Road reading

There are more than one aspect of reading the road.

In the most basic form, you will learn to determine whether a road looks 'wrong' in time. Obviously if it's a tarmac event and you suddenly find that the turnoff you have decided is the route takes you onto a gravel road then you've very likely got it wrong.

A more advanced form of 'reading the road' should really be termed 'reading the map'. This is the skill of predicting the corners ahead and general topography from looking at the map. You should be giving your driver a combined stream of information together with any relevant directions from the road book assist with progress.

You must make your driver understand that total reliance cannot be placed on the information offered about the severity of corners, etc. but should only use it to help with their own recognition of the hazards ahead. Good road reading aids concentration for both crew members, making you both more competitive, and makes the rally more enjoyable.

Your driver should go just slow enough so that if you stuff up a call totally, or an unexpected hazard (like a kangaroo) is encountered, there may be a nervous moment but nothing more. You do not have to be exact with your calls but you do need to call clearly and in good time before your driver needs to be taking action to negotiate the feature.

As part of the crew, you need to agree on a systematic manner of calling the map reading, and practice it, so that both members know precisely what is meant at all times. Don't develop a complex system as that will quickly take the enjoyment out of the sport. A good rule to maintain is that no word should have more than one meaning or be used in two different contexts.

Something like this:
Corners

• fifteen
• thirty
• forty-five
• sixty
• seventy-five
• ninety (a right angle)
• tighter than ninety (up to 120 degrees)
• hairpin (anything over 120 degrees)

each followed by either left or right as appropriate.

Enhancement to this may be:

• 'sharp' where the map detail is a sharp, distinct angle. Most likely a tight and possibly blind bend in the road.
• (nothing) for an average corner where you can see a small radius on the map.
• 'medium' where you can see a more generous curve on the map.
• 'open' or 'long' where there is a long, smooth sweeping curve on the map.

Junctions

• describe the shape as your driver will see it
• if approaching on the 'leg' remind your driver to give way
• if it appears that you will be entering major roads from a minor 'arm' warn your driver that a 'give way' is likely

• side road
• T-junction
• crossroads
• fork

each followed by turn left, turn right or straight on as appropriate

Enhancement to these should be 'give way'

Straight roads
Just before the estimated braking point for a corner, call (or repeat) the corner and describe the following straight or corner.

As the car takes the corner, repeat the straight that follows it, and call the next corner as well.

Estimate the length of the straight using the map grid as a guide.

Use multiples of 100m for distance, possibly with the addition of 'plus' if your driver likes to know that it is more like 150m.

If it is 100m or less between two corners or junctions, call them both together separated by the word "into".

On longer straights of 400m or more, repeat the corner or junction as you come to your estimate of the braking distance for it.

On very long straights, compare features on the map with what you can see to help you estimate the distance to the next junction or corner, and provide a countdown - "five hundred ... four hundred ...". The countdown together with your estimation of the severity of the corner will help your driver to judge when to start braking.

If you're not quite sure of the distance, use 'ish' ie. 200 ish.

Features
Call any features off the map which may represent hazards. The principal ones are:

'bridge' where marked on the map, whether the road goes under or over them. The road is may be narrower at this point, and any bends immediately before or after the bridge may be tighter than shown on the map. Call the bends before and after the bridge as one descriptive stream of information, e.g. "75 left under bridge into 60 right all tight"

'possible bridge' where a stream passes under the road without a bridge being marked as there may be a severe hump in the road.

'ford' if water may pass over the road. There are often road signs to confirm a ford ahead but rarely any indication of the severity of the drop (or the water depth if it's been raining upstream).

'steep hill' where you can see a dramatic closure in the gaps between contour lines (if present). Don't try to guess whether it's an incline or decline, let your driver decide.

'gate' where the the map features indicate that you are proceeding into or across a paddock or similar. With luck it will be a cattle grid or there might not even be a gate anymore but your driver is going to get very excited if you don't call the warning and he or she hits a solid four rail farm gate at speed.

Call other features that you can see ahead or read off the map which will help the driver pick out corners, junctions and other significant information e.g. "75 left past that big gum tree caution gate".

As you gain confidence and experience, it's worth calling road topography from the contour lines, e.g. a sudden closure of the contour lines in the middle of a straight road may be associated with either a sharp crest or a deep depression and could present a serious danger if encountered at speed.

Use short distinct words in your instructions and information stream but if you are not certain about the map detail warn your driver by providing as full a description as you can. In time he or she will automatically recognise that fuller descriptive information flow as a warning.

When reading the road, don't stare at the map, but continually look up and glance out of the car. This helps you confirm your place on the map and keeps you from becoming car sick.

These are very different skills to the 'reading the road' that the driver must develop.