Wondering how Ford enthusiasts learn, practice, and hone their driving skills - preferably legally. And how they get others, most importantly their family members, to do the same. Not talking driving like an idiot during rush-hour - things like heel&toe, weight distribution and shifts, drag braking, finding and hitting an apex, at-the-limit braking (with AND without ABS). This ain't just for racing - accident (and animal) avoidance, driving in slippery conditions, etc all require skill - the more skill the less likely you'll have an 'incident'. I think the vast majority of owners (present company excluded ) have little to no idea how to actually control their vehicles and don't find out till its too late - many think that just because they've driven for years they are 'prepared'. My spouse seems to think this is a waste of time - my response is that you won't be good at anything (or even know what the heck to do) without understanding and practice. Given that its probably one of the most likely ways we'll end up in a hospital (or worse) - we drive a lot of miles - I don't see this as just 'a hobby', 'interest', - or unimportant. Just curious how others feel about this. . .

 

It is amazing how much you can learn by racing a stock car.
After racing a while most things on the street don't hardly cause you to raise an eyebrow.
My wife races too and she has commented on how, in winter, if the back of her Explorer starts sliding out that she just calmly countersteers....no big deal.
What worries me a bit though is when she doesn't like the way someone is driving and she thinks she should spin him out or run him into the wall
I've learned lots of things on the track. One thing that always amazes me is how slippery wet pavement is. Most people have no idea.

 

I usually pay attention to how i get on/off ramps for highways. try to make the straightest or maybe fastest way..not usually speeding just trying the best way to get into aturn to that i can start accelerating early..I usually am going through ramps faster than other folks. I can only do heel and toe in my 2nd-1st downshift when i'm going slow..don't do it much in my escort because fo 2.47 rears in my truck i do it quite a bit.

 

A lot of playing,I've been driving since I was twelve and learned to drive dukes of hazzard style dirt roads,jumping hills the whole bit.I grew up in a very rural town with no local police and lots of off road trails to drive on.Learning how to pitch my car into a corner sideways at a high rate of speed with out going in to the woods took a lot of practice.learning to use the hand brake was very helpful.when it snowed we would always go out and play around learning all about oversteer and understeering and when to use the brakes and when not to.I never knew it would help later in the real world of driving we were just kids having fun,it has saved my but many of times on the road.Learning to drive off road has got to be better than any drivers ed class can teach you

 

I just drive as much as I can, especially on back roads with little traffic. Whenever there is snow, I try to take the Ranger out and practice on empty roads, where I can put it in a snowbank if need be. I also critique my driving constantly- "Could I have handled that situation better? How?" and try to improve on any mistakes I notice.

 

Well i guess i find out illegally. I like to push the limits of my vehicles on the highways and gravels roads. I practice braking, burnouts, swurving, etc. In fact in winter at low to mod speeds I try to get my vehicles sideways with the gas and brakes. Heck i mess around with everything it just happens to be illegal usually. And my advice for deer is to brake and hit them. I can swurve moderately but others seems to jerk the wheel and crash.

 

I'm from Massachusetts.....what does "driving skills" mean??

 

I love that! I will never forget the first time I drove in Mass. We got to Boston just in time for afternoon rush hour. We were bumper to bumper in the curbside lane in heavy traffic downtown when the car in front stopped and both passengers got out and walked away. Boston traffic gives a new meaning to defensive driving.
Dono

 

Having lived in the Boston area my whole life, I'd tend to agree (although being at many other cities, I think its a bit overrated). But by far the worst driving experience I've witnessed was being a passenger in a mini-van driving in inland China. Probably the best way to describe it: imagine driving (for locals) Route 1 around the auto-mile (a two lane each direction, sometimes undivided 'highway), going about 50, with, oh, 10,000 people milling in the road along with donkeys, bicycles, and motorscooters carry three/four people. The driver would just weave, honk, and at times, push people and other 'vehicles' out of the way. Made Boston look like a bunch of wimps. (To the driver, this was just 'normal traffic'.)
Anyways, back on topic. . . when I buy a new (to me) vehicle, I see what she (and I) could - and couldn't do. Braking distances, fast lane changes, recovery from understeer and oversteer, etc in dry, wet, and snowy conditions (with no other cars around of course). Would be a great thing if drivers would test their vehicles - or more appropriately - their driving skills. I'd think for nearly all people their car/truck is more capable than their driving skills (this would include myself with some vehicles I've owned). Too many find out their limits at a time not of their choosing, with bad, sometimes terrible, consequences. [And of course, people fidling with their damn phone, reading, putting on makeup, watching TV! while driving on a highway during rush-hour doesn't help .]

 

like glennford said i think it helps a lot to learn off road because you tend to push the limits and you can find out about how a vehicle handles without putting anyone in danger (besides yourself). i bought a '77 F-150 4x4 when i was 13 and drove that thing around in the field almost everyday, in the winter i always went out and drove around in the snow. i think this helped me a ton when it came to getting my license and being a good driver. i am one of the few people i know who hasnt been involved in an accident i think it is mostly beacuse i have a good idea of the capabilities of myself and the vehicle im driving

Jason

 

Ya I ussually like to find an empty parking lot, not mention anytime theres snow or rain I like to get sideways around any safe corner I can. My ranger was perfect for that, I could snap the rear end around and bring it right back in line or power steer it right thru the whole corner if I wanted. My F-250 is a little long for that, I havn't had a problem with it yet but if I were to power steer it thru it may take up the whole road haha. The only tihng Ive ever driven is a truck or a msutang so I got pretty good at handling the rear end, I just bought a geo prizm to save alot of gas, this automatic front wheel drive thing will take some pratice.

 

Perhaps the best way to get used to your car at it's limits is to attend a SCCA autocross. Watch, enter, run for fun.

 

strange you mention that, im hopefully (need to finish putting it together) gonna run my 61 falcon at scca soloII races in denver. that should be fun. but other than that i am usually doing so when i am on an empty road, the highway that i take to school (144) is curvy and allows me to heel-toe my ranger coming down into some of the 25mph curves. i also get it sideways a bit on the dirt, after some instructions from my brother in law i can go down a dirt road at 45 sideways one way, then the other, then the other. my highboy me and my buddy ryan would take out onto the field road next to our house and pitch it sideways, which i think helped both of us.