Advice for teaching lane control

Especially if she plays hard to get.

 

I understand Swift and Stevens both are having mostly good results with these



But some new drivers respond better to tactile and auditory feedback and for these you can just use the shoulder rumble strips for guidance.

 

In the center of the hood their is a hand grip to open the hood. The right side of the handle should also be the same place the right steer tire is on the road. So drive with hood grab just on the fog line or 1-2 inches off and that were the the steer tires and right front of the truck will be.

 

If you continue harping on it she will not be relaxed and tense all the time, work on the relaxing part, short walks help, always park so you have a ways to walk, that will set the mind free.

 

Thanks for the shout out @TripleSix.
@McCauley here's how I taught lane control:

First have her sit in the driver's seat and measure how far it is from the center of the truck to the bridge of her nose. Depending on what truck you are driving, I'll guess about 2'3". Why measure to the bridge of her nose? Because that is her center of perception.

Now, when she is driving have her visualize a line that divides the lane right down the center. THEN, visualize a line 2'3" left of center. THAT LINE is where SHE should be flying. Imagine the truck is gone, her clothes are gone, and she's flying that line floating eight feet in the air with her natural parts flapping in the breeze.

Don't drive the truck. Fly the line.

Then have her sneak a peak in each rear view mirror at how far she is from the fog line and from the zipper. It should be about equal. Keep checking those distances until she mentally grooves the feeling of where SHE should be in the lane.

 

find a point on hood and line up with fog line. You might have to buy her a nice hood ornament. Get her riding the fog line so that she is well away from the zipper line where the usual suspects are glued.

 

I did that when I first started driving. My lane control was less than stellar and it contributed to surprises and the need for quick reaction when traffic was stopped up ahead. That hood to fog line concentration keeps your focus way too close.

Looking at the line you need to fly your naked ### keeps your focus forward, WAY forward. That will help both lane control and assessing hazards well in advance.

 

Have her do what a old bull hauler showed me when I was a pup.
Hit the cruise control, slide the seat all the way back, prop your boots up on the dash, turn up the Merle haggard tape and hammer down!
In other words RELAX!!

 

The freeway sometimes have wind issues, grooves in the highway (You can literally in some deep ones, allow the truck it's own steering, it's not quite right in the head but saves the front end sometimes...)

As long as she is holding on to the wheel constantly she will and must make do with whatever nature throws at her.

All things considered I use two markers by eye on that right side line, either one of the mirriors (Drives or forward fender mirrior) or the center badge on the front of the hood. But you also need to be looking eyes up ahead. if you are not and something happens... unseen that's it.

I suppose a double check of her vision for potential issues in one eye or the other that might be throwing her off if she has to be wearing glasses to read or something. I am just guessing.

Either that or the front end steering is flawed. If the truck runs true with you driving then that's not the issue. Another would be a tire or two losing air on the right side creating a drag sneaking up on her. I don't know. Just ideas to consider. Even being tired would do it.

 

If the truck has over 100k on it then new gas shocks will cause it to “track” better. Just do it.

Double-check drive axle tire pressures. And condition of rear bushings.

Car drivers today are used to rack & pinion steering, not a worn-out 19-turns lock-to-lock ‘69 Rambler American steering gearbox. Steering corrections per 100-miles isn’t part of their thinking.

And scrape and steam the fifth wheel. That’s a six month service everyone ignores. Once locked, it’s a steering component. And leading contributing cause in every loss-of-control accident.

Use grease approved for that purpose, not the crap stuff goes in front end.

IOW, search out the sources of what causes the truck to settle in one direction or another. Get the slop out.

‘cause the last one is the real thing : fat boy drivers having broken the drivers seat cushion on the interior side from leaning on the shifter. Poor girl sits there straight and careful and her perspective is way off.

So, it’s ALL YOUR FAULT, hand, she’s just bein’ polite to ya.

Having covered mechanical condition (and made glass squeaky clean), I’d ask the new driver to “see” where they sit in the lane. And go back & forth with mirrors to confirm the forward sight picture is the same as when the rig is equidistant from the lane edges.

Good luck.