Drivers Ed From The Race Track – Braking

Drivers Ed From The Race Track Braking

Drivers Ed From The Race Track Braking

The first leg of the journey in race track driving lessons is the proper use of brakes. Let me say that in all of the skills I had to learn on the race track, proper braking was the most difficult. Additionally, it was probably the one area that I found myself really lacking. Actually, truth be known, I was pathetic at proper use of brakes. Once I did learn how to properly use brakes, it became obvious that this was also an issue for people driving on the street as well. Drivers ed never taught me this and I very much argue that all driving schools should emphasize this skill!

So, what was do bad about my braking that caused me to think about how important a skill braking was? Many items as follows:

Brake feedback. The main difference between the brakes on most street cars and race cars is the feel of the brake pedal. Street cars typically have a large amount of travel (ie, the distance the pedal moves when applying the brakes) while race cars have a very firm feel with a small amount of travel. Why is this and what is the driving lesson here? The human body is more sensitive to pressure than movement and hence firm brakes with minimal travel are more controllable. A drivers ed tip - when purchasing a car, check the brake pedal to make sure its reasonable firm and doesn't require a large amount of travel when applying the brakes.

Application smoothness. Pressing on the brakes smoothly, but firmly is very important. Drivers should not "stab" at the brakes. Nor should they try and press them through the floor during a quick stop as there's only 100% braking power to apply. A drivers ed tip - this can be constantly practiced and every time you brake rate yourself on "smoothness".

Modulation. Modulation of the brake application refers to continual increasing and decreasing of brake pressure during a speed change or stop. This typically indicates the driver did not properly read the total braking required and had to continually "hunt" for the proper brake pressure. Driving lesson - once applying the brake the goal should be to continually ease off the brakes and not need to apply more pressure as the speed change progresses.

Brake Release. Ok, now that we've managed to properly apply the brakes and slow down for the upcoming turn, the idea is to release the brakes in the appropriate manner. Very seldom is it appropriate to just "jump off the brakes" as it can cause the car to transition grip to the rear and hence cause an understeer situation (ie, plowing straight ahead). This was something that I really did not understand when first learning to drive on the race track. So another driving lesson tip is that smoothness when releasing the brakes is important as well.

Nose dive. If you see a car taking a nose dive during braking, other than an emergency stop, that driver probably doesn't have good awareness of braking and its importance. If you really focus on both brake application and proper brake release, nose dives should never happen outside of an emergency. After the initial application of the brakes, there should be a continual "easing" off the brakes. And by the time a car is actually stopped, there should be very little brakes pressure left. Drivers ed tip - you can see how well your braking application was by the amount of nose dive at the point of stopping. It should be minimal and all that should be left is a very small, final release of the brakes.

ABS (anti-lock brakes). In this day and age, most cars are equipped with ABS, which is wonderful break-through in driving technology. ABS does the "pumping" for you in an emergency situation and you will feel the brake pedal "pumping" even though you are pushing hard on the brakes. This is natural and how ABS should work. Most drivers understand the concept, but the first time they feel the pulsing it is natural to want to pull your foot off the brake. Drivers ed tip - don't do it! ABS is doing its job and you should maintain pedal pressure. Another driving lesson - also realize that you can actually turn the car when the brakes are applied. This is very important and could save you from a collision in an emergency. Most people don't realize this is possible and could have potentially avoided a crash with some practice up-front.

Bottom line is that brake "management" when driving a car is extremely important and much more difficult to do properly than most people realize. A combination of driver education and practice can mean the difference between a near-miss and a crash.

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