What causes the car to touch the right line in an S-curve?
3 Answers
Turning the steering wheel back too early causes the car to touch the right line. Driving through an S-curve is one of the test items in Subject 2 of the driving test, primarily assessing the candidate's ability to correctly navigate specific curved road sections. The most common mistake people make is turning or returning the steering wheel too early. Here is an introduction to the S-curve: There are two types of entrances: One is the left entrance, and the other is the right entrance. When entering from the left, the vehicle must stay as close as possible to the right sideline before turning the steering wheel to the left. Conversely, when entering from the right, the vehicle must stay as close as possible to the left sideline before turning the steering wheel to the right. Due to the existence of the inner wheel difference, this factor must be considered to avoid touching the line. During the driving process: The front of the car must always follow the sideline. When turning left, the front of the car should follow the right sideline, and when turning right, the front of the car should follow the left sideline.
When I first started learning to drive, it was common for the right wheel to cross the line during the S-curve in the Subject 2 test. I often made several mistakes: first, poor sight management—focusing only near the car’s front during turns and not looking ahead at the curve’s changes, leading to delayed steering; second, hesitant steering—turning too slowly or with insufficient force, causing the car to drift right; third, unstable speed control—sometimes going too fast, making the car prone to oversteer due to inertia, leaving no time to correct after entering the curve. Once, nervousness even caused poor coordination between hands and feet. My advice is to practice low-speed curve driving more, learn to use reference points like the rearview mirror position to judge distance, and develop the habit of looking farther ahead. This way, you can avoid crossing the line—practice makes perfect.
In daily driving, I've noticed that it's quite common for the right wheels to cross the line during S-curves. The reasons are usually a few: excessive speed increases the vehicle's centrifugal force, causing drift; incorrect entry angle into the curve, entering too early or too late, leading to the right wheel hugging the edge; lack of concentration, such as looking at the phone or chatting, neglecting the turning trajectory; additionally, misjudging the car's position, especially for beginners who lack a sense of the car's width, mistakenly thinking there's enough space. I recommend maintaining a steady speed of 20-30 km/h, looking ahead at the end of the curve rather than nearby, smoothly turning the steering wheel without sudden movements, which makes it easier to navigate and also reduces tire wear.
