SuperDriver Learning Centre - How to Steer
How To Steer Correctly - A Handy Guide
Turning - When turning a car steering wheel, avoid crossing your hands. Except at low speeds, this can reduce your control and can cause an accident. Also think about where your hands are when crossed, now imagine the airbag going off in an accident! Feed the rim of the steering wheel through your hands. Vary your hand movements according to the amount of steering you want.
This is called the pull-push technique in driving.
To turn left -
Slide your left hand up the wheel, but not beyond 12 o'clock.
Pull the wheel downwards with your left hand. At the same time, slide your right hand down the wheel against the direction the wheel is turning.
Grip and push up with your right hand while you slide your left hand up the wheel.
Repeat the second and third steps as necessary.
To turn right -
Slide your right hand up the wheel, but not beyond 12 o'clock.
Pull the wheel downwards with your right hand. At the same time, slide your left hand down the wheel against the direction the wheel is turning.
Grip and push up with your left hand while you slide your right hand up the wheel.
Repeat the second and third steps as necessary.
To straighten up after the turn - Feed the wheel back through your hands in the opposite direction. Try not to allow the wheel to spin back uncontrolled.
For driving on the open road, hold the wheel at ten-to-two or quarter-to-three, and turn the wheel as necessary to maintain a steady course. Looking well ahead will help you to avoid straightening up too late. Some learners find keeping a straight line more difficult if their hands are not at equal positions left and right of the steering wheel. One side is more dominant and could lead to the car drifting more to that side.
On some occasions such as off-road activities when manoeuvring at low speeds, the 'hand-over-hand' technique can be acceptable but should not be used for normal driving which doesn't require rapid steering movements.
Oversteer and Understeer - Vehicles vary in how they behave when turning at various road speeds.
Some respond more than you expect in relation to the amount of turn you give the wheel (oversteer). Some respond less (understeer).
You must get to know the characteristics of your vehicle before you drive in traffic and drive extra carefully until you're familiar with its behaviour.
Power-assisted steering (PAS) - Most vehicles now have power-assisted steering. This makes steering easier.
PAS reduces driver steering effort and gives a lighter feel to the steering. On some vehicles the amount of power assistance reduces with increased speed. On some vehicles there is a city mode that can be activated by pressing a button inside the car.
PAS is most useful at low speeds, such as manoeuvring in a tight corner or parking.
With PAS, the steering feels light and you can easily turn the wheel too much, especially if you're used to driving a vehicle not fitted with it.
Dry steering - When you are manoeuvring, try to avoid turning the steering wheel when the vehicle is stationary. This is known as 'dry steering' and may cause damage to the tyres and/or excess wear in the steering mechanism. This applies whether you have PAS or not. Whilst it may cause damage, it is not unsafe to dry steer and will not result in a driving fault on your test.
