MisterMMM.com: Goldilocks and the Three principles

March 9

It would be worse if I didn't know how to choose the correct spelling of principle. Maybe it would be more interesting to use principal, but that is not what I want to talk about.

I quite often find myself explaining an idea to my drivers, where for example, they need to steer a bit more into corners. Early on they might still find it awkward to gauge the correct amount of steering when taking a corner in a junction. This normally means that first of all they don't steer quite enough and get close to the kerb or wrong side of the road.

They take this on-board and with prompting approach the next corner, steering too much and everything happening the other way round, in the wrong way. So I point out what they could have done, and sometimes, just sometimes I get feedback along the lines of "first it was too little, now it's too much".

At a suitable point we park up and discuss how much to steer. I ask a series of questions something along the lines of

• Does each corner require the same amount of steering?
• Does the speed you go round the corner, affect the amount of steering?
• Does it matter when you start to steer?
• Does it make a difference how quickly you steer?

I do this as logically as I can, so that the driver has time to work out what they think they should do. I guide them if they are not sure or get it wrong, so that they understand just how much there is to steering around a corner.

While working out the details of the answers, some people started explaining to me that you shouldn't do too much........or too little! Of course, this is the Goldilocks effect, as I call it. In almost anything in driving you have to judge how much to do something taking into account the feedback from your eyes, body and the road situation.

So at the next corner, they don't steer too much, or too little, but change it as they go round, to get just the right amount, "said Goldilocks".

And the three princples?

• Not too much......
• not too little....
• but just right!