What makes a "good" driver?

icv1111

So you've passed your test, have 5 years experience of driving, know the ins and outs of rotr, know how to indicate correctly, use lanes, gears, progress, all that stuff down to a tee.

So in a more broader sense what makes somebody a "good" driver? beyond driving like you would during a driving test because that's all aimed at safety and economy.

You see so many people driving high spec cars, they may even classify themselves as car enthusiasts and have a passion for driving....but what exactly makes somebody a GOOD driver? How can you become a better driver?

Is it down to advanced driving courses?

What makes YOU a good driver?

Special Circumstances

Anticipation.
Active engagement in the process.
Cop on. Common sense.

Duke O Smiley

Can use roundabouts

sunnysoutheast

icv1111 wrote: »

So you've passed your test, have 5 years experience of driving, know the ins and outs of rotr, know how to indicate correctly, use lanes, gears, progress, all that stuff down to a tee.

So in a more broader sense what makes somebody a "good" driver? beyond driving like you would during a driving test because that's all aimed at safety and economy.

You see so many people driving high spec cars, they may even classify themselves as car enthusiasts and have a passion for driving....but what exactly makes somebody a GOOD driver? How can you become a better driver?

Is it down to advanced driving courses?

What makes YOU a good driver?

Awareness.
Anticipation.
Observation.
Experience.
Patience.
Tolerance.
A Zen-like calmness.

everlast75

thought about doing an advanced course.. but the cost put me off. maybe they've come down in price since.

can't really say that not being in an accident marks a good driver as sometimes it's bad luck and not your fault.

no penalty points is a factor?

anticipation, patience and good manners are definitely part of it

frozenfrozen

system

shietpilot

Ability to not lose concentration

The Young Wan

Knows what an indicator is.

biko

A good driver probably makes everyone in the car and people in cars around her/him comfortable.

Eric Cartman

can parallel park
doesn't need a towbar as a "reversing sensor"
all 4 corners of their car remain unmarked (due to their driving)
they leave notes in the event of a carpark incident
they don't slam doors into other cars.
everybody in the car doesn't get thrown to the side when they drive around corners.
nobody gets jostled forward when stopping at traffic lights.
can drive by emergency services vehicles without slowing down or braking for a look
doesn't jam on and slow down to 40km/h at speed cameras.

Bigus

For the road
Care,
Consideration,
Courtesy ,and
Control

For the racetrack
Be an inconsiderate, selfish determined backsârd

sunnysoutheast

everlast75 wrote: »

thought about doing an advanced course.. but the cost put me off. maybe they've come down in price since.

can't really say that nor being in an accident marks a good driver as sometimes it's badone luck and nor your fault.

no penalty points is a factor?

anticipation, patience and good manners are definitely part of it

I did a couple of defensive driving / advanced courses in the UK many years ago - we had to as we all had company cars and the loss rate was like something out of WWII. Would thoroughly recommend them if you can find a good one. Lots of observation, reading the situation, extrapolation, maintaining your safety margins, etc. Then a morning session at an airfield doing skidpan, extreme emergency stops and J-turns, the best bit by far.

I also did a few ADI lessons with a view to getting the licence, but it didn't give any insurance discount so I didn't pursue it.

Duke O Smiley

Eric Cartman wrote: »

can drive by emergency services vehicles without slowing down or braking for a look

...does not go into complete panic when they hear sirens also

dennyk

Car handling skills are really only a small part of the equation, assuming you're talking about driving on public roads and not running hot laps on a race track. I'd say some important factors that make a good driver are:

- Anticipation. Look well ahead, monitor your sides and your mirrors, learn to spot potential hazards, and pay attention to what's going on at all times and you can often see trouble coming long before it becomes a problem. And never try to do anything else while driving.
- Defensive driving. Drive with due care and be prepared and willing to do whatever it takes to avoid a dangerous situation if necessary. Don't try to force your right of way if someone else is drifting into your lane, running a red light, or failing to yield. The important thing is staying safe, not being "right." Be aware of road and traffic conditions and adjust accordingly. If you're passing a line of stopped traffic, slow down and be prepared for someone to enter your lane suddenly. If the road is wet, slow down. If you can't see what's around the bend, slow down. If you see people slowing or stopping ahead, slow down yourself in good time. If the guy in the next lane suddenly hits the brakes, slow down and prepare to stop; odds are he's seen some hazard that you haven't.
- Be decisive. Don't hesitate; if you begin a maneuver, finish it quickly and smoothly. Once you decide it's safe to move off, don't stop halfway out to reconsider. When merging into traffic, pick a suitable gap early and adjust your speed to merge into it without disrupting traffic or obstructing other drivers behind you. Hesitation and indecisiveness make you unpredictable, and that leads to accidents when other drivers fail to anticipate your actions.
- Remain calm and in control at all times. Don't tailgate, weave through traffic, speed excessively, or otherwise drive aggressively. If someone else does something wrong, don't let it get to you; just relax and let it go. Use your horn to warn others of your presence if necessary, but not to express anger. If someone is road raging at you, don't escalate the situation, just do what you safely can to get away from them. Never drive angry.

Tunage

Just basic smart driving. Sometimes I do wonder how some of my family and friends haven't had crashes.
Today, my friend was driving us to our nearest big town. I spotted an artic waiting to cross a narrow bridge (it needed to swing out on to our side of the road so as not to clip cars and buildings on his left)... only for I told her to stop at our end of the bridge, she'd have driven right across and totally blocked his way of getting out and causing a huge jam.

That makes me so MA, I'm even feeling a little big annoyed thinking about those moments of idiocy by other drivers. It's just common sense people!!!!!

Tunage

Just basic smart driving. Sometimes I do wonder how some of my family and friends haven't had crashes.
Today, my friend was driving us to our nearest big town. I spotted an artic waiting to cross a narrow bridge (it needed to swing out on to our side of the road so as not to clip cars and buildings on his left)... only for I told her to stop at our end of the bridge, she'd have driven right across and totally blocked his way of getting out and causing a huge jam.

That makes me so MAD, I'm even feeling a little big annoyed thinking about those moments of idiocy by other drivers. It's just common sense people!!!!!

monkeysnapper

I've had countless arguments with my wife over her lack of awareness and how easily distracted she is at the wheel .

And she will often ask me did I see something in town or did I see somebody that waved at me . I tell her I was watching where I was going .

I ride my cycle as much as I drive and in both instances I meet stupid people that seem to try to kill me, especially on bike . driving is defo a skill that not everyone is cut out to do .

I find middle aged women the worst .
On phone
Just stopping for no reason.
No indicator.
Double parking
Abandoning vehicle.

In all these instances 9/10 its a middle aged woman

colm_mcm

Observation and anticipation, planning manoeuvres,

Jesus.

Don't be an aggressive kunt and make allowances for other people.

anothernight

I did an advanced driving course taught in part by former and current police officers and there was huge emphasis on making good progress without ever causing any other driver to have to change speed or direction to avoid you. If someone was forced to slow down to accommodate you into the road, for example, that was considered a big no no because it meant you hadn't anticipated the conditions for your manoeuvre.

That was pretty much the core concept, but things like smooth driving for passenger comfort, efficiency (e.g., timing your deceleration on roundabouts to avoid unnecessary delays/stops), and constant awareness of everything around you (e.g., no signalling if there's no other road users) were of course important too. As was never ever hesitating. Hesitation means you're either not aware or not in full control of the car.

I did the course because my employer paid for it, but tbh I think I'd do it if I had to pay the full price too.

Tunage

I'd love to do an advanced driving course, I'd also love to do the snow/winter driving experience in the rally school to get a better idea of how to handle dodgy Irish roads that time of year better. I've never had a problem but it'd be great to be equipped with the knowledge.
Otherwise, people are thick as f when it comes to doing the 'common sense' things you mentioned above

ianobrien

For me there are three parts to being a good driver.

Firstly, it's actually knowing how to control the car in both low grip and extreme conditions (ice, snow, sand, gravel, etc). Related to this is knowing what to do with the controls if the grip suddenly disappears (aquaplaining, ice, etc) or if it steps out of line. Most people here have a default position of stamping on the brakes if "something goes wrong" which is nearly always the wrong thing to do.

Second is full awareness of what the other idiots on the road are doing at all times. Part of this is being able to anticipate the actions of the other idiots.

Third is to realise that everyone else thinks they are great drivers and to them, you are the bloody idiot.........


Ah no I'm not a good driver. My car control is above average from my time spent in motorsport but in terms of times & results, I can't drive a nail!

icv1111

icv1111 wrote: »

So you've passed your test, have 5 years experience of driving, know the ins and outs of rotr, know how to indicate correctly, use lanes, gears, progress, all that stuff down to a tee.

So in a more broader sense what makes somebody a "good" driver? beyond driving like you would during a driving test because that's all aimed at safety and economy.

You see so many people driving high spec cars, they may even classify themselves as car enthusiasts and have a passion for driving....but what exactly makes somebody a GOOD driver? How can you become a better driver?

Is it down to advanced driving courses?

What makes YOU a good driver?

Drive a motorbike, when you get back behind the wheel of a car you drive in a completely different manner looking out for different things.

I think since I started driving a bike my awareness when driving a car has improved 200% and I consider myself a very good car driver.

95% of car drivers on the road cant drive for ****.

I think confidence you get from years of experience helps, a confident driver is a safe driver imo.

XR3i

courtesy makes a good driver

visual

360 degree awareness, obversation, ability to read the road, spot hazards and anticipate what other road users may do.

A lot of this comes down to experience and one thing you learn with experience is everyone makes mistakes including yourself.

Above all remain calm avoiding road rage.
Always be in control of car. Distractions varying road conditions corning sharply because of unexpected bend are symptoms of not being in control. Driving at speed of your and cars ability.
That doesn't mean driving slow there are times you can go quickly and others where conditions or hazzards will dictate speed.

Accidents aren't something that unfortunately happen for no reason they happen because one or both drivers wasnt in control, paying attention
or made a error of judgement.

CIP4

I think the big things are awareness of what all the cars around you are doing. Being able to quickly adapt to the road and weather conditions. As well as being patient and not losing the rag when someone makes a mistake we all make mistakes and driving is so much more of a plesent experience when there isn't people driving along on their high horse just looking for a reason any reason to blow their horn. To me it should only be blown in order to make an other road user aware of your presence for safety reasons.

How many of you can honestly say you physically turn your head and actually look in your blind spot every time before turning left or right or overtaking? I know I didnt

Cyclists I think aswell are actually forcing people to be better drivers, so many of them about now.

The Backwards Man

A good driver is a driver that learns something every day of their life that they spend on the road.

Canadel

Knowing that you're only as good a driver as the worst driver on the road.

Good manual dexterity (for texting), good observation (speed vans), and good self-control (to wake yoursef when resting your eyes on longer drives).

Having spatial awareness is important (for bullying your way into gaps in traffic) and also being knowledgeable and familiar with your cars capabilities (for speeding up to close gaps on merging traffic). Anticipating other drivers actions and remaining calm (when people brake check you for tailgating) are good traits too.

An eye for detail (for checking Mondeo bumpers and dashes to see if they're an unmarked before gesturing that they're a wanker, etc) goes a long way, too.

XR3i

anyone who can reverse an artic with two trailers is a good driver

freddieot

A rule given to me many years ago when I was leaning :-

A good driver is the one you don't notice that much, you never have to brake because of something he is doing, you don't have to move or swerve to avoid him, you don't have to suddenly speed up or slow down because of him. Pieces are not falling off his car.

IF your driving falls into this category then you might be a good driver.

I've always found this a good one to go by. It's not speed or technique dependant, just based on common sense and courtesy.

Example : A Ferrari doing 180/200 on the M1 at 6am never bothers me when I'm doing 120, as long as he does nothing to interfere with me. It's the idiot that slides over just in front of me without indicating and going 1kph faster (then shortly after 10kph slower) that is far more of a danger and unfortunately the road is full of them.

duffman3833

i think common sense and awareness are the 2 good points to make you a good driver. Now, no one is perfect but common sense really will get you far. There is a bridge near me where you need to stop to let cars through as it will only fit 1 lane of traffic, its in a town and traffic does get backed up due to schools. What happens is there is a queue right back to that bridge yet some people going to opposite direction stop to let on coming traffic through the bridge and then block the bridge as there is a traffic jam. The people who they are letting through the bridge cant see that the traffic is jammed until they pretty much through it. It nice that the driver stopped to allow cars through but never thought that there was traffic jam and allowing these cars through would block bridge. All that was needed was common sense.

Pinch Flat

Can reverse around a corner :rolleyes:

NiallBoo

Eric Cartman wrote: »

doesn't need a towbar as a "reversing sensor"

Nonsense! Parking is a full-contact sport -everyone knows that.

HandsomeDan

Owning a BMW.

Caliden

Someone who can suppress the ego whenever they encounter a ****e driver and take the moral high ground.

fancy pigeon

HandsomeDan wrote: »

Owning a BMW.

Who can use indicators

NiallBoo

fancy pigeon wrote: »

HandsomeDan wrote: »

Owning a BMW.

Who can use indicators

As the joke goes:

"If you ever feel like your job is pointless, just remember there's someone out there who spends their days installing indicators on BMWs"

frozenfrozen

when you want to cancel it you end up indicating in the opposite direction sometimes with bmw stalks, people probably just have that happen once and then give up using them forever more

fancy pigeon

frozenfrozen wrote: »

when you want to cancel it you end up indicating in the opposite direction sometimes with bmw stalks, people probably just have that happen once and then give up using them forever more

No excuse if you're in an E46/E39 and below

icv1111

Elisha Gentle Shin wrote: »

Drive a motorbike, when you get back behind the wheel of a car you drive in a completely different manner looking out for different things.

I think since I started driving a bike my awareness when driving a car has improved 200% and I consider myself a very good car driver.

95% of car drivers on the road cant drive for ****.

I think confidence you get from years of experience helps, a confident driver is a safe driver imo.

This is kind of how I felt after getting my rigid licence. Taught me to be so much more aware and how to be a better driver. alI also now share the same sentiment that 95% of drivers haven't a clue, ESPECIALLY when it comes to trucks.

I'd like to think I'm a good driver, but I don't think I'm amazing.

frozenfrozen

fancy pigeon wrote: »

No excuse if you're in an E46/E39 and below

yes I take it back, I drove an E46 recently for the first time and the stalks did in fact work as god intended. However this particular car had absolutely no feeling when slotting into any gear, highly worrying feeling. No doubt I would some day shift from 5th into second

A nice indicator feel I've experienced was a 2007 toyota avensis luna(doubt the spec levels change the stalks but maybe). Smooth but deliberate action and when you click it off it returns and stops instantly and doesn't ever do a half click. I'd say if we had enough data on cars which don't indicate we could figure out which manufacturer makes the nicest feeling / most ergonomic / tactile indicator stalks

Worst indicator feel - every motorbike ever made. I swear one day I will make a premium feeling indicator upgrade for bikes with buttons from a mechanical keyboard or the fantastic little thumb joysticks you find on old video analogue equipment with the really satisfying smooth push back to centre.

I think I've discovered that I want to work as an automotive-ergonomic-tactile-ifier specialising in indicators

jimgoose

What makes a good driver? Jaysis. Many things. A certain mechanical empathy, i.e. a "feel" for cars and what they're doing, certainly helps. An interest in the task at hand and giving it your full attention does too. Strive to be aware of everything around you, using all the tools at your disposal. People who have never heard of the nearside mirror, nota bene. Use this information to anticipate what's going to happen, and slide around it as if that was going to happen naturally. This takes a lot of practice and experience, of course. If possible, spend a couple of years on motorbikes and, ideally, large trucks. The roadcraft and street-savvy you particularly get from bikes will make you a better driver of everything from wheelbarrows to aircraft carriers until the end of your days. And advanced courses like the ADI Program or similar don't do any harm either. And remember, every day is a school-day.

NiallBoo

icv1111 wrote: »

This is kind of how I felt after getting my rigid licence. Taught me to be so much more aware and how to be a better driver. alI also now share the same sentiment that 95% of drivers haven't a clue, ESPECIALLY when it comes to trucks.
.

What kind of stuff do you have in mind?

corks finest

icv1111 wrote: »

So you've passed your test, have 5 years experience of driving, know the ins and outs of rotr, know how to indicate correctly, use lanes, gears, progress, all that stuff down to a tee.

So in a more broader sense what makes somebody a "good" driver? beyond driving like you would during a driving test because that's all aimed at safety and economy.

You see so many people driving high spec cars, they may even classify themselves as car enthusiasts and have a passion for driving....but what exactly makes somebody a GOOD driver? How can you become a better driver?

Is it down to advanced driving courses?

What makes YOU a good driver?

Constantly aware of my young son in the car with me,,,,but I'm a langer sometimes aswell,concentration goes,,bit glad it's rare

jimgoose

NiallBoo wrote: »

What kind of stuff do you have in mind?

At an educated guess, I would say that driving a HGV develops heightened observation and anticipation, much as do powerful motorcycles. The difference between an artic and a Fireblade is if you get it wrong with the latter, you're pizza. Get it wrong with the former, half the town is pizza.

Notch000

I'd call myself a good driver based on the folowing:

• I am a motorist
• I'm a Motorcyclest
• I'm a cyclist
• I'm a pedesterian
• I'm expereinces driving farm machinery
• I commute everyday in heavy city traffic
• I driven round Europe (12,000km trip), USA, pacifiic area
• I can reverse a trailer.
• I've done trackdays/rally cross/drifiing/off roading
• 100% sweeky clean liscence after 15yrs
• I can do most of my own maintances
• Ive also had an accident suficently serious enough to make me aware of my own mortality

Hal1

Anyone who doesn't rely on parking sensors or reversing camera's. Mainly post 2009 cars. I'm gonna get a lashing for this but I don't care :P.

robbiew

Being able to cook a roast dinner, while driving in the overtaking lane on a motorway without spilling anything..

ScumLord

I don't know about these tips. Many of them seem to be simply, how to not be incompetent behind a wheel. A good driver needs knowledge and experience. Knowledge like knowing about car balance, how the different states of the car affect its ability to brake, accelerate and corner and the experience from applying that knowledge.

There are so many people on the road now that assume slow means safe, then go onto look out their side window at what's happening in the fields, or engrossed in conversation with their passenger, and the list goes on. Driving should completely consume your attention, and following one piece of sage advice just doesn't cut it. There is no one piece of advice that will make you a better driver. Driving technique isn't as intuitive as people like to think it is and most people don't find that out until they're in an emergency situation and do all the wrong things.