How to tell if the car body is straight while driving?
4 Answers
Methods to determine whether the car body is straight while driving are as follows: 1. Check if the windshield washer nozzles at the front of the car are aligned with your line of sight, or choose a reference object to compare with the car body to see if the car is straight. 2. Use the rearview mirror to observe whether the car body is parallel to the parking line. If not, make timely adjustments during the reversing process. 3. Check if the left front door handle is parallel to the line next to you—if it is, the car is in a straight position. 4. After parking the car straight, get out and take a look to get a feel for it, then get back in the car and observe the position when the car is parked straight. Repeat this several times. Find a reference line, such as a curb or a parking line—preferably a straight line parallel to the car body—and then check through the window line whether it is parallel to it. If parallel, the car is straight; if not, the car is not straight.
There's a super simple way to check if your car is aligned straight. I usually rely on the lane lines in the side mirrors. If the lane lines on both sides run parallel to the car body, you're good to go. Combine that with the feel of the steering wheel returning to center—it becomes noticeably lighter when the car is perfectly straight. Another down-to-earth method is to align the wiper position with roadside markers, which works especially well when stopping at intersections. For beginners practicing straight-line driving, find an empty straight road, keep speed around 30 km/h, and focus your gaze about 200 meters ahead instead of fixating on the hood. Looking far ahead naturally helps maintain straight trajectory.
After driving for so many years, it's become second nature to me. I mainly rely on sensing road vibrations and the car's body feedback to make judgments. When the car drifts off course, my hands can clearly feel the steering wheel resisting, and the bumps transmitted from the seat become uneven. For example, if the left wheel runs over a lane marking, the steering wheel immediately pulls to the right. When driving over rough roads, if the car's body sways unevenly from side to side, it also indicates misalignment. Now, every time I leave the neighborhood, I take the same fixed route, using the positions of utility poles and curbs as reference points for orientation. These are all verification methods.
Nowadays, cars with lane assist features make driving much easier. When the dashboard alerts you of a lane departure, you can adjust immediately. For those without this feature, you can check the angle between the car body and the lane lines in the rearview mirror to determine if they are parallel. The logo pattern on the steering wheel is also a reference point—when the steering is straight, the pattern should be in a horizontal position. This is especially convenient on highways where the road markings are clear, and you can roughly judge your position by the direction of the car's shadow. If you consistently drift to the right or left, it may indicate that your seat position needs adjustment.
