How to Determine the Position of the Wheels?
4 Answers
The methods to determine the position of the wheels are: 1. Observe the nodes on both sides of the wiper to judge; 2. Use the side mirrors to observe the door handles on both sides, where the door handles coincide with the solid lines on the ground; 3. Determine the position through the center of the windshield. The methods to judge the distance to the vehicle ahead are: 1. When the upper edge of the front vehicle's bumper is visible from the lower edge of the windshield, the distance to the front vehicle is about one meter, requiring control of the distance; 2. When the lower edge of the front vehicle's bumper is visible from the lower edge of the windshield, the distance is about two meters; 3. When the rear tire's lower edge of the front vehicle is visible from the lower edge of the windshield, the distance is about three meters.
In the early days of driving, I often struggled to gauge where my wheels were on the road, worrying about scraping the curb. I learned a simple visual reference: when seated in the driver's seat, the right edge of the hood roughly aligns with the center of the right front wheel, and similarly for the left side. I practiced in an empty parking lot by placing a line or small object for the wheels to roll over while focusing on the corresponding point on the hood. Repeating this a few times helped me get familiar. Different cars have different reference points—for example, SUVs have higher hoods while sedans are lower. When driving a new car, I had to readjust. This method helped me avoid scrapes in narrow alleys, boosting my confidence and sense of safety. It also instilled the habit of checking my surroundings before driving to prevent misjudgment. With continuous practice, my spatial awareness improved, making parking much easier.
After years of driving, I rely mainly on physical sensation and dynamic judgment to determine wheel positioning. After adjusting the seat when getting in the car, my brain automatically maps the distances; during turns, I infer wheel movement based on steering wheel angle and body sway. Before starting, I glance at the rearview mirror for reference points—over time, this becomes instinctive. For example, when parking, I know exactly how much the wheels will shift with a half-turn of the steering wheel; in complex situations like traffic jams, this habit ensures smooth navigation. Practice and accumulated experience are key: I often practice turns in residential areas or rural roads, noting the effect of each maneuver. For safety, I consistently use mirrors to assist visibility, ensuring a clear view without taking risks. Over time, the car and I become one, achieving precise and efficient position judgment.
To determine the position of the wheels, I often rely on the vehicle's equipment. My car is equipped with a rearview camera and ultrasonic sensors. The reversing image displays the real-time distance between the wheels and obstacles, and the top-down view helps me see the trajectory clearly. When parking, the system alerts me if I get too close. Some newer models come with a 360-degree panoramic camera, making the details around the wheel edges clearly visible. Basic methods are still important, so I first learned visual references like aligning points on the hood, then combined them with technical tools. This assistance makes driving at night or in rainy and foggy weather much easier, helping to avoid blind spot risks. After practicing a few times to get used to these tools, they become helpful safety aids, but one should not rely on them entirely and must remain vigilant.
