How to learn to feel the dimensions of the machine

If you are an inexperienced motorist or have purchased a new car with large or, on the contrary, small dimensions, you need to get used to them and learn how to feel, because the possibility of maneuvering and safety on the road largely depends on it. In order to feel your iron horse, in driving schools there are whole specialized courses, but you can learn this art without spending money.

Dimensions: why feel them right

Dimensions are the length, width and height of the car. They are different in different models, you can find them in the instruction manual. Knowing the dimensions, you can easily park and maneuver along the city streets. The feeling of your own car will help you to park in a small area without problems, or move over rough terrain with trees or other obstacles. Also, this must be considered when buying a garage.

The feeling of size comes only after a while as a result of regular trips. It is also worth listening to good advice that will help you do this a little faster.

Important aspects

The main mistake of beginners is the desire to see what happens before the bumper, this habit is very undesirable. In addition, it is dangerous when driving: when you drive, you need to look only in front of you, and not in front of the bumper.

When you park backwards, it is important to properly set up the mirrors, they will become the main assistants. This setting has the following form: exterior mirrors should be directed and show the driver the wheels of the rear axle. External are applied to feel lateral outlines. Pay attention to the extreme portion of the exterior mirrors.

When driving on a highway outside the city, if it becomes necessary to change lanes, look in the corresponding side mirror. Often, inexperienced drivers cut off other road users, because they do not understand what, in fact, needs to be done with these mirrors. Realignment is possible only when in the mirror you see the whole machine that is moving behind you.

Special marking

For this training you need to find a site with a flat surface, it is desirable that it was asphalt. Additional materials are spray paint or chalk. The following lines should be applied to the site:

• 1 - a line that "continues" the right wheels and forward and backward.
• 2 - line of the left wheels.
• 3 - continues the front bumper line.
• 4 - line of the rear bumper.
• 5 - continuation of the axis of the front wheels.
• 6 - continuation of the axis of the rear wheels.

Sit in the driver's seat and take the correct ride position. Mentally continue the lines of the wheels (1 and 2), mark the points where they intersect with the front panel, where it connects to the windshield. For labels, you can use duct tape or colored stickers. They will help you to find out exactly where the wheels will move, the trajectory of their movement. When you learn to feel the dimensions, you can take these notes off: your trained brain will figure out which section of the road the wheels will go on.

Beacons

For such a training, you can use special plastic cones or make similar ones yourself. It is enough to fill ordinary plastic bottles with sand and stick thin long poles into them. It is best to mark them with a bright flag (the brighter, the better) - most importantly, it should be clearly visible.

Place two beacons in front of the machine.When approaching, you only need to touch them lightly, but not to bring them down. You can also "probe" and the rear bumper. Lateral dimensions will help to feel the same marks installed on the sides of the machine. To begin with, they should be far away, then you need to move them closer and closer, as soon as it turned out successfully between them. The smaller the distance, and you can successfully overcome it, the better you will be able to park and drive into narrow streets.

Feeling of wheels

A plastic bottle (empty) or a cardboard box will come in handy for this exercise. Place it in front of the machine in turn in front of the right and left wheels. Now try to run into it one, then the second. You can also learn to feel the rear wheels. Now take two such beacons, place them at such a distance so that they can fall between the wheels. Such a training will help you learn to “miss” the wheels of the pit and let them pass between the wheels.

Other landmarks and exercises

If you cannot immediately determine where the bumper ends, set additional landmarks, such as a small antenna or the so-called cilia for headlights. When reversing, the rear bumper antennas may be your guideline.

To train braking and control the braking distance, you can carry out such a training. Accelerate to the desired speed, and then brake sharply. Now arrange the cones or cardboard boxes and learn to brake in front of them. The result will be positive when you can minimize the distance between them.

For training, it is useful to do the exercise "Snake", driving between the chips. At the very beginning, you need to move slowly, then gradually increase the speed until the mastery is completely improved.

The “eight” will also be useful, but first you need to practice the oval, and then a full eight. When the car moves back, it is more maneuverable, and this must be taken into account.

Another fun exercise using a landmark from boxes or lines. So, if you selected boxes, place them on the side of the car, first from one, then from the second. It is necessary to approach the obstacle as close as possible, but do not catch it.

Orientation in the dimensions of your own car is very important. This will help to move around the city easier, overtake, park, go around obstacles, drive along narrow streets. Your safety on the road fully depends on the quality feeling of the dimensions of the car.

Video: how to learn to feel the dimensions of a car