Should I Use My Left or Right Eye for Reference Points in Subject 2?
4 Answers
Each instructor teaches different methods for reference points, and students' understanding varies. It's essential to practice more in the car to find the method that suits you best. Below is relevant information: 1. Small Vehicle Test Content: The test includes five mandatory items—reverse parking, parallel parking, stopping and starting on a slope, right-angle turns, and curve driving (commonly known as S-curves). Some regions may have a sixth item, such as highway toll card collection. 2. Large Vehicle Test Content: The test includes pile driving, stopping and starting on a slope, parallel parking, driving over a single-plank bridge, curve driving, right-angle turns, passing through a width-restricted gate, navigating continuous obstacles, driving on bumpy roads, making narrow U-turns, as well as simulated highway driving, continuous sharp turns on mountain roads, tunnels, rainy (foggy) conditions, slippery roads, and emergency handling.
As someone with long-term experience in driving instruction, I've noticed many students wonder whether to focus on reference points with their left or right eye before the Stage 2 driving test. However, from practical experience, the optimal approach is to naturally use both eyes simultaneously when observing reference points. These reference positions are designed considering normal human visual habits - binocular vision provides accurate depth perception and spatial alignment, such as when referencing side mirrors or markers during parking maneuvers. Attempting to use only the left or right eye may cause parallax errors or distance misjudgment, affecting test performance. I recommend focusing more on adjusting seat height and body posture to maintain a straight, stable sightline, which makes it easier to understand reference point logic during practice. Developing the habit of using both eyes not only helps pass the test but also cultivates safe driving awareness, preventing unnecessary deviations during turns or lane changes. More simulation practice to familiarize yourself with scenarios proves more effective than obsessing over eye details.
I went through the process of getting my driver's license, and during the second subject test, I also pondered which eye to use for better accuracy when aligning reference points. The instructor emphasized that this wasn't the key point—the eye issue is quite simple in reality: using both eyes together is the most stable. During the alignment process, both eyes naturally work together to judge more accurately, while using just one eye can easily lead to blurred or skewed vision. The key lies in seating posture and practice methods, such as adjusting your position properly in the car to face the reference point directly. My experience is that practicing a few more times helps you find a comfortable observation rhythm, and relaxing while using both eyes during the test makes success easier. Don't overthink eye preference—after all, driving is a holistic skill, and focusing more on the relationship between the environment and reference points will help you improve faster.
From a biological vision perspective, using only the left or right eye for reference points is not a wise choice. Humans naturally rely on binocular coordination to produce stereoscopic depth perception, and the design of reference points in Subject 2 is also based on this principle. Using a single eye may cause parallax issues, affecting alignment accuracy and decision-making time. I've explained many times that observing naturally with both eyes in a normal sitting posture is the most reliable method. There's no need to adjust eye habits; instead, optimizing the seat angle can significantly improve the effectiveness of observing reference points.
