When I worked for a division of Shell a number of us went on a safe driver/driver awareness course. It was very good. We were in manual gear boxes and part of the course was driving through a built up area and not being allowed to touch our brakes, it was all down to the gears. I learned a lot from that.
Not sure where I heard this but I heard of a mechanic who was servicing the local doctor's car in a very rural garage many many years ago
The car was very well used as it was travelling all over the area all times of day and night visiting patients
Lots needed replacing due to normal wear and tear
except the brakes - they were hardly worn at all
so when the doctor came to pick the car up he commented on the state of the brakes
the doctor replied that he hardly ever used the brakes - didn;t see why there were needed expect at the end of a trip
he literally knew the roads so well that he could drive round and just be going at the right speed and in the right gear for every corner all the time just through thinking ahead and not rushing
bit extreme - but a lot of people could drive a lot better by thinking ahead more - or at all!!!