rec.autos.simulators

> > The other day I accidentally set up my wheel incorrectly - throttle, brakes
> > and gears were OK but the steering was reversed i.e. right-hand lock
> > produced left turn! Now that makes things *really* difficult - I wonder
> > whether it is possible to complete a lap with this setup?

> I hear you, but...

> Consider that on a normal road, as opposed to the track, you'll have a lot of
> ***(bottles, mufflers, glass, oil, water) collecting at the lowest point on
> the road, ie the apex.  Ditto for where drivers usually aren't (right on the
> lane dividers).  And, of course, lane dividers tend to be slicker.   Also, by
> keeping yourself more centered, you have more breathing room from unexpected
> events such as mom/pop drifting over, a squirrel or deer bolting from the side
> of the road, etc.  Motorcyclists try to give themselves this extra breathing
> room.  Watch how they drive.  So, IMHO, if you are using all the road, even
> just your lane, you are probably risking your tires, and yourself more than if
> you didn't.

> Basically, I expect that you are an alert driver if you are driving as you
> say, which is probably the biggest factor,  a huge plus.  But, OTOH, the real
> world just isn't designed for driving a car as if racing, or for using every
> bit of even just your lane.  Not that this bit of advice is followed by its
> author at all times :-)

> If you want to split hairs :-).......

> What is the safer driving, me bored to death and half asleep dead center
> in my lane (yes, I think I can do that even fully asleep after 18 years
> :-) or totally awake and alert using all of my lane ?

> And no, there's no way I could stay totally awake and alert driving
> normally, that is so incredibly boring I can't even find proper words to
> describe how I feel :-)

> You're dead right. I've done my share of driving long stints between
> Trondheim, Oslo and Stavanger (6-8 hours), and it is always safer to
> focus on how you drive, and not just put the car on the road. Doing
> racelines is one of many tricks. It is also a faster way to drive withing the
> speed-limit. It has happend many times that I have been overtaken by
> mindless speeders on the straight, only to close the gap in the twisty
> parts of the road by just using that extra 50 cm's of road. And in
> Norway there are a lot of places where maintaining the speed limit are
> completely impossible.

> > You're dead right. I've done my share of driving long stints between
> > Trondheim, Oslo and Stavanger (6-8 hours), and it is always safer to
> > focus on how you drive, and not just put the car on the road. Doing
> > racelines is one of many tricks. It is also a faster way to drive withing the
> > speed-limit. It has happend many times that I have been overtaken by
> > mindless speeders on the straight, only to close the gap in the twisty
> > parts of the road by just using that extra 50 cm's of road. And in
> > Norway there are a lot of places where maintaining the speed limit are
> > completely impossible.

> Here here, we should form some kind of organization to further our POV,
> maybe we could get some governmental backing or something :-)

> Hehe, that would have been something. Have to ask the traffic
> behaviour expert here at work (I work with traffic and transportation
> research, www.sintef.no/units/civil/transp) about this.

>Cheers,

> > You're dead right. I've done my share of driving long stints between
> > Trondheim, Oslo and Stavanger (6-8 hours), and it is always safer to
> > focus on how you drive, and not just put the car on the road. Doing
> > racelines is one of many tricks. It is also a faster way to drive withing the
> > speed-limit. It has happend many times that I have been overtaken by
> > mindless speeders on the straight, only to close the gap in the twisty
> > parts of the road by just using that extra 50 cm's of road. And in
> > Norway there are a lot of places where maintaining the speed limit are
> > completely impossible.

> Here here, we should form some kind of organization to further our POV,
> maybe we could get some governmental backing or something :-)

> Well, I just talked to a traffic behaviour psychologist (sp?) about
> this, and he said he also drove ideal lines on the road, and it was a
> very good idea to drive active to prevent getting tired. He also said
> that the driving schools also teach ideal line driving on the
> countryside roads. But of course, watch out in the left turn for
> oncoming traffic in the middle of the road.

> > Well, I just talked to a traffic behaviour psychologist (sp?) about
> > this, and he said he also drove ideal lines on the road, and it was a
> > very good idea to drive active to prevent getting tired. He also said
> > that the driving schools also teach ideal line driving on the
> > countryside roads. But of course, watch out in the left turn for
> > oncoming traffic in the middle of the road.

> So, basically, we were right then ? :-)

> > > Well, I just talked to a traffic behaviour psychologist (sp?) about
> > > this, and he said he also drove ideal lines on the road, and it was a
> > > very good idea to drive active to prevent getting tired. He also said
> > > that the driving schools also teach ideal line driving on the
> > > countryside roads. But of course, watch out in the left turn for
> > > oncoming traffic in the middle of the road.

> > So, basically, we were right then ? :-)

> Yeah, both right and incredibly smart :)