So does a day with Don Palmer or the like ever helped when..
Discussion
...you got into a little mishap on the road.
I know! The aim of Advanced Driving is so you don't get into that situation in the first place. But, have there ever been any unique situations where it hit you that, the experience you had on one of these driver training courses either saved your life or a hefty repair bill.
Interested to know
I know! The aim of Advanced Driving is so you don't get into that situation in the first place. But, have there ever been any unique situations where it hit you that, the experience you had on one of these driver training courses either saved your life or a hefty repair bill.
Interested to know
I did a Ride Drive advanced course this summer and whilst I haven't had any heroic saves where I've thought 'Thank God I went on that course' I think I've probably avoided some brown-trouser moments by being a better all-round driver.
All those little things add up to being much smoother and safer...
Cheers,
Animal
All those little things add up to being much smoother and safer...
Cheers,
Animal
Practise is the biggest factor IMO, if things really go wrong you often don't have time to think about what to do, it takes reflexes trained to do the right thing without thinking about it.
Training will undoubtedly help but even without it (or after some training) I'd suggest finding a suitable place to practise getting the car out of shape (and recovering it) until you get a feel for how its going to react to different inputs and start correcting things instinctively.
ETA: To answer your question more specifically - I've never had any advanced driver training, but skills gained from experience and extensive practise sliding cars around have enabled me to recover many 'moments'. But to be fair the vast majority of said moments were largely self-inflicted by driving in such a manner as to gain that experience, if you catch my drift.
Training will undoubtedly help but even without it (or after some training) I'd suggest finding a suitable place to practise getting the car out of shape (and recovering it) until you get a feel for how its going to react to different inputs and start correcting things instinctively.
ETA: To answer your question more specifically - I've never had any advanced driver training, but skills gained from experience and extensive practise sliding cars around have enabled me to recover many 'moments'. But to be fair the vast majority of said moments were largely self-inflicted by driving in such a manner as to gain that experience, if you catch my drift.
Edited by GravelBen on Tuesday 18th November 22:45
Car control skills etc. are great tools to have - but I would still say that the most important skill is observation. By having good observation you can proceed confidently with a high level of awareness and anticipation - and so not get into sticky situations (whether they are caused by you or by others).
Car control / handling sessions are good fun though.
Car control / handling sessions are good fun though.
Long long time ago I was having trouble with the system of car control, it just didn't feel natural, I was having to force it. The way I can best describe it as, think back to when you first learnt to drive, changing gear was not as it is today, you had to think about the sequence of what to do and so on.
Well that's how it was with me, and having doubts about the validity of "The system"
Until one day was "just driving along" when I observed a situation which contained actual hazards, potential hazards. Without going into detail, by proper application of observations, positioning, speed, giving and receiving of signals, correct gear, planning exit routes and so on, I was able to prioritise the hazards and what ifs, make safe and effective progress through the section of road, by sounding of audible warning at the right time stopped one of the potential hazards from turning into an actual hazard and exited the area making best possible safe progress.
I then realised that I had, almost subconciously, applied "The System" to good effect.
Not quite "On the Road to Damascus" but it could have been.
Well that's how it was with me, and having doubts about the validity of "The system"
Until one day was "just driving along" when I observed a situation which contained actual hazards, potential hazards. Without going into detail, by proper application of observations, positioning, speed, giving and receiving of signals, correct gear, planning exit routes and so on, I was able to prioritise the hazards and what ifs, make safe and effective progress through the section of road, by sounding of audible warning at the right time stopped one of the potential hazards from turning into an actual hazard and exited the area making best possible safe progress.
I then realised that I had, almost subconciously, applied "The System" to good effect.
Not quite "On the Road to Damascus" but it could have been.
not on the road (yet) but the fact that we finished in the top ten of our first 24hr race was all down to the fact that all of us have done similar limit handling days and it rained from start to finish. While most were in and out of the mud we kept it on the black wet stuff.
'hinting' is the way of the future!
'hinting' is the way of the future!
what on earth are you talking about?
Don't you remember our manager being summoned to the Clerk of the Course' Office after my third shortcut through the mud at the chicane? Hinting? My 4rse! I was having great fun sawing at the wheel, finding the limit of adhesion then playing with the throttle to control the turn
On a more serious note, 4 days ice driving in Finland paid dividends when I found the back of my 911 trying to reach Eiskurve before the front after exiting Brünnchen. No Armco that day . . .
Don't you remember our manager being summoned to the Clerk of the Course' Office after my third shortcut through the mud at the chicane? Hinting? My 4rse! I was having great fun sawing at the wheel, finding the limit of adhesion then playing with the throttle to control the turn
On a more serious note, 4 days ice driving in Finland paid dividends when I found the back of my 911 trying to reach Eiskurve before the front after exiting Brünnchen. No Armco that day . . .
I did a course with Car Limits (Andy Walsh) and I think that helped in two areas
- Correcting understeer by unwinding the steering lock
- Braking at high speed, you can brake very hard when at speed without locking up the wheels and then ease off as you slow down.
Both things are counter-intuitive in an emergency but can be learnt. I just hope i never have to brake hard on a motorway with someone tailgating me.
- Correcting understeer by unwinding the steering lock
- Braking at high speed, you can brake very hard when at speed without locking up the wheels and then ease off as you slow down.
Both things are counter-intuitive in an emergency but can be learnt. I just hope i never have to brake hard on a motorway with someone tailgating me.
I once crested a hill in poor weather (wind, rain and dark) and hit a full pallet head on which had fell from a truck on the A1 - this took both drivers side tyres out immediately and pulled the oil filter off the car at the same time, coating what tyres I had left in oil. All at quite high speed - basically the playing about on ice, etc I had done prior to this saved my bacon and I pulled of a pretty good save!
As stated above practise makes perfect, and it helps you massively to relax and do things right when things go a bit belly up.
This incident was before I had done any advanced driver training - I have done quite a bit of this since, including a session with Don Palmer. As well as helping with the practice these courses help you to avoid cresting hills in poor weather conditions at speeds where you could not avoid a pallet
As stated above practise makes perfect, and it helps you massively to relax and do things right when things go a bit belly up.
This incident was before I had done any advanced driver training - I have done quite a bit of this since, including a session with Don Palmer. As well as helping with the practice these courses help you to avoid cresting hills in poor weather conditions at speeds where you could not avoid a pallet
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