Tips To Improve Distance Judgement While Driving

Karun Driving School
3 min readJul 5, 2024

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Distance judgment awareness is a crucial skill for driving. It helps you understand how your car’s position relates to other objects and how movements affect that.

On the road, it aids in distinguishing left from right, remembering routes, and following directions. It also helps you judge distances, stay in your lane, park correctly, and overtake other vehicles safely.

Even if your distance awareness isn’t naturally strong, it can be improved. You can learn techniques from a professional driving school in New Westminster and avoid scraping other vehicles, even if visual thinking is challenging.

How to Determine the Width of Your Car?

As a learner, gauging the car’s occupied space on the road can be tricky. You’re in a much bigger “body” than you’re used to. Your car will always seem huge because you’re inside it, and objects look larger up closely.

To understand the perspective, look through your car’s windscreen. It might seem like the window is wider than your lane, but that’s wrong. If it were, your car would be too big for the road, which isn’t the case.

How to Know Where the Front of My Car Ends?

Most people can’t see the front of their car from the driver’s seat, making it hard to judge the car’s length. However, with some practice, memory, and repetition, you can improve your spatial awareness for safer and smarter parking.

Here’s a simple method to help:

1. Find a solid object: Choose a wall, garage door, or a parked car.

2. Creep forwards: Drive slowly towards the object, stopping when you feel a comfortable distance away.

3. Check the distance: Get out of the car and see how far away you are.

4. Compare perspectives: Look at the distance from the driver’s seat and compare it to what you saw outside.

5. Repeat: Practice these steps until you can accurately judge the appropriate distance from the object.

How Can I Judge the Back of My Car?

Like the bonnet, it might be hard to know your bumper position when you’re in the driver’s seat. Your wing mirrors can help you keep straight and know when to stop while reversing.

Here’s a method to help you reverse park:

1. Adjust your wing mirrors: Angle them slightly downward so you can see the ground.

2. Identify the rear of your car: Look at the furthest point of the car visible in the mirror, such as the rear passenger door handles. The bottom of your bumper will be below this point.

3. Reverse slowly: Stop when you think you’re at an appropriate distance from the line.

4. Check your position: Get out and see how far you are from the line.

5. Adjust as needed: If you need to be closer, reverse a little more and check again.

Make sure you leave enough space behind to walk and use your boot.

Want to learn this all from a professional driving instructor? Contact Karun Driving School now and get the road freedom you deserve.

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Karun Driving School

We have over 35 years of experience in teaching new drivers how to be comfortable behind the wheel and how to keep it together in times of stress.