Where to look at the inner door handle during a right-angle turn?
3 Answers
Look at the window decal above the inner door handle. Below are relevant instructions for making a right-angle turn: 1. Key technique: Before turning, try to drive as close to the outer side as possible. When the front of the car is about to reach the opposite sideline (approximately 50-70 cm), start turning inward (be careful not to turn too sharply). While looking ahead, also observe the rearview mirror. When you feel the middle of the car is about to pass the vertex of the right angle, slowly straighten the steering wheel and gradually correct the car's direction. 2. Tips: Adjust the position of the right rearview mirror, lowering it as much as possible to get a side view of the right rear tire. Slow down as much as possible when the car is about to enter the right-angle turn. Keep the left wiper pivot aligned with the left line of the right-angle turn. This point may vary depending on each person's seating position and body size, mainly to ensure the left tire is 15-20 cm away from the left line of the right-angle turn and to keep the car body straight.
When making a right-angle turn, I'm used to focusing on the rear end of the inner door handle to steer. Specifically, when your car's front just covers the boundary line ahead, quickly shift your gaze to the right door handle, paying special attention to the area where the handle connects with the window frame. The metal seam at this spot precisely corresponds to the rear wheel's track point. The moment it's about to align parallel with the outer yellow line of the corner, swiftly turn the steering wheel all the way to the right. This ensures the tires graze the corner's edge perfectly, keeping the car body about a fist's distance from the boundary line. Remember, turning the wheel too late risks hitting the corner, while turning too early may scrape the outer line. Practice a few times to master that precise timing.
When I was practicing driving, the instructor always emphasized looking at the corner position of the inner door handle, and I found it really helpful. When making a right turn, don't let your eyes wander—focus specifically on the right-angled edge of the door handle toward the rear of the car. Once the hood covers the curb, your peripheral vision should catch the handle's corner aligning about two-thirds with the outer right-angle line, and that's when you need to follow through with your hand movements. At this point, the right rear wheel is exactly at the critical turning point, and turning the steering wheel all the way is the safest. If you wait until the handle position completely covers the line before turning, the tire will definitely run over the corner of the garage. This method works for most sedans, but slight adjustments to the observation point are needed for different car models.
