I thought it would be a good idea to create a thread with tips on driving, little skills that can make driving much easier and more fun.

Scandanavian flick (also known as "The Pendulum turn")
Idea:
What this allows you to do is "flick" a car around, is very useful in slippery conditions to turn a car/truck around a sharp corner.
It does this by braking at the right moment, allowing the front wheels to grip, and unsettling the rears, enabling you to do all your cornering before the corner, and being able to drive through the corner just using the throttle.

How to do it:
Approach a corner (for this example I will use a right hand corner). Approach it on the right hand side of the lane (opposite to a "racing line").
About 100ft before the corner (depends on the speed of the corner and speed you are travelling) lift the throttle.
Turn away from the corner slightly (i.e turn left), and press the brake smoothly, but firmly - this puts the weight of the car/truck on the front right hand tire.
Release the brake.
Turn into the corner (turn right) - the weight of the car/truck should still be on the front right hand tire, and it should grip.
Blip the throttle (or the brake in a FWD car, then the throttle).
Countersteer as your car/truck drifts, and it will swing out and flick (or pendulum as the name suggests) around the corner.
You can control the car/truck by your accelerator.


Feel free to share some of your tips/tricks...

 

One rule to remember (I use it all the time on the sleds and 4 wheeler):


When in doubt, Throttle out

 

when you are in snow and are about to get stuck or trying to get unstuck try not to use 4 low it just makes it eaiser to spin, also if you have a manual try 2nd gear.

 

Very good advice. I don't know HOW MANY times I have used that "trick" when plowing snow. It works!

-Matt

 

Stay out of Philadelphia.

Make sure your windshield fluid resevoir is full..nothing like driving down the highway and getting blinded by all of the spray and salt without having something to clean it with.

Clean in front of your grill and headlights.

And never forget...DONUTS IN PARKING LOTS!!!! (BigF350...your words were: "little skills that can make driving much easier and more fun.")

 

Try looking past the front of your vehicle to the traffic conditions that may affect your trip. Why wait until the car in front of you is slamming on his brakes before you react?

If you always expect people in other vehicles to do dumb things, you will rarely be surprised.

 

i think the number one driving tip to give anybody is drive on the right side of a road.
















oh wait, sorry Big F350, i forgot you guys do things different down under

 

Side view Mirror setting to avoid blind spots.

Driver side...Lay your head against the drivers side door glass and adjust the mirror outward till the tip of your back fender is barely visible.
Passenger side....Place your head directly centered on the rearview mirror and adjust the passenger side mirror for the same effent as outlined above.

If you get them correctly adjusted, as an overtaking car approaches, they are visible on the rearview mirror. At some point the vehicle appears to move from rearview mirror to the side mirrors as it gets closer. This leaves almost NO blindspot except when the vehicle is almost perfectly alongside you, but you should be able to glance over and see their front fender by then.

It is verry difficult to get used to this setting as you can no longer see the side of your vehicle, tipping the mirrors out more works great in heavy freeway traffic to eliminate that blind spot and some clown overtaking you without you noticing. I used to teach this technique in my safety huddles and got nothing but GOOD reviews from everyone who tried it.

Dialtone

 

Or, I always buy the convex mirrors and put them in the corners. That way you can ALWAYS see people (and see the corners of your vehicle) and you don't NEED to do a shoulder check.

-Matt

 

Dialtone, I read how to do that setup from those Click and Clack fellas a few years back.... adjusted my mirrors on the car I drove then and have been doing it ever since. It really is a GREAT setup! There are ZERO blind spots, and once the car is alongside you and past your side mirror, they're in your peripheral vision. I've tried recommending it to a few people but they can't seem to get past not being able to see the rear side of their own car... as if it's going to move anywhere.

On my truck now, I've got the C-Betr mirrors, so they're all I really need, and still have no blind spot.

 

....I've tried recommending it to a few people but they can't seem to get past not being able to see the rear side of their own car... as if it's going to move anywhere...... quote


i keep mine set so i can just see the corner of my bumper, that way i know were my fenders are when im backing up.

 

As you are driving, look as far down the road as you can see. You will encounter fewer surprises and you will find yourself making far fewer steering corrections. Also you will be able to anticipate what the vehicles ahead of you will be doing.

 

Look down the road a ways behind you too...

And, high on my list, know what your car/truck will do when pushed. Sometimes, you've got to steer/stop quickly to avoid an accident. If you've practiced this sort of maneuver in the vehicle before and know how it will react, it makes it that much easier. (Not to mention being rather fun to practice...)

 

Use horses as they are slower, so you have more time to anticipate....

But seriously. I've got a one wheel wonder so my trick if you get stuck in wet grass or dirt, gently depress the e-brake. This gives some resistence to both wheels. Gets you ot of some slippery situations. Just keep your speed down and don't do it for too long.

 

With an automatic transmission:

When going down a hill, shift into 2nd gear to avoid riding the brakes all the way down.
Shift down through the gears when coming to a stop (stop sign, light, ect....) especially on a highway.
Do the same when going up hills. Keep it in 2nd. This will help the tranny from shifting to 3rd every time you let off the throttle, and shifting back to 2nd when you get back on the throttle.
Leave it in 2nd gear when driving on a snow covered road.

All of these are more important when towing as well...