Steering Techniques Part–2

If pull–push steering is out of date,
what are the alternative methods of steering a car?

When we learn to drive we are taught by the methods, which at the time were held to be good practice for driving a car. We may hardly be able to forget the well disciplined approach to steering and how it was always one of the most closely scrutinised areas of driving. However, once the scrutiny stops, it seems the approved method of steering goes straight out the window.

As we have discussed in part–one how many drivers, as soon as they have made it through the driving test, will abandon the use of the pull push steering method and there are a few different methods they will then gravitate to.

Whilst it is easy to poor scorn on anything other than what is seen to be purely the right way of doing things, it may be that for certain situations, at least, some of those styles will contain elements that are worthy of some consideration. So as to take this further, let’s look at some of the ways in which people steer to see if there is any merit in the methods used.

The Double–Handed Swing

This is where the driver will place both hands close together at the twelve o’clock position on the wheel rim, and without moving them from that one spot on the wheel, will swing the hands left or right in response to the direction the car is required to move.

When evaluating this method it becomes immediately obvious that as soon as the wheel is turned the driver’s body is placed off–balance. With such an awkwardly positioned centre of gravity this method makes it difficult to apply steering smoothly and progressively. Also, if the road makes a sharp deviation, the hands will become cranked all the way around to 5 or 7 o’clock they will not physically be able to travel any further.

To apply more steering in this case the driver will have to let go of the wheel rim with at least one hand and move it to a different part of the wheel, so as to retain control. When you consider that driving at 30mph a vehicle is covering the ground at a rate of 44–feet per second, by the time the hands get sorted out, it may all be done too late.

Rotational Steering

Cross–handed steering, or knitting, as we call it, is where you turn the wheel hand–over–hand, and is probably the method most will adopt after discarding the L–plates.

Whilst you could argue there is nothing technically wrong with this style, and maybe there isn’t if used only when manoeuvring at slow speeds, there are better ways of managing the vehicle, as will be pointed out later on this page. If you have ever tried to apply a lot of steering very quickly you will find that hand–over–hand actually makes hard work of it.

Roadcraft, the police driver’s handbook, now advocates this style of steering, albeit guardedly, suggesting that it be used for manoeuvring and slow speed purposes only. It has been dicovered by Ride Drive the only reason Rotational Steering got into the book was due to one of the influential people who had control over its publication threatening to pull the plug if it was omitted!

When driving at high speed on the road
the maximum level of car control is essential

Out on the road, and when travelling at speed, the Rotational Steering style again puts the body off–balance within the driving seat, and hinders the ability to apply steering smoothly and progressively, as well as speedily. Some use this with a reversed handgrip, with the palm of the hand inside the wheel rim — gripping with fingernails towards the driver. This is very awkward and has very limited control potential.

A lot of female drivers do this for some reason, which is just an observation. It may be to do with stature and restrictions on upper body strength? When you watch someone driving in this way you can easily see how they compensate for the imbalance of the upper body it causes, as they will often lean into the bends from within their seat, as if riding a motorcycle.

Whilst Rotational Steering may be a firm favourite among those who love to kick against tradition, perhaps it is being regarded as the bad–boy way of doing things that makes it so attractive. It is actually a method that doesn’t work that well at speed, and certainly there are better methods that can be used — apart from the old Pull–Push steering!

Fixed Arm or Fixed Grip Steering

This is actually a credible method, but only as it has a specialist application. During pursuit management training, British police officers carry out an exercise that requires them to drive through a slalom course of traffic cones as quickly as possible, both in a forward direction and again in reverse.

The steering method that is taught here is called Fixed Arm Steering, or Fixed Grip Steering. Here, the wheel is held in both hands at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions on the rim, and whilst remaining locked to that position, the steering wheel is turned left and right to drive the car through the slalom through the cones.

One of the reasons this method is used is that when changing in direction at such a high frequency, the vehicle power steering pump can’t actually keep up with the unnatural demands being placed upon it. The consequence is that after about three or four rapid direction changes, any power assistance is lost and the steering mechanism suddenly becomes a dead weight. When this happens it will require a considerable degree of physical effort to keep the direction changes going.

By placing the hands in the fixed grip position, as described for this exercise, you remain well balanced in the driving seat, you can input the steering progressively and with sensitivity, as well as exerting maximum leverage on the wheel — especially when the power assistance becomes lost.

Yes, as with the double–handed swing method, you can arrive at the situation where you have your hands and arms at the full extent of their range of travel, and therefore will be unable to apply more steering input. However, in this case you are having to deal with another and more immediate situation and which takes priority. Basically, it’s a compromise used for a particular application and has limited usefulness for normal road driving.

One Handed Steering

This one can actually have some credible consideration, and no doubt any purists reading this page will now be taking a sharp intake of breath and sucking at their teeth in a display of disapproval. However, let us look at this method to see if there is any value in it.

One hand on the wheel, elbow resting on the door–top, is not good, as not only is this a lazy posture and does not allow for full control, but it will lead to a driver becoming lazy in other areas too. This is not what we want to promote and would join all the rest of you in saying that is not a good way to drive. Palming the wheel around is poor technique also, as again it compromises control.

However, it is possible to steer one handed and in a way that will allow a driver to exercise a high level of control over the vehicle, but this will only be in certain selected situations, and when carried out in a disciplined manner

We would never, for example, promote one–handed steering for driving at any speed that was over and above that used for manoeuvring, or when making a series of substantially tight turns in quick succession, such as in busy city streets. At low speeds it does work, but the second hand needs to be involved also, as this needs to be positioned in a state of readiness to support when and if required.

You can’t use pull–push steering effectively
when driving on a skid pan as it is too slow

If you are beginning to get hot under the collar as you read this, just consider what happens if you drive on a skid pan. If you haven’t had that experience then please understand that if you try to use the Pull–Push steering method in that environment you will not be capable of maintaining control of the car, because the vehicle will simply get away from you.

The reason for this is that the Pull–Push steering method will not allow you the ability to apply steering input quickly enough to counter the behaviour of the car and to keep it under control. However, if you steer one–handed by starting off with one hand at the top of the wheel and using it to turn the wheel both ways, then you will do much better.

On a skid pan you need instant action in reaction to the behaviour of the car, and this one–handed steering method gives that to you. However, it is only effective today because of the advent of power steering, more highly geared steering racks and the smaller steering wheels of the modern car.

Using this method is what could be referred to as embracing evolution, as it catches up with the technology of the modern steering systems. The technique does give you a high level of control, but you have to do it properly. You need to have the second hand ready for use as a back–up.

Whilst one hand and arm are actually moving the steering wheel, the other needs to be in contact with the wheel rim, allowing it to run through a loose grip. The second hand is waiting to come into play and apply a brake to the wheel, or be used as a backup to the first hand should the situation demand greater steering force. By employing this method you are always in a state of instant readiness should circumstances require a more serious course of action.

If you are in a situation where you are having to make a lot if steering movements in both directions, the hand that starts off doing the main work can be changed for the other to give a more balanced overall delivery. By use of this method you are using the most powerful muscles in your upper body to assist your working arm, and utilising gravity as a form of power assistance.

Combination Method of Steering

This next one is the method we promote at Ride Drive, and is a combination of the Pull–Push steering method and the Fixed Grip Steering method. It works very well, particularly when driving quickly, which is where it really comes into its own.

We start with the hands gripping the wheel in the traditional 10–2 position and with the thumbs pointing towards one another along the face of the rim. It should be a relaxed grip, but with the hands ready to tighten on the wheel if needed.

As you approach a right–hand bend, for example, the right hand needs to move to the top of the wheel and the left to the bottom. As the car enters the bend, begin to apply steering in a fixed–grip style, nice and progressively, until you have applied the amount of input required to safely negotiate the bend.

	Prior to any steering input being required, naturally assume the 10–2 position on the wheel for well balanced control.		As you approach a right–hand bend, for example, move the right hand to the top of the wheel and the left to a lower position in preparation for the turn.		As you drive into the bend, rotate the steering wheel to the right with both hands remaining in a fixed grip, so that you are in the 10–2 position whilst cornering and without having to change your hand position.

If you judge it correctly, and this all ties in with your bend assessment skills, you will find that when you are at the tightest part of the curve, your hands will have naturally arrived at the 10–2 position, even though you are still cornering. This gives you near–perfect body balance within the car, maximum leverage on the wheel, and with plenty of arm travel available for either direction should that become necessary.

As you can see in this photograph below, the driver is about to enter a left hand bend and has placed his hands upon the steering wheel in the appropriate position in preparation for the bend. Notice how relaxed and comfortable he appears.

With practice you will be able to accurately predict the degree of steering that you will need, prior to needing it, and set your hands up accordingly before you begin the bend. Obviously the same technique applies for left–hand bends too, but with you moving your hands in reverse sequence. When you need to straighten up all you do is move the wheel back to centre by feeding it with the pull–push method ready for the next bend.

Even if the road travels through a series of bends, perhaps each in the opposite direction to the last, the system still works well. It has been tried and tested at speeds that have been well into three figures by police pursuit and traffic patrol drivers, and when completed effectively, it never fails. The car just sits on the road, remaining well planted, responding with remarkable obedience to give you a tremendous degree of control and confidence.

Pull–Push Method

So, here we are, having now gone full circle (if you pardon the pun) as we are now back to the Pull–Push steering method, and you will have been taught a version of this during your initial driving lessons.

The way it works, just in case it was never presented properly to you, is to place the hands in the 10–2 position on the wheel, but do not wrap your thumbs around the wheel rim to make a fist. Place them along the front of the wheel rim so they are pointing towards each other. This gives better feedback through the steering and therefore good control.

When there is a requirement to steer to the left, the left hand needs to move up to the a point just before 12 o’clock, grip the wheel and pull it down close to 6 o’clock. Whilst this is going on, the right hand slides down the wheel to a point close to 6 o’clock on the other side of the wheel, grips the wheel and pushes it up towards 12 o’clock. If further input is required, the left hand should be in position close to the top of the wheel to again pull down more of the wheel rim. The system is used in the same way, but in reverse order, when turning to the right.

Basically, you are passing the wheel rim from one hand into the other, and when practiced correctly, this can be completed in a smooth and flowing manner, even when driving a modern car with power assisted steering, smaller steering wheel and high–geared steering rack. It is also true, providing no simultaneous large movements are required, this method does offer a high level of vehicle control potential, and does make for very smooth steering input.

Pull–Push steering is the one that everyone loves to hate, but for those who have disciplined themselves to use it, can use it well and have been taught how to use it correctly, they find it does do the job well.

So Many Vehicles Fall Off The Road Due to Poor Steering Control

Having looked at the known steering styles, and driver steering habits, when deliberating over the effectiveness of each it needs to be remembered that so many vehicles fall off the road due to poor steering control as used by the driver. A lack of understanding of the mechanics of driving, and a lack in precision when operating the vehicle controls, will always tempt grief, especially when the pace along the road becomes high and the pressure is increased.

It should be remembered also that many functions involved in driving a car are closely linked. If you misjudge a bend by going into it a little too fast, you can usually get away with your error providing you have good discipline with the controls. However, If you have poor steering discipline, you won’t make it, just the same as if you were to stamp on the brakes mid–corner. This is because when at that point between being within control and not, all it takes is one inappropriately applied move and the result can be instant disaster.

Modern cars have an airbag contained within the steering wheel centre, and in a collision that airbag will be deployed by an explosive charge, which is also contained within the steering wheel hub. The whole thing really is an unexploded bomb, and if that airbag deploys when your arms are across the steering wheel centre, it may well break your bones.

People scoff at the mention of this, but an ex–police colleague of mine, who got one arm in the way of an airbag once. Even though this happened in 1991, he still has problems associated with that injury today, and probably always will. I can say all this with complete authenticity, because I was there with him when it happened. At least he is alive, and can thank the airbag for that much.

Having said that, you will be extremely unlikely to get an airbag deploy in a collision at slow manoeuvring speeds, or when crawling in traffic, as they are designed to only deploy when the kinetic energy levels are high.

Has The Pull–Push Steering Method Passed its Sell–by Date?

So, the questions is, has the Pull–Push steering method passed its sell–by date? For some applications it probably has, but as much as the motor car has evolved over the years, so may steering methods also evolve. Pull–Push steering may be abandoned instantly by many, perhaps due to the attitude of a largely undisciplined and image conscious society, but for those who can work it well it is still effective.

There is the issue that a great many driver trainers don’t know how to use it properly, and it therefore follows that those who become trained by these people don’t get to know how to use it either. Certainly, from our experience at Ride Drive, when going out with our customers in their cars, we find that when shown the correct way of using Push Pull steering, they are actually quite amazed by it (in a positive way).

Yes, times have changed, and there are occasions where a different approach to steering will serve better. We have to evolve with technology, and to that end, the one–handed method has a place and the Ride Drive approved alternative (Combination Steering) also has a place. The good old Pull–Push steering method (when used correctly) is still a worthy technique, especially for those who know how to use it well and who are able to enjoy what it offers.

Basically, it is horses for courses, and providing the right horse is used to run on the most appropriate course, then where is the harm?

Julian Smith
Ride Drive Limited

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Steering Techniques Part–One
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This page was last updated
Thursday, 27-Jan-2011

Steering Techniques Part–2