Co Driver Special Skills

Steering Techniques

While some safety experts have tried to reinvent the best practices in hand placement on the steering wheel, there are reasons why drivers should place their hands at 10 and 2 on the wheel.

This position helps the driver track better in their lane, drive smoother and stay in control. At 10 and 2, the driver can steer in either direction with ease and should an emergency arise, the driver’s hands are in the right place to respond immediately. When starting at 10 and 2, there is a balance between the hands which helps to eliminate uneven steering or ‘wobbling’ when attempting to drive straight. 10 and 2 promotes a smooth hand over hand steering motion and under any driving condition, smoother input leads to greater control. Smooth input also makes turning corners much easier. 

There is no evidence that a lower hand position on the steering wheel is safer when the airbag goes off, but think about it, do you drive around expecting to crash? Controlling your vehicle through proper hand positions will help ensure that this doesn’t happen.

Here are some things you should consider asking your new driver:

• What is your starting position?
• When will you start to steer?
• Where will you look?
• When will you start to recover?
• Where will you look?

Coaching Left Turns

• Close to the centre of the road and parallel to it
• When the front of the car reaches the edge of the road, steer
• A glance at the centre of the new road
• At 45°, recover steering
• Look well ahead in the centre of the lane

Coaching Right Turns

• 1 metre from the curb and parallel to it
• When the front of the car reaches the point where the curb begins to turn
• A glance at the curb, turn
• At 45°, recover steering
• Look well ahead in the centre of the lane

Gravel Shoulder Recovery

Recovering from the shoulder of the road is a simple mistake that is easily corrected if the right-side tires slip off the pavement.

If handled correctly, there is nothing to worry about, but please do not practice this with your new driver. To do this safely, the driver must look well ahead and allow the right-side tires to stay on the shoulder for a moment. Maintain speed and firm up the grip on the wheel. Once the driver feels that the car is totally under control, they look ahead to the centre of their lane and gently drift back onto the pavement. New drivers who are taking the Young Drivers program will be shown this in the car and will have a chance to practice this with a Young Drivers instructor guiding them. This is what it should look like when used properly.

As stated before, do not practice this with a new driver, but if it should happen during a practice session, use only positive cues.

Maintain speed, firm grip, look well ahead and ease the car back onto the pavement. This will reduce confusion since the new driver only hears what should be done. Another skill that new drivers should know is how to avoid a head-on collision.

The technique is identical to the gravel shoulder recovery once you are on the shoulder with the exception that you are deliberately taking the car onto the shoulder to avoid a head-on collision. Once on the shoulder, take the car farther over, keeping only the left tires on the pavement for stability. Once clear of the head-on collision, you follow the steps of the gravel shoulder recovery to return all of the wheels to the pavement. Just like the gravel shoulder, recovery please do not practice this with your new driver.