Becoming a consistently good driver?

Discussion on Advanced and Defensive Driving.

Postby TerryTibbs » Tue Jun 30, 2015 7:12 pm


Thought I'd pick you guys' brains on this one and hopefully get some tips.

Basically, I'm trying to develop my consistency behind the wheel. Some days, like today, everything just flows - I become hyper-aware and spot developing hazards very quickly; my steering and cornering is as smooth as silk, as are my foot controls and the like; I get a sense of confidence, not over-confidence that leads to unnecessary risks and speeding but I just feel in total control and make all the right decisions.
However, on other days it doesn't go so well. Sometimes I spot hazards a little late for my liking; steering gets a little sloppy, braking and accelerating become a bit harsh and I generally start feeling a bit negative, which can lead to bad decisions where I either falter or make aggressive moves. I still wouldn't label myself dangerous under such conditions and I've seen worse driving on a regular basis as a passenger in the cars of family, friends and taxis, but as someone trying to become the best driver I can be, and being a bit of a perfectionist by nature, this kind of driving is unacceptable when I'm behind the wheel.

I guess there's a bit of a feedback loop that occurs; on one hand, if I realise I'm driving well, a positive feedback loop occurs in which I become more and more comfortable with being behind the wheel and I just keep driving better and better as well as thoroughly enjoying the drive, which is great; however, on some days, I just feel like I'd better get myself home before my driving gets any worse because I start getting frustrated.

I imagine the first step is to start changing my mindset to not allow this negative feedback loop to occur, but I'm struggling to change it tbh. I'm also aware that ingrained driving habits will take over so I'm working as hard as I can to make certain aspects of my driving second nature, but it's hard when your concentration levels, judgement and "feel" just seem to be a bit off.

Anyone here that's overcome anything similar to this? I'm obviously not expecting to drive perfectly 100% of the time as I'm only human, but I'd like to make these relatively bad days a once-in-a-while type thing rather than a 50/50 type deal.

Thanks for any answers :mrgreen:
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Postby revian » Tue Jun 30, 2015 7:56 pm


Hi Terry,

I can't say I totally identify with that.

But there have been times when my driving has been poor because my mind has been over-stressed by something else going on in my life. I once had to present evidence before a Judge (who often did murder trials) at a Consistory Court. These things can haunt the brain and distract. So I guess one question is ; 'feeling as I am today should I be in the car at all?'

Otherwise a Rospa course might help with developing a system that could help you with consistency. It did me.

Ian
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Postby Slink_Pink » Tue Jun 30, 2015 8:35 pm


Recall the IAM SAFE from Roadcraft, listing things that can affect driving:

Illness
Attitude
Medication

Sleep
Alcohol
Food
Emotion

It's usually one or other of these causing the reduced level of concentration that leads to little slips. Running through the list mentally before you set off can be enough for you to recognise what might cause you to pay less attention during the impending journey. The only things I can think of outside of this are (i) leaving insufficient time for the journey, and (ii) focusing on what will happen after the journey.
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Postby akirk » Tue Jun 30, 2015 8:37 pm


Hi Terry,

what you describe is not surprising in someone who is self-evaluating / self-teaching... what you need to break that is outside evaluation / coaching to give you an objective understanding of where you are good / bad -the irony of course is that some of what you think is good might be seen as an area to improve - and some of what you think is bad, you might find you are being over-critical and it is better than you think!

if you haven't done so far - book yourself into a RoSPA /IAM course, get yourself evaluated and start to see your learning as a journey against measurable objectives - that will help break the cycle of thinking... and you will also realise that RoSPA and IAM are simply the start of a long pleasurable and never ending journey!

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Postby trashbat » Tue Jun 30, 2015 8:50 pm


First off, everyone is like this, and secondly, it's almost entirely psychological.

It sounds like you already have a large dose of the self-awareness component, which is more than most possess, so use it.

If today's not a good day and you're getting frustrated, catch that feeling, and mitigate. What does that mean? It might be that you back off the car that you're following, relax your posture, stop looking for such a progressive drive on this trip, change your route, accept today for what it is, and so on.

Don't get caught up in it, because it is as you describe a negative feedback loop. If you sat down with me after such a drive and identified root causes of your negativity, and I asked you for each one, "could you have remedied this from behind the wheel?" the answers would mostly be "no".

Wilfully stop yourself placing so much value on those instances, and you will probably find that these 'bad' days become moments, and don't have to define your entire drive just because they appear during part of it.
Rob - IAM F1RST, Alfa Romeo 156 JTS
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Postby Gareth » Tue Jun 30, 2015 9:29 pm


Just considering the subject of the post, I think the OP is trying for too much all at once. First it would be good to be a consistent driver. Then, when consistency is improved, consideration can be given to identifying which aspects of the driving are unsatisfactory, and they can be assigned importance. Once the worst trait is known, it is possible to focus on that alone. All the while working towards being a better driver. And maybe one day reaching the point where you are, in your eyes, a good enough driver. Baby steps generally work much better than trying to fix everything at once.
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Postby jcochrane » Tue Jun 30, 2015 10:02 pm


Consistency is indeed something to be admired and can be seen in the best drivers. However in their own eyes they will be aware that their consistency is variable..maybe not a lot but it is.

There is a written driving standard that contains the ability that a driver has of recognising an error but then has the mindset to not dwell on it and let it affect the rest of the drive.

These inconsistencies are rarely "bad" but just not quite up to the drivers highest standards they set themselves. Try to learn to acknowledge, learn and then drop it.

Wimbledon has just started but you can watch any sport and see numerous inconsistencies. but the best sportsmen/women are those that learn from that and do not let it upset their game but use the lesson to become better.

Don't be hard on yourself but see it as an opportunity to learn from the experiences. Without these experiences or acknowledging them we would stagnate and never improve.

What you have experienced does not go away. It is part of the process to improve.

It will take many years of constant practice (just consider the hours a professional golfer spends on improving the consistency of the swing of his drive) before the level is reached that inconsistencies are so minor and infrequent that they are unlikely to be spotted by any one but the driver or someone at their level of driving.

Remember no one is 100% consistent 100% of the time. Although some get mighty close to it. :)
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Postby RobC » Wed Jul 01, 2015 7:46 am


Hi Terry

Consistency is only achieved by driving to a defined standard. It is difficult to self evaluate your own driving, so as others have suggested have your driving assessed and join an advanced driving group if you haven't already.

Being a perfectionist may help in that if you take some advanced training and drive to a system and fully understand the reasons behind how you should be driving in any given situation, then you are likely to want to drive that way consistently.

Rob
National Safe Driving Enterprise CIC
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Postby jcochrane » Wed Jul 01, 2015 12:44 pm


On a practical level without seeing you drive it's difficult to give other than general advice. It may help if you can identify what is inconsistent. For example is it entering hazards too quickly, not always doing a smooth gear change or jerkiness when transitioning off braking. Identifying the problem may help to then devise strategies that might help. If it is more than one thing then as another suggested initially work on one or two things at a time.

As I mentioned before a high level of consistency comes from practicing all the time when you drive and takes years rather than months. Even then as with the sportsman you cannot relax and stop practicing otherwise you will slip back.
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Postby Horse » Wed Jul 01, 2015 4:25 pm


StressedDave wrote: Get some sort of framework around how you drive . . .

The other thing I would suggest is to create time to think whilst driving.


Expanding on these two points:
- Decide what it is you think you should be doing, then talk yourself through it. Tell yourself (in plenty of time) what you should be doing and how you'll know you've achieved it, then compare your achievement with that expectation.
- Take the 'pressure to perform' off of yourself. If you get it 'wrong' don't be too concerned (unless it gets noisy, painful and expensive ;) ), be more interested in what you should do than what you did.

Then work on achieving what you want safely and smoothly. The rest will come as you practice* and improve.

* NB Contrary to general belief, practice doesn't make perfect - it makes permanent - so practice the perfect, know what 'good' is.
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Postby Carbon Based » Wed Jul 01, 2015 5:56 pm


Horse wrote:* NB Contrary to general belief, practice doesn't make perfect - it makes permanent - so practice the perfect, know what 'good' is.


I rather like the above quote - although will trade you:

"the search for perfection is the enemy of achievement and of self-esteem. Inevitably, searching for perfection ends in frequent disappointment."
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Postby TerryTibbs » Thu Jul 02, 2015 7:29 pm


Some excellent advice here fellas, appreciated :) As has been said, maybe I'm expecting things to happen too quickly. I just noticed as well, I failed to mention in the OP that I've not driven for about a year, been back on the road for just over two weeks now. I guess I should be pleased with the fact that I haven't fallen off the wagon and forgotten things, in fact I've taken it as an opportunity to drop some old bad habits and re-learn good ones that I had when I first passed my test.
I'm currently working my way through Roadcraft as well so will hopefully pick up some useful tips on staying in a good frame of mind for driving.

I've noticed a pattern in something. Whenever I'm using my Sat Nav to guide me or road signs (i.e. I'm in unfamiliar areas) I tend not to drive so well. Really, this reinforces the notion that a lot of it is psychological - I become unconfident and a bit nervous and my concentration is affected as a result. I think I just have to tell myself, there's nothing more important than the road and what's in front of me. If I don't pay enough attention to the Sat Nav and end up going the wrong way - so what? I don't know where I am anyway, the Sat Nav will re-route me, no problem. But for some reason I become fixated on making sure I follow every instruction to a T and go which way it's telling me. I know how to handle a roundabout and the various types of junctions, I know how to read road markings and signs, so why the fuss?
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Postby Kimosabe » Thu Jul 02, 2015 9:49 pm


As you may know, planning and observation are keys to good driving. Perhaps you're not giving yourself enough time to assimilate all the info you need in order to know where to go and how you're going to get there in advance? It seems to me, from some of what you've said, that you are finding the Sat Nav somewhat distracting and that this is affecting your ability to drive.

Planning: May I suggest that you try this. Before setting out, look at the route you will plan to take, as well as the surrounding areas you'll be traveling through in case you are diverted or if the Sat Nav isn't bang upto date and gets it wrong. I would get hold of a paper A-Z map book to do this, as you might find it easier to get a better over-view of the route you have in mind. Then you can use your Sat Nav as a reminder or guide without needing to focus on it too much. Look on the A-Z map for landmarks, buildings, Filling stations, roundabouts and junctions etc, then you know what you will probably come across and tick them off as you pass them.(observation)

Once you have seen the area in an A-Z and have programmed your Sat Nav, you can then concentrate more on how to get there ie the driving part.

Maybe before setting out, shut your eyes and imagine the route as best you can as this might make your journey easier.

Hope this helps.
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Postby WhoseGeneration » Thu Jul 02, 2015 11:43 pm


Carbon Based wrote:"the search for perfection is the enemy of achievement and of self-esteem. Inevitably, searching for perfection ends in frequent disappointment."


Ain't that the truth. Related to OCD personalities but it can result in discovery and progress.
Thing is, it depends upon who is defining perfection, an external or internal source.

That diversion aside, OP, you can do it, as expressed in your initial post but you've not yet internalised it such that your car control is not affected by what's happening around you or, inside, the satnav.
Always a commentary, spoken or not.
Keeps one safe. One hopes.
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Postby Horse » Fri Jul 03, 2015 9:42 am


TerryTibbs wrote: Whenever I'm using my Sat Nav to guide me or road signs (i.e. I'm in unfamiliar areas) I tend not to drive so well.


I like maps - but (reluctantly) will accept the benefits of SN.

However, I found that the voice prompts went in one ear and promptly out the other. So now I parrot them back, out aloud. I try to match the instruction against what I can see, check for junction layout and signs etc.

However, as advised, get that map 'plan' in your head first, then only use the SN for very local, junction specific, advice.
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