Odometer
Also: Trip meter, Distance meter
The odometer measures how far you have driven. In a rally it has to match the distances in the roadbook.
An odometer measures the distance you have driven. In a rally you use it to match the distances in the roadbook to your own drive and to hold the set average speed.
Types of odometer
- The standard trip meter in your speedometer. It is a start for beginners, but it often only shows whole 100 metres and is rarely accurate.
- A separate rally trip meter like a Tripmaster. It shows the distance to the metre and can be corrected.
- GPS based solutions such as a rally computer or an app.
Why accuracy matters
Tyre size, pressure and wear change how far your car travels per wheel turn. An error of one percent is already 100 metres over 10 kilometres. At an average of 50 km/h that is about 7 seconds. That is why you calibrate the odometer before the start.
In practice
Reset the trip meter at the start of each section, or set it to the roadbook value. If it is off at a clear landmark, correct it if your device allows. Our guide to calibrating the odometer explains how.