Practice Makes Perfect Drivers (1952)

[Music] la no matter what you do practice makes perfect to be really good at anything you've got to practice you've got to practice not your mistakes but the right way and knowing the right way means more than learning the rules the experts are those who began by learning the rules and followed through with NeverEnding practice you can do the same thing once you learn how the experts put rules into practice in this respect driving a golf ball is no different from driving an automobile for the right way to drive a car can also be learned by practice for example there's a right way to apply your brakes going down a long Steep Hill keep your left foot off the clutch pedal and use your brakes like this so they won't get too hot and fail and on steep hills it's a good practice to shift to a lower gear this saves your brakes by making your engine hold back harder so there are two things you can practice to become a better driver fan your brakes and shift to a lower gear when necessary to make downhill driving simpler and safer you can practice good driving uphill too take this situation for instance that arm signal means danger stay back so take his word for it and stay back now he's signaling all clear but see for yourself that the road is clear before you pull out into the left lane as soon as you pass him get back in your own lanee for keeping on the right side of the road especially in hilly country is plain common sense it's common sense because danger you can't see may be rushing toward you just around the next curve whenever you can't see the way ahead hold your speed down make it a practice to anticipate trouble by slowing down when you can't see for unless you can see you can't assume the way ahead is clear when you hit a stretch of road like this your natural inclination is to step on the brake but bouncing wheels don't have much traction and that might throw the car to one side so slow down gradually while you keep a good firm grip on the steering wheel when your wheels get into ruts made by other cars slow way down then pull up out of the ruts with a tight grip on the steering wheel to keep it from twisting out of your hands it's always good practice to Drive slowly on bad roads good for your car and for yourself because it's safe rain snow or sleep also call for a light foot on the accelerator for in the first place you can't see as well and in the second place you can't stop as quickly as you can on a dry Road on a dry road you can stop quickest of course when you have to you can step on your brakes and stop in a hurry the black band represents the distance required to stop your car on a dry road now let's see what happens when the street is slick from rain or snow or ice you're traveling at exactly the same speed as before you have to put your brakes on at exactly the same point but remember now the street is slippery you've done everything you could to stop your car but it goes four to six times as far as on a dry Road only by making making it a practice to drive more slowly and more carefully in rain snow or sleep can you protect others and yourself water on the highway can be a serious driving Hazard to greatly reduce this Hazard slow way down before driving through it it's almost impossible to tell in a hurry How deep the water really is but it is possible to drive through relatively deep water if you take it easy if necessary shift to seconds so you can crawl through the water when you get through the water it's a good idea to try your brakes to make certain that they are operating properly a couple of stops will usually dry them out water hazards often exist in unsuspected places on the highway wet leaves for example even on an otherwise dry pavement can be as treacherous as glare ice skidding is dangerous and you should should know what to do about it first let's take a close look at what happens when a car goes into a skid we'll watch it in slow motion in a skid the rear end of your car acts like it's trying to get ahead of the front end like this something must be done to keep the car going straight forward yet putting your brakes on just makes the skid worse let's start over again and see what to do the instant you feel the rear end swinging turn your front wheels in the direction the rear end is swinging turn them into the skid to get your car back under control no matter which way you skid always turn into the skid but better yet prevent skidding by taking curves more slowly on snow ice or rain tires have a tendency to slip instead of grip you don't try to run on Ice you walk and it's the same with your car you will find that with practice you can apply so little power your car will walk right out of slippery spots and you'll be on your way in no time slip is not all that Wheels may do unexpectedly even today's wonderfully sturdy tires are sometimes punctured or occasionally without warning blow out when a tire does blow keep your foot off the brakes the first thing to do is to keep the car under control by gripping the steering wheel firmly take your foot off the gas and then apply the brakes gradually to bring the car to a stop you can tell by the direction of the sound if it's a front or rear blowout and this is important in determining how to control it if it's a front wheel the car will tend to Swerve to the side of the blowout so you must hold the steering wheel firmly against it get your car fully under control before trying to stop and don't worry about the tire at this time if it's a rear tire the rear end of the car May tend to sway from side to side the main thing to remember is to keep your car moving straight forward regain control first then slow down and stop because he has practiced keeping his mind on his driving the alert driver is ready for any emergency whether it be the bark of a blowout or the snarl of a siren if you hear a siren pull over to the curb without Crossing an intersection and stop for a siren means that an official vehicle has the authority to use the space you are occupying keep your mind on your driving all the time dusk for example is an especially difficult time of the day to drive be on the alert for pedestrians for hazards appear to blend with a gray Twilight turn on your lights early so you won't be a hazard for others but most important of all slow down at sundown at night of course the skillful driver continues to be on the alert make it a practice to dim down bright instrument lights to improve your night vision and learn the right way to pass drivers who fail to depress their headlights signal the other driver with a quick flick of your headlights by pressing the foot switch a couple of times and instead of looking at his headlights shift your eyes to the right to a spot wheel Mark with an x on the edge of the road ahead of the car now keep your eyes on the imaginary X and you won't be blinded when a car passes for your own safety don't leave your own lights on the driving beam even though the approaching car does switch your lights to the passing beam and cut your speed shift your eyes to the edge of the road x marks the spot as soon as the car passes look ahead again but give your eyes a few seconds to readjust themselves before you resume normal driving speed it really pays to drive carefully at night in the city or the country and remember always use your passing beam when a car is coming toward you here's why your headlamps are designed to light the road far ahead of you with the high beam but this beam will unavoidably shine right in the eyes of an approaching driver and his high beam shines in your eyes so cars are equipped with a passing beam always use it as cars approach each other at the crest of a hill even the passing beams are blinding as you can see so make it a practice to slow down as you approach an oncoming car at a Hilltop it's smart because it's safe in fact every practice of good driving is smart because it's safe and all it takes to be a good driver is practice the right way oh