Skills

Information on driving skills.

Entering an Intersection on a New Green Light

Green Traffic LightI watched the driver on either side of me this morning on my way to work. We were stopped waiting for a red light to turn green and I could see that both of them were totally focused on the that light. Neither one of them moved their heads and immediately started off when the light turned green. What a wonderful example of blind faith!

Steering Wheel Hand Placement

Steering Wheel Hand PlacementThere were some students in my Elder College class last week that were surprised to learn that it was no longer generally acceptable to hold the steering wheel with your hands in the 10 and 2 position. Who would have thought that how to hold your vehicle's steering wheel would change, or that it even mattered?

Always Leave Yourself an Out

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Do you plan to avoid trouble when you are driving? A defensive driver always tries to maintain a space cushion around all four sides of their vehicle. The habit gives them both time to decide and a place to go if a problem occurs.

This is the fourth key practice in the Smith System of safe driving. It is an active role rather than a reactive one and requires continual thought and adjustment as the conditions change around your vehicle.

Making Safe Lane Changes

Lane ChangeMirror, signal, shoulder check, move. These are the four steps for a successful lane change. Simple enough one would expect, until you watch what goes on around you in traffic today. This is a basic skill that a driver should be confident practicing once they have left the novice stage behind.

VIDEO - Chuck Hawks on Setting Your Mirrors

VideoHow do you set your outside rear view mirrors? Most drivers set them so that the sides of their vehicle are just visible in the inside edge of the mirror. For forward motion, this is not the most effective view to have. Adjusting them further outward can result in the elimination of blind spots.

Are Shoulder Checks Necessary?

Shoulder CheckIs it really necessary to make shoulder checks while driving? If you expect to pass a driving exam in British Columbia the answer is a definite yes. However, some driving schools are teaching mirror adjustment techniques to replace shoulder checks.

What I've Learned from a Year of Driver Monitoring

Mentor by eDrivingI've been driving with eDriving's Mentor app for about a year now and know that it has made improvements in my skills. I haven't cracked the top 10% barrier yet, but I'm still trying! The secret to having a high score appears to be trying to anticipate and plan for what is happening around you as you drive.

Wet Weather Driving

HydroplaningWelcome to wet road season in British Columbia! Some areas are blessed with this situation more often than others, but drivers need to be aware of the perils of wet highways. The wellbeing of you and other road users depend on it.

Should I Signal?

Signal Light SwitchPaul from CompetentDrivingBC often shares his insights here on DriveSmartBC. I like his explanation of whether to signal or not and decided to share it with you. It's great advice that we should all practice all the time.

Surprisingly often, when teaching new drivers, I've been asked 'Do I have to signal this?'.

Where Are the Corners of Your Vehicle?

traffic conesThe RCMP's advanced driver training course was without a doubt the most fun of any course many of the participants had taken in their service. We used an inactive runway at the Boundary Bay airport in Delta and a collection of well used Crown Victoria police interceptors to polish our driving skills. Contrary to what you might think, this was not a high speed driving situation as we never got going faster than about 65 km/h.

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