How Many Turns of the Steering Wheel for Curve Driving?
3 Answers
For curve driving, turn the steering wheel half a turn and then make minor adjustments. When the midpoint of the car's front touches the yellow line on the right, gradually steer to the left. Start with half a turn, keeping the left corner of the car's front aligned with the yellow line. If the left corner is about to go beyond the yellow line, steer slightly more. If the left corner cannot reach the yellow line, steer back slightly, continuously making minor adjustments. The techniques for curve driving are as follows: Approaching the Test Area: When the in-car voice prompt begins, drive the vehicle to the entrance of the curve. Adjust the vehicle to the center of the road, keeping the outer front wheel as close as possible to the right edge of the curve. Entering the Curve Area: Drive the vehicle along the right side. When the left lane coincides with the right edge line, steer left one full turn while making minor adjustments. Observe the distance between the wheel and the curve edge on the right rearview mirror. Completing the Right Edge Line: Keep the steering wheel steady. When the right vertex of the car's hood touches the left edge line of the right turn, straighten the wheel and proceed slowly. When the left 1/3 of the car's hood touches the left edge line, steer right one full turn while making minor adjustments to align the right corner of the car with the left edge line of the right turn. Follow the S-curve to the right to avoid crossing or touching the lines. Exiting the S-Curve: When the car's front is aligned with the exit, quickly straighten the steering wheel and continue driving out of the curve driving test area.
When it comes to steering during curve driving, my driving instructor specifically emphasized during my license test that you really can't rely on rote memorization of steering wheel turns. Because the curvature of different bends varies completely, and the speed of the vehicle also directly affects the steering range. For example, when encountering a sharp bend, you might need to turn the wheel nearly one and a half turns continuously; for a gentle bend, about half a turn is usually sufficient. The key is to observe the relationship between the edge of the car's hood and the road markings: when the left bend marking touches the right one-third position of the hood, you should start turning left, with the steering wheel positioned at the 9 o'clock mark; then, keep the left corner of the hood aligned with the bend line, maintaining the steering wheel at the 11 o'clock position for smooth and steady adjustments. The feedback from the steering wheel is like holding a live fish—you need to go with its flow to stay steady.
When teaching curve driving at the driving school, I always tell students that steering is like adjusting radio volume: there's no fixed knob position, it's all about real-time judgment. After the vehicle enters the curve, the steering wheel must be continuously fine-tuned, with angles sliding roughly between 15-45 degrees—there's never a chance to complete a full rotation. The key is to observe the distance change between the rear wheels and the sideline in the rearview mirror. Once the gap narrows to about 20 centimeters, immediately steer slightly in the opposite direction by half a notch. For example, if the steering is too aggressive when turning left and the right rear wheel is about to cross the line, quickly correct by turning 90 degrees to the right. Remember not to grip the steering wheel tightly; using the palms to lightly support it allows for more flexible operation.
