What we've learned on the track

[wconley]

We teach keeping hands at 9 and 3 and personally I don't do it because I think they will forever drive that way. I don't. I vary between one hand, 9 and 3 or 8 and 4 just to stay comfortable. However, if I'm in traffic or on a "demanding/fun" road I always have two hands on the wheel - I may need that fraction of a second. For the majority of drivers, having the hands at 9 and 3 will result in better, more accurate and quicker control inputs. What we teach is sometimes a new way of driving for some and a sense of discipline and repetition for all. As an aside, I never leave my hand on the stick because in my M3, the weight and constant push on the transmission selector "can" result in premature transmission wear. I don't know if the same problem exists for my Boxster but it's easy enough to avoid. From a practical standpoint, using the one hand technique can provide an indirect hazard if you do hit something and the airbag deploys. If your hand is over the top of the wheel, you will likely get a fist in the face. If it's at 6:00 with the fingers on the inside of the rim, you may end up with a broken wrist. YMMV...

Personally, after vision, I think one of the best things we learn from the track, or simply taking a car control clinic, is potential. Many people have an accident simply because they don't know their car will stop, or drive around an accident. To quote a friend of mine, "If a meteor hits your car, that's an accident. Everything else is driver error!" Once a driver becomes aware of the potential handling qualities of their car, and a confidence in themselves to extract and make use of it, they can often save themselves considerable expense if not outright pain of an accident.