Does having both car and bike license make you a better car

Originally Posted by fizzwheel

I spend a huge amount of time on the bike and I don't really use the car at all. I'd say my awareness of whats going on around me has increased massively but as for the rest of my driving. I'm at the "Could do better standard" at the moment

I think its more frustratino than anything else, if I'm stuck in traffic or a slow moving queue of cars I know I get frustrated as if I was on the bike I could nip by and then get through it all.

I'm exactly the same. I'm more observant in the car these days, but I get impatient, frustrated and stressed which leads to bad driving.

After buying a new car this sumer I have spent quite a bit of time in it. Couple of observations I noted:

Compared to my wife (who's a pretty good driver) my hazard perception and awareness is far greater. I'll often say something like "watch that guy, he's going to cut across", and 3-5 seconds later he does. It's just one of those things you pick up riding a bike on a daily basis.

However, my general standard of driving has fallen;

My parking is dire, the Focus ST has got a really poor turning circle, but that's not a real excuse.

I accelerate to quickly too often, again I blame the car, if you've ever heard one from inside you'll know what I mean

Plonkers in repmobiles who I know are going to cut me up, I make sure they can't, it's aggresive, and I shouldn't do it

And yes, I corner too fast at times (too fast for the wife, not too fast for me )

I have though lost the road rage, which is good - maybe I'm just getting old, I'll be 45 on Monday

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Since I drive both when I'm driving my car I take special care of bikers. That to me is enough to make me a better car driver.

Driving a car is relatively easy. You notice extremeties much more and quicker on a bike which you may never experience in a lifetime driving a car. This makes for a safer driver in panic situations as he's trained to react quicker and with better foresite than a car driver.

Originally Posted by Jelster

Compared to my wife (who's a pretty good driver) my hazard perception and awareness is far greater. I'll often say something like "watch that guy, he's going to cut across", and 3-5 seconds later he does. It's just one of those things you pick up riding a bike on a daily basis.

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Same here about the hazard perception, but I can't really compare my driving to your wife's!

I got my bike licence over 20 years after my car licence.

I have driven well over half a million miles in various cars

There has been a noticeable change in my driving since I got the bike.
1 Observation has improved
2. Lines through corners have changed
3. Top speed has reduced (but that may be due to a scamera allergy)

According to she who must be ignored I have always:-
1. Driven too fast
2. Accelerated too hard
3. gone for gaps where i shouldn't

So no change there!

when I am in the car I sometimes get a feeling that some one is going to pull out, cut me up, stop in the middle of the road etc. I am right often enough to think people must be giving subliminal clues before they even know themselves what they are going to do.
I don't get the same sort of feelings when Iam on the bike, probably because I am concentrating on staying upright!

So I would say,
The overall effect has been to improve my car driving.
I am a better driver than rider
I enjoy riding more than driving.

Chris

Originally Posted by zunkus

Since I drive both when I'm driving my car I take special care of bikers. That to me is enough to make me a better car driver.

Driving a car is relatively easy. You notice extremeties much more and quicker on a bike which you may never experience in a lifetime driving a car. This makes for a safer driver in panic situations as he's trained to react quicker and with better foresite than a car driver.

Hey Zunkus, as far as I'm concerned anyone who drives anything in Malta and has a license to do so is either a f**king driving God or insane (loads of family living on the Island dude).

i drove a car for 8 years before i got my bike licence and after getting the bike licence i realised how poor my car driving was

Originally Posted by xlewdx

Hey Zunkus, as far as I'm concerned anyone who drives anything in Malta and has a license to do so is either a f**king driving God or insane (loads of family living on the Island dude).

Thanks for the compliment, I guess Yes we're well and truly packed over here. Third most populated per square mile in the world I hear.

This thread reminds me of an article in Bike that Rupert Paul wrote. He was publicly berated for being a menace by a young mum he overtook in his car. All caused because riding bikes made him drive quicker because he's better at judging grip etc.

[dirtydog]

hmmm i was riding a bike before driving a car and whilst i was having driving lessons it was commented that my observations were better than most peoples, got the same comments when i was doing my hgv licence a couple of years ago

so in respect of observation, yes

but in my van i get much more frustrated and annoyed at the lack of progress i'm making etc.

I'm a fairly aggressive rider and much more aggressive in the van with a little bit more road rage but have calmed down in recent years