The System of Car Control.
The system of car control was originally introduced by the British Army, it was
subsequently adopted by the English Institute of Advanced Motorists. The system
is a plan or standard procedure to negotiate hazardous areas, such as intersections,
pedestrian crossings, school crossings etcetera. The system allows drivers to be
prepared to evade hazards such as other vehicles, pedestrians and the like, it has
seven features to remember, they are as follows:
Course
Mentally select your course and assess hazards ahead.
Mirror and signals
Before taking any action, check the mirrors to assess following vehicles and if
necessary, signal to inform other traffic of your intention.
Brakes
Application of the foot-brake may be required to slow the vehicle to a proper speed
for negotiating the hazardous area, the brake lights informing following drivers
of your action.
Gears (and mirrors)
The selection of a lower gear for negotiating the hazardous area may be necessary,
continue to monitor the mirrors to see if it is safe to deviate.
Evasive action
Evasive Action may or may not be necessary depending on circumstances such as a
sudden change in traffic pattern, or unexpected action by another driver.
Acceleration
Apply gentle acceleration to leave the hazardous area safely.
This sequence of actions applied for all intersections, corners and bends, in all
conditions. It may also be useful for such other hazardous situations, as partial
road obstructions, scenes of accidents, etc. In some circumstances there may be
no need to perform the above steps (except course and mirrors): nevertheless the
sequence should be borne in mind and memorised as a standard practice.