Steering in driving test

Slow Show

I'm just wondering if there's any specific requirement in how you steer the car in the driving test? I've done my EDT lessons and waiting for my test date now and my instructor has never said anything to me about how I steer the car (which is something I've never really thought of, I just do it how I've always done it intuitively...I suppose my hands would cross over at times though), but I've been reading online and have been told by friends that they were told to use push pull steering for the test - to be honest I find this quite hard to master and I'm finding improving my driving pre-test to be hard enough without adding something else to the mix when I haven't noticed any real problems with how I steer. I'll ask my ADI at my next lesson in a couple of weeks but just wondering, if I have to do it for the test I might as well crack on now and start getting used to it!

jimgoose

Push-Pull, a.k.a. feeding the wheel, a.k.a. "the Learner Method", is what is expected to be demonstrated for the driving test. Your ADI will probably tell you the same. Find a car-park and practice it doing figure-of-eights, you'll get it alright.

Now read on...


In Elder Days, in the early stages of mainstream motoring, you're talking about the 1930s or thereabouts, the powers-that-be in charge of driver and vehicle licensing in Britain needed to formulate some basic curriculum items for training and testing drivers. Important among these was the whole sticky-wicket of steering. Being sensible chaps, they decided to ask the experts, who were of course racing drivers. At the time, power and power-assisted steering were unheard-of, cars were heavy and relatively unsophisticated, and steering-wheels were large. So the technique du jour on the track, certainly the tighter bits, was push-pull and the racing drivers advised to that effect.

Fast-forward to modern times, and for a while now we've had light, powered steering, lighter, properly-handling cars and small, tidy steering-wheels. Push-pull isn't really very useful any more, and hand-crossing is no longer a hanging offence. Watch any racing driver's in-cockpit view today and you'll see what they're doing - it isn't the Learner Method. The problem is, in the meantime civil service types have decided that they know everything, and the people who actually know about proper car-control haven't been asked since.

Passed my test 2 months ago. Never really gave any thought to how I steer.
As long as you don't do anything stupid, I doubt they would grade 2 or 3 you for steering.

I did get a grade 1 for having 1 hand too low on the wheel though.

dennyk

I steered hand-over-hand during my test and got no marks for it. The tester should only be looking to see that you are properly maintaining full control over the steering at all times. If your steering method puts you in a position where you don't have full control and the ability to properly maneuver in an emergency (e.g. if you use an inappropriate hand position like both hands at six-o'clock, or leave one hand off the wheel unnecessarily, or cross and lock or otherwise position your arms while steering so that you'd be unable to quickly steer in either direction in an emergency), then it would likely get you marked. If you steer hand-over-hand for slow turns properly and appropriately as shown in this video, you are maintaining full control of the steering throughout and the instructor should not be marking you down for steering faults.

Also, don't let the wheel unwind itself or slide through both hands when coming out of a turn; always keep a solid grip and guide it yourself.

Dravokivich

Don't wrap your thumbs around the steering wheel. Don't cross your arms over. Unless you need to use something, try to keep both hands on the steering wheel.

Slow Show

Thanks everyone. From what I've gathered push-pull isn't a requisite for the test, rather it's just one of several methods for safe and effective steering, but I don't believe my steering causes me any of the above problems so I'll stick with what I'm doing and keep things simple for myself.

Dravokivich

Are you describing both hands at the top of the steering wheel? I'd suggest not doing that if so. Your arms are stretched and less mobile. Do you have an instructor to go over it?

cml387

Don't be one of the "windscreen lickers" who sit with their chest against the wheel and two hands at the top.
The car is not fully in control and even worse, your chest will get the full force of the airbag in the event of a prang.