Steering methods — Louisiana Permit Test

Use hand-to-hand (push/pull) steering for normal driving going forward above 10-15 mph.

Pushing and pulling the wheel keeps your hands from crossing at normal speeds, so turns stay smooth.

Use hand-to-hand steering, commonly called push/pull steering, when turning the wheel during normal driving activity going forward above 10-15 mph.

With hand-to-hand steering your hands never cross over the wheel, so there is less chance of injury from a driver air bag; it is the preferred method.

Crossed arms sit right in front of the air bag, so keeping them apart keeps them out of its way.

Since your hands and arms never cross over the steering wheel, there is less chance of injury to the face, hands and arms in the event of a frontal crash when a vehicle is equipped with a driver side air bag.

Use hand-over-hand steering when turning the wheel at low speeds, such as at an intersection or when parking.

Sharp, slow turns need the wheel turned a long way, and hand-over-hand gets it there quickly.

Use hand-over-hand steering when turning the wheel at low speeds, such as at an intersection or when parking the vehicle.

For hand-to-hand steering, your left hand grips the wheel between 7 and 8 o'clock and your right hand between 4 and 5 o'clock.

Holding the wheel low keeps your arms below the air bag and lets you push and pull easily.

your left hand grasps the wheel between 7 and 8 o’clock and your right hand grasps the wheel between 4 and 5 o’clock.

In evasive steering, limit the wheel to not more than 180 degrees; more than that causes traction loss and the car may cross into oncoming traffic.

At speed, a small turn of the wheel moves the car a lot. Turning too far makes it slide across the road.

It is critical to limit the steering to not more than 180 degrees of steering when trying to evade a problem on the roadway.

Modern vehicles take only 45 to 90 degrees of steering to move back on the road after an off-road encounter.

If your wheels drop off the edge, a small, steady turn brings you back without swerving into the next lane.

Modern vehicles only take 45 to 90 degrees of steering to move a vehicle back on the road after an off-road encounter.

Use one-hand steering only when backing or when reaching for controls like wipers, flashers or lights.

One hand on the wheel gives you less control, so save it for moments when you truly need a free hand.

Use one hand steering only when backing or operating vehicle controls (wipers, flashers, lights, etc.) that require a temporary reach from the steering wheel.

The only time a 12 o'clock hand position is recommended is when backing to the left or right and you must turn in the seat to see.

Turning around in the seat to look back makes the top of the wheel the easy place for one hand to steer.

The only time that 12 o’clock is recommended is when backing a vehicle to the left or right and the driver has to turn in the seat in order to see the path of travel.

When should you use hand-to-hand, or push/pull, steering?

For normal driving above 10-15 mph. Pushing and pulling the wheel keeps your hands from crossing at normal speeds, so turns stay smooth. Class D & E Driver's Guide, p.49: “Use hand-to-hand steering, commonly called push/pull steering, when turning the wheel during normal driving activity going forward above 10-15 mph.”