Terrence
Elio Addict
I get really distracted every time I see your dogs x-ray. For those that haven't read your story, they must really get confused.
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Too Many Conveniences Lead To Distracted Driving?
- Thread starter Jeff Miller
- Start date
wheaters
Elio Addict
I've just begun teaching my teenaged daughter to drive. She had her second lesson yesterday, around a nearby industrial estate, where there is very little traffic outside business hours. The car is very basic. It has a manual gear change and no power steering. I want her to learn the hard way so that in future she will find driving easier. By coincidence, the car is a 14 year old Suzuki Swift, powered by the same little 993cc engine as the Elio prototypes.
When she can master the basics of car control, she will have some lessons with a professional driving instructor, who will teach her how to pass the test. She doesn't know it yet, but she will later move on to do some off-road driving in my Liege, which will give her some experience in more advanced techniques in adverse, slippery conditions. Then, after she has passed her driving test, before she is allowed on the motorway, I will take her out and teach her how to deal with that.
I first learned how to ride a stripped down BSA Bantam motorcycle in a muddy field, then later learned how to drive on a little Ferguson tractor and an old Austin van. By the time I was old enough to drive on the road, I knew about car control and found it relatively straightforward. I never had an official lesson but passed my test first time.
When she can master the basics of car control, she will have some lessons with a professional driving instructor, who will teach her how to pass the test. She doesn't know it yet, but she will later move on to do some off-road driving in my Liege, which will give her some experience in more advanced techniques in adverse, slippery conditions. Then, after she has passed her driving test, before she is allowed on the motorway, I will take her out and teach her how to deal with that.
I first learned how to ride a stripped down BSA Bantam motorcycle in a muddy field, then later learned how to drive on a little Ferguson tractor and an old Austin van. By the time I was old enough to drive on the road, I knew about car control and found it relatively straightforward. I never had an official lesson but passed my test first time.
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NSTG8R
Elio Addict
I get really distracted every time I see your dogs x-ray. For those that haven't read your story, they must really get confused.
Having a cold one....you're doing it wrong!
cleverwise
Elio Aficionado
Oh yeah?
iOS:
Siri, how do I install common sense into the drivers around me?
Android:
Google, how do I install common sense into the drivers around me?
Answer: I leave it open for the response. Have fun...
I agree with you about driving is my job behind the when I'm behind the wheel. Although, I'm a little more moderate as far as radio or whatever on. I use that to keep me alert, without that I would be more dangerous on the road. I have developed the ability to "switch my ears off" when my attention is needed completely on the highway. My cell phone is a dumb phone and is used mostly for those quick or emergency calls (like at grocery stores, "Was that vegetable oil or canola?") so rarely does it come on while I drive and I never text, even when I'm not driving. I'm completely with you on the gps. If I'm not sure of my route I check maps.google on line or the hard copy road atlas. My brother is way on the other side of that, he doesn't check before he hits the road. He relies on his GPS and has had interesting adventures, getting to see parts of the country he hadn't intended to see!
LOL! Modern technology at its best! Give me a good ol' Rand McNally map and we'll see who gets their first!
Truett Collins
Elio Addict
AMEN
zelio
Elio Addict
That actually sounds kind of fun. At least as long as you have the time and the money to afford the experience.
Z
RKing
Elio Addict
Way too many distractions now. I have different levels of tollerable distractions. 275 Beltway at 5PM , don't talk to me and turn the radio off! Between Omaha and Yellostone... pass me the chips and turn up the tunes, if you hear me snoring Wake Me Up
This is a personal opinion and probably not real popular, but I think car makers putting the video monitor in the dash are nutts. I used to hate the change to the little buttons on the radio. AC ect. I had to glance down to find it rather than reach over and know what I had by touch. Now we have touch screen, really bad idea in my mind. Yes tech coustomers love it but for a driver that should be focused on driving????
THe drivers eyes/ attention must stay on the job at hand. The car tends to move toward the object of our attention. If you ride a bike, remember "look wher you want to go not what you want to miss"? That applies to cars too ,look down to that thing in the dash and start fiddlin with it and the car starts to rift to the right. Look at the yard sale stuff on the left and suddenly your in the wrong lane. Look at your phone to dial or see who ia calling and ...oops.
I taught both my kids to drive a car as if it was a bike, and both now have motocycle endorsements and passed the MSF course. They don't always stay as focused as I'd like but way better than the norm now. They also learned without ABS or Trac control, those functions are handled by the driver. They both know how to control a skid and recover as well as how to avoid, because they have done it under controled circumstances. That tech. will always be with them, regardless what they are driving.
As far as GPS, I'll pass , give me a map please. No map no trip (unless I want to just get lost for a while). My son uses his smart phone, funny when he tells me we are 10 miles out when pulling into the hotel parking lot. Really happened, and enough other similar tlo make me just not trust the things. Garmin takes folks all arround our skeet range but they have to call to actually get directions that work. Batteries never die in the Rand Mac either.
This is a personal opinion and probably not real popular, but I think car makers putting the video monitor in the dash are nutts. I used to hate the change to the little buttons on the radio. AC ect. I had to glance down to find it rather than reach over and know what I had by touch. Now we have touch screen, really bad idea in my mind. Yes tech coustomers love it but for a driver that should be focused on driving????
THe drivers eyes/ attention must stay on the job at hand. The car tends to move toward the object of our attention. If you ride a bike, remember "look wher you want to go not what you want to miss"? That applies to cars too ,look down to that thing in the dash and start fiddlin with it and the car starts to rift to the right. Look at the yard sale stuff on the left and suddenly your in the wrong lane. Look at your phone to dial or see who ia calling and ...oops.
I taught both my kids to drive a car as if it was a bike, and both now have motocycle endorsements and passed the MSF course. They don't always stay as focused as I'd like but way better than the norm now. They also learned without ABS or Trac control, those functions are handled by the driver. They both know how to control a skid and recover as well as how to avoid, because they have done it under controled circumstances. That tech. will always be with them, regardless what they are driving.
As far as GPS, I'll pass , give me a map please. No map no trip (unless I want to just get lost for a while). My son uses his smart phone, funny when he tells me we are 10 miles out when pulling into the hotel parking lot. Really happened, and enough other similar tlo make me just not trust the things. Garmin takes folks all arround our skeet range but they have to call to actually get directions that work. Batteries never die in the Rand Mac either.
tazairforce
Elio Addict
Your right about using a paper Rand Mc. paper map. I carry one in the trunk on the Wing.
My problem with Google Map Directions is I know very well how to get out of my home town. Ten lines to go 5 miles. I use the map to start planning a trip at about 100 miles out and see how to go from there.
I have two GPS units and leave them at home. I have tried to us them but I Don't like some voice (grating female) Harping at me for missing a turn. I don't need nor want that. When I'm on the road, I'm Free until Monday morning @ 8:30 am and do as I Dam well please. Wheather it's a 3 day 6/7 hundred mile trip or a two week 6,600 mile trip. My paper map has gotten me there and back with out a problem.
'Before you leave on a trip, look at the map, plan ahead for 100/200 miles, stop, take a break, repeat…'
Yep!! has worked every time.