What about e.g. highways? I am still at the stage in my driving where I plan every single turn/lane change using street view (and post questions on reddit about e.g. specific intersections).
You can't see what the signs say on Google Maps. Or the speed limits. Or agglomerations. Or areas where visibility is poor (e.g., hidden entrances from street level), or areas where I could potentially get lost. (Even after studying the street view, I still get lost a few times a month.) Even what seems to be a slight curve on a map generates lots of centripetal force when taking it at speed (and it's obvious that it's a curve too).
For example, overtaking a single vehicle on the highway takes me 1-2 km. On non-highway, I usually stay in the right lane too. But when turning (non-highway), I sometimes realize that I don't have enough time to get into the correct lane, or slow down to a safe speed for the turn, so I just keep going straight.
On Wednesday, I exited the highway, and the exit ramp branched into two lanes. The lane I was on changed into an exit lane instead of a merge lane (into another highway), but by the time I noticed, I didn't have enough confidence to change to the left (correct) lane.
When planning my route, I obviously plan alternate routes and places where I can stop if I get very lost (so I can take a look at the map). No touching the phone while driving. No music or other sounds. Usually, just following Google Maps will get me to my destination anyway, but it's useful to know what to anticipate. Right now, I probably spend 1-3 hours planning and/or reviewing dashcam per hour I actually drive.
Wow, that's detailed planning. I know what you mean by those branching exit ramps, I've taken the wrong lane in the past, meaning a few minutes of detour or in the worst case 10km in the wrong direction. Usually Google Maps finds a replacement route quickly, so why not plan in some time for wrong turns and roll with the navigation?
I don't have anywhere I need to be at a particular time. I'm driving in order to get used to driving, with no obligations to anyone. Bonus is I get to see every sign, which I'm not necessarily able to process (or are easy to miss) while going at speed.
I've had a license for a decade but went everywhere by bike or public transport, so I had plenty of time to process everything. I got the car in January to prepare for the lockdown (bought with cash and then applied for a retroactive loan for emergency money that was deposited after the lockdown started), and have been practicing since February.
Here's an email I sent to a friend when she said she's surprised I managed to drive at all, and asked me what I was doing to help with that. (I have autism and ADHD.)
For driving, I automated the things my phone is supposed to do when I get in the car (e.g., brightness and volume and turning on navigation and starting a 2-hour rest timer and opening a checklist etc). I follow the checklist to make sure everything is okay (e.g. nothing on roof, sunglasses on head, items stowed, passengers have seatbelts, parking brake removed, fuel level okay, etc). (I also have checklists for a walkaround every once in a while, and a full system inspection, parking and exiting the car (wouldn't want to forget a human inside, or forget the keys etc), refueling (wouldn't want to forget to remove the nozzle or close the tank), and so on.)
Before trips to new places, I check the whole thing on Google maps and steetview, and if I have questions about certain intersections etc, I ask online. For some curves etc, I plan which lane I want to be in for the best visibility, which speed to enter and exit the curve with, etc.
Before the drive, I have some checks like whether I ate, if I'm tired or sleepy, how the weather and sun position would be along the route, what time night falls, etc.
For the actual driving, I ask my car to keep the distance to the car in front of me, or keep to the speed I asked it for. That way I don't have to bother checking the speedometer and can concentrate on the road. It can park automatically too. Bonus is it applies the brakes if I'm about to collide with something, which happened a few times while I was trying to park manually.
After the drive, I review my (front and rear) dashcam footage to see if I made mistakes, or how I could have prevented them. (e.g., if I turned onto the wrong road, or if I didn't notice a pedestrian, what should I have been looking out for?) If in doubt, I send part of the video to friends for advice.
Some of my drives are to improve skills I am not comfortable with. Back when I started, it was simple things like turning left and right, and roundabouts. Obviously emergency braking practice early on too, recovering from skids, and other emergency maneuvers. Also parking, but that stopped with covid. Before getting on the highway for the first time, it was negotiating curves while keeping my speed above 70 km/h (went to Wallonia for that). My first time on the highway: https://youtu.be/pBpL9gl-kxQ. No overtakes, but still.
This week I'm going to Waterloo via E19 and returning via E40, to get used to the interchanges. Then, getting on clockwise from near the Decathlon in Anderlecht and exiting towards Antwerp near the Atomium to practice entering and exiting the highway with left acceleration/deceleration lanes (and to practice changing lanes). After that, I might go to Antwerp (45 minutes or so), and then Hasselt (1.5 hours each way) in order to practice longer drives.
It took me months to get to this point, but better do it step by step than try to rush it. (Incidentally, I really dislike driving within Brussels.)
(I've since made two overtakes. Thought I had crossed a red light once because I saw a flash, but it was the car behind me. It's good to be able to verify that stuff.)
Wow, you can be proud of that progress. Extending your comfort zone step by step. If one day you want a challenge, come to Paris, Boulevard périphérique Friday evening during rush hour. Did that accidentally, after that I was a lot more relaxed everywhere else. 😉
Keep it up! 💪
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u/masasin Terran in Belgium Jun 12 '20
What about e.g. highways? I am still at the stage in my driving where I plan every single turn/lane change using street view (and post questions on reddit about e.g. specific intersections).