Why do so many car drivers lean their body into a bend, instead of remaining upright? If they were driving a two-wheeler I could understand it, but not when they are driving a car.
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L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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Probably bikers who can't get out of the habit. The examiner commented on it when I took my test, and in later years I noticed pupils who held bike licences doing the same thing.
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Ex-bikers? I do it, drives the wife mad.
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Some seats don't have proper support to stop you sliding off.
I imagine if the head is tilted it is to do with maintaining equillibrium in the cochlea? :o)
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It's because we're all wannabe racing drivers.
Simular question: why do some people lean forward whilst driving? Even i'm guilty of this!
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Simular question: why do some people lean forward whilst driving? Even i'm guilty of this!
Can't say I've noticed that habit. I notice the sideways leaners when I'm behind them, but I suppose that forward leaners must be much harder to spot unless you are alongside them.
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L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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Why do so many car drivers lean their body into a bend, instead of remaining upright? If they were driving a two-wheeler I could understand it, but not when they are driving a car. -- L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
Why not?
Jean Alesi does it, and by all accounts he's a pretty good driver.
For that matter, I find myself unable to stop myself leaning when I'm playing a computer game, and there's no g-forces to blame for the reaction there.
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Simple - it's to stop my nearly-16 stone overloading the suspension and unbalancing the car any further! :-)
Well, that's my excuse, anyway...
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>> Why do so many car drivers lean their body into a >> bend, instead of remaining upright?
Why not? Jean Alesi does it, and by all accounts he's a pretty good driver. For that matter, I find myself unable to stop myself leaning when I'm playing a computer game, and there's no g-forces to blame for the reaction there.
Although I've never driven an F1 car, I suspect that Mr Alesi experiences somewhat higher g forces when cornering his F1 machine than most people do in their road-going cars. And he probably corners faster on public roads than most mere mortals too.
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L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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Why not?
On reflection, why not indeed. Whatever lights your candle, I suppose. It's just that now I'm retired I have more time for idle curiosity!
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L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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Glad to hear it. The world would be a dull place without curiosity, although there would be far more cats. Apparently.
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Interesting question, I think I do it, but am not a biker. However I have ridden a pedal bike so did that train my balance system?
Anybody out there who has never ridden a 2 wheeler of any type, never done any running around bends or circular tracks, is learning to drive and finds that they do it? Do blind from birth passengers do it?
If it is an inbuilt nervous function could it be that the adjustment of position is to keep the force (loading) down the length of the spinal column. This would be a sensible evolutionary feature, as transverse loads would damage the spinal cord when applied to excess. (ie the head falls off at the limit!!)
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pmh (was peter)
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Also simple physics has a role. The resultant force of gravity and the centrifugal force would cause one to lean into the bend to keep the forces acting straight down the spine.
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Hmm... As good as they are, I'm not sure I buy into these physics theories, simply because they don't take account of the phenomenon I described above - computer games - no g-forces in effect.
I reckon it's just the subconscious mind taking over, and trying to 'urge' you round the corner. :D
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I do it without really thinking about it. And I'm not a biker.
If I stop and think about it, it's probably because I'm slim and the side supports of the seat don't grip my behind firmly. This means I'm prone to sliding across the seat if I don't lean into the centrifugal force.
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When driving along a straight road with a pronounced camber, don't you instinctively tend to lean so as to keep upright?
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Video game, I wonder if the visual stimuli are sufficent to cause the nervous system to require the lean for reasons as above.
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pmh (was peter)
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>>Video game, I wonder if the visual stimuli are sufficent to cause the nervous system to require the lean for reasons as above.
Oh I think so. According to my family the sight of me playing on the PS2 is quite the spectator sport.
And not only do I lean around corners in the car, I pick my feet up when going through a puddle.
I also duck when going under surprisingly low bridges and try to shrink my elbows in when going through an unexpectedly narrow gap.
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Oh I think so. According to my family the sight of me playing on the PS2 is quite the spectator sport.
Sometimes when I'm playing a racing game, and really getting into it I'll be suddenly brought back to reality by the sound of SWMBO sniggering at me in the background.
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The world would be a dull place without curiosity, although there would be far more cats.
I'm pleased you pointed that out. I have to admit that I was extremely curious as to why our cat died!
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L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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Why do so many car drivers lean their body into a
bend, instead of remaining upright? If they were driving a two-wheeler
I could understand it, but not when they are driving a
car.
i think it has to do with balance. when i've had a couple of collies in the back of the car they lean into bends - a dog obviously doesn't have any concept of racing drivers' postures so they must be doing what comes naturally to all of us.
someone in a 2cv would have to lean more than if they were in a ferrari even if they were travelling at the same speed. the g forces would be the same but due to the roll of the softer suspension the vertical line travelling from cocyx to occiput would be at a greater angle to the horizontal road.
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Is it the driver leaning, or the car rolling, but the driver keeping himself upright?
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I'm with the lovebirds in Hitchcock's movie the Birds.
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I'm with the lovebirds in Hitchcock's movie the Birds.
Ah yes, the leaning lovebirds, but remember they are clearly fakes. Would they do this in real life? Anyones with said birds care to do an experiment?
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Is it the driver leaning, or the car rolling, but the driver keeping himself upright?
Cars don't lean outwards as much as some drivers lean inwards ~ except perhaps for tobyn's 2CV and a 1956 Standard Vanguard that I once owned!
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L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
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Just our natural reaction to the forces being imposed upon us.
Try an experiment: tie a 6-inch length of string to the rear-view mirror mount so that it hangs freely, observe how it behaves as you corner.
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"tie a 6-inch length of string to the rear-view mirror "
Should I remove the pink fluffy dice from the other end of piece of string first?
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Could this be attributable to piles at all?
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