Driving in Japan

from - www.bootsnall.com

To drive or not to drive? A good question when it comes to considering a visit to Japan. Why bother? Japan is renowned the world over for its public transport efficiency. Shinkansen (or Bullet Trains as we know them in the west) blaze a triumphant trail between major cities, a celebration of what trains can and should be. Cities lay prostrate before us with an all access network of commuter transport, where platforms shine and trains don’t like to keep punters waiting more than a minute or two. This and more, brought to the traveler by a customer service so humble and attentive that one might be so ridden with guilt as to fall to ones knees with the plaintive cry, I’m not worthy!
Yes, Japan’s public transport system is a remarkable achievement in logistics and engineering which, being from the UK, leaves me hanging my head in shame at the thought of hapless Japanese tourists trying to negotiate their way through the myriad of a inefficiencies that blight the transport in my homeland.
So why drive? Well, the truth is that the road reigns king here just as it does the modern world over. Sometime we have no choice but to drive. Some of us may even like driving. Whatever the reason, the number of cars on the road here in Japan indicates that no matter the public transport efficiency, people drive.
I surf, therefore I drive. I’m not keen on it but my decision to do so is purely utilitarian. Living in Tokyo and surfing the Pacific facing beaches to the east in Chiba really requires a car. 6Ft worth of surfboard and a heavy wet suit don’t go down well with the commuters. So it is that I offer up some reflections on the challenges that face the driver when trying to negotiate a way out of the worlds largest urban area. Challenges that may not be found in your standard drivers handbook.
Cyclists
Not Lycra clad, Tour De France contenders with thighs like tree trunks. I’m talking about regular two wheeled commuters riding bikes that, back home, would have seen the onset of endless torment at the hands of local bullies. But, the Japanese place their shame elsewhere and these bikes are an abundant presence on inner-city and suburban roads. Sometimes they flow with the traffic, sometimes against. They flit between pavement and street with reckless abandon, and stretch the laws laid down by traffic lights. These urban riders are multi taskers of the highest proficiency, too. They can navigate their two wheeled steeds through the traffic whilst talking on their phones, smoking a cigarette and holding an umbrella to protect their new hairdo. All of which means they may not be paying as much attention to cars as they should. Keep your eyes peeled. The road is as much theirs as it is yours. Learn to love them, embrace their presence and slow down
Narrow Roads
Leave those Hummers at home (or better still, with the military where they belong). There is literally no room for them here. Some streets are so narrow that a wrong turn in the wrong car could see your dignity trapped between the wall of someones house and a ropey drinking establishment staffed by busty, middle-aged Filipinos. Of coarse, you’d probably have to be lost to end up on such a road in the first place. Even so, main roads can also feel narrow and cluttered. Sign after sign adorns the road side buildings, constantly coloring your vision and luring your focus away from where it should be. Pavements are often sacrificed, bringing pedestrians into the frame as well as the ubiquitous cyclists. These roads are a shared space. Find your place in it and think twice before taking a back street short cut
Speed Limits
Highways force their way through and out of Japans urban centers in dips and loops like a family friendly roller coaster, eventually straightening out to allow speeds of up to 80kmph. However, see how many drivers observe this limit. Very few, in this drivers experience.
Japanese friends guiding me through my formative, ‘in country’, driving days would politely remark that I needn’t be so steadfast in sticking to the limits. This politeness had turned to a barely contained frustration by the time I started opening things up a bit to fall in line with the flow of traffic. Well, this is Japan after all. Here, the group prevails over the individual. Even on the roads.
Rice Fields
So you’ve managed to get out of the city and into the open country. As you’re driving along you’d be hard pushed to avoid skirting perilously close to a rice field or two. In a country where flat land is sparse it will not go to waste. If it’s not built on, being built on or being flattened some more ready to be built on, then chances are it’s a rice field. The life blood of old Japan, steeped in history and honor. An honor which has been carried through to the current day.
A friend once told me of a driver that went off the road and ended up parking unglamorously in a rice field. It seems it could be cheaper to find a spot on the freshly watered lawns of Center Court, Wimbledon. When a rice field is polluted to such an extent it can take a year or more to get it back in action, if at all. Compensation to the owner of the field for a vital loss of income must be paid. Get your insurance, double check it or be prepared for some expensive rice!
British is best. (A footnote for any potential long term visitors to Japan).
I’m not into jingoistic rants about my homeland but it when it comes to cross boarder bureaucracy, well, some countries fair better than others. In the case of acquiring a Japanese drivers license this holds true. I sighed with considerable relief when I learned that the UK is one of the countries that holds a reciprocal agreement with Japan in the issuing of licenses.
It boils down to this, test or no test. If you have a license issued from a country outside of this cozy agreement then a practical test may need to be taken. Of course, a bit of form filling awaits all, but its just a little time consuming rather than challenging
So, driving in Japan. Is it a good idea? Well, the truth is that it’s a great way to use a beaten path to get off ‘the beaten path’. Local buses try to do the same but without some solid language skills and a good idea of where you’re going their service may be rendered redundant. A bit of driving can take you deeper into the mountains and get you closer to the sea. It will help to open up a country far removed from the modern, urban infrastructure within which the vast majority of the population exists and the vast majority of visitors see.
Driving overseas can be daunting, especially if it means navigating some of the worlds largest urban areas. Still, if this driver can do it, I’d venture to say that anyone can.

Driving in Snow and Ice

Driving in Snow and Ice
from - http://www.weather.com/
The best advice for driving in bad winter weather is not to drive at all, if you can avoid it.
Don't go out until the snow plows and sanding trucks have had a chance to do their work, and allow yourself extra time to reach your destination.
If you must drive in snowy conditions, make sure your car is prepared (TIPS), and that you know how to handle road conditions.
It's helpful to practice winter driving techniques in a snowy, open parking lot, so you're familiar with how your car handles. Consult your owner's manual for tips specific to your vehicle



Driving safely on icy roads

1. Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.
2. Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.
3. Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.
4. Keep your lights and windshield clean.
5. Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills.
6. Don't use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads.
7. Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently traveled roads, which will freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.
8. Don't pass snow plows and sanding trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and you're likely to find the road in front of them worse than the road behind.
9. Don't assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.

If your rear wheels skid...

1. Take your foot off the accelerator.
2. Steer in the direction you want the front wheels to go. If your rear wheels are sliding left, steer left. If they're sliding right, steer right.
3. If your rear wheels start sliding the other way as you recover, ease the steering wheel toward that side. You might have to steer left and right a few times to get your vehicle completely under control.
4. If you have standard brakes, pump them gently.
5. If you have anti-lock brakes (ABS), do not pump the brakes. Apply steady pressure to the brakes. You will feel the brakes pulse — this is normal.

If your front wheels skid...

1. Take your foot off the gas and shift to neutral, but don't try to steer immediately.
2. As the wheels skid sideways, they will slow the vehicle and traction will return. As it does, steer in the direction you want to go. Then put the transmission in "drive" or release the clutch, and accelerate gently.

If you get stuck...

1. Do not spin your wheels. This will only dig you in deeper.
2. Turn your wheels from side to side a few times to push snow out of the way.
3. Use a light touch on the gas, to ease your car out.
4. Use a shovel to clear snow away from the wheels and the underside of the car.
5. Pour sand, kitty litter, gravel or salt in the path of the wheels, to help get traction.
6. Try rocking the vehicle. (Check your owner's manual first — it can damage the transmission on some vehicles.) Shift from forward to reverse, and back again. Each time you're in gear, give a light touch on the gas until the vehicle gets going

Driving techniques: Controlling a FWD car with Martin Rowe

 think I can speak for Chris (and Jethro) when I say that we'll be doing more driving techniques videos in the future. I'm not sure whether we'll do them as features though, as the videos seem to capture the moments - good and bad! - better than a written piece. Perhaps when we've covered most of the bases we'll do a compilation DVD.

As for the missing angles we'll work hard to capture more of them in future. As ever there's never enough time to do everything - especially in the winter - but we always take your comments on board, so thanks for the feedback. Keep it coming
I really have enjoyed both videos on driving technique. It's something that always seems to be missing from automotive publications and it's nice to see you guys take a different approach. So not sure how closely you moniter the comments but Chris this question is directed to you. Are you guys planing more of these videos based on technique and will you be doing any writen article on technique.

Both videos are relavent to myself as my two cars include a 350Z and a latest generation Nissan Altima (I live in Canada).

Thanks for the great content and I look forward to more article and videos.
Despite I never 'trash' a RWD, I must say: You can actually have some good fun in a FWD!! Just need the right piece of road (or track...) and be in the mood for it 8-)

Because of the recent snowing days, I'd like to pointout that for those who can, playing with your fwd in the snow is a great thing: As the grip levels are so low, your able to do things at lower speeds with more time to think about what your doing, and getting in touch with your car reactions to driving input.
It's great simple fun!!

Golf Driving Techniques

Golf driving techniques are of are of the most searched for resources for golfers, and can be discovered online and offline. The driver can be very hard to master, this is usually because its size and extent can be quite daunting for a lot of players. There are copious amounts of golf driving techniques around, some which work better than others, but you will find the most successful and proven techniques right here A solid, consistent hit from the tee is definitely a main element to lower your score. An often underestimated fact is that tee shots can seriously make or break a game. If you have ever hooked or sliced the ball off the tee like I used to, you will be able to relate. – A couple of bad shots can destroy your score for the rest of the day.
On that note, golfers who regularly review and tweak their golf driving techniques see lower scores more often.

Another of the best golf driving techniques is is to play the ball forward when addressing. This means that in your correct stance, the ball should be closer to your leading foot, not in the center. By playing the ball forward like this you are allowing the shot to fly high and most importantly, accurate.
Another of the less known golf driving techniques is to always make sure that your hips are leading the backswing, your hands and arms should follow. A complete turn of the hips is a key element to gaining more distance from the tee. This is because as your hips begin the swing, the rest of the body will follow
Once of the main factors to improving both your distance and accuracy is to master your setup and your stance. When addressing the tee, you have to line your feet up shoulder-width apart.
You must try to address the ball with a square stance whenever possible. To do this, you should set your feet up in a way that they are lined up to the target. A square stance should always be used, but every so often you may find yourself needing to slightly open or close your stance, this can be done by slightly adjusting your forward foot up or back. This same rule applies to your hips and shoulders, these must remain square to the target. These simple but effective tips to a square stance will have you making enormous improvements to your game.
The secret to gaining more distance is ultimately to increase the club head speed, this requires a lot of skill and often not as easy as it sounds. Make sure that you properly wind up and unwind your body throughout the shot, this must be done with your knees flexed. Standing too tall and straight will decrease your potential to gain possible distance.
If you notice some off shots too often you should understand that something is going wrong in your technique. A poor shot can often be the result of bad grip. You must ensure that it is neither too strong nor too weak, this can result in an open or closed club face on impact, ultimately causing a hook or slice. To perform a fluent and accurate shot you will need to ensure your grip is neutral, this means not too tight but not too weak. – This tip is something to remember for any club in any situation
Another of the best golf driving techniques is is to play the ball forward when addressing. This means that in your correct stance, the ball should be closer to your leading foot, not in the center. By playing the ball forward like this you are allowing the shot to fly high and most importantly, accurate.
Another of the less known golf driving techniques is to always make sure that your hips are leading the backswing, your hands and arms should follow. A complete turn of the hips is a key element to gaining more distance from the tee. This is because as your hips begin the swing, the rest of the body will follow

from - yourgolfday.com

Emergency Driving

Rollover Information and Prevention Consumers Union (CU) petitioned The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 1996 to develop and conduct dynamic tests for vehicle rollover propensity and to publish the results for consumers. Simply put, dynamic tests involve measuring vehicle behavior while it is in motion performing a task. NHTSA granted that petition in 1997 and commenced work developing such a test program. In 2001, however, they changed course and published a rollover resistance program based only on each vehicle’s static stability factor (SSF). SSF had been considered earlier as one method of evaluating certain aspects of rollover propensity, in particular, tripped rollover. It is a calculation based on two physical dimensions of the vehicle: center-of-gravity height and track-width (SSF = T/2H, with H being the center-of-gravity height and T being the track-width). Rollovers are considered tripped rollovers when the vehicle slides into a curb or other obstacle and trips over that obstacle. This is the most frequent type of rollover crash. Untripped rollovers, on the other hand, usually occur as a result of emergency steering maneuvers on the roadway and generally do not involve tripping over an obstacle
HOW TO DETECT SURVEILLANCE AND SHADOWING. PART II. COUNTERSURVEILLANCE. For effective and covert detection of shadowing countersurveillance technique is often used. Countersurveillance is observation of "tails", shadowing the target, by onlookers, placed at temporary points along the route. The fact is that detectives, shadowing the subject, will most likely look quite natural in the eyes of the subject. But for detached onlookers their activity may be rather inadequate. For example, their attempts to disappear from the eyes of the subject when he turns back can be imperceptible for the subject, but near-by people, who know whereat to focus their attention, will spot them. Therefore countersurveillance enables to reveal the fact of shadowing, determine its performers, and possibly, the sponsor. The data obtained as a result of countersurveillance will help to determine the place and time of the planned assault

Advanced Driving Techniques

Advanced Driving Techniques


If you have been driving for a while and feel that you have covered enough road miles to know what you are doing then you may like to consider taking an Advanced Driving course. These courses are designed to help experienced drivers extend their driving skills and experience in the hope that this will raise driving standards.

There are various advanced driving courses out there that can teach you a range of techniques. These are generally based on police approved car control techniques. In general terms a course here will teach you techniques such as:

• How to drive your car in given situations and on different types of roads.
• How to identify risk and how to avoid problems.
• How to assess how fast to drive and when it appropriate to slow down.
• How to understand what is going on around you on the road and with other drivers.

Drivers have various options when it comes to learning Advanced Driving skills and techniques. Some, for example, will join the Institute of Advanced Motorists, the RoADA -RoSPA Advanced Drivers Association or the High Performance Club. All of these organisations have a range of courses and tests that you can take to learn relevant advanced techniques. There are various benefits to taking on this kind of course. These include:

• You will probably be able to get lower car insurance costs as insurers recognise that these tests prove that you are a safe driver.
• You will probably be able to hang on to your no claims discount for longer.
• You'll be a safer driver that is trained to be aware of what is going on on the road and with other motorists.
• You'll be taught to drive your vehicle for optimum performance which means you will drive the car as it should be driven so you could potentially save money in terms of fuel consumption and car problems.

driving techniques

Off-Road Truck Driving Techniques and Safety
As truck ownership has increased in America, so that the amount of off-road recreation. No license is required for off-road, although there are many different techniques and practices involved. There is, used truck, an often unspoken etiquette that is practiced by old-school four-wheelers, are not only developed, so that everyone can follow to obtain, but primarily for the safety overwegingen.different techniques, used truck, and practices involved. There is an often, used truck, unspoken etiquette that is practiced by old-school four-wheelers, are not only developed, so that everyone can follow to obtain, but primarily for the safety overwegingen.

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driving techniques

Drifting is the art of controlled oversteer for dramatic effect using either rear or four wheel drive cars. There are many different methods of inducing oversteer, your choice depends on the properties of your vehicle. Once oversteer has been invoked, you'll need to control the drift using the throttle and counter steering. To maintain an accurate line while going sideways is tricky, and will take lots of practice. Many different drifting track days are emerging such as the annual Autocar 'Sideways Challenge' (in the UK) where you can learn this art.
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driving techniques

1. Driver distraction
The biggest driver distraction, believe it or not is drivers onlooking at a collision site!
When I was training to be a driving instructor, my fellow trainee and I were driving on the freeway when we saw ambulances on both sides of the freeway at the same spot, in opposite directions!
It was clear someone had looked too long at the first crash site and caused another!
2. Driver fatigue
Be well rested when driving, especially starting a long drive.
3. Drunk driving
These are usually the most serious, often fatal collisions.
4. Speeding
It's better to arrive late than not at all!
5. Aggressive driving
Sometimes you need to be assertive as a driver, but not aggressive. The big difference is emotion.
6. Weather
Respect the road conditions in wet, windy and icy weather.

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driving techniques

driving techniques

Race Driving Techniques

It is very easy to get caught up in the showmanship and prestige of expensive parts for your car, but the best investment you'll ever make in road racing is the time you spend tuning your driving skills.

In this section, our goal is to introduce you to many of the basic driving techniques used in race car driving. There are numerous details to be conscious of while racing on a track, and it will be difficult and overwhelming to remember them all the first few times out. Focus on one or two techniques each time you go out on the track. As each technique becomes second-nature, you can work on a new one. After you have studied each of the techniques, how best to go about practicing them is covered in the next tab section Practice Sessions.
No matter how much country- or mountain-road hot rodding you may have done, or how good a driver you think you are, driving on a race track is an entirely new level of driving that requires very specific skills if you want to be good at it. Good drivers, like all good athletes, have a natural skill, and yet are also smart and/or humble enough to know that there are known techniques they must practice if they are to be proficient. Even if you have natural talent, don't make the mistake of thinking all you need is a better car to improve your performance. Your driving skills can always be improved. Even the Gordon's, Andretti's, and Schumacher's of the pro-driving world continually analyse their driving so they can improve
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