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10 CLASSIC DRIVING TIPS
Advanced Driving Tips From Ride Drive
At Great Escape we're committed to road safety, whether you're driving a Jensen Interceptor, Alfa Romeo Spider or a modern saloon. Ride Drive is a company run by highly skilled ex-police advanced drivers who pass on their specialist skills top the enthusiastic car driver with their advanced driver training courses. Here they have put together a list for us containing tips that add up to safer driving, whether you're in a classic, a sports car or a family saloon.
If you have any suggestions to add to this list, email graham@greatescapecars.co.uk. For every suggestion we use we'll donate 50p to MacMillan Nurses.
1. Using Headlights in Fog
When driving in daylight fog, use your headlight system as if driving on an unlit road at night. Use full beam headlights when there is no one to be dazzled by your lights, and dipped beam when there is. This technique will not help you to see any better, but will cause you to be seen far earlier from the front.
2. Using Fog LIghts
Staying with fog, if you have to use your rear fog lights, turn them off as soon as another vehicle comes up behind you. With the glare of the brighter lights, brake lights can go unnoticed.
3. Braking
When there is a need to slow down, make only one application of the brakes. If you do not complete all your braking in one go, when you release the brakes after your first application, the driver following may get the idea that your speed will increase, but be caught out by your second period of unexpected braking.
4. Turning Right
When waiting to turn right into a side road from a main road, always keep your front wheels pointing in the straight ahead position and the car in first gear or D. This will offer you an escape choice should you find you are about to be hit from behind, as you can abandon your turn and accelerate away.
5. Traffic Queues
When pulling up behind other vehicles in a traffic queue, bring your car to a stop far enough back so that you can see where the rear tyres of the vehicle ahead touch the road. The advantage here is that you have an option of an escape route if you were to be hit from behind, or even came under personal attack, and there is room for error should the driver ahead roll backwards.
6. Parking
When parking in a parking bay, such as in a car park, always reverse park your car into the bay. Apart from being easier to complete, it is also safer, particularly when you come to drive away, as you have more control over your situation. If you are in any doubt, go to your local supermarket car park, sit in your car where you have a good view of a wide area, and watch. It is better than a TV show.
7. Floodwater
If your engine cuts out when driving through floodwater, never try to re-start it. Most people dismiss this as wet electrics, but what frequently happens is the air intake of the engine has sucked in water and stifled the engine. No harm done at that stage, but when trying to re-start, the water penetrates beyond the air intake filter and enters the combustion chambers of the engine block. Water will not compress like fuel/air, the result of which major components become bent and broken, and a new engine will be required.
8. Wipers
If you have been driving in the rain, always turn your wipers off before you switch off your engine. Wipers left partway across the screen will instantly try to park in their normal position when the ignition is turned on again. Left in their non-parked position whilst the screen dries out, they stick to the glass, so that when the automatic park mechanism tries to move them it can tear the rubber blades.
9. Handbrake
Having driven in wet conditions, and you are going to be leaving your car for more than a couple of hours, do not set the handbrake, as this may cause the brakes to stick in the on position as they dry out. This is particular relevant when temperatures are likely to drop below freezing. Water around brake components and cables can freeze and lock everything up. Better to leave the car in reverse gear or the auto transmission in P
10. Automatics
With automatic transmission, to avoid the time delay associated with kick down, think which gear the car will select when you accelerate and manually select it yourself. An example where this is useful, and where time can be critical, is the overtaking manoeuvre. When anticipating an opportunity to overtake may appear around the next bend, have your gun loaded ready to fire, as in have your car primed in the responsive gear.
Useful Links
If other road users get you hot under the collar, vent steam here (you can also report them).
