Safe Driving with Driverthink

Nothing can mark a driver as capable, proficient and confident, more than a smooth driving style.  It makes both fellow drivers and passengers, feel much more comfortable as they travel the roads with us.  Besides, smoother is safer.

Now we all get jerked around once in a while.  Maybe we get cut off or simply have to make a quick, sudden move to position ourselves.  But the majority of our driving experience wants to be a smooth one – at whatever speed we choose to travel. 

So what exactly is smooth driving?  It might seem obvious, but what are the actual traits of a really smooth driver?

The smooth driver places his vehicle in motion in a calm, predictable and confident way.  He strives to avoid sudden, unpredictable motion.  As he powers up, be it quickly or slowly, he does so in a calm, consistent, almost effortless motion.  Yup.  He does it smoothly.

When at speed, the smooth driver avoids sudden stops or jerky turns.  Her lane changes are calm, precise and predictable. She doesn’t jerk the wheel, suddenly forcing the buggy into another lane too far and then, suddenly again, jerk it back to correct.

When he comes to a stop, be it a slow one or quick one, the smooth driver eases off of the brake pedal ever so slightly at the final moment of stop, to avoid the car jerking back on its haunches and spilling coffee all over the place.  She also doesn’t wait until her “shotgun” passenger has both feet firmly pushed through the floorboard to begin the stop.  She allows space to make a distinct and obvious, firm stop. 

If she has to make a more sudden stop, she doesn’t jam on the brakes and then ease off, unless she absolutely has to.  She calmly gauges the distance she has, then applies enough pressure on the stop pedal to make a firm, obviously calculated stop, ending precisely where she wants to be – of course watching the rearview, as she does so.  Her passengers know they don’t have to brace for impact.  They’re already feeling the “in control” stop.

Smooth driving traits are not usually conscious traits.  They’re instilled skills.  They may have been initially honed by conscious thought, but over time they have become second nature.

Nope.  The smooth driver doesn’t usually even have to think about driving smoothly – but she is constantly analyzing her driving.

There are three basic skill sets that the smooth driver usually develops.

The first is that of Anticipation.  When we anticipate situations that can develop on the roads, we have more time to factor them in.  More time will allow us to drive more smoothly.  We won’t have to “yank the wheel” to avoid that car that cut us off, because we’ll already have backed off just a touch in anticipation.

In order to anticipate developments on the road, it’s kind of necessary to be aware of our surroundings.  The smooth driver isn’t just monitoring the bumper in front of her.  She’s Forward Looking as far ahead of her as she can.  She’s also aware of who’s on her sides.  Her rearview mirrors are almost faded from over use.  Oh, and by the way, they’re correctly adjusted.  Awareness of our surroundings is critical to smooth driving.

Finally, the smooth driver is in tune with his machine.  He not only knows how it is handling at the moment.  He knows how it will handle in any number of situations.  If need be, he’ll make an emergency lane change and correct into his new lane so quickly that by the time his passengers realize there was a problem, they’re already smoothly back on their way.

The smooth driver is a skilled driver.  She knows at what speed she can enter a turn, given her independent rear suspension and how her wheels will squat into it.  He knows that if he has to stop shortly in that turn, he’ll need to correct for possible over steer.  He anticipates it, and when it happens, his passengers probably won’t even break conversation!

Road Racers who jerk quickly in and out of traffic, tailgate, brake suddenly, and then race off to the next encounter may not be as skilled as they think they are.  Ask any real race car driver or trained pursuit driver. 

Smoother is usually faster.  If a race driver has to make a quick, jerky action with his steering input, he probably already knows he’s in trouble.

The smooth driver can be a slower driver or a very quick one but she’s a good driver.  I’ve been with many a fast driver doing eighty or better and hardly even realized it!

Smooth driving is very cool!  Anticipation, awareness, and basic driving skills – are how we end up getting there.