Driving tips - let's help each other

[tinkerbell]

OK, so i have been driving for 20 years, had a great person teaching me roadcraft since the age of about 5, and been very active in learning how to drive and be safe.

perhaps not everyone is so lucky?

perhaps some people just got taught by a driving scool instructor? or had their parents teach them their bad habits?

whatever...

here are some tips:

1. dont swerve at speed to miss an animal - see: http://forum.clubitr.com.au/showthre...-dead-kangaroo
2. always leave your car IN GEAR when parked and turn steering to the gutter
3. learn what ABS feels like in both wet & dry - when you start driving on dirt roads - learn what it feels like AGAIN!
4. drive with your headlights on (there is a reason why insurance companies provide discounts to fleet cars that have headlights permenantly on)


what are some other tips and hints you may have come across in your time on the road??

and PLEASE dont be afraid to ask for clarification about any tips posted up - this is a learning thread

[ovtec]

Keep left unless overtaking.

I think the motorways/freeways would be much better of people actually followed that rule.

[rookie]

@Tink,
What reason is there to leave the car in gear and pointing towards the gutter when parked? I'm assuming this is a theft reducing thing.

[knobosaurus]

If the car were parked on a hill and the brake lines were cut or failed, the in gear thing would help stop it rolling backward. Also as an anti theft measure it would stop people from just cutting your brake lines and pushing your car away since it's neutral. The turned wheel is for a hill thing again. If your car brakes did fail and you started rolling backward, with a turned wheel, your butt goes into the kerb and stops there with minor rear damage compared to possibly being totaled by rolling down a hill and smashing into something.

[tinkerbell]

If the car were parked on a hill and the brake lines were cut or failed, the in gear thing would help stop it rolling backward. Also as an anti theft measure it would stop people from just cutting your brake lines and pushing your car away since it's neutral. The turned wheel is for a hill thing again. If your car brakes did fail and you started rolling backward, with a turned wheel, your butt goes into the kerb and stops there with minor rear damage compared to possibly being totaled by rolling down a hill and smashing into something.

great answer

[teee94]

OK, so i have been driving for 20 years

I didnt knw you were this old. Hehehe (A)

[knobosaurus]

Can you start a circuit driving education thread tink? Need me some edumacation and I can't find any resources anywhere.

[tinkerbell]

Can you start a circuit driving education thread tink? Need me some edumacation and I can't find any resources anywhere.

there are heaps of resources, try:

http://www.drivingfast.net/
http://www.turnfast.com/home
http://www.trackpedia.com/wiki/Main_Page

please discuss these here:

http://forum.clubitr.com.au/showthre...cuit-resources

[rookie]

Cheers for the answer guys. I thought they would be the reasons but i was just checking in case it was something else

[tinkerbell]

Cheers for the answer guys. I thought they would be the reasons but i was just checking in case it was something else

in ye olden days, it was pretty much a requirement to turn the wheels to the curb and roll onto it as old braking systems were pretty bad, and engine had low compression so they could not hold themselves in gear on hills...

and FWIW - you should use the gear with the lowest ratio, which is in most cases reverse... not an issue for our Honda's with low ratio 'boxs but might be useful to remember if you are driving a V8 with a tall first gear...

[Timmy_B]

When I turned 17 I did an advance driving traning through AAMI .
One of the bets things i have ever done.
Taught me how to handle a car in an emergency.
In a split second decision you need to KNOW what to do.

I also did a 5 week seminar called Drive Alive Past 25.
This was a local council scheme event and taught young drivers about the effects of drink driving, fatigue, wet and dry conditions and also accident victims told their stories and how stupid mistakes that they or other drives made destroyed their lives.

Powerful stuff that makes me think everytime I make a bad decision behind the wheel.

[freakygeek]

I've been driving for 13 years now and motorcycling for the past few also.

My few tips :-

1. When turning right into a side street where you may have to stop and give way to oncoming traffic, position your car as close to right of your lane as possible - not way over to the left.
2. When using roundabouts, you must give way to vehicles already ON the roundabout, whichever direction they are from. If you fly onto the roundabout and hit someone on front of you it is still quite possible that you are in the wrong because they were on the roundabout first. Common sense should prevail, but common sense isn't very common it seems.
3. If you are a taxi driver, learn to use your indicators and turn off your highbeams in residential areas, or quit your job and hand your licence in.
4. Give cyclists plenty of room when passing them.
5. Treat other road users as you would like to be treated. Let people in from side streets if you can, give someone a wave to thank them for letting you into their lane, etc. I'd like to think this sort of behaviour is contagious.

That's just a few anyway. I've got lots more but they were the first ones to come to mind.

[tinkerbell]

good stuff Cam

1. When turning right into a side street where you may have to stop and give way to oncoming traffic, position your car as close to right of your lane as possible - not way over to the left.

as this is a road rule, there is a useful diagram provided:



Link to Rule 31

Link to full road rules

[freakygeek]

good stuff Cam

as this is a road rule, there is a useful diagram provided:

Cheers

Yes, I think many people around here must think they are driving B-Doubles and need all the road to swing their massive Toyota Yaris etc into a side street.

[tinkerbell]

Cheers

Yes, I think many people around here must think they are driving B-Doubles and need all the road to swing their massive Toyota Yaris etc into a side street.

annnd this reminds me of a simialr scenario;

when you are behind a car that is indicating to turn left into a driveway, if you have to pass them , give extra room on their right in case they feel the need to do the little skandi flick out-then-in to get a good angle...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandinavian_flick

also - if YOU do this going into your driveway, please reconsider the need to do it...