How to Be a Better Driver with These Cornering Tips
When the weather is warm and the sun shining, there is no better feeling than going for a pleasant drive in the countryside. The fresh air and scenery certainly beat the normal daily commute and if you are keen driver you can enjoy the performance of your car within the legal limits on relatively uncongested roads.
UK roads in the country are tight, so when a curve comes up there is a phenomenon called the tightening radius bend. This condition is a danger for drivers, and is a leading cause of accidents. When you go around a corner the radius is the same as when you began to turn, so you don’t have to adjust the wheel. On a curve in the country the bends are different, which means you have to adjust the wheel the further you go.
A good illustration of this is when a car crashes because the driver did not properly reduce their speed or consider that the curve may change as the bend continues. Often times a corner will change in the bend, tightening and thus requiring a lower speed.
To try and stay on the road, the driver may change the wheel or steering lock, and unfortunately the speed is usually too much. This causes the car to be under steered. The driver may fight this feeling by hitting the brakes, which will worsen the condition. In this situation the vehicle will hit traffic coming down the other lane or it may wind up in a ditch.
The countryside offers another challenge to drivers, especially in the summer. Since the bends can be quite tight it can be difficult to see the changes in the road. In the summer hedges, bushes, or trees can also obscure the curve. A driver can easily be caught by a sudden corner.
If you want to avoid being a statistic you will want to use visual cues. Before entering a curve make sure you are going the proper speed by braking or if need be changing the gears.
When you cannot view the curve check for telephone poles or light posts, which can signify a change in the road is about to occur. When driving at night using an oncoming cars light beams can work as a guide. You want to enter any bend at a speed you can safely stop with to ensure you do not unbalance your vehicle.
Once the bend starts to open out again and you can see clearly ahead you can begin to accelerate. Remember driving in the countryside holds other hazards for unsuspecting drivers, like slippery mud on the road, slow moving tractors and errant livestock. So always think “what if” when deciding on the appropriate speed for a bend.
If you want to make good progress when motoring along country roads at night you are going to need very good headlights to cut through the darkness. Upgrade headlight bulbs like the Osram Nightbreaker range will improve the light output from your headlights and are completely road legal.
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