Eric Thompson: Bad drivers should learn from the pros

Drivers should have compulsory training. Photo / Steven McNicholl

For the most part, and I know the exception breaks the rule, we all take it for granted that we know how to drive.

I have mentioned on more than one occasion how appalling the driving standards of New Zealanders are and this was reiterated by the tragedy over the weekend.

As reported in the Herald on Sunday, "a car rocketed through a barrier like a Scud missile plunging into the Manawatu Gorge". The unfortunate driver was found 20m from the submerged car.

If that wasn't bad enough, a teenager was injured when he was about to turn into a driveway where he was collected by another car coming the other way. So far that's two driver errors resulting in serious accidents and yet there's more.

A passenger in a car being driven through Tauranga received serious injuries when the vehicle he was in decided to take on a power pole.

Next up, we have a motorcyclist who threw his Harley-Davidson down the road, suffering chest injuries and a few broken bones.

Some people will say speed was the cause of these accidents but I say no. Speed may have been a factor but, bar mechanical issues, all these accidents were the result of driver error.

And if they were in fact speeding, that's the biggest driver error of them all.

Even at legal speeds, poor car or bike control will result in pain, injury and, God forbid, death. Therefore, I still can't understand why we, as a nation, do not have compulsory driver training before anyone is let loose on public roads.

New Zealand has a high percentage of folk who love to watch motorsport but a fair amount of the country think race-car drivers are just hoons who are a waste of time and driving cars around a race track is a boy thing. Well, those who think that couldn't be further from the truth.

I can't remember the last time I heard of a race-car driver who was the cause of an accident or, for that matter, involved in an accident on a public road. Sure, Lewis Hamilton got his knuckles rapped in Australia for lighting up the tyres but I'll tell you what, his car control would have been sublime. Unlike the bozo boy racers who afflict a number of our city streets.

The reason motor racers don't have accidents is they understand the dynamics of a car, its limits as to what it can and cannot do, and how to drive properly.

Kiwi Australian V8 Supercar driver Jason Richards sums it up well.

"Vision is important. To catch a ball, you've got to be looking at the ball. It's the same in a car.

"You've got to be looking where you want to go, not where you've been." Also it's not a good idea to be looking at your mobile phone, the food you're about to eat and a new radio station while driving.

"A big problem is people go into corners too fast and try and slow down through the corner, upsetting the balance of the car. Always remember the old adage: slow in, fast out - within the speed limit of course.

"If you're slow into a corner, it allows for a safety margin if something goes wrong.

"The problem of going into a corner too fast, which most drivers do, is the car will veer out over the medium strip and into oncoming traffic. Not a good place to be."

It's not rocket science, is it? And that's from a race-car driver and he should know.

Car control isn't only about the steering, brakes and acceleration; it's also about where the weight is at any given time.

Being smooth means weight is moved smoothly. Jerky or sudden changes in direction cause the weight to move too quickly and the car will break traction and go into a slide or skid, causing all sorts of problems.

So, there you have it, from a bloke who makes his living out of driving. The key things are to anticipate, to be aware of your surroundings, give yourself room and to be smooth. And don't have an ego while driving.

As far as I'm concerned, race-car drivers are the best of the best when it comes to learning about driver skills and every man, woman and child should go to a track day and learn how to drive from the professionals.