down when driving round town. I don’t do it on m’ways or if it is really cold and wet but otherwise it it pretty much open all the time

I can’t really explain it but it does give some kind of extra connection to the outside world

[Pica-Pica]

When I am attempting to pull out of a junction in heavy traffic (especially to turn right), I nearly always wind the window down. With a clearer view of you, you then become a fellow motorist, and not just another car.

On the other hand there are certain areas where I have the windows shut - with the doors automatically locked.

[Sherpa Kev]

darkblueturbo said:

One of many little phrases I remember from my old IAM observer… “when in town, windows down”

My IAM observer told me the exact same thing. I also open the windows when emerging from blind junctions. Not just in town, but it works great in the countryside as well when trying to exit an overgrown junction.

[RichTT]

As a biker I'm used to being able to see and hear things more clearly than in the car. The missus gets annoyed that unless it's raining or I'm driving over 40 then I at least have the driver window partially down to hear better.

[J__Wood]

Sherpa Kev said:

My IAM observer told me the exact same thing. I also open the windows when emerging from blind junctions. Not just in town, but it works great in the countryside as well when trying to exit an overgrown junction.

Too right, if you are driving in a Cornish lane you'll hear another vehicle in the lane or tractor pulling out of a blind field gate well before you will see them, an added layer of safety to being able to stop within the distance you can see.

[coldclimate]

That's why I stick to the MX5 classic: #noRainNoRoof. Especially in town it's amazing how much it helps, and out and about you smell the trees etc etc.

[Mr Miata]

darkblueturbo said:

One of many little phrases I remember from my old IAM observer… “when in town, windows down”

You must live in a much safer town than me. Maybe in a different country?

When I’m driving in town, I lock the doors and keep a gap between me and the car in front.

[donkmeister]

I remember when I first had a convertible I hadn't expected one of the benefits to be better situational awareness. The visual part is very much roof dependent but you hear much more with the roof down compared to tin-tops with the windows down or on a bike (where you have significant amounts of padding around your ears).

Unpleasant on concrete motorways or at high speed, but very useful in general driving.