Driving smoothly.

[Horse]

There's a simple answer to driving smoothly and that is:
Anticipation (never reaction) anticipation and in case you need reminding, anticipation.
If you do this, and do it well, it will serve you about 70 percent of the time; the rest is human frailty.

Never react?

No wonder you think relying on luck for 30% of the time is acceptable

[Gareth]

It's good to train yourself to never be in a situation where you flinch, because that's a very good indication that you've got something wrong.

[Horse]

It's good to train yourself to never be in a situation where you flinch, because that's a very good indication that you've got something wrong.

However, having found yourself in one of those [potentially life-threatening] situations, wouldn't a reaction, and a swift one at that, be worthwhile? Or is there an alternative I've missed . . . ?

[Gareth]

Or is there an alternative I've missed . . . ?

I said train yourself never to be in a situation where you flinch rather than never flinch. A flinch is an involuntary reaction (for most people) so it's a good indicator.

[Horse]

Or is there an alternative I've missed . . . ?

I said train yourself never to be in a situation where you flinch rather than never flinch. A flinch is an involuntary reaction (for most people) so it's a good indicator.

So, in a 'live firing' situation, does training always work, do people never 'freeze', never revert to 'fight or flight'? Serious Q, BTW.

I'm not sure it is ever possible to train out natural reactions, the only option is to train a response - but even that is still a reaction rather than 100% anticipation.

FWIW:
http://the-ride-info.blogspot.co.uk/201 ... nough.html

[Gareth]

So, in a 'live firing' situation, does training always work, do people never 'freeze', never revert to 'fight or flight'? Serious Q, BTW.

No idea I think it probably depends on the seriousness of the error. I'm most interested in flinching because it says something useful, something which can be analysed and which can trigger a change in behaviour.

Interesting comments in the link, btw, but we're coming at something similar from different angles. You're mostly talking about single vehicle incidents whereas I'm mostly thinking about being surprised by an oncomer.

[Horse]

So, in a 'live firing' situation, does training always work, do people never 'freeze', never revert to 'fight or flight'? Serious Q, BTW.

No idea I think it probably depends on the seriousness of the error. I'm most interested in flinching because it says something useful, something which can be analysed and which can trigger a change in behaviour.

Interesting comments in the link, btw, but we're coming at something similar from different angles. You're mostly talking about single vehicle incidents whereas I'm mostly thinking about being surprised by an oncomer.

No, I'm questioning the use of the word 'never' and the assertion that anticipation works 70% of the time.

[Horse]

You're mostly talking about single vehicle incidents whereas I'm mostly thinking about being surprised by an oncomer.

Not really, that linked article was an illustration simply of an alternative - to a widely-given version - 'method' of dealing with danger.

As far as single/multiple vehicle crashes go, being mentally prepared on the way into a blind corner could help you cope with anything from surface deterioration, through tightening bend via pedestrians to oncoming vehicle encroaching into 'your' half of the road. But . . . however prepared you are, you still have to react.

Anyway, have another article wot I rote, on being proactive:

http://ukbikecom.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10 ... l-you.html

[jcochrane]

You're mostly talking about single vehicle incidents whereas I'm mostly thinking about being surprised by an oncomer.

Not really, that linked article was an illustration simply of an alternative - to a widely-given version - 'method' of dealing with danger.

As far as single/multiple vehicle crashes go, being mentally prepared on the way into a blind corner could help you cope with anything from surface deterioration, through tightening bend via pedestrians to oncoming vehicle encroaching into 'your' half of the road. But . . . however prepared you are, you still have to react.

Anyway, have another article wot I rote, on being proactive:

http://ukbikecom.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10 ... l-you.html

Unless I have misunderstood it seems to me that you are both saying the same thing.

[Horse]

You're mostly talking about single vehicle incidents whereas I'm mostly thinking about being surprised by an oncomer.

Not really, that linked article was an illustration simply of an alternative - to a widely-given version - 'method' of dealing with danger.

As far as single/multiple vehicle crashes go, being mentally prepared on the way into a blind corner could help you cope with anything from surface deterioration, through tightening bend via pedestrians to oncoming vehicle encroaching into 'your' half of the road. But . . . however prepared you are, you still have to react.

Anyway, have another article wot I rote, on being proactive:

http://ukbikecom.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10 ... l-you.html

Unless I have misunderstood it seems to me that you are both saying the same thing.

Very dangerous, this violent agreement . . .

[sussex2]

There's a simple answer to driving smoothly and that is:
Anticipation (never reaction) anticipation and in case you need reminding, anticipation.
If you do this, and do it well, it will serve you about 70 percent of the time; the rest is human frailty.

Never react?

No wonder you think relying on luck for 30% of the time is acceptable

Let me rephrase it.
You should rely on your systematic approach to handling the vehicle rather than reaction - how late do many react to basic situations a more trained driver had anticipated and prepared for?

That way you hope to avoid putting yourself in a position to have to react to a crisis.

[Mr Cholmondeley-Warner]

Conversely (I'm with Horse on this one), never fall into the trap of believing you've anticipated every possible eventuality and always be observant and ready to react...

[7db]

While it's not 100% impervious, one of the good reasons that the flinch test is good is that you can apply it to your driving whilst on your own. If you find that you rapidly adjust your line on a corner when an oncomer appears then you might ask yourself whether you properly took into the account that he might appear (or whether you feel he appeared in a place so exgregiously extreme that you couldn't reasonably expect to find him there).

Same goes for second* steering movements. If you had to put more lock on, it's a good time to ask yourself whether you misjudged the corner on entry.

By looking for these tell-tale signs you can continue to improve, even when you don't have a co-driver or coach to tell you that your overconfidence has the wool firmly pulled over your eyes.



* excluding hinters.