Steering Methods.
Without doubt your most important control is the steering wheel. There are three
recognised methods for rotation of the wheel, the "pull-push" method is one, in
which each hand remains on its own side of the wheel, the "hand over hand" method
and the "fixed hand" method.
Steering assessment will focus on your method's smoothness, accuracy and readiness
of control. Your hands should be appropriately placed on the wheel to effect any
sudden change in direction required without loss of time or confusion of the movement,
the "ten -to-two" position is desirable together with your thumbs on the wheel.
The best method by far of steering is the "pull-push" method of turning the steering
wheel, in which the wheel is slid through one hand while being pulled or pushed
by the other. Neither hand normally leaves the wheel or passes the twelve-o'clock
or six-o'clock position.
Avoid unnecessary extra movement, where you picture that the pulling hand - the
first to act - can effect the movement by reaching past the twelve-o'clock position.
For example, to turn right sharply, your right hand could reach to the eleven-o'clock
position and pull across to about the five-o'clock position, after which your left
hand could commence pushing from the seven-o'clock position to complete the amount
of rotation the turn required.
In this operation your hands have moved from left to right, in the direction of
turn. Pull-push steering is well suited for driving in the metropolitan area, the
technique, combined with timely and progressive accelerator use together with accurate
vehicle positioning should produce a very smooth turn. This method is especially
helpful in controlling power steering.
Hand Over Hand
The "hand over hand" method of turning the wheel is satisfactory for particularly
slow manoeuvring i.e. parking or "U" turns and/or where a vehicle is not equipped
with power steering and/or has heavy low-geared steering.
In using the hand-over-hand method, the hands should operate on the top half of
the wheel, avoiding entanglement of the arms or locking of the shoulders.
Fixed Hand
Many race drivers will hold the wheel firmly in the ten-to-two position while competing,
the technique is also quite suitable for fast open highway touring or gentle bends,
with the exception of slow tight corners which will require an alternative technique.
Avoid crossing the arms to the point where the arms become locked.
With your hand positions constant, there should be no confusion as to the direction
of the front wheels, and from any position, you are at the ready should any movement
of the car require steering correction.
Whatever your method of steering control used, you must remember that returning
the steering wheel to the straight-ahead position is just as important as applying
rotation to the wheel. The method of straightening the steering should be the same
as for turning, however, it is acceptable to combine methods where compelled. Never
allow the wheel to centre by itself, either by allowing the rim to slide through
the hands or, worse still, allowing the wheel to spin back to centre on its own,
this will destabilise the vehicle exiting the turn.