NHTSA recommends the driver use the area of the steering wheel area between “11 and 8 o'clock” with their left and the “1 and 8 o'clock” area with their right, regardless of which way they're turning. Using the hand-to-hand or push/pull steering method helps prevent injuries.
There are two main steering techniques that can be used in general driving situations. These are the “hand-to-hand” and “hand-over-hand” techniques.
There are three main types of steering movements: hand-over-hand, hand-to-hand, and one-hand steering.
You must keep both hands on the wheel at all times unless changing gears or indicating. It doesn't matter whether you're driving an automatic or a manual – the law is the same across Australia.
Left hand-drive historic vehicles have been able to be registered in NSW since 1999. They can either be: conditionally registered under the Historic Vehicle Scheme (if only driven occasionally), or. fully registered with standard used vehicle registration (if driven more regularly).
2. On straight roads, your hands should settle into an effective position on the steering wheel - 10 to 2 or quarter to 3, only tightening your grip when cornering or braking.
It's actually best to shoot for about a 100-degree angle between the seat base (where you sit) and the seat back. You should not have to hunch forward to reach the wheel, and your elbows should be slightly bent, but not sharply bent.
Because a steering wheel airbag can generate a force of nearly two thousand pounds at speeds in excess of 200 miles an hour, sitting too close to the steering wheel and airbag can cause catastrophic injuries or death on impact.
Ideally, the back of your car seat should reach the height of your shoulders. If it is slightly higher or lower but you can still rest into it, it will be fine in most circumstances. Most car seats come with adjustable headrests. Ideally, you should be able to adjust both the height and the front-to-back position.
When turning corners, use the hand-over-hand or grip and slide method. Do not turn the wheel with only the palm of your hand. Letting the wheel slip through your fingers could be dangerous.
The most common cause of a stiff steering wheel is when you are running low on power steering fluid in your system. Often, this happens when there is a leak in the system from the pressurized hose area. Most of the time, it is due to a cracked or loose hose causing the fluid to leak out.
The most common reasons for free play in the steering are looseness in the steering gear itself or looseness in one or more of the steering linkage sockets. Steering box or rack and pinion that is connected to the steering wheel by the steering column.
Crossing your hands can enable you to make a quicker turn, but you have much less control and it's less efficient. It's advisable to only use this method when manoeuvring and not when driving on the road.
Australia: Left-hand traffic
We drive on the left for one reason and one reason only: Britain told us to. No, really. As a British colony up until we became a federation in 1901, Australia readily adopted left-hand traffic, no doubt because it made both cultural and economic sense to do so.
On a flat, level piece of road, the steering should track 100 per cent straight ahead. if it pulled significantly one way or the other there's a problem because you're trying to go straight, it's pulling left - the tyres are caught in the middle of this 'fight' and they would wear out more quickly.
Further to that, Australian Vehicle Standards Reg 35 states: “A rear vision mirror or mirrors must be fitted to a motor vehicle as required by this rule so that a driver of the vehicle can clearly see by reflection the road behind the vehicle and any following or overtaking vehicle.”
Hand motion when turning
Do the opposite to unwind the steering and to turn to the left. For medium to sharp turns when travelling at less than 20km/h it's perfectly fine to cross your hands.
Shuffle steering, also known as the push-pull method, involves pulling down on one side of the steering wheel with one hand while pushing up with the other hand on the opposite side. The two hands come together but never cross.
Hand-To-Hand Steering
NHTSA recommends the driver use the area of the steering wheel area between “11 and 8 o'clock” with their left and the “1 and 8 o'clock” area with their right, regardless of which way they're turning. Using the hand-to-hand or push/pull steering method helps prevent injuries.