Chapter 6

1. Chapter 6 Performing Basic Vehicle Maneuvers

2. Steering • Oversteer – steering too much • Understeer – not turning the wheel enough

3. Steering Straight Backward • Right arm over the back of the passenger seat • Left hand at the top of the steering wheel • Continue to look through the back window • Move the top of the steering wheel in the direction you want the back end of the car to go • Keep your foot over the brake pedal as you move backwards

4. Backing a Stickshift • Use your clutch pedal at the friction point to back your vehicle slowly • Keep your right foot over the brake pedal • When stopping push the clutch pedal all of the way down

5. Signaling • Signal every time you plan to turn, change, slow, or stop. • Signal well in advance. At least 100ft for turns.

6. Hand Signals • Right turn – Left arm out of the window bent at a 90 degree angle with your hand facing up • Left turn – Left arm straight out of the window • Slow or Stop – Left arm out of the window bent at a 90 degree angle with your hand facing down

7. Changing Lanes • Check front, left-front, and right-front zones • Check rear zones through the rearview mirror • Signal and make a blind spot check • Increase your speed slightly as you steer smoothly into the next lane if clear • Cancel your signal and adjust your speed

8. Hand-Over-Hand Steering • Pull the steering wheel down with one hand while your other hand crosses over to pull the wheel farther down • Some steering wheels will straighten after a turn if you relax your grip • Us hand-over-hand steering to unwind the steering wheel at lower speeds

9. Push-Pull Steering • Hand position at 4 o’clock or 8 o’clock • Push the steering wheel up to 12 o’clock • Other hand pulls the wheel from the 11 or 1 o’clock position

10. Making Left and Right Turns • Only after check all traffic • Look for pedestrians and oncoming traffic • Check rear zones for vehicles passing you • Plan turns well in advance • Be in the correct lane • Signal 100 feet before the turn • When making a left turn you must yield to oncoming traffic

11. Shared Left-Turn Lane • A center lane that separates oncoming traffic where you can make a left turn from either direction

12. Backing Left and Right • Before backing check for traffic, pedestrians, parked vehicles and stationary objects • Keep both hands on the wheel • Pull the wheel to the left to back left • Pull the wheel to the right to back right • Back slowly and cover the brake with your right foot • When backing left the front wheels will move far to the right of the rear wheels so make sure you leave plenty of space

13. Turning the Vehicle Around • Turnabout – turning your vehicle around • High risk maneuver – cross or back into traffic • Be sure the law permits the turnabout • 500 feet visibility • Not near hills, curves, or 200 feet from intersections • Never in heavy or high-speed traffic • Continually check in all zones

14. Midblock U-turn • Risky – you must cross several lanes of traffic • Check traffic ahead and to the rear • Signal right an pull to the far right of lane • Signal left and move forward • Check front and left rear zones • Check blind spot • Turn sharply left while moving forward

15. Back into Driveway on Right Side • Reenter traffic going forward • Check traffic to the rear • Signal right and pull about 3 feet from the curb and just past the driveway. • Check rear zone and back into the driveway • Signal left, check left and right • Pull forward as you turn left

16. Three-Point Turnabout • Signal right and stop close to the curb • Check traffic ahead, to the rear and over your left shoulder. Signal a left turn • Sharp turn to the left to the curb and stop • Check traffic from both directions and rear zone • Turn the wheel to the right and begin to back • Check left and right and signal left • Move slowly forward while moving left

17. Parking • Find spaces with ample room • Avoid spaces at the end of parking lanes • Avoid spaces next to poorly parked vehicles

18. Angle Parking • Diagonally to the curb • Position at least six feet from the row • Signal right and check traffic to the rear • Creep forward until you see the center of the space • Turn the wheel sharply to the right • Straighten your wheels when you are centered in the space

19. Perpendicular Parking • Park at a right angle to the curb • Position your vehicle at least eight feet from the row of parked cars • Signal right, check your right blind spot • Check traffic to the rear • When your front bumper passes the left rear taillight of the vehicle to the right of the empty spot, turn sharp right • Slowly enter the stall with your foot over the brake • Straighten the wheels when you are centered in the space

20. Leaving an Angle or Perpendicular Space • Check left and right • Creep back and control the speed with the brake • When your front bumper is even with the rear bumper of the vehicle on your left, begin to turn right • Back into the nearest lane and stop with wheels straight • Remember to look back until your vehicle stops moving

21. Parallel Parking • Signal right and stop two to three feet away from the front vehicle with the two rear bumpers even • Check traffic, look over your right shoulder and back slowly as you turn right • Aim towards the right rear corner of the space • When the back of your seat is even with the rear bumper of the front vehicle straighten your wheels • When your front bumper is even with the front vehicle’s back bumper, turn your wheels sharply left • When your vehicle is parallel to the curb, straighten wheels and stop.

22. Leaving a Parallel Parking Space • Yield to all traffic • Back straight slowly • Signal left, check your left blind spot, move forward slowly • Check the right front corner of the vehicle • Turn your wheels slowly when you are halfway out of the parking space

23. Parking on a Hill • Up hill with a curb – turn the wheels left and let the car drift back to the curb • Up hill with no curb – turn the wheels sharply right • Downhill with a curb – turn the wheels sharply right • Downhill with no curb – Turn the wheels sharply right