Chapter 10: Steering, Positioning & Observations

Steering Technique

How you hold and turn the steering wheel directly affects your control of the car, your safety, and your driving test result. Correct steering technique is taught from your very first DriveSQ lesson and refined throughout your learning journey.

The 10-to-2 or 9-to-3 Position

Place your hands on the steering wheel at either the “ten-to-two” or “quarter-to-three” position (imagining the wheel as a clock face). The 9-and-3 position is increasingly recommended as it provides better control and keeps your hands clear of the airbag deployment zone. Your DriveSQ instructor will advise which position suits your car.

Key principles:

• Keep both hands on the wheel whenever possible
• Grip firmly but not tightly — white-knuckle gripping causes fatigue and reduces sensitivity
• Feed the wheel through your hands for larger turns (the “pull-push” or “hand-over-hand” technique)
• Never cross your arms over the wheel — this limits your ability to steer further if needed
• Straighten up smoothly after a turn by allowing the wheel to self-centre while controlling its return

Pull-Push Steering

The recommended steering method for most situations is pull-push (also called “hand-over-hand” or “feeding the wheel”):

1. To turn right: your right hand pulls the wheel down, your left hand slides up to meet it, then your left hand pushes the wheel down while your right hand slides up
2. To turn left: reverse the process
3. This technique keeps both hands in contact with the wheel at all times and allows unlimited steering range without crossing your arms

Dry Steering

Turning the steering wheel when the car is stationary is called “dry steering.” While not a fault on the driving test, it causes excessive tyre wear and puts strain on the steering mechanism. Try to have the car moving, even very slowly, when turning the wheel. Your DriveSQ instructor will encourage this habit from your first lesson.

Road Positioning

Where you position your car on the road communicates your intentions to other drivers and keeps you safe. Correct positioning is one of the most frequently assessed aspects of the driving test.

Normal Driving Position

On a standard road, your car should be positioned in the centre of your lane, approximately one metre from the left kerb. This gives you:

• A safety buffer from parked cars on the left (to avoid opening doors)
• Adequate space from oncoming traffic on the right
• A clear view ahead
• Room to react to hazards on either side

Positioning for Turns

• Left turn — Position towards the left of your lane, approximately half a metre from the kerb
• Right turn — Position towards the centre of the road, as close to the centre line as safe without crossing it
• Straight ahead at a junction — Maintain your normal road position unless road markings indicate otherwise

Passing Parked Cars

Manchester’s residential streets are lined with parked cars. When passing them:

• Leave at least one door’s width (approximately one metre) between your car and the parked vehicle
• Check for occupants in parked cars who might open doors
• Watch for pedestrians stepping out from between parked cars, especially children
• If the gap is too narrow for you and oncoming traffic, you must give way if the obstruction (parked cars) is on your side

Lane Discipline on Multi-Lane Roads

Manchester has many multi-lane roads: Princess Parkway, Mancunian Way, Kingsway, and the inner ring road. Correct lane discipline means:

• Choose the correct lane early based on road markings and your destination
• Do not straddle lanes or change lanes without checking mirrors and signalling
• Follow lane markings painted on the road — they override the general rules
• If you find yourself in the wrong lane, continue in that lane and adjust your route. Do not make sudden lane changes

Effective Observation

Observation is the most critical safety skill in driving. Your examiner will assess your use of mirrors and blind spot checks throughout the entire driving test. Poor observation is the single most common reason for driving test failure in the UK.

Mirror Routine

Check your mirrors regularly — every 8–10 seconds during normal driving, and always before:

• Changing speed (accelerating or braking)
• Changing direction (turning, changing lanes)
• Signalling
• Opening your car door
• Moving off from a stationary position

The check sequence is typically: interior mirror → relevant door mirror → signal → manoeuvre.

Blind Spot Checks

Your mirrors have blind spots — areas behind and to the side of the car that mirrors cannot show. You must physically turn your head and look over your shoulder to check these areas. Blind spot checks are required when:

• Moving off — Check over your right shoulder before pulling away
• Changing lanes — Check the relevant shoulder before moving across
• Turning at junctions — Check for cyclists alongside you before turning left
• Overtaking — Check before moving out and before moving back in

On Manchester roads, blind spot checks for cyclists are especially important. Oxford Road, Wilmslow Road, and the many cycle lanes across the city mean cyclists are frequently in your blind spot.

Scanning Technique

Effective drivers scan continuously rather than fixating on one point. Your eyes should move between:

• The road ahead (far distance — where you are heading)
• The immediate road (near distance — the road surface, vehicles, and hazards close to you)
• Interior mirror
• Left mirror
• Right mirror
• Pavement and side roads (for emerging hazards)

This scanning pattern should become automatic. DriveSQ instructors teach scanning from your first lesson, and by the time you are test-ready, your eyes will move between these points without conscious thought.

The MSPSL Routine in Practice

Mirror, Signal, Position, Speed, Look — the systematic approach to every hazard and junction. We covered the theory in Chapter 4. Here is how it works in practice:

Approaching a Left Turn

1. Mirror: Interior mirror, then left mirror
2. Signal: Left indicator in good time
3. Position: Move towards the left side of your lane
4. Speed: Slow down, change to 2nd gear
5. Look: Check the road you are turning into is clear; check for pedestrians crossing

Approaching a Right Turn

1. Mirror: Interior mirror, then right mirror
2. Signal: Right indicator in good time
3. Position: Move towards the centre of the road
4. Speed: Slow down, change to 2nd gear
5. Look: Check oncoming traffic; wait until safe; check the road you are turning into