Hand position — South Dakota Permit Test

Both hands go on the outside of the steering wheel on opposite sides, at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions.

Hands bunched together at the top give you little leverage when you must swerve suddenly.

Both hands should be placed on the outside of the steering wheel on opposite sides, at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions, to maintain control of the vehicle.

Placing your hands at 2 and 10 o’clock is no longer recommended because it can be dangerous in a vehicle with air bags.

An air bag bursts out of the wheel hub, and arms across its path can be thrown back into your face.

Placing your hands at the 2 and 10 o’clock positions is no longer recommended because it can be dangerous in a vehicle equipped with air bags.

Grip the wheel firmly but gently, using your fingers rather than your palms, with your thumbs up along the face of the wheel.

Thumbs hooked inside the rim can be broken when a front wheel hits a pothole and the wheel jerks.

Use your fingers instead of the palms of your hands and keep your thumbs up along the face of the steering wheel.

Never turn the steering wheel while gripping it from the inside of the wheel.

A hand reaching through the wheel can be trapped and twisted by the spokes as the wheel spins back.

Never turn the wheel while gripping it from the inside of the steering wheel.

When turning sharp corners, use the hand-over-hand technique, and straighten the wheel by hand afterward instead of letting it slip through your fingers.

A wheel left to spin back on its own can overshoot and carry the car across the center line.

When you complete a turn, straighten out the steering wheel by hand.

Never turn the ignition to the lock position while the vehicle is moving; the steering will lock if you try to turn the wheel.

A driver who locks the ignition at speed finds the wheel frozen just as the road starts to bend.

Never turn your vehicle’s ignition to the “lock” position while it is still in motion.

Where should your hands be on the steering wheel?

At the 3 and 9 o’clock positions. Hands bunched together at the top give you little leverage when you must swerve suddenly. South Dakota Driver License Manual, p.29: “Both hands should be placed on the outside of the steering wheel on opposite sides, at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions, to maintain control of the vehicle.”