by Bob Bondurant

(2002-12-16)

Bob Bondurant's Driving Basics by Bob Bondurant (5/5/2001)

Experiencing an emergency situation while driving means one thing: Make a decision, now!

Regardless of whether you're on the track or on the road, if you spend a great deal of time behind the wheel, you'll eventually run into some kind of trouble. Sometimes, a split second is all you have to count on your judgement and to do everything right.

When it does happen, first remember that your vision is everything. I rely on this very basic and simple rule: Look where you want to go. 

Avoid the fixation

Often, we get fixated on what we're about to hit. It will take a great deal of effort on your part not to focus on that telephone pole, oncoming car or bus load of lawyers, but you must look for the "out". In that one second, quickly use your eyes to find the gap or the opening and aim for it. It's quite amazing, really, but the vehicle will move in the direction you are looking.

In the race arena, you have to know the various lines in the corners. This will give you an option or two should something happen in front of you. In 1965, I was in Monaco and driving a Cooper Formula Three. I had set my sights on Roy Pike, the race leader, and decided to catch him. I wanted the lead. I was about 2 feet behind him as we headed up the hill. I went deep into the corner. He went in deeper. I knew he wasn't going to make it out, he started to spin into the guardrail and I drove underneath him.

However, once he hit the guardrail, he shot back across the track, leaving him sideways in front of me. There I was, left with two less-than-desirable choices: I could run right over him or put my car sideways and spin myself. I spun it and hit him wheel to wheel. I'd lost the race, had a broken suspension and, worse yet, I was terribly embarrassed. I should have used my head more. The whole thing was unnecessary and expensive.

Out-of-control situations come as a result of poor concentration - or perhaps you're just trying to go too fast too soon. When that happens, use your common sense and listen to that little voice deep inside. You know very well when you're about to get into a situation that's over your head. 

The three S's

Something else I'd like to touch on are the three S's - skid, slide, spin. Whatever you call it, to the driver it means the same thing. You're either already out of control or you're very nearly there. True, for some, the idea of a good spin is very entertaining. For others, however, especially those surrounded by other vehicles, all driving at top speed, it can be a rather unsettling ordeal, to say the least. Think about it. Sometime throughout your driving history you must have heard the term "steer into it," meaning turn the wheel into the direction the car is sliding. If you've ever put this theory to the test, then you, too, know it works.

How well it works, though, is up to the driver. The moment the car begins to spin, you must react with lightning speed. Immediately turn the wheel in the same direction of the sliding rear end. Remember, if you're too slow in reacting, you'll probably spin out. If you are unable to correct the spin, there still is an escape route. Turn the steering wheel and point the front tires straight ahead, then put in the clutch (or neutral, in an automatic). The car will do a 180-degree spin and end up pointed straight but going down the road backwards. Then, gently squeeze on the brakes and come to a stop.

Yes, I know - "What about the other cars around me?" Don't worry, believe me, they'll be watching you. Just remember to look in the direction you want to go as soon as possible and you will go in that direction. If you engage in a skid on the racetrack, it will affect your lap time. Each and every time you have to make a correction, you're losing time. Be consistent and smooth, you'll see your efforts on the clock. 

Avoid it or stop?

The most important thing to remember when it comes to avoiding accidents is that you can't always stop as fast as you can avoid a situation, even with anti-lock brakes. On the race circuit, spinouts are typical. In everyday driving, however, it may not be a spin you're avoiding. Children, a dog, a car door opening in front of you, whatever is in your path, don't stomp on the brakes. Instead, lift off the gas immediately. In doing so, the car's weight and momentum transfer forward, giving you more traction up front. Next, steer to avoid the object. Finally, correct the steering to straight ahead and squeeze back on the gas. This will keep the car from spinning by transferring weight back to the rear tires and keeping the balance of the car neutral.

As for the spinning race car you're trying to avoid, the best thing to do is head for where it has already been. If the car in front of you spun to the left and hit the wall, it's coming back to the right, so move to the left. It's all a very high-speed situation and happens faster than you can imagine.

Stay focused, concentrate, and use your vision. That's always the key.

Bob Bondurant, racer and entrepreneur, owns and runs the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in Phoenix, Ariz. For more information on classes and schedules, click over to www.bondurant.com or call (800) 842-RACE (7223).