Car Control Driving
Car control driving courses provide a refresher of defensive driving courses, for those who need a reminder. The specifics of this course will depend on who provides it, but courses are usually organized as follows:
- Classroom sessions
- Behind the wheel exercises
- Time spent driving on a road course to test your abilities
- One-on-one training in small groups
- Skid control and recovery training
The focus will be on increasing your ability to operate your vehicle safely by improving your understanding of how a car operates. Once you understand why a car behaves a certain way, you can better make it work for you.
Many different topics should be covered in your course. For example, a car control driving course should cover mirror positioning and vision training, to help you efficiently orient yourself to conditions on the road. By taking this training, you should reduce the chances that you get into a blind spot accident by, for example, trying to change lanes when someone behind you is in the blind spot.
Other topics covered include driver psychology, which can help you understand the decisions you are likely to make when behind the wheel. You can also gain insight into the psychology of other motorists and anticipate their actions, all of which should improve your safety out on the road.
Excellent Steering is a Focus
Perhaps no skill is as critical as steering, and a car control driving course should help you understand how to steer effectively. When your comfort level improves, you should dramatically decrease your chances of getting into a rollover or other accident. For example, you will probably cover:
- Understanding tires and how they grip the road
- How to recognize when you are at the limit of grip
- How to handle the vehicle at the limit
- Oversteering—turning the steering wheel too far and too quickly
- Understeering—turning the steering wheel too slowly and not far enough
Some courses will also help drivers learn how to drive in reverse, which could be a skill that will come in handy.
Don’t Forget Braking
Being able to stop your car is also another skill you will need to develop. Advanced driving lessons help participants effectively brake, including:
- Braking as part of a turn
- Panic braking
- J-turn braking
- 30% braking
Car control driving lessons should also address skid control and braking, but at an advanced level. These lessons will make a wonderful supplement to your introduction to these topics in a defensive driving course and should allow you to retain control of your vehicle when stopping in all kinds of inclement weather.
Check if You Need to Use Your Own Vehicle
This requirement varies. Unlike performance driving, there should be less wear and tear on your vehicle with car control driving. In fact, you will probably benefit by using your own car. Since the goal is to improve your ability to understand how a vehicle operates, you will gain the most if you are in a vehicle you operate regularly.