Cornering...

[StressedDave]

As a lot of people on the 'most difficult' thread were talking about cornering, I thought I'd kick off a separate thread for discussion. Firstly, in nice big bold capitals, THERE IS NO RIGHT WAY OR WRONG WAY TO DO THIS. All I can do is tell you how (I think) I go round corners and open up the floor for derision.

OK... I'm a huge fan of the default safe plan. It's great to work on the basis of 'if I don't change anything, I'll be safe. The classic 'stopping but prepared to go ' ethos at roundabouts is a good one and one that can be applied elsewhere.

So, back to cornering. My default safe plan is simple. When I start braking, the level of braking pressure I apply (and won't change the level because that requires thought) is such that if I do nothing, then I will come to rest at the limit point as viewed at the point where I start braking. Simples (sort of) - if you work on the worst case scenario, then just as you start braking the stationary LGV appears.

The hard part is deciding when to come off the brakes. For me, again it's a simple decision - when I am satisfied that:

a) I can get round the corner at the speed I am travelling, and
b) What I'm basing that decision on, cannot get any worse.

then I can come off the brakes. Dave's nth mantra of driving is 'though shalt not jump off any control', so taking a little bit of time to ease out of braking means I'm probably a little slower than I need to be to navigate the corner. This is not a bad thing.

While dealing with a) & b) above, I might be entering the corner. I don't care. Trail braking is an essential part of road driving and I'm happy to have a bitch fight with anyone about it. I'll bring the pink handbag... Mostly though, I find that I'm still on the straight bit. There's a whole body of thought that having a bit of a breather between any major application of controls is a good thing. From racing drivers down to driving gods to us lot, there's agreement there.

You'll note above that I've not mentioned gear changing. I can heel & toe quite nicely, but I don't do it all the time. But, brakes are the magical time creation tool. If you need time (and distance) to get the gearchange in, then keep the braking going for longer. So what if the speed is now below the maximum entry speed. You're still in a better position than trying to rush the System through.

OK, lets have a brief look at the whole turning in and cornering thing. After a few thousand laps of the Outer Handling Circuit at Millbrook (other Proving Grounds are available /BBC) the thing I most notice about the clients/victims is that they tend to look whilst cornering at anywhere but the limit point. This is not a useful thing. There's been a lot of research using eye-trackers and both TCMITS and talented racing drivers and the difference between the two is that racing drivers are staring at the limit point 95% of the time whilst TCMITS spends 50% of the time looking at some point in the distance or the apex they're trying to hit and 50% of the time at the edge of the road making sure they don't drive off it. On purely empirical evidence, telling (sorry, shouting) at clients to just keep looking at the limit point and let the unconscious part of the brain deal with the rude mechanicals develops a much happier cornering style.

The other thing I see is many drivers (and the denizens of ADH are subtly moving themselves into the 'not-many' group) go too deep into a corner and then have to turn in sharply. Dave's n+1th mantra of 'start to steer' may help.

Of course, I'm perfect at this cornering lark. In the finest belief that two positives cannot make a negative - yeah, right.

[Astraist]

Personally, I typically start to slow down quite early, but if there isn't traffic behind me than ramping up the brakes later might be a good idea, as the firmer brake pedal offers more control. I'd also aim to slow down as to time my arrival to a bend after another, faster driver has had his go at it - so they won't flail at me through it.

I usually downshift sequently, but not in high revs become my aim isn't to use engine braking but just to remain in a usefull gear at all times. Choosing the final gear I aim to use through the corner (and I will always try to make it in a single gear) is done with rev matching.

I am happy with all sorts of downshifting, including heel and toe (or other foot patterns required - it's rarely as prescribed) and classic double declutch, but mostly I do a sustained rev downshift, and in the corner use the left foot for support.

Where possible (and strictly on the dry) I aim for a nicely low gear for more control. If it's downhill I might manage to find a speed and gear where drag and engine braking are just canceled by modulation in the right foot, so your foot is technically on the throttle, but it really depends on the situation.

Signals are used as appropriate. I am not talking about signaling at a junction, but mainly about trying to get a signal across a blind bend to any oncoming traffic. A small honk or flashing the high beams (in the dark) is helpful.

Normally I aim for quite a low cornering speed. My main concern is being able to safely stop well within the confines of the road section seen to be clear. If it's a single carriageway with a very narrow shoulder to side of it, then I might even slow down as to be able to stop within half the distance or less.

Well ahead of the corner I tend to peek at a crossview. Even if I know the corner well it helps with planning because you get a bird's eye point of view of the corner (and desired line) in your head.

From than it's looking at the limit point unfolding - which instead of looking at the last bit of road you see, means looking at what's obstructing you from viewing further on, and watching the road unfold from it towards you. As it starts to race away I'd look up through the exit to the next hazard.

The line I plan for corners falls within the definition of a (very) late apex. However, if the bend offers a perfectly open view than I would be happy with a more geometric apex line. I'd also aim to stay off anything bumpy or slippery, at least with the outside wheels.

If the view is particularly poor and especially on left-hand bends (remember I drive on the right) where the A-pillar might add to the obstruction, a L-line that allows for the last possible apex is a good idea. I am effectively trading some stability (not much if you do it right) for vision, which on the road is always more important.

I am happy to use more lanes than one or an offside lane in either direction, but I must have the view first and I wouldn't want any other road user to be in sight and misinterperate it.

I do steer (in the biomechanical sense) in a very prescribed way. My hands are typically across the diameter of the wheel (so quarter to three) and holding it with very light touch and some leverage (from the thumbs mostly) so mostly I steer with fixed-input.

I only switch to another style if the corner requires 90 degrees of steering or more. Some corners (and Euler-spiral-type tightening corners are common here) are only so tight around the middle, where it makes sense to preposition both hands against the direction of the corner somewhat, as to keep the hands turning less than 90 degrees.

For tighter corners, I only preposition the hand in the direction of the bend, and use it to pull down against the opposite palm, which remains stationary. This allows to pull as much as 270 degrees of lock in one swoop and fall back into the quarter to three position mid bend.

I start to steer well ahead of the bend. Even in a long or articulated vehicle, if you move your hands very slowly, you can start to steer very early into the tightest of bends. The rate of steering remains constant or rising linearly.

As for balance, if I am cornering slowly enough, than I'd be looking to accelerate and add just a couple of miles per hour between starting to steer and apex. Often I only start to accelerate shortly after starting to steer, as to be ready to lose more speed if I misjudged it.

However, if I am cornering at a slightly higher cornering acceleration, than I would continue trailing off the braking as the steering goes in, and than transition to rising power before finishing the steering.

Around the apex, I find that adding a tiny bit of lock to tuck the car further in, allows to straighten the steering a bit more smoothly. Immediately afterwards I begin to increase power and only than do I start retracting the steering.

[Adamxck]

TCMITS spends 50% of the time looking at some point in the distance or the apex they're trying to hit and 50% of the time at the edge of the road making sure they don't drive off it.

Pertinent.

I spend too much time doing this. Then again I know about it and am trying to improve which is better than being ignorant of it.

[M1ke H]

TCMITS spends 50% of the time looking at some point in the distance or the apex they're trying to hit and 50% of the time at the edge of the road making sure they don't drive off it.

Indeed - I've recently spent time at Banbury trying to fix this!

[true blue]

TCMITS?

Total and Complete Muppet In The Skoda?

Tailback Causing, Mayhem Inducing and Terminally Slow?

Am I anywhere close?

[StressedDave]

The Celebrated Man In The Street...

[true blue]

Ah - I suppose that TMOTCO doesn't really cut it given the topic at hand!

[Mr Cholmondeley-Warner]

^^ <like>

PS I'm not sure TCMITS is really relevant, either...

[Adamxck]

TMNT?

[CautiousD]

Here's where much of my knowledge derives its origin and where much of what is considered to be fact comes from.

SBDTP - Some Bloke Down The Pub
AFOAF - A Friend Of A Friend
AMOM - A Mate Of Mine
IRIOTI - I Read It On The Internet
MPTS - Most People Think So