Anticipation

Anticipation - Anticipation and how to use it whilst driving

Anticipation of the intentions of other road users is a useful if sometimes subtle skill.  You do not need to possess any psychic abilities to master good anticipation.  Just look out for real clues

There are some perfectly obvious examples.

Anticipation - If a car is approaching you quickly from behind on a wide clear road without indicating their intentions you would not be surprised if they overtook you.

Anticipation - If you are approaching a meet situation where you do have the priority because the obstacle is on the opposite side of the road you would not be particularly surprised if the car coming towards you too fast did not stop for you. These are just two obvious examples of anticipation.

There are some more subtle examples.

Anticipation - If a car is coming around a roundabout towards you in a position that makes no clear sense and showing no indication where are they going ? Take a look at the driver. People do always tend to look where they intend to go. If they are looking at the lane alongside you then no matter where they are on the roundabout; that is where they are probably going. Only probably though so it is a good idea to prepare to move and have your hand ready on the handbrake but not actually go until you are sure.

Anticipation - You are approaching a crossroads from the minor road and opposite you there is another car waiting to go but they are not indicating. Not too unusual but where are they going ? The driver has to be looking both ways and towards you. Easy. Look at their wheels. People that are too lazy to indicate are too lazy to do more steering than they have to. Their wheels will be turned towards their intended direction of travel quite probably earlier than they should be.

The benefits of Anticipation.

Anticipation is developed through good forward planning. If you look far ahead whenever you can to gain as much knowledge as possible about what lies ahead you will start to notice things. That car ahead that has just started to indicate right. They will have to slow down and perhaps stop. How will that effect you ?

When you start to develop the skill of anticipation you will notice an improvement both in the smoothness of your drive and in the reduction of your stress levels. If you can anticipate what will happen next you can be ahead of the game and your stress levels will be lower. All the better for you.