The System
The System of Vehicle Control is a way
of approaching and negotiating hazards which is methodical, safe, and leaves nothing to
chance. It consists of five major elements
The first, and fundamental element is
Information
This is a continuous process which takes place throughout
your drive. You take in information by sight, sound, smell and feel. You use
this information to make decisions and negotiate hazards. You give out information
to other road users by light signals, sound signals and position. Once you have
identified a hazard, the four iterative elements of the System come into play:
You consider whether you need to adjust your
Position
on the road to negotiate the hazard e.g.
moving to the centre in order to turn right. This will need mirror checks and
signals. Once any position change has been completed then:
You consider whether you need to adjust your
Speed
e.g. reducing speed to enter a
junction. When speed has been changed then:
You consider whether you need to change
Gear
in order to maintain a good engine/road speed
relationship e.g. having reduced from 30 to 10 mph it would most likely be necessary
to change down to 2nd gear.
You are now ready to negotiate the
hazard!
Once the hazard is passed you will most probably need to
consider
Acceleration
to return to an appropriate cruising speed
Still think
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