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National Academy of Professional Driving

5/19/2007 6:59 PM
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 379

National Academy of Professional Driving

Have you gone through a pursuit driving course? My current agency requires all of our officers to complete the NAPD course once every three years. I agree with and use some of the techniques, but I have yet to master shuffle steering enough to use it every day.

In shuffle steering, you have one hand on each side of the wheel, and as you turn, you move the hand only until it touches the other hand to the top center or bottom center of the wheel, and then let the hand return to its position. This doesn't sound too clear, so I will try to explain again. If you assume your hands are at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions and you want to turn left. You move the wheel with the right hand as it slides up to the 12 o'clock position, sliding the left hand up to the same place. The left hand then grabs the wheel and turns it down until the 6 o'clock position, with the right hand just sliding down the wheel to meet it. If you still need more turn, you repeat until the lock is hit.

This technique has the advantage of keeping both hands on the wheel and the radio cord never gets tangled in the wheel. On the track when I concentrate I can do this, but I get too lazy when I am not in a pursuit and don't practice it enough. I am working on it though. I know this is better driving practice even when not in a high speed response, but I usually drop back to one handed driving for normal stuff.

Do any of you have the problem of not practicing the techniques you know are better, but the old way is just so much more comfortable?
REPLY 1  -  1  of  1
6/11/2007 5:57 AM #1
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 1

RE: National Academy of Professional Driving

I'm an EVOC instructor and have heard this from others in the past. I don't know if this will help you or not but this is what I offer my students; make yourself practice. I know, that sounds simple enough but it is the only way.

And when I say practice I mean every day in everything you drive, including you personnal car. And remember, when you shuffle steer keep in mind your hands need to stay loose on the wheel, like a golf club. The tighter your grip the less control you have. you need to have a firm enough grip so the wheel stays in your hands where you want them and the wheel able to move where you put it, but at the same time loose enough to be comfortable.

When you do this you find that the grip and steering techniques begin to feel more natural. Once this becomes more natural you will find that doing this from day to day becomes second nature. And this doesn't mean you can't or won't find yourself driving down the road with one hand from time to time, even I do that. But when you find yourself in heavy traffic, going through residential areas, taking highway exits, etc. you will notice you are shuffle steering without even realizing it. It takes a little time and, like I said, making yourself do this at first, but it may help. And once you're there it will improve your overall driving skills.

Hope this helps.
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