Acceleration Sense
Save on fuel and your brakes by using Acceleration Sense
What is Acceleration Sense?
The ability to vary vehicle speed in response to changing road or traffic conditions by accurate use of the accelerator, so that you can use the brakes less or not at all.
This reduces fuel consumption, causes less wear on the tyres, and avoids unnecessary strains on the vehicle.
We need Acceleration Sense in every driving situation: moving off, overtaking, and negotiating hazards.
Acceleration sense requires observation, anticipation, and judgment of speed and distance.
When you negotiate a hazard- like a bend, how often do you need to use the brakes? If the answer is always or nearly always then you may need to improve on your acceleration sense!
If you are able to master your acceleration sense, you may be able to avoid stopping at junctions such as roundabouts and hazards (depending on traffic, road conditions, and signage). Plus, your overall driving will be much smoother and safer in general, as you will be more practised in anticipating and judging what’s around you.
So when you start noticing the traffic ahead of you slowing down, rather than continuing to accelerate or immediately going for the brakes, see if you can ease off the accelerator and use engine braking to slow the vehicle down.
Final comment
Use of acceleration sense to make you a more skilled observer and in turn, a safer driver.
Acceleration sense is an important skill in driving and needs to be practised in order to be mastered.
We discuss in more detail about this topic in our Driver CPC courses.
Vincent Winfield
Executive Director of NationalCPC
