Spatial awareness plays a key role in safe driving. Keep reading to learn more about spatial awareness and get strategies for improving it. If you have questions or want to shop trucks for sale, head over to White’s International Trucks. We have dealerships throughout North Carolina.
Spatial Awareness Defined
Spatial awareness involves things such as:
- How your position relates to other things.
- How movement can affect your position.
- How well you can remember a route.
- How well you can follow directions.
- How safely you can change lanes.
People can naturally have good or poor spatial awareness. The good news is that it is also a skill that can be strengthened!
How to Estimate Your Road Position
As a general estimation, the driver’s right leg sits in about the middle of the vehicle.
Focus on keeping that leg in the center of the road, which will help you position the truck accordingly.
Use Other Vehicles as a Metric
In general, vehicles don’t vary too much in width. You can use other vehicles as a helpful measurement when deciding whether you can fit into a gap.
For example, maybe you are trying to determine whether you can safely overtake a parked car. Look at that vehicle and see whether it could be duplicated in the space next to it. If the second vehicle would fit easily, you are likely safe to pass the parked car.
Use Reference Points
For Your Vehicle’s Width
Sidewalk curbs can be a helpful resource for improving spatial awareness while driving. They can be reference points that help you better judge your vehicle’s width.
Simply pull up beside a curb, look through your windshield, and see where the curb appears at the bottom of the window. Remember this point and use it as a marker when navigating tight spaces. You can park with the curb to your left and to your right to get reference points on both sides.
For Your Car's Front
A key aspect of spatial awareness while driving is understanding where the front of your vehicle ends. With a little bit of trial and error, you can gain a better sense of your truck’s front end and use that knowledge to park better.
Pick a solid object, such as the door of a garage or a parked car. Drive your truck forward and stop when you are still a comfortable distance away. Step out of the vehicle and check how far you really are from the object. Get back in the truck and see how that distance looks from the driver’s seat. Repeat until you are positioned an appropriate distance away from the object and use this reference point when parking again in the future.
Strategies for Improving Spatial Awareness While Driving
These are techniques for strengthening your spatial awareness while driving.
Consider:
- Video games that focus on moving and rotating objects.
- Chess.
- Jigsaw puzzles.
- Regular resistance training exercise.
- Art projects such as drawing and painting.
Want more spatial awareness driving tips? Want to shop trucks for sale? Whatever you need, the experts at White’s International Trucks are here to help. Reach out or stop by one of our dealerships throughout North Carolina.
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