Drivers Education Chapter 6 Steering Straight Forward The

Driver’s Education Chapter 6

Steering Straight Forward • The adjustments you need to make to drive in a straight line are small but critical. • Oversteering – turning the wheel to much. Will weave from side to side. • Understeering – do not turn the wheel enough to keep vehicle on planned path.

Steering Straight Backward • Turn body to the right and put your right arm over the back of the passenger seat • Put left hand on top of steering wheel. (12 o’clock) • Glance quickly to the front and side to check traffic.

Signaling • Develop the habit of signaling every time you plan to turn, change lanes, slow, or stop. • If your vehicle’s turn signals do not work, used hand signals.

Changing Lanes • 1. Check traffic to the • • front and left side. Check traffic to the rear with rearview mirrors. 2. Signal and make blind spot check over the left shoulder. 3. Increase your speed slightly. 4. Cancel your signal and adjust your speed. Change lanes as smoothly as possible

Steering • Hand-Over-Hand Steering – pull the wheel down with one hand while the other hand crosses over to pull the wheel down. • Push-Pull Steering – push the wheel up with one hand pull it down with the other.

Making a Turn • Look for pedestrians and oncoming vehicles. • Plan turn well in advance. Be in the correct lane. • Obey all traffic signs, signals, and roadway markings. • When turning left your must yield to oncoming traffic.

Making a Turn • Position vehicle in proper lane. Right lane right • • • turn, left lane left turn. Brake early to reduce speed. Check for vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclist. Right turn, begin turning when front bumper is even with the curb line. Left turn, begin turning when front bumper reaches the center of the intersection. Check blind spots as you begin turning. Accelerate about halfway through the turn and return the wheel to the straight position.

Shared Left Turn Lane • Some left turns into business areas can be made in mid block from a center lane. • This type of left turn can be very hazardous.

Backing to the Left and Right • Backing to the left, look over the left shoulder. • Backing to the right look over the right shoulder. • Keep both hands on the steering wheel, use handover-hand steering. • When backing to the right or left, leave a wide space on either side. The front wheels will swing out past the rear wheels.

Turn the Vehicle Around • Turnabout – a maneuver for turning your vehicle • • around to go in the opposite direction. Make sure local law permits the turnabout. Select a site with at least 500 feet of visibility in each direction. Do not make a turnabout near hills, curves, or intersections. Never attempt a turnabout in heavy traffic or at high speeds.

Mid Block U-Turn • Check traffic to the front and rear, pull to the far right and stop. • Signal left, check traffic to the front and back. • Check blind spot then turn wheels sharply left while moving across roadway. • Accelerate gently and straighten the wheels going in the opposite direction.

Pull into Driveway on Left Side • The disadvantage of this is you must back into traffic • • • before moving forward. Check traffic to the front and rear. Put on left turn signal and turn left into the driveway. Stay as close as possible to the right side. Check traffic and back slowly to the right onto the roadway. Accelerate gently and check traffic as you drive forward. Pull into a Driveway on the Right – this is very high risk because you must back across two lanes of traffic.

Back Into Driveway on Right Side • Choose this turnabout if there is a clear driveway • • on the right and the rear zones are clear. Check traffic to the rear and slow as you proceed past the driveway. Stop about 3 feet from the curb and your rear bumper is just beyond the driveway. Check traffic and back slowly into the driveway. Signal left, check traffic and when the path is clear drive in the opposite direction.

Three Point Turnabout/ K-Turn • Check traffic and put on • • right turn signal and come to a stop as close to the curb as possible. Left turn signal and turn wheels all the way to the left. Check Traffic and pull across the road. Stop right before hitting the curb. Turn the wheels all the way to the right.

Three Point Turnabout/ K-Turn • Back until the wheels are halfway across the road. • Put on left turn signal. • Straighten the wheel and move in the opposite direction. • Only use on dead end streets or on rural roadways with no driveways.

Deciding Which Turnabout to Use • Legality of turnabout • Amount of traffic • Types of driveways available • Ample space to enter traffic • Number of traffic lanes to cross • Backing into a driveway on the right is the safest because you enter traffic forward.

Parking • Try to find spaces with ample room for entering • • and exiting easily. Avoid spaces with poorly parked vehicles on either side. Reference Points – is some part of the outside or inside of the vehicle, as viewed from the driver’s seat, that relates to some part of the roadway. Standard Reference Point – is a point that is typical for most drivers. (mirror, center of hood) Personal Reference Point – is an adaptation of standard reference point for your own vehicle.

Angle Parking • This is parking your vehicle diagonally to the curb. • Position your vehicle at least six feet from the row of parked vehicles. • When you can see the center of the space without the parking line crossing your line of sight, this will be your reference point to turn into the spot.

Perpendicular Parking • Parking your vehicle at a right angle to the curb. • Eight feet from row of parked cars. • When front bumper hits first line start turning into the spot. • Straighten wheels as you pull into the spot.

Leaving Parking Space • Creep straight back while riding the brake. • When front bumper is even with rear wheels of the vehicles next tom you, start to turn your wheels.

Parallel Parking • Parking with vehicle parallel to the curb. • Need space that is at least 5 feet longer then your vehicle. • As you approach space put on turn signal and flash brake lights to warn vehicles behind you of your intensions. • Line up your rear bumper with the rear bumper of the car in front of the space you would like to park in. • When you see the inside headlight of the car behind the space you are parking in straighten your wheels.

Parallel Parking • When your front bumper is even with the vehicles back bumper turn the wheels sharply to the left. • When the vehicle is parallel to the curb, straighten the wheels and center the vehicle in the space.

Parking on Hills • Uphill parking with a curb • Turn wheels sharply to the left • Let the vehicle creep backward until the back of the right front wheel gently touches the curb.

Parking on Hills • Uphill parking with no curb – turn wheels sharply to the right. • Downhill parking with a curb – turn the wheels sharply to the right. Let the right front wheel rest gently against the curb. • Downhill no curb – turn wheels to the right.

Starting on a Hill • This involves timing and coordination. • Hold the brake and gently press the accelerator to move forward without rolling backward. • In a manual transmission vehicle, use the parking brake with one hand gently start to accelerate and then release the parking brake.