Why is Skill Training so Important?

The Anatomy of an Accident

Because we are so poorly prepared -- neither by training nor experience -- to react properly to a sudden emergency behind the wheel, our conscious mind literally checks out and leaves the driving to the sub-conscious. Having no experience to fall back on, the poor old sub-conscious defaults to the panic mode and freezes. Here are the steps of the typical car crash -- the Anatomy Of An Accident:

1. Recognition - Driving along on a lovely day, stereo playing, thinking about many things. Suddenly something unexpected happens in front of us. WOW! We see the rear end of the car in front of us stopped dead -- tail lights blazing.
   
   
2. Reaction - Without us even knowing it, our body goes into the flight-or-fight mode that Mother Nature gave us millions of years ago to help the little things avoid getting eaten by the big things. Our heart rate goes up because the body needs more oxygen. Capillaries contract to hold blood near the core where it will be needed to protect vital organs. Breathing increases. Just before we take any action with our hands and feet, the adrenal glands open and fire shots of adrenalin throughout the body. Now we are five times stronger than we were a millisecond ago.
   
   
3. Response - In that heightened state of strength and readiness we reach for the biggest muscle in the body, the gluteus maximus (the one we sit on) and nail that brake pedal. Hammer it -- locking up the tires. We also lock up everything else. Our hands and elbows lock on the steering wheel. Eyes lock on the rear bumper that is fast approaching. And, because we're staring so hard at it, guess what? We're sure as heck gonna' hit it. In that position our aim is impeccable.
   
   
4. Weight Transfer - As soon as you slam on those brakes, the weight in the chassis starts to shift all the way to the front. The front springs collapse and the rear springs extend. Now the rear tires have no weight on them and it's all up to the fronts. Finally the front tires give up and start to slide.
   
   
5. Coefficient of Friction - Because we have the front tires locked up and sliding, we've raised their temperature to maybe 1500 degrees. We're now sliding along on a river of molten rubber. That's those two parallel black marks you see on the highway all the time. Now it doesn't matter if you turn the wheel or don't, it wouldn't do any good anyway because with the tires melting, you might as well be on ice. Sliding wheels don’t turn the car.
   
   
6. The Crash, then The Silence - Then comes the crash followed by that sickening moment of realization that you've done it! You've just screwed up big time. Then there is that dreadful silence interrupted only by the tick, tick of cooling metal and the tinkle of the last few pieces of metal and plastic falling off the car.
   
   
7. The Last Act - Finally, the silence is replaced with exclamations pertaining to ancestry, and to anatomy, oh profanities profuse. And last, there is that rotten phone call that starts, "Hello, Mom? We've got a problem here."
   
   
8. The Last Last Act - Several weeks later the post person will arrive with "news" about your insurance premiums. It's very big news.

Skill training and The New Driver Car Control Clinic are all about changing the anatomy of an accident by pre-programming the sub-conscious to break the chain of panic -- to prepare the driver mentally and physically to react to surprises with skill and precision. And more importantly, to recognize impending danger earlier so that they never enter the emergency zone where accidents lurk. For more information call 800-862-3277 or visit www.carcontrol.com.