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Hands on the wheel -

Most of us have been taught to hold the steering wheel at 10 and 2 o’clock. But this has probably something to do with the fact that for many years cars didn’t have power steering.

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Hands on the wheel - The best approach is to hold your steering wheel at 9 and 3 o’clock position. This will give you better control, more range of motion, and also help you keep track of your wheels' position.

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Hold and pull - In theory, we all know that we should be gripping the steering wheel firmly with both hands while driving, but pulling it slightly can also help you have more control.

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Hold and pull - An effective way to keep better control of the steering wheel around corners is to pull the wheel in the direction you’re turning. E.g. if you’re turning right, pull the right hand down primarily

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Reading the road -

Most drivers have a tendency to solely focus on the vehicle in front of them. Racing drivers, on the other hand, focus on where they want to go, and not directly on the car in front of them.

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Reading the road - The key here is to try and assess everything that’s going on around you on the road, and that means analyzing everything in front of you.

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Reading the road - Look at the traffic ahead of you and keep an eye on the whole scene, rather than just the back of the vehicle in front of you.

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Weight transfer -

Understanding weight transfer is very important in driving, as it affects every aspect of a car’s performance, particularly the grip of the tires.  

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Weight transfer -

This plays a major role in driving. As you break, or turn, weight is transferred to a specific part of the car. E.g. when you break in a straight line, the weight is transferred to the front.

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Left foot braking - If you have ever tried this before, you will probably recall how you almost hit the windshield immediately after you put your foot on the brake pedal.

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Left foot braking - It's harder than it seems, as we're so used to braking with the right foot that we stomp on it way too hard when we try to do it with our left one.

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Left foot braking - But with practice it can be done. Most car racing drivers use this technique as it reduces reaction time when they hit the brakes, and frees up the right foot to be on the accelerator at all times.

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Tire blowout - This happens in races too, and sometimes at high speed. Not panicking and avoiding sudden moves can go a long way when it comes to safety.

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Tire blowout - The key is to decelerate, and keep driving in a straight line (if possible), and not turn or break hard. Once you’re at a low enough speed, you can pull over to the side of the road.

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Smooth driving -

This might sound counter-intuitive for the average driver, but racing drivers actually drive as smoothly as possible. Many of us think that getting busy behind the wheel is the way to go. But aggressive driving is a rookie mistake.

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Smooth driving -

Constant acceleration, breaking, and steering greatly affects weight transfer, which is one of the most important things in effective and safe driving. Do one thing at a time when possible.

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The tongue? - According to former racing driver Ross Bentley, pressing your tongue against the roof of your mouth will increase your focus.

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The tongue? - Apparently, doing this activates the same area of the brain we use for balance.

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Heel-and-toe shifting -

This one involves a bit more dexterity as you’ll be using the ball of your right foot on the brake pedal and the heel on the gas pedal. The purpose of this technique is to match the engine speed (RPMs) with the road speed when you brake and downshift.

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Heel-and-toe shifting - When you approach a corner and brake, speed drops. You then shift into a lower gear to compensate, but stepping on the clutch makes the RPMs drop.

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Heel-and-toe shifting - When you then release the clutch (in a lower gear) the engine has to essentially catch up with the rest of the car to get to the right speed.

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Heel-and-toe shifting - Pressing the gas with the heel while braking with the ball of your right foot, at the same time as you engage the clutch, is an advanced technique that might take some time to master.

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Double clutching -

This is a technique used to downshift, making the revs match the gear. For instance, if you’re on third and go down to second, your RPMs will shoot up substantially. This is where double clutching can be useful.

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Double clutching - You essentially engage the clutch, shift the gear to neutral, then step on the accelerator to hit the approximate RPMs you’d get when downshifting. You then engage the clutch, and downshift. This will make the gear transition smoother and more effective.

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Focus on where you want to go - If by any chance you go into a corner too fast, or lose grip, you should always focus on where you want your car to go.

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Focus on where you want to go - This will make it easier for your brain to send signals to your hands and control the steering wheel in the right direction in a stressful situation.

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Drafting -

This is essentially an aerodynamic technique. When you drive behind another vehicle, drag will be greatly reduced. This will have an impact on speed and fuel consumption.

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Drafting -

You will most likely see this technique in car races. And while driving behind a big truck would save you some money, this can actually be very dangerous, so you should be very careful. 

See also: Driving tips for saving gas

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