Can the vehicle cross the line during a right-angle turn?
3 Answers
Generally, during the right-angle turn in Subject 2 of the driving test, the front of the vehicle is allowed to cross the line. Below is the relevant introduction: Subject 2: Subject 2, also known as the small road test, is part of the motor vehicle driver's license assessment. It refers to the field driving skills test. For the C1 license, the test items include five mandatory components: reversing into a parking space, parallel parking, stopping and starting on a slope, right-angle turns, and curve driving (commonly known as S-curves). Some regions also include a sixth item: high-speed toll collection. For the C2 license, the test items include four mandatory components: reversing into a parking space, parallel parking, right-angle turns, and curve driving (commonly known as S-curves). Teaching objectives: Master the basic driving operation essentials and possess the fundamental ability to control the vehicle; proficiently master the basic methods of field and road driving, possess the ability to reasonably use vehicle control components and correctly control the spatial position of the vehicle, and accurately control the vehicle's driving position, speed, and route.
The driving instructor told me that whether the car's front sweeps the line during a right-angle turn depends on the situation. In exams, if the car body crosses the line, it's definitely a fail, but if the front or bumper sweeps the edge line, it sometimes doesn't count as crossing—the key is that the wheels must not go over the line. In actual driving, it's different; sweeping the curb might scratch the rims, and turning too sharply can easily scrape against barriers. Especially when driving large vehicles, the inner wheel difference causes the rear wheels to track more inward than the front wheels. It's recommended to delay steering by half a second after the car body aligns with the corner to leave some margin. When exiting the turn, straighten the front before turning the wheel back to avoid fishtailing and sweeping the line. For example, when making a right turn on a narrow road, it's best to first move slightly to the left to create more space before turning.
Last time I almost scraped the wall while making a right-angle turn in the old residential area, which made me realize something. Although the front of the car crossing the line isn't technically a traffic violation in actual driving, skilled drivers always try to avoid it. The key is knowing where your wheels are tracking—rolling down the window and checking the side mirrors is the most intuitive way. Especially when making a right-angle turn to the right, the right corner of the front bumper can easily scrape against flower beds when the right A-pillar blocks your view. Here's a practical tip: slow down to under 5 km/h when making a right-angle turn, and when you feel the bumper is about to touch the line, turn the steering wheel all the way. Don't believe those TikTok tutorials that say 'turn the wheel when the hood covers the line'—every car has a different front-end length! The safest way is to see the rear wheel position in the side mirror.
