What is the best driving advice you ever received?

[mackeroni]

As I was growing up, whenever I rode with my father, he reinforced this lesson... anyone who drives faster than you is a jackass, and anyone who drives slower than you is a moron. Oh...and anyone over the age of 70 is an old buzzard. I think about this frequently when I drive and catch myself using the same terminology.

As a teen, after I got my license and wanted to borrow Dad's '65 VW Beetle, he would make me repeat the phrase "clutch easy" about 50 times before he would give me the keys. What did he think I was going to do with 36 HP?...burnouts?

The absolute BEST advice I ever got from anyone, was from a friend who occasionally raced go karts. His advice was simple. Easy does it. Smooth driving always wins the race. Smooth throttle, smooth braking, smooth steering inputs, smooth gear changes and smooth transitions between all of these. Not only will you have better control and go faster...your car will last longer too. Now, I don't race but I do drive briskly. And I always enjoy practicing my smooth (and fast) driving skills on the right roads.

Peace

[Matticus91]

Definitely second the smooth input ideology. It also makes it much less likely that you'll end up in a ditch. Snappy inputs lead to spins.

Other than that, my favorite advice to give the slower people is:

"It's the one on the right."

[Dackelone]

The best advice... from before cars had ABS and you wanted to unlock a locked up wheel... "curl your toes"... you'd be amazed but by curling your toes... the brakes would unlock under hard braking.


Also... doing HPDE... BREATHE on the straight aways! You'd be amazed how many newbies would hold their breath during the turns. After a few laps they would start to feel light headed. Not good while driving quickly.

Dackel

[Tommm]

slow is smooth and smooth is fast

[Bimmer-Bob]

Smooth inputs are of course key, but I think the most important piece of instruction (and one that I'm constantly trying to reinforce in my own driving) is this: look ahead. So many things come from properly looking ahead, including the ability to drive smoothly. If you don't look ahead far enough, you end up being constantly surprised by the next turn (on the track, or the autocross course, or the road...) and being reactive instead of proactive. I really think it's the single biggest skill that separates great drivers from everyone else.

[B777flyboy]

Originally Posted by Bimmer-Bob

Smooth inputs are of course key, but I think the most important piece of instruction (and one that I'm constantly trying to reinforce in my own driving) is this: look ahead. So many things come from properly looking ahead, including the ability to drive smoothly. If you don't look ahead far enough, you end up being constantly surprised by the next turn (on the track, or the autocross course, or the road...) and being reactive instead of proactive. I really think it's the single biggest skill that separates great drivers from everyone else.

I second this. Having the skills to be smooth/fast etc is pointless without knowing the correct input/course of action at a given time.

[Gangplank]

I agree with much of what's above. I learned to drive in Tahoe winters. Literally turned 16 on a snow day, got my license and went driving.

Best advice = the basics so many forget.

Be aware, look ahead, smooth inputs, right lane, USE SIGNALS, check mirrors (MSMOG), speed up when changing lanes, leave room.

[JAM]

keep the shiny side up!

[zx10guy]

Training, more training, and even more training. I've been doing the California Superbike School for the past 8 to 9+ years and intend on doing it again next year. While this training is on motorcycles, the visual skills transfer to driving cars.

All the track time I did was evident with the UDE coach I had last year. He asked if I had done any competition events. I said not in a car recently. But I've been doing track time with motorcycles. He said it showed and he could tell. I felt flattered when he said that along with saying I was the fastest guy he's seen all day at the event.

[tommyb13662]

Learn your limits and only push them in safe environments. I second the statement about training. Awareness is key if you are aware you can prepare, smooth is fast.

[snub-nose 28]

B. Bondurant at a Pcar dealer customer day told me and other riders "...drive as if there's an egg under your shoe." As he demonstrated thru the cones, fast and smooooth.

Another memorable person, "keep it between the fence-posts with the shiny side up!"

[kprocivic]

Keep the tire side down.

[tommyb13662]

Originally Posted by Bimmer-Bob

Smooth inputs are of course key, but I think the most important piece of instruction (and one that I'm constantly trying to reinforce in my own driving) is this: look ahead. So many things come from properly looking ahead, including the ability to drive smoothly. If you don't look ahead far enough, you end up being constantly surprised by the next turn (on the track, or the autocross course, or the road...) and being reactive instead of proactive. I really think it's the single biggest skill that separates great drivers from everyone else.

This is what i meant by aware=prepared.

[ShocknAwe]

Honestly? "Don't brake while sliding, water, snow, hydroplaning, etc"

Blown away consistently at how many folks never learned this simple concept or forgot it.

[Matticus91]

Ooh just thought of one my grandfather told me, he was a truck driver all his life and it's actually probably the best advice I've ever gotten and has saved me several times:

"Leave an escape route", or, in his terms, "Matty, don't let those fuckers box you in".

Whenever I'm driving I always keep in mind the closest gap that my car will fit through if I need to GTFO. Whether that's the lane to the right, the shoulder, or making sure I've left enough room ahead of me if all other routes are shut. It's saved me from hairy situations MANY times now.

[Yeineken]

Things I've learned over the years and have been taught by family who drive trucks for a living is to just pay attention. People zone out and day dream more often than they will admit; being one the few on the road who actually pay attention pays off and can save you.

Another thing they taught me was to constantly scan the road up and down. Look a head and whats directly in front of you. See traffic building up 2 miles down the road? Red Light? Coast and approach safely or you can fly up and slam the on breaks and potentially cause an accident. (DC Beltway Drivers)

[B777flyboy]

What's going on behind you is equally important to in front of you.

[Bama335]

Words of wisdom from dad when I was 16: keep it between the lines and shiny side up.

[davis449]

Originally Posted by mackeroni

As I was growing up, whenever I rode with my father, he reinforced this lesson... anyone who drives faster than you is a jackass, and anyone who drives slower than you is a moron. Oh...and anyone over the age of 70 is an old buzzard. I think about this frequently when I drive and catch myself using the same terminology.

As a teen, after I got my license and wanted to borrow Dad's '65 VW Beetle, he would make me repeat the phrase "clutch easy" about 50 times before he would give me the keys. What did he think I was going to do with 36 HP?...burnouts?

The absolute BEST advice I ever got from anyone, was from a friend who occasionally raced go karts. His advice was simple. Easy does it. Smooth driving always wins the race. Smooth throttle, smooth braking, smooth steering inputs, smooth gear changes and smooth transitions between all of these. Not only will you have better control and go faster...your car will last longer too. Now, I don't race but I do drive briskly. And I always enjoy practicing my smooth (and fast) driving skills on the right roads.

Peace

Yep. Buddy of mine gave me this advice about 10 years ago...smoother is faster, he said.

[Playnice]

I second the importance of vision. When im on the racetrack whether in a kart or in a car, you need to almost be looking off a hundred feet into the distance. You shouldnt even have to look at the apex of a corner, you should be looking way further ahead.

Trust your peripheral vision, your body will actually react quicker to any fast-appearing obstacles, or the track/roadline in general.

Also, nobody mentioned proper seat and wheel placement. Have you ever wondered why nascar or formula 1 drivers are so close to their steering wheel? You simply have more ability to turn the wheel faster.

Your steering wheel should be close enough that your arms are almost 80-90 degrees bent.

Good luck and happy driving

[tommyb13662]

If you really want the best advice watch this

[zx10guy]

Originally Posted by Playnice

I second the importance of vision. When im on the racetrack whether in a kart or in a car, you need to almost be looking off a hundred feet into the distance. You shouldnt even have to look at the apex of a corner, you should be looking way further ahead.

Trust your peripheral vision, your body will actually react quicker to any fast-appearing obstacles, or the track/roadline in general.

Also, nobody mentioned proper seat and wheel placement. Have you ever wondered why nascar or formula 1 drivers are so close to their steering wheel? You simply have more ability to turn the wheel faster.

Your steering wheel should be close enough that your arms are almost 80-90 degrees bent.

Good luck and happy driving

I don't agree entirely with what you've said about vision and how far to look. There have been specific drills I've run on the track at Superbike School illustrating cause and effect of what happens when you do certain things visually. Much of the drills are based on a few principles Keith Code developed. The three major ones are what he calls the 2 step, 3 step, and wide view. Some of the drills I've been through was to purposely not look for the apex in a corner but looking further ahead to my exit point. That drill was an eye opener on 1) losing the sense of where you are in the corner and 2) how lousy of a line you will have.

One of the principles taught to me was when to look for you next reference point. You look when you know you're going to hit your turn in point or apex. But you won't know your turn in point or apex if you're looking too far ahead.

Getting that finally down made a world of difference when it came to having to figure out proper lines and setup for passing people on the track.

Also one of the coaches at the school gave me a nugget that was also a huge revelation. Your vision can be broken up into two parts. Your peripheral vision is good at providing you with a sense of speed. The other part of your vision is good for spatial awareness and targeting/location. That piece of advice cut down on how manic I was when the speeds picked up from the sensory overload.