CreativeKorner,
I passed my driving test October 23, last year. So, for what its worth, here’s what I’ve learned about driving. Note that I do use a bi-optic. I drive every day to and from work, pick up the kids at school and some errands.
1. My sighted friends whose driving I admire do not seem to rely all that much on the speedometer--one learns to feel what is appropriate, how 30mph, 45mph, 55, etc. feel. So, with practice, I’m told, checking becomes less of an issue.
2. In lieu of good speed sense, I’ve learned that I can see where the needle is, without seeing the actual numbers, and determine if I’m on the mark. In general, I’ve also learned its safer to drive according to traffic or what feels safe than diverting my attention from the road to the speedometer. When I first started driving I liked to “school”--that is keep with the other cars (or fish if you will).
3. Probably the most important thing that I’ve learned is that driving is as much about how one sees as it is about their visual acuity. I’ve learned to look and determine things based on what I can see--that the place to turn in for the restaurant is where the shadow line on the curb appears slimmer...I can’t see the driveway itself all that well, but know that one is there with this in mind. Seeing is active and requires conscious effort and thought. Many drivers with perfect vision do not see well at all...they don’t look, and they are not careful. I on the other hand feel my limits and try very hard to compensate by actively looking and inferring from what I look at.
4. Don’t do things you don’t feel safe doing. If you want to try going somewhere new, take a friend for a test run, or have a seasoned driver take you along and talk through each step (merging, exiting, etc.).
5. It has helped me a lot to drive one or two routines until I become comfortable...learn to deal with the unknowns that emerge in the course of a normal trip, and you’ll gain both skill and confidence for new trips.
6. Plan. If you are going somewhere new, look up the new location on a map...google it and scan in close...are their important landmarks, or changes in traffic patterns? Ask someone who knows...is there an intersection to watch out for, etc. These are things that all drivers might do, but in my case, I feel required and they really have helped me take on more driving, step by step.