[masraum]

I didn't want to derail Don's thread. This doesn't sound "special." What's "Aim high" mean? Look ahead? Why is this system so special?

Originally Posted by bkreigsr

..for those not familiar with the Smith System...
(....I took driver's ed in 1963 )

Five Rules of the Smith System:
1. Aim High. The first rule for this method is “Aim high in steering”. ...
2. The Big Picture. “Be aware of your surroundings at all times” may seem obvious to say, but distracted drivers are. ...
3. Keep Your Eyes Moving. ...
4. Leave Yourself an Out. ...
5. Make Sure They See You.

Don - consider yourself very lucky the Dodge was able to lock up the brakes on that monster.

Bill K

Originally Posted by DonDavis

I was actually a Certified Smith Instructor for over 10 years.
The training included ~38 items to mention during a 12 minute Demonstration Drive.

The "keys" are...
Aim high in steering
Get the big picture ( this is where I failed in this case. Had I checked about 3 seconds sooner, it prob would've had a different outcome. )
Keep your eyes moving
Leave yourself an out
Make sure they see you

Mnemonic...
All
Good
Kids
Love
Mom

Or my fav...
All
Gorillas
Kill
Little
Monkeys

I think follow on Driver Training is one our country's biggest shortcomings. Just look at lane merging. How is the zipper approach so lost on so many drivers?
New drivers get "trained" and let loose at 16 yrs old. They have 1000 other more important things than listening to "how to drive". "Whats so hard? Turn key, push gas!"
Then never, ever get any additional training.
Yet, everyone says the same thing. "People can't drive at all! They all suck!" and things like "I'm an excellent driver."
Well, where do the folks that say that fit into that statement? I'll say it, they suck too. And just because a guy is car enthusiast does not automatically, in any way, make them a "good" driver.

And don't confuse being a master at "operating" a vehicle with being a "good" driver.

Lastly, Smith is for seasoned drivers. Not newbees. Takes real dedicated practice to master.