[austin-cheney]

The biggest thing about learning to drive at 40 versus 16 is an appreciation for risk. Insurance companies prove this with numbers and charge accordingly.

First, let's get something out of the way. Not everybody is a good driver. Some people are horrible as teenagers and remain horrible for the rest of their lives because they make bad decisions or simply cannot focus on the road. These drivers will always pose a higher risk to themselves and everybody around them.

For the rest of us our ability to appreciate and respond to risks changes as we get older and this greatly modifies our driving behavior. When I was young I learned to drive fast. This means I got into many accidents in slower speed zones because I was driving too fast for conditions. I had to learn to not do that and take turns more carefully and learn to read the environment and pay attention. Older people will do this almost complete naturally even when they are first time drivers.

The other side of that coin is that I learned to drive at greater than 120mph on the freeway and I got very good at it. That means I could drive fast, test my limits, and still remain safe. Its no different than performance testing software in that you push the limits, measure the results, and learn from mistakes. The only difference between learning to drive extremely fast and performance testing software is that writing software will not kill you or leave you permanently disfigured.

Now I am in my mid 40s. I can still drive extremely fast and be safe, but I don't. Part of that is that I am a bit more risk adverse since I older, but even more to the point is that I have less disposable income to spend on vehicle maintenance and traffic convictions. I suspect if I started learning to drive now, in my mid 40s, that I would never have learned to drive fast like that. My behavior would eliminate the opportunity. Most people also have some forms of motor-cognitive decline as they get older. Fortunately, this has not impacted my ability to drive, even at high speeds.

Some examples of driving fast include being clocked at 135mph in a 45mph zone. Another example is driving around 49 miles across Dallas in 27 minutes. Now, in all fairness that is off the charts extreme risk that almost nobody attempts to evaluate in real time, regardless of age, when it means increased probability of death or prison. The natural ability to abnormally evaluate high risk scenarios without getting nervous allows for learning things that cannot be learned otherwise.

[ipaddr]

I struggle with high speeds where I feel the car is going faster than myself. How do you overcome those feelings at even higher speeds?

[austin-cheney]

For one thing you need to listen and feel for the vehicle. Most suspension systems are only good up to about 110mph and most tires are only good at 130mph. Exceeding any of this causes excess vibration that you can feel, which becomes unsafe.

Tires are the most important thing because they are your contact with the ground and absorb most of the road noise. If a tire blows out at high speed bad things will happen. Fortunately I have never had a blow out.

Shock can also come from poorly balanced tires and a loose steering column. Everything needs to be tight and well balanced.

When you are driving fast you need to be hyper aware of what’s around you. The biggest risk are other drivers so always provide tremendous amounts of space. Driving fast does not mean driving aggressively. Do not change lanes often to dodge around slower cars. Be aware of upcoming interference to the road, such as construction.

If the experience does not feel safe and you do not feel in control of the vehicle you need to drive less fast. My first fast car was an experimental Mitsubishi Galant with a tight racing suspension. The engine was an unimpressive regular 4L engine, so it did not accelerate fast and maxed out at 135mph. But handled high speeds extremely well such that the suspension was most smooth at 110mph without excessive road noise until over 120mph.