Driving Lessons: Rules, Guidelines & Principles
Why do you drive the way you do?
I’ve been thinking a LOT about why drivers do what they do, both when it’s the right thing to do, and when it’s not. I’ve been applying this to a set of “cornering principles” I’m working away at, but the topic is broader than that. There are things a driver should always do, things they should never do, things that should be done more often than not, and then there are things that a driver needs to determine and decide on in the moment (on track, the “moments” are usually micro-seconds).
I’ve also written and talked a lot about the importance of understanding the Why behind what you do when driving on track. It’s one thing to follow the instructions of someone, and another altogether to be able to figure it out on your own.
Within the driving world (possibly other worlds, too, but I know very little about them!), there are rules, there are guidelines, and there are principles.
When someone first begins to drive on a track, they mostly follow the rules. And by follow, I mean follow, as in not questioning what they’re being told. For example, an instructor tells the driver that the apex of a corner is at the third red panel of the inside curbing, and the driver “blindly” (not physically blindly, obviously!) follows this “rule.”
But the position of an apex is not actually a rule, is it? Some might say that it’s a guideline based on what another driver or an instructor knows. Still, is it best to follow the advice of what others tell you, or to discover on your own what’s best based on some core principles? I know, “It depends.” But it depends on what?
Over some amount of time, the driver’s goal is to understand why the other driver or the instructor said that the apex was where they did, and ultimately understand when they might change the position of the apex to adapt to varying track and car conditions—and how their driving technique might influence it. In other words, the driver is now using principles to understand why they’re doing what they’re doing.
Rules, guidelines, and principles. The differences come down to how rigid they are, how universally they apply, and how much judgment they require.
I think of rules as fixed and binary things. They work all the time, and you either follow them or you don’t. They’re usually imposed externally (by an organization, governing body, or the Laws of Physics), and breaking them has clear consequences. There’s little to no interpretation, the context doesn’t change them much, and they’re designed for consistency and control. Pretty black and white.
Example: “Track limits must not be exceeded.”
Guidelines are flexible recommendations, and they’re based on someone’s experience and best practices, but they’re not always right in every situation. They can help decision-making, but there’s some amount of judgment in terms of whether they’re right for you (at least, there should be some judgment). They may also be based on long-held beliefs (myths?), and “Well, that’s the way it’s always been done.” So, they’re somewhat situational and adaptable, and they can be bent or broken when appropriate. But often they’re derived from principles.
Example: “A late apex is usually better for corners leading onto a straight.”
Principles are fundamental truths or cause-and-effect relationships. They explain why something works, not just what to do. They’re adaptable across situations, but they still have a high level of reliability. Rather than simply complying with the rules, or following guidelines, principles require understanding. The good news is that they apply broadly across many situations (tracks, cars, tires, etc.), and they don’t require someone else to give you the solutions, as you figure them out yourself (and they therefore stick with you much longer).
Example: “Maximizing exit speed onto a long straight reduces lap time because it means you’ll be at higher speed longer.”
