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On August 24 2012 13:00 6xFPCs wrote:
Nowadays, having just 4 years of experience and about 70k miles (I'm in CA, US), I can more often than not tell when someone's in my blind spot (a kind of suspicion that there's another car around but I don't see it in my mirrors), or when someone wants to switch lanes (driving "body language", they clearly want to switch but don't want to let someone block them by using a turn signal), just from experience.
I want to emphasize this, by the way. I've been driving for ~6 years and in the last two or three I've developed some sort of Jedi shit that lets me sense what people are about to do. It still kind of amuses me when I'm following someone and just know "oh yeah they're gonna make a left turn on Hatfield, I'm gonna edge to the right so I can get around them more quickly when they slow down" twenty seconds before they actually do it.
Also, protip: if they drive a big-ass fancy pickup, stay the fuck away from them. 90% of the time they're some asshole who's gonna tailgate, cut you off, and generally consider themselves much more entitled to the road than you. If it's clearly a work truck, they're probably fine, but the guy that's driving a jacked-up F250 with a spotless paint job is a dick, period. Avoid at all costs.
Same rule generally applies for sportscars
edit: also PLEASE remember that the blind spot exists, and that extends to more than just being aware of your own blind spot. I do a dickton of highway driving and it's so infuriating when someone rides in your blind spot. They teach you to keep a safe distance from the car in front of you, but they kind of under-emphasize how important it is to be aware of the cars in the lane over. never ride close to them, ever. if you're in the right lane, let them get a safe distance ahead of you. if you're in the left lane, don't pussyfoot about passing, either step on it and get a safe distance ahead, or hang back.
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^ Bit of a generalisation there 
I have loved driving ever since I got my license and from my experience it always gets better as long as you improve your driving style. Driving smoothly and staying consistant whilst staying observant are some skills that many people on the road seem to lack.
Think of it like in terms of sc2;
You've just placed bronze and are learning the ropes, there are people better than you and there are people worse.
You keep working on your mechanics (shifting smoothly if you're in a manual, not pinballing around your lane or worse still not staying in your lane, accelerating/decelerating smoothly, learning how to take corner x at speed y in condition z without endangering yourself/other people) and eventually they become second nature
That is when the fun begins
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I dont understand people that hate driving.. if your just learning there is no need to drive for 3 hours at a time. obviously your just getting bored and distracted. you should just try driving to the store, going on errends and play games with the rules of driving. its just like starcraft. identify what you suck at and improve it. identify what other people suck at so you can rage at them.
my favorite game is collecting a pack of cars on the highway and getting them to speed, while i sit in the middle so as to never be pulled over. takes a few tries but usually everyone is on auto pilot so if your actually thinking about doing it its pretty funny how easily you can control the driving of others.
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On August 24 2012 15:58 KnT wrote:^ Bit of a generalisation there I have loved driving ever since I got my license and from my experience it always gets better as long as you improve your driving style. Driving smoothly and staying consistant whilst staying observant are some skills that many people on the road seem to lack. Think of it like in terms of sc2; You've just placed bronze and are learning the ropes, there are people better than you and there are people worse. You keep working on your mechanics (shifting smoothly if you're in a manual, not pinballing around your lane or worse still not staying in your lane, accelerating/decelerating smoothly, learning how to take corner x at speed y in condition z without endangering yourself/other people) and eventually they become second nature That is when the fun begins
^^^^^^^^^^
+1
sc2 is such a good template for improving your life in all areas.
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Pandemona
Charlie Sheens House51482 Posts
Would love to help but i don't think it's fair for me to comment on American driving xD
If you were driving a proper car (a manual, yes A MANUAL! xD) then it does get easier and easier over time. I've been driving for 5 years now and i have had 3 cars (all upgrades) and it has gotten a lot easier and in my case a lot faster as my cars have been upgrades in engine size too :3
Best advice, find a good radio station or if you have a decent car, get a nice playlist on your iPod for drives so your just listening to music and watching the road.
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Well it was kinda the same with me, when i first started looking in all the mirrors, shifting gear, observing surroundings was a bit hard and felt like you know, i can't do all those things. And then doing it for 2, 3 hours, man i got tired. But after few practice hours you get used to it. It gets a lot better believe me. Now i am driving without even thinking about anything, although i don't think this is any good.
Oh and as others says maybe you get bored of it. Driving with music can help a lot 
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Take a break after 2 hours. 15min is enough.
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On August 24 2012 14:42 mordk wrote:
It gets A LOT easier. I used to make a lot of mistakes I now look at and say "WTF what a noob". It becomes a second nature, riding your car is like wearing a perfectly fitting piece of clothing or something similar, it just works automatically. You not only learn better multitasking and awareness, but in time you also learn your weak spots and how to drive despite having them.
mordk said it all. It not only gets easy, but becomes something automatic. Like eating with chopsticks or riding a bike. You suddenly don't have to think about doing it anymore, you just do it.
Once you are comfortable enough to take the test and have the license, driving on your own on little errands is when you'll find yourself with driving. It comes easily with practice.
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Northern Ireland22208 Posts
Yeah I find that on most journeys, I can't remember anything between getting into the car and getting out of the car :p
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EPT
