Phoenix, Arizona
August 24, 2008
It was with a bit of trepidation that I pulled into the parking lot at the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving to take the Highway Survival Training course on a beautiful summer day in Phoenix. Having gone through the one day racing course a couple of years ago I knew better then to think that I was going to make it through the day feeling good about my driving skills. These folks are the crème de la crème of driving instructors and they can always find something problematic with ones driving, and rightfully so. 
I have to say that I, like a lot of people, feel like I am much more capable than average driver, but after going through the racing course, I was cured of any ego that I may have had regarding my ability to handle a race car.
That feeling was why I was apprehensive about what they were going to put us through with this course regarding my daily driving skills. I read that we were going to be dealing with emergency maneuvers, skid control exercises, shifting exercises, braking and cornering, a slalom run and of course some laps on the big track; all things that test reactions and coordination. Then, to make matters even more stressful, I saw that my classmates were a couple of youngsters with the razor sharp reflexes of youth that made me feel well, old.
That aside, Alex and Nic were very nice young men and our instructors Will and Austin were great and after spending a bit of classroom time learning about the forces that control a vehicle, weight and balance and the effects of inertia that we can use to maximize braking and steering, it was off to the practice pad.
From that point on the day was a blur of driving. First learning how acceleration effects turning by going in a circle in ever widening circles while holding the steering wheel in one position and then coming back to the starting point again, without ever turning the wheel. From there we went on a short loop of the track to learn how to find the correct line to get the car around the track as fast a possible without losing control. We learned how to “look where you want to go” rather then where you’re going, no small thing to get used to. 
From there we practiced some accident avoidance by driving up to 45 miles per hour in the center lane of three lanes with green lights and wait for the instructors to turn two to red, then we had to maneuver into the lane with the green light. Again, no easy feat when they seemed to wait until way too late to make up your mind. But a minor miracle happened when we actually listened to the instruction to “look ahead” and use our peripheral vision to change lanes as we reacted to the lights.
The skid cars were an absolute blast and if for no other reason then to get to do that, you should check out the Highway Survival Training course. It is absolutely amazing at how quickly all three of us got a handle on “looking where we wanted to go” rather then where we were going. As far as correcting for understeer goes, no real big problem, just slow down and get the weight on the front wheels, even if you have to tap the brake, until you have the car going where you want it to.
On the other hand, dealing with oversteer is an entirely different, and much more fun matter. Most of us can remember times when the back of the car starts coming loose and putting us into a spin, which is a very ugly feeling. Well, after a few minutes in the skid car, we were all feeling pretty sure of ourselves in dealing with that problem should it arise in the future.
Then we got to run the slalom course, again, more fun then should be legal, and after that several timed laps on a SCCA type course where we had to avoid running over pylons racing for time, which I think I still won even though Alex had a time 1 second better then mine. I was in a big Cadillac CTS and he was in a small Pontiac Solstice so when I factor that I’m older then their fathers, and I was in a bigger heavier car, I win. Needless to say, he doesn’t feel that way.
Finally we got to go on the big boy track and chase Will an
d Austin for several laps, again, more fun then you can possibly imagine. But while we had a great time, the most important thing we learned is that driving is very complicated and without understanding how to control a vehicle in unexpected circumstances, the results can be devastating. And while we learned a lot, the most important thing we learned was, that we didn’t know enough, and that can be very sobering. I’ve been driving for almost 5 decades and I was amazed at how much I didn’t and don’t know. My young friends were very much aware of how much they had to learn but it was also great to hear that they felt a new respect for driving and I believe that they’ll be much more careful when the get behind the wheel now and that is a good thing for everyone.
With so many more cars on the road, and people driving faster every day it’s even more important to learn skills that will help keep you and your passengers safer on the road. I don’t know many people that wouldn’t benefit from spending a day at the Bondurant School going through this course. I know I feel a whole lot better about how I drive now and I bet you would too.
For information on the school, go to http://www.bondurant.com/ and check out their schedules. I’m glad I did and I bet you’ll be glad you did.
