Left Turns - How to Make Left Turns for Beginners: Left Turn Speed, Traffic Checks, Steering Control
Summary
TLDRThis driving tutorial offers essential tips for mastering left turns, a common challenge for new drivers. The script covers the importance of assessing the situation, using signals, slowing down, and checking mirrors. It explains different left turn scenarios, including all-way stops and intersections with oncoming traffic. The video emphasizes the need for practice and choosing a visual target for smooth turns. It also introduces two steering methods: hand over hand and push-pull, catering to various driver preferences and situations.
Takeaways
- đ New drivers often struggle with turns due to the combination of motor and mental skills required.
- đ Practice in a safe environment is crucial for mastering the skill of turning.
- đ When approaching a left turn, assess the situation by checking for intersections, signs, and traffic.
- đ Slow down before making a turn and always check your rear-view mirrors for traffic threats.
- đŠ Position your car on the leftmost side of your lane before making a left turn.
- đ At a four-way stop, come to a full stop and check for traffic before making a left turn.
- đ¶ Be cautious of blind spots and cross traffic when making turns.
- đ For intersections without a stop sign for cross traffic, inch out slowly to get a clear view before turning.
- đ Choose a visual target when making a turn to ensure a smooth and safe maneuver.
- đŠ In situations with oncoming traffic, only make a turn if it's safe and the oncoming vehicle does not have to brake.
- đ Avoid micromanaging the steering wheel and speed; focus on traffic and visual targets instead.
- đ Experience with go-karts or similar vehicles can provide an advantage in learning to make turns.
- đ The hand-over-hand and push-pull methods are both effective for steering during turns; choose the one that provides better control.
- đ Hands should never cross when steering to avoid injury in case of airbag deployment.
- đŁ The speed for a left turn is typically 10 to 15 miles per hour, but adjust based on road conditions.
- đ The steering pattern for a turn is to slow down before the turn, maintain speed through the turn, and accelerate out of the turn.
Q & A
Why is making turns a challenging skill for new drivers to master?
-Making turns is challenging because it requires the perfect combination of motor and mental skills, with the brain having to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
What are some of the basic steps to prepare for a left turn in a residential area?
-To prepare for a left turn, assess the intersection, check for traffic and pedestrians, slow down by taking your foot off the accelerator 150 to 200 feet before the turn, apply gradual pressure to the brake, put on your left turn signal, and position your car on the leftmost side of your lane.
Why are left turns considered more dangerous than right turns?
-Left turns are more dangerous because they often require turning in front of oncoming traffic, increasing the risk of collisions.
What should you do if your view of cross traffic is obstructed when making a left turn?
-If your view is obstructed, you should inch out slowly into the intersection until you have a clear view of traffic. Never guess if the way is clear.
What is the importance of keeping your wheels straight while waiting to make a left turn?
-Keeping your wheels straight is important because if you get rear-ended while waiting, your car will not be pushed into oncoming traffic.
How should you handle a situation where there is oncoming traffic while making a left turn?
-Wait until the oncoming traffic has cleared before making your turn. Ensure that the oncoming car does not need to brake to avoid hitting you. Check for any bikes or pedestrians that might have appeared while waiting.
What is the common mistake new drivers make regarding speed control during a turn?
-New drivers often make the mistake of not starting to slow down well before the turn. They wait until right before the turn to decelerate rapidly, which can be dangerous and makes steering control more difficult.
Describe the hand-over-hand method for steering during a left turn.
-In the hand-over-hand method, you start with both hands on the wheel at the 10 and 2 position. Use your right hand to push the wheel from 2 o'clock to 10 o'clock while your left hand releases grip. Then, your left hand reaches over your right hand to grab the wheel at 2 o'clock and pulls it to 10 o'clock, as you release your right hand grip. Finally, your right hand returns to 2 o'clock to hold the wheel steady through the turn.
What is the push-pull method for steering, and how is it different from the hand-over-hand method?
-In the push-pull method, starting with your hands at the 9 and 3 positions, you push the wheel up with your right hand to the 12 o'clock position and then grab the wheel with your left hand at the same 12 o'clock position without crossing your hands. You then pull it down to the 9 o'clock position and repeat the motion. This method is different because it avoids crossing your hands and is often preferred for wider turns.
What should be your visual focus when making a left turn?
-Your visual focus should be on the lane you want to end up in. This helps you make a smooth and safe turn by aiming towards your turning target.
Outlines
đ Mastering Left Turns for New Drivers
This paragraph introduces the video's focus on teaching new drivers how to make safe turns, particularly left turns, in residential areas. It emphasizes the complexity of the task, which requires a combination of motor and mental skills. Alejandra, the host, and Micah, a driving instructor, will guide viewers through the process. The paragraph also outlines the importance of practice in a safe environment and touches on the rules of the road for turning left, including assessing the situation, checking mirrors, and using turn signals.
đ Navigating Different Left Turn Scenarios
This section delves into the specifics of making left turns in various scenarios, such as at four-way stops, intersections with cross traffic, and rolling turns where stopping is not required. It explains the importance of inching out to gain a clear view of oncoming traffic, waiting for the right moment to turn, and maintaining a safe speed. The paragraph also highlights the need for drivers to make timely decisions based on traffic conditions and to avoid making unsafe turns, even under pressure from other drivers.
đŠ The Importance of Visual Targeting in Turns
The paragraph discusses the concept of visual targeting when making turns, stressing that drivers should focus on where they want to end up rather than on the steering wheel or speed. It points out that experienced drivers often have a 'feel' for making safe turns and are more concerned with their surroundings. The paragraph also advises new drivers to avoid micromanaging the steering wheel and speed, and instead, concentrate on scanning the road ahead and looking where they are headed.
đ€ Steering Techniques for Safe Turns
This paragraph provides an in-depth look at the mechanics of turning, including the hand movements required for left turns. It introduces two methods: the traditional hand-over-hand technique and the push-pull or shuffle method. The paragraph explains the steps involved in each method and emphasizes the importance of not grabbing the wheel from the inside to avoid wrist injury in case of an accident. It also mentions that students with experience in driving go-karts or golf carts may have an advantage in learning turns due to their developed multitasking skills.
đ Executing the Push-Pull Steering Method
The final paragraph focuses on the push-pull or shuffle steering method, which is particularly useful for wider turns and allows for easier adjustments during the turn. It describes the hand positions and movements involved in this method, which differ from the hand-over-hand technique by starting at the nine and three positions on the wheel. The paragraph also notes the safety benefit of the push-pull method, as hands never cross, reducing the risk of injury in the event of airbag deployment. The video concludes with a reminder to practice and a wish for success on the viewer's driving journey.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄTurns
đĄLeft Turns
đĄIntersection
đĄRight-of-Way
đĄTraffic Checks
đĄBlind Spot
đĄLane Positioning
đĄSignal
đĄSpeed Control
đĄSteering Wheel
đĄVisual Target
Highlights
Most new drivers struggle with turns due to the need for a perfect marriage between motor and mental skills.
Left turns can be more dangerous due to oncoming traffic but are usually wider and require less steering wheel maneuvering than right turns.
Preparation for a left turn involves slowing down, signaling, checking mirrors, and positioning the car on the leftmost side of the lane.
At four-way stops, make a full stop, check for cars, bikes, and pedestrians, and ensure the blind spot is clear before turning.
For intersections where cross traffic does not stop, inch out slowly to get a clear view of traffic before making the turn.
Rolling left turns can be made without stopping if there are no obstacles and it's safe, by slowing down to 10-15 mph and smoothly making the turn.
When waiting to turn left with oncoming traffic, only proceed if you are certain the oncoming car will not need to brake to avoid hitting you.
Keep wheels straight when waiting to turn to avoid being pushed into oncoming traffic if rear-ended.
Key steps for left turns include slowing down, signaling, checking mirrors and blind spots, and positioning the car correctly.
Speed control is essential, with the general pattern being to slow before the turn, cover the brake during the turn, and accelerate out of the turn.
Hand movements for turns involve the hand-over-hand or push-pull methods, depending on what provides the best control.
Hand-over-hand steering involves three steps, pushing the wheel with the right hand, reaching over with the left, and then stabilizing the wheel.
The push-pull method uses a nine and three hand position, pushing with one hand and pulling with the other, without crossing hands.
Practice and repetition are crucial for mastering turns, with go-kart or golf cart experience being beneficial.
Making turns requires looking at the visual target where you want to end up, not at the parked cars or the speedometer.
Transcripts
having trouble getting the hang of turns
don't worry you're not alone most new
drivers struggle when first learning how
to make turns because it's a skill that
requires that perfect marriage between
motor and mental skills in other words
there's a lot going on during every turn
that the brain has to manage
simultaneously
truth is you'll need a good dose of
practice in a safe environment to really
Master the skill while today's video may
not make you an expert driver I
guarantee it will teach you everything
you need to know about making safe turns
in residential neighborhoods I'm
Alejandra and today I've got fellow
driving instructor Micah here to help us
out let's get to it
[Music]
you may be surprised that we're starting
off with left turns because most drivers
know that left turns can be more
dangerous especially when you have to
turn in front of oncoming traffic
however technique wise left turns are
easier to make because they are usually
wider turns and require less steering
wheel maneuvering than a right turn not
to mention you don't have to worry about
popping a tire on the curb before we get
ahead of ourselves and start making
turns let's go over the rules of the
road when it comes to turning left
as you approach your left turn you need
to assess the situation ahead you need
to know what kind of intersection you
are dealing with are there stop or yield
signs who has the right-of-way is there
oncoming traffic cross traffic you
really want to scan the intersection so
that you know what to expect also making
any turn requires you to slow down and
what do we always do before breaking we
check our rear view mirrors just to make
sure that there's no traffic threats
behind us that is no Tailgaters or fast
moving vehicles that might rear end us
now that you have assessed the situation
you can start preparing to make a safe
and legal left turn you want to
gradually start slowing down by taking
your foot off the accelerator about 150
to 200 feet before your turn 150 to 200
feet is about 10 card lengths or half of
an average city block as you get closer
to the intersection you want to apply
gradual pressure to the brake and put on
your left turn signal at about 100 feet
or about five to six card lengths from
the intersection glance in your mirrors
again as you continue to slow down
always know what's going on behind you
what about Lane positioning even though
there are usually no Lane lines in
residential areas you want to have your
car lined up on the leftmost side of
your traffic lane before any left turn
just imagine a yellow line painted down
the middle of the road you want to line
up a foot or two from that if you're at
an intersection with limit lines you can
also line up your left tire with the
leftmost edge of the limit line like
this
perfect
we are almost ready to make our left
turn and so far our left turn
preparation has been straightforward and
should be used before all types of left
turns in residential areas you can scan
ahead check your mirrors slow down
activate your signal and position your
car on the left side of your lane here's
where you have to make some timely
decisions depending on the type of
intersection ahead let's look at a few
left turn scenarios you are likely to
encounter and break each one down
thank you
rather than taking the time to cover all
of the intersection right-of-way rules I
invite you to check out our residential
right-of-way video right here for now
let's just keep our primary focus on
turning when you come to a four-way or
always stop you of course come to a full
stop and do your intersection traffic
checks for cars bikes and pedestrians
also because you are turning left look
over your left shoulder making sure your
blind spot is clear when everything
looks good then proceed to make your
turn like this
we'll go over the mechanics of turning
the steering wheel and speed control in
a little bit but for now just take note
that I don't start turning immediately I
wait until my mirror passes the left
curve
also look at how I aim my card towards
the center of the lane I'm turning into
this is my turning Target keeping your
primary focus ahead on where you want to
finish your turn is an essential part of
making a smooth safe turn
for an intersection like this where we
have to stop but cross traffic does not
we come to a full stop and repeat all of
the same traffic checks and look over
our left shoulder just as we did before
however many times at these types of
intersections we may not have a clear
view of cross traffic
since we can't see we need to inch out
or slowly Tippy Toe into the
intersection you want to creep out until
you have a hundred percent clear view of
traffic you never want to guess in these
situations
only going to the intersection as far as
you need to in order to get a clear view
of traffic don't inch out so far that
you block cross traffic
once you determine that the cross
traffic is clear of cars and pedestrians
and you see that there is no oncoming
traffic ahead of you then you can
proceed to make your turn again head
straight into the intersection and start
actually turning once your mirror passes
the curb to finish note that I look
ahead to where I want to end up and
follow this visual turning Target to
successfully complete my left turn
let's try a left turn at an intersection
where cross traffic does not stop I'm
going to put all of the pieces together
so you can see it in real time from the
driver's perspective first I'm going to
make a lane change to the left and then
I'm going to approach this two-way stop
where cross traffic does not have stop
signs I'm going to put on my signal
finish my smog to my left and then I'm
going to do a nice smooth full complete
stop behind the limit line
rest stop I'm going to start checking
left right left doing those traffic
checks but where I am now behind the
limit line I can't tell if cross traffic
is approaching so I'm going to inch out
a little farther do more traffic checks
now I can see around that bush to left
there's no car so I'm going to start my
left turn one two three hold it there
and then bring the wheel back three two
one check my rearview mirror traffic
looks good that is a left turn at an
intersection where cross traffic does
not stop
foreign
way and there are no obstacles present
you can make what we call a rolling left
turn a turn where you don't have to come
to a stop first you still need to signal
and do all of your rear view mirror
tracks traffic checks and shoulder
checks but this time instead of stopping
first just roll through your turn
gracefully at about 10 to 15 miles per
hour I'm already slowed to a safe
turning speed before the turn now I just
roll straight into the intersection let
my mirror get past the curb and then
make my turn
nice and easy into it then gently
accelerating out of it again I'm going
to reiterate the extreme importance of
picking a visual Target and aiming at
the land we want to end up in excellent
let's do a rolling left turn where we
put everything together from the
driver's perspective let's go the smog
away from the curb everything looks good
the rolling left turn I want to make is
on a street ahead and I know that I'm
going to want to slow down to 10 to 15
miles for this turn so that means I need
to start slowing down 150 to 200 feet
before the turn so right about now I'm
also going to start a smog to left to
make sure there's nothing in my blind
spot
I've hit 10 to 15 I'm going to do a
traffic check looks good I'm going to
start my left turn one two three turning
around the limit line bringing the wheel
back three two one checking my rear view
mirror to make sure traffic looks good
everything looks good that is a rolling
left turn
one more left turn this time we'll come
to a rolling left turn where we don't
have a stop sign but we do have an
oncoming car to cope with the beginning
steps to this example are the same as
before I've scanned the intersection hit
my signal check my mirrors looked over
my shoulder and lined myself up to the
left this time though with the oncoming
car approaching I have a decision to
make should I stay or should I go this
is one of the all-time toughest driving
decisions for young drivers to make
the key question to ask yourself is this
if I make my turn right now while the
oncoming car have to break at all even a
little bit to avoid hitting me if the
answer is yes or if you are even a
little bit unsure then don't go even if
a car behind you is honking their horn
do not make the turn after all the
people behind you won't be the ones
risking their life if you turn at the
wrong time if it's not safe to go you
can wait about a third of the way into
the intersection again just let your car
ease into the intersection until your
mere more or less lines up with the curb
this is where you wait
once the oncoming traffic has cleared
and this is also very important do your
left right left traffic checks quickly
again and also check over your shoulder
many times while you are waiting to make
a left a bike or a pedestrian will show
up that wasn't there before once
everything in the world looks good make
your left turn with confidence
accelerating to clear the intersection
promptly and heading towards the visual
Target of the lane you want to turn into
easy enough right
in situations like this where you are
waiting to make your turn keep your
wheels straight don't start turning them
to the left because if you get
rear-ended while waiting your car will
be pushed directly into oncoming traffic
and needless to say that would be a
tragedy for all involved all right y'all
how's everybody doing I know that was a
lot of information on left turns to
digest and we are still just getting
started by now though you see that there
are various left turn situations you'll
need to prepare for and hopefully you've
noticed that while each turn variation
is handled a little differently they all
begin and end pretty much the same way
start by slowing down put on your signal
check your mirrors do your shoulder and
cross traffic checks and position your
car on the left side of your lane
finish by gently accelerating out of
your turn and aiming for a specific
turning Target Lane to end up in
if you've learned that much so far
you've already won half the battle
now many of you may be asking hey
Alejandra why aren't you showing us how
to steer the wheel and how fast we
should be going don't worry we are
getting there but let me share with you
a little Driving School Secret
biggest mistake new drivers make when
learning a turn is micromanaging the
steering wheel and speed control in
other words they pay way too much
attention to watching their hand over
hand movements or staring at the
speedometer and they fail to notice the
most important thing about driving
scanning in front of their vehicle and
looking where they are headed
ask any seasoned driver what speed they
make turns at and I bet most won't be
able to tell you why because experienced
drivers aren't watching the speedometer
at all they just have a feel for making
safe turns and are more concerned with
the traffic situations around them and
where their car is headed whether they
know it or not they are subliminally
watching the visual Target of where they
want to finish their turn and this is
why we've been stressing that point over
and over and over again
another tip for beginners when finishing
left turns many new drivers tend to
understeer or not turn the wheel enough
and end up drifting towards the parked
cars why because new drivers are so
worried about hitting the parked cars
that they stare at them and you always
drive towards where you stare again make
your visual Target the lane where you
want to end up don't worry you'll still
see the parked cars with your peripheral
vision
we've spent most of our time talking
about preparing for a left turn now
let's get into the mechanics of turning
and what your hands and feet need to do
in order to make a turn successfully
real quick here's another Driving School
secret students who have experience
driving go-karts golf carts and other
motorized vehicles have a distinct
Advantage when it comes to learning how
to make turns this is because they have
already trained their brain to be able
to control their hand and foot movement
smoothly while still concentrating on a
road ahead they have already developed a
sense of the multitasking required to be
a good driver
for those of you like me who never
touched any sort of vehicle before their
first driving lesson learning to make
turns can be a bit more challenging and
even frustrating at times if that's you
too don't worry trust me with enough
repetition and time behind the wheel you
will get to a point where you don't even
think about steering or when to break or
when to accelerate it will just become
second nature driving is a skill just
like learning how to play a new sport or
musical instrument it'll take dedicated
practice to get good until then just
accept that it's a learning process and
that you need as much practice as
possible while quiet low-key residential
streets are great to practice on large
empty parking lots are even better it'll
give you all the space you need to get
the hang of making turns without the
stress of hitting parked cars or worse
okay that's enough disclaimers about
executing left turns let's get into the
details
we've already mentioned that about 10 to
15 mile per hour is the desired speed
for a left turn in residential but
that's just a guideline based on making
a 90 degree turn on an average size
straight you may go a bit slower if the
street is narrower or if the turn is
sharper or you may go a tad faster if
you're on a wider Street or making a
more gradual turn if you need to check
your speed during a turn use a quick
glance never stare at the speedometer
speed control will come naturally and
when you first start out you may want to
go a little slower until you've got it
mastered that's a hundred percent fine
also you'll notice some variations
depending on what kind of turn you're
performing if you are coming from a
complete stop then you'll have to
accelerate a little more to get up to
speed if it's a rolling turn you'll
already have some momentum and you won't
have to speed up at all until you are
coming out of your turn
most drivers know that the basic speed
pattern of making a turn is this slow
down before the turn and accelerate out
of the turn however a common mistake new
drivers make is the timing of this
pattern instead of starting to slow down
well before the turn like 150 to 200
feet before the turn they wait until
right before the turn to decelerate
rapidly not only is this dangerous but
it also now makes the steering control
we're about to discuss much more
difficult your speed pattern for a
rolling turn should be like this so
before the turn cover the brake and
Coast through the Arc of the turn
accelerate out of the turn say it with
me slow before
cover during
accelerate out
okay folks let's talk about the hand
movements required to make a left turn
before we even start let's learn another
valuable safety tip regarding how you
grab the wheel never grab the Wheel from
the inside like this to turn it in the
event of an accident where your wheel
snaps back into the center position your
poor wrist is very likely to break from
the extreme force check out the video
above for other great tips from
instructor Liz about where to safely
position your hands on the steering
wheel so onward with steering control
we're actually going to cover two
different methods the traditional hand
over hand method as well as the push
pull method or Shuffle method we teach
our students both methods because both
can be highly effective and at the end
of the day we encourage our students to
use the method that provides them with
the best control of their car for some
students that's the hand over hand for
others it's the push-pull the hand over
hand technique is usually a three-step
process for most left turns let's
demonstrate the first while we are
parked
with both hands on the wheel at the 10
and 2 position your first movement will
be with your right hand as your left
hand releases grip of the wheel use your
right hand to push the steering wheel
from the two o'clock position to about
the 10 o'clock position
step two now with your left hand reach
over your right hand and grab the
steering wheel at the two o'clock and
pull it to the 10 o'clock position again
as you release your right hand grip
step three now put your right hand back
to the two o'clock position and hold the
wheel steady while you make the Arc of
your turn
take a look at the steering wheel it
should now be turned at least three
quarters of the way basically facing the
right or even almost back to the
straight up position and that's about
how much you turn the wheel for a normal
left turn for a wide turn you may turn
in a bit less for a very sharp turn you
may turn it much more every turn will be
different but in general most turns
require you to move the wheel like we
just did almost one full turn
let's try a standard left turn again a
little more fluidly this time counting
one two three can help you get the hang
of the movements like this one two three
one more time this time you can try
saying aloud hand over hand as you go
like this
hand over hand
now you're getting the hang of it so
that's how you will start making your
left turn once you get going
when you complete your turn you
basically do the opposite movements to
walk back the steering wheel like this
three two one
when you put it all together it's one
two three to start the turn
and then walk it back three two one to
return the wheel to the straight
position and complete the turn one more
time hand over hand to start and then
hand over hand to bring back the wheel
okay enough sitting in a parked car and
pretending let's do a variety of left
turns so you can see the entire hand
over hand in action
here we are at an all-way stop let's
turn to the left
as soon as my left mirror passes the
curb I start turning hand over hand to
the left one two three I hold the wheel
through the turn and aiming at my target
I begin to walk the wheel back three two
one
easy
this next turn is going to be rolling
I've slowed down and as my mirror passes
the curb I turn the wheel one two three
and hold it and then start to the
counter Shear three two one as I
accelerate out of the turn nice
okay all we're definitely making
progress while we start by teaching the
hand over hand method some students seem
to better grasp the push-pull method and
some non-us countries actually require
that drivers do their turns using the
push-pull or Shuffle method do whatever
works for you but we find that the
Handover hand tends to be preferred when
making tighter turns while the push-pull
method is great for wider turns not to
mention that the push-pull method also
allows for making easier micro
adjustments to the wheel during a turn
if something is a little off
here's what making a left turn with the
push-pull method looks like
whereas hand over hand is more of a 10
and 2 song and dance push-pull is most
easily performed using the nine and
three hand position starting with your
hands on the nine and three position you
push the wheel up with your right hand
until the 12th position then grab the
wheel with your left hand at the same 12
position without crossing your hands and
pull it down to the nine position you'll
repeat this exact same motion for most
turns the entire movement is basically
Push Pull Push Pull and you'll notice
the steering wheel has basically made
one full turn
Let's do an actual turn using the push
pull method so you can see it in action
as my mirror passes the curb I push the
wheel up to the 12 position with my
right hand and then pull it down with my
left hand to the nine position and then
quickly repeat the same Push Pull
movement again
I hold it here through the turn and then
Shuffle back the wheel as I come out of
the turn great
an added bonus of the push pull method
is that your hands never cross which is
obviously a win if the airbag were to
deploy
again we recommend trying the push pull
method if you're struggling with the
hand over hand method even if you're a
pro at hand over hand try out the push
pull on a wider turn and you'll see it
provides pretty nice control without you
having to cross your hands at all
right everyone now it's our turn to sign
off for Micah and Alejandra and everyone
at driver's ed direct we wish you the
best of luck on your driving journey and
we'll see you again soon
see ya
foreign
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