Driving Promotion
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STEERING
techniques
The most important part of your drive.
Steering is all about clear, decisive inputs, and learning to
read the sensations that come
back to you through your fingers, hands, and even the seat of
your pants. Communication between car and driver is at its clearest
and most direct here, and slicing through bend after bend can
be huge joy in almost any car, at any speed. We hope you will
take a few of these useful techniques with you on your next drive.
fundamentals
As with most other things, it is always good to go over some
of the basics. First, is your driving position comfortable? Can
you operate the steering wheel, as well as the pedals or shifter,
without over-stretching or shifting in your seat? A comfortable
driving position reduces fatigue in your arms and back, which
keeps you sharper, longer. It gives your body more support during
hard cornering. Most importantly, it makes your inputs smoother
and more accurate, and you'll find a more flowing rhythm that
will make your drive even more rewarding.
Use two hands to steer. Steering using only
one hand gives you less control over your vehicle during hard
driving. Keep your hand off the shifter, except to shift; some
drivers leave one palm glued to the shifter all the times - even
during very hard cornering! Having both hands on the wheel gives
you the most complete picture of what the front tyres are doing.
You will also be better prepared to make instant steering inputs
or adjustments, and your driving will be smoother.
Don't grip the wheel too tightly. It should
be firm enough so that you always have control, but relaxed enough
to allow feedback from the front tyres to register through your
fingers and hands. Think of your grip on the wheel as setting
the atmosphere for a two-way dialogue. Good two-way communication
builds trust and confidence, which leads to a more enjoyable (rather
than scary) drive. You will get a better sense of how much grip
you have left during cornering, braking or even accelerating,
and you will flow over the road more quickly.
Never hang on to the wheel to support your body while
cornering. You will lose precious information about what
the front end is up to, and give up too much steering control.
If you are belted in, and your seating position is good, then
you should be able to stay planted during hard braking and cornering.
The most effective steering technique is definitely this:
be as smooth and efficient as possible. Plan your cornering
lines well in advance, so you can keep mid-corner steering adjustments
to a minimum. You will have less work to do at the wheel, more
stability and grip to work with, and keep your tyres fresher,
longer. All of this makes for incredibly fluid, devastatingly
rapid progress - and happy passengers.
cornering
When you are charging hard around a bend, you need have full
command over your steering; if you start to go off your intended
cornering line, anything less than full commitment to the task
at hand could have your ploughing through farmer's field. Possibly
backward. Avoid hard braking or accelerating as you're travelling
through the bend, as it severely compromises your available cornering
grip. Avoid changing gears in mid-corner; during hard driving
- or any driving for that matter - always enter a bend
in the gear you need in order to accelerate out
the corner. If you know you will need second gear to power out
of a tight corner, make sure you are in second gear
before you start to turn in.
When turning into a bend, feed in the steering firmly
and progressively. Yanking the steering wheel too hard
will have the front tyres struggling to regain grip as they try
to cope with the sudden change in direction (this is also very
dangerous in the wet). If you need to turn in quickly, then turn
in quickly, but always in a smooth-as-possible manner. Your car
will have more grip going into a corner, and you will travel through
it noticeably faster. Some of you will actually begin to feel
the front tyres and suspension load
up on turn-in, as they begin to shoulder the brunt of the
cornering forces - it is an amazing sensation to pick up through
the steering!
As you travel through a bend, look as far around it as
you can, and beyond; look at where you want to the car
to end up. You will make fewer steering corrections, your line
will be smoother, and your car will be faster as your exit. As
you come out of the bend and the road begins to straighten, continue
to keep your eye on the road ahead as you gradually feed in the
power. This will help you to coolly unwind the steering, and bring
the car out very smoothly.
For those of you who are new to these techniques,
practising them will give you more speed and control, and every
drive will become an even more satisfying and rewarding experience.
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