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Part 1 of this series, in the March 2004 issue, contained an overview of the complete System of Car Control as described in Roadcraft. We now shift the focus to each phase in turn. This article concentrates on the first of the five phases, Information. Roadcraft has useful advice in Chapter 2, The System, Chapter 3, Observation, and Chapter 6, Driver's Signals.
Continuous assessment of information runs through all phases of the System. It is the key to all the other actions we take when driving. At all times know what is going on around you, and let other road users know what you intend to do. Taking, using and giving this information is essential before you change speed or direction.
Taking Information
A driver needs to take in information all the time whilst driving. Most crashes are caused by driver error, and a large proportion of those are due to incomplete information, including lack of concentration. Many drivers look but do not see, and many confine their information to the view immediately in front of their vehicle - usually the back of the car in front.
As a driver, you must take in information using all your senses – sight, hearing, smell and sometimes feel. Sight is the most important. You need to set up a scan pattern with the following elements:
· Look in front to the far distance, the middle ground and the area immediately ahead;
· Look to the sides, using your peripheral vision and looking over the shoulder when necessary;
· Look in your central, nearside and offside mirrors as you approach hazards;
· Include the car instruments, especially the speedometer, in your scan as required.
That might seem a lot to take in, but advanced drivers learn to prioritise the vision areas according to the circumstances. For example, on a motorway journey the view will mainly be in front of the car, varying from the immediate view to as far ahead as you can see, with occasional glances in the mirrors and at the instruments. On a busy urban road you might be looking mainly around the car, including frequent over-the-shoulder and mirror checks.
Sound can be a useful information source. At a junction with restricted view, you should open both front windows all the way down and listen for approaching traffic. Smell can also be used: the smell of newly-mown grass on a rural road should alert you to the possibility of a slow-moving tractor, probably hidden round a bend.
Use observation links – clues that help you anticipate road and traffic conditions and the likely behaviour of other road users. Observation links will be the subject of a separate article in One Way.
Using Information
Taking is information is only part of the process – you then need to use it. Advanced drivers learn to prioritise the information and discard the least relevant items, to form a driving plan. You then need to modify the driving plan as the information changes. Be prepared for the unexpected, and for other drivers to make mistakes. Advanced drivers constantly ask themselves ‘What if ...?’, to be able to plan for the worst case. It's no use being in the right if it results in a collision – ‘the other driver’s fault, but your accident’ is no consolation at all.
Giving Information
You give information to other drivers to indicate your presence and your intentions. Methods of doing this include:
· Using your direction indicators to warn of your intended course. In addition to simple turns and lane changes, use your indicators on roundabouts to tell other traffic where you intend to go. Switch off your indicator manually if it doesn't self-cancel after you have finished with it.
· Flashing your headlights or sounding your horn to warn of your presence. Headlights and horn should never be used as a rebuke or to signal other vehicles to take priority.
· Using hand signals. Because they are now rarely used, they are noticed more when you do use them. A slowing-down arm signal can be useful when you are stopping for pedestrians at a zebra crossing, and a right-turn arm signal can reinforce your direction indicator when traffic and road layout could make your intentions unclear. Don't forget courtesy signals: a raised hand to thank another driver for letting you go first, or to apologise if you have caused inconvenience, can defuse a potential conflict situation and can contribute to road safety.
· Using the position of your vehicle to indicate intention. Some drivers approach close behind a vehicle parked on the left and then use a direction indicator signal before pulling out to pass it. That can cause confusion if there is a side turning on the right just ahead. The advanced driver will position his/her vehicle towards the centre of the road well before the parked vehicle, and drive past without needing to indicate.
Roadcraft emphasises that you should give a signal only when another road user will benefit from it.
Potential problems
Several things can interfere with your ability to take, use and give information whilst driving. These include:
· Distractions caused by things in your vehicle, such as passengers, radio/tape player, mobile phone, etc.
· Distractions from external sources, especially fixation on a developing incident or something unusual to the exclusion of other information sources.
· Lack of concentration caused by fatigue, not feeling well, or preoccupation with matters not related to the task in hand.
If you sense that your concentration is drifting, you can regain it by doing a detailed commentary on the driving situation.