Spatial awareness and car positioning
Discussion
Have to say the weakest part of my driving is my manouvering and even just positioning on the road. Is there anything that can be done to improve it?
Ironically I seem to be reasonably precise on a track (not that I get the option very often...), but I suddenly find myself breathing in when confronted with an oncoming bus on the road!
Ironically I seem to be reasonably precise on a track (not that I get the option very often...), but I suddenly find myself breathing in when confronted with an oncoming bus on the road!
That's what WingMirrors are for! 
I am a bit like this. Ever since I hit a bit of concrete down a narrow lane I am always a bit edgy when confronted with a gap.
I think practice will ease that and help you gain better spacial awareness. Get a Banger and try parking closer and closer to objects (preferably walls rather than Porches!)
I am a bit like this. Ever since I hit a bit of concrete down a narrow lane I am always a bit edgy when confronted with a gap.
I think practice will ease that and help you gain better spacial awareness. Get a Banger and try parking closer and closer to objects (preferably walls rather than Porches!)
I used to have some trouble with this when I first started drving, probably because the cars I drove after passing were much larger than my instructor's car. Sometimes I had to just slow or stop if I could anticipate a problem with fitting through a gap. The good thing is, from driving larger cars when I first passed (Mum's people carrier and Dad's Jeep) I am now more confident now that I am driving my Corsa, and often find myself allowing for width the car just doesn't have 
This is probably obvious, but I often look in my mirrors to check my positioning on motorways etc. You know how parking is easier in reverse because you can gauge where the car is in the space? (I like to sit very low in a car, which exacerbates this!), well the same thing is true at higher speed too. Especially helpful after a day testing a single seater with a central driving position (bikers will know what I mean too!!).
Another thing that I think helps me is that I live in the countryside amongst lanes, and you can feel the edges of the roads through the steering, because the tarmac degregates there and eventually disappears, so this helps build up a great picture in your mind of where the wheels are on the car from other queues. It's constantly re-enforced because you need to tuck right over to the edge to pass other cars.
If your car has good steering feel (as all cars should have!) you can also feel the letters on SLOW signs before bends. An S feels very different to an L for instance. This enables you to learn exactly where the wheels are.
I think all of the above help me a lot, especially seeing as I have two cars of very different widths, shapes (one is considerably wider at the back than the front!) and driving positions.
Another thing that I think helps me is that I live in the countryside amongst lanes, and you can feel the edges of the roads through the steering, because the tarmac degregates there and eventually disappears, so this helps build up a great picture in your mind of where the wheels are on the car from other queues. It's constantly re-enforced because you need to tuck right over to the edge to pass other cars.
If your car has good steering feel (as all cars should have!) you can also feel the letters on SLOW signs before bends. An S feels very different to an L for instance. This enables you to learn exactly where the wheels are.
I think all of the above help me a lot, especially seeing as I have two cars of very different widths, shapes (one is considerably wider at the back than the front!) and driving positions.
Chris71 said:
Have to say the weakest part of my driving is my manouvering and even just positioning on the road. Is there anything that can be done to improve it?
Ironically I seem to be reasonably precise on a track (not that I get the option very often...), but I suddenly find myself breathing in when confronted with an oncoming bus on the road!
When you're in an open lane with surplus width - such as on a motorway - do not treat it as just a big space in which the car will be fine no matter where it is left-to-right. Treat it as a place in which you have to make conscious decisions about your precise location. Ironically I seem to be reasonably precise on a track (not that I get the option very often...), but I suddenly find myself breathing in when confronted with an oncoming bus on the road!
You've got cat's eyes or a rumble strip to tell you when you've breached the border. Experiment with those.
When you're overtaking, go all the way to the right, in order to give the vehicle which you are overtaking maximum margin for error. When you're being overtaken, go nearly all the way to the left, again to give the overtaking vehicle maximum margin for error. Without overtakes, pick your own "lane" within the width of the full lane and try to stay there.
When there is an oncoming bus, whatever you do, do not look at the bus. Your hands will follow your eyes and steer you towards the bus. Instead, quickly check how much clearance you have on your near side and then force your eyes to look beyond the bus to exactly where you want to end up. Your hands, again, will follow your eyes and steer you towards the clear space beyond it.
RobM77 said:
This is probably obvious, but I often look in my mirrors to check my positioning on motorways etc. You know how parking is easier in reverse because you can gauge where the car is in the space? (I like to sit very low in a car, which exacerbates this!), well the same thing is true at higher speed too. Especially helpful after a day testing a single seater with a central driving position (bikers will know what I mean too!!).
I used to do that when I was driving an unfamiliar car - particularly if I'd just gone from RHD to LHD or driving in the UK to Europe. Specifically - on a straight road at least - I'd use the mirrors to pick a point on the dashboard or bonnet that lined up with the edge of the road at the correct positioning and try to stick to that.If the `gap` is your side of the available road as the other is full of oncoming traffic you can make a quite accurate assessment of the available room by simply knowing how wide your vehicle is, comparing that to the oppisite direction traffic and comparing THAT to the available space.
For instance opposite direction traffic is a transit van and you are in a Golf. Trannys wider than the golf, space your side just wide enough for another tranny...proceed with cautious confidence.
Its the confidence part that is essential, in my experience when drivers are presented with a gap situation that they are unsure about they generally saw the wheel and eventually stop, usually poorly placed.
I have, in the past deliberately NOT pulled over as far to my side as possible on some occasion`s and in fact presented myself as an unpassable object to oncoming traffic if I consider that there is either insufficient passing space, or the other driver is approaching with excessive speed or is not, nor likely to correctly position. This has the effect of removing their choce to bully past, sometimes at excessive speed. This technique has prevented me from a trip to my local stealer for a replacement door mirror on many occasion. (I hasten to add I am talking singlish lane country roads where I will be driving defensively)
For instance opposite direction traffic is a transit van and you are in a Golf. Trannys wider than the golf, space your side just wide enough for another tranny...proceed with cautious confidence.
Its the confidence part that is essential, in my experience when drivers are presented with a gap situation that they are unsure about they generally saw the wheel and eventually stop, usually poorly placed.
I have, in the past deliberately NOT pulled over as far to my side as possible on some occasion`s and in fact presented myself as an unpassable object to oncoming traffic if I consider that there is either insufficient passing space, or the other driver is approaching with excessive speed or is not, nor likely to correctly position. This has the effect of removing their choce to bully past, sometimes at excessive speed. This technique has prevented me from a trip to my local stealer for a replacement door mirror on many occasion. (I hasten to add I am talking singlish lane country roads where I will be driving defensively)
http://www.nlpls.com/articles/NLPbasics.php said:
Perceptual Positions
A perceptual position is a point of view which includes all of our representational systems (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, gustatory, olfactory, linguistic). Our body's somatic syntax, our beliefs, our patterns and behaviors, etc., are also parts of what we perceive, and thus can be important components of our perceptual position.
Our brains are capable of representing more than one perceptual position. When in a perceptual position, a person internally represents the world, events -- past, present or future -- and relationships in an associated way from within that position. Here is a brief synopsis of the four main perceptual positions as described and used in NLP Training, Coaching and Therapy:
1st Position: The perceptual position of oneself. What one sees, hears, feels, tastes, smells; plus what one believes, one's capabilities, behaviors, etc.
2nd Position: The perceptual position of another. Another can be a person, an animal, vegetable or mineral. Another can be real, imagined or remembered, a character from a novel or movie, a supportive mentor or a critic, a future or ideal self, or any number of archetypal roles.
3rd Position: The perceptual position of an observer. An observer can be a fair witness, a scientist from another planet, a fly on the wall, or any uninvolved entity, real or imagined, with the ability to perceive in a disinterested and well intentioned way.
4th Position: The perceptual position of the larger system or systems. The system can see all of the other positions at once, as a whole, and use all of the representation systems to perceive such things as relationships between other positions, effects on the system itself, and systems within systems to any level of magnitude, large or small.
Most drivers see thier driving from 1st Position - through thier own eyes.A perceptual position is a point of view which includes all of our representational systems (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, gustatory, olfactory, linguistic). Our body's somatic syntax, our beliefs, our patterns and behaviors, etc., are also parts of what we perceive, and thus can be important components of our perceptual position.
Our brains are capable of representing more than one perceptual position. When in a perceptual position, a person internally represents the world, events -- past, present or future -- and relationships in an associated way from within that position. Here is a brief synopsis of the four main perceptual positions as described and used in NLP Training, Coaching and Therapy:
1st Position: The perceptual position of oneself. What one sees, hears, feels, tastes, smells; plus what one believes, one's capabilities, behaviors, etc.
2nd Position: The perceptual position of another. Another can be a person, an animal, vegetable or mineral. Another can be real, imagined or remembered, a character from a novel or movie, a supportive mentor or a critic, a future or ideal self, or any number of archetypal roles.
3rd Position: The perceptual position of an observer. An observer can be a fair witness, a scientist from another planet, a fly on the wall, or any uninvolved entity, real or imagined, with the ability to perceive in a disinterested and well intentioned way.
4th Position: The perceptual position of the larger system or systems. The system can see all of the other positions at once, as a whole, and use all of the representation systems to perceive such things as relationships between other positions, effects on the system itself, and systems within systems to any level of magnitude, large or small.
When conditions allow practice imagining seeing your own car from 2nd Position. For example, your on a motorway in the middle lane another car is coming up in the ouside lane behind you. What must you and your car look like to that driver.
In a similar way practice imagining from 3rd position. That is look at all the cars around you and imagine the view from above, say from a helicopter.
This will improve your spatial awareness.
And no you don't have to do it for the rest of your life. After a little practice it will happen without you thinking about it.
Gassing Station | Advanced Driving | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff