Making Smooth Right and Left Turns

One of the toughest things for new drivers to master is making good, consistent right and left turns. We make so many turns each time we drive that if done smoothly, we can remain safe on the roads. However, getting into sloppy habits can put our vehicle at risk of a collision, or perhaps you’ll even get a ticket. Plus, poor turning habits can affect your results if you go for a road test. Let’s break down how to make a perfect right and left turn every time.

Smooth Right Turn

Let’s begin with a right turn. Approaching an intersection, signal your turn roughly half a block from the intersection. This will give the driver behind you enough time to adjust to you making a turn. Immediately after signaling, have a glance in the rear-view mirror. If the driver behind is close to you, begin braking earlier than normal but more gradually. This will allow them to brake smoothly as you make the turn.

Move Your Vehicle

Now that you have signaled, move your vehicle to within one meter from the curb. You aim to keep that one meter from the curb around the corner. Once you’ve moved one meter from the curb, begin slowing down by braking smoothly and look well ahead. Looking well ahead to roughly 2 blocks from where you currently are will help to keep your vehicle parallel to the curb as you approach the corner. These first four steps should be completed when you are approximately 4 to 5 car lengths from the intersection. The reason for that is the remaining distance will give you enough time to complete the remaining steps of the turn.

Begin Turning

Since you want to remain one meter from the curb around the corner, you will need to begin turning once the front of the vehicle has reached where the curb begins to turn. As you approach that point, glance down toward the curb and begin steering smoothly and consistently as you follow the curb with your eyes. Once you feel you have gone halfway around the corner, look well ahead up the road and smoothly and consistently recover the steering. After the turn is completed, you can apply the gas gently up to speed and have another glance in your rear-view mirror. This will keep you up to date with any vehicle that may follow you around the corner.

Practice – Practice – Practice

One of the best ways to make these steps into a driving habit is to continually drive around the block, making a right turn after a right turn. Keep the steps in order so you can build muscle memory. The only step in which you could change the order would be the braking. Typically, it is the fourth step, but if you are moving quickly, you may need to brake earlier so your vehicle is at a controlled speed in time to complete the remaining steps.

Now that you know the steps for a smooth right turn, let’s build your skills for making a smooth left turn. Many steps are similar to making a right turn, but not all. Let’s break down the steps for you.

Smooth Left Turn

Like the right turn, you want to signal the left turn roughly half a block from the intersection. Again, it allows the driver behind to adjust their speed or even change lanes to avoid being slowed down by your turn. After the signal, recheck the rear-view mirror to determine if you need to brake earlier than usual if you are being followed too closely.

Position Your Vehicle

Different from the right turn, you now want to position your vehicle close to the center of the road. This position will help to communicate that you will be turning left. If there is no yellow line down the road, make an educated guess as to where the center of the road is. If there is a stop sign ahead of you and a stop line painted on the road, the center of the road is generally where the stop line ends. Look ahead, and you can line up your vehicle that way.

Begin To Brake

Once you’ve positioned your vehicle close to the center of the road, look well ahead to help to keep your vehicle parallel to the curb and begin to brake. If there is a stop ahead, stop first before beginning any steering. These first four steps should also be completed at roughly 4 to 5 car lengths from the intersection so you have enough time to complete the remaining steps for the left turn.

Reaching The Edge of The Road

For the left turn, you want to begin steering once the front of your vehicle has reached the edge of the road, although many drivers tend to steer earlier than that. The problem with steering earlier than the edge of the road is that you would end up on the wrong side while making the turn, so be patient.

Once You Reached

Once the front of your vehicle has reached the edge of the road, look to the center of the road you’re turning on and begin steering smoothly and consistently. If a yellow line is painted on the new road, look up that line as you begin steering. If there is no painted line of the road, make a judgment call as to where the center of the new road is.

Recover The Steering

Once your vehicle is approximately halfway around the corner, look ahead and begin to recover the steering just as smoothly and consistently as you did while beginning the turn. After the left turn is completed, you can begin to apply the gas gently as you get up to speed. It would be a good time to have another glance in your rearview mirror. This will keep you up to date with any vehicle that may follow you around the corner.

Following these steps regularly to make them into a habit will not only help you pass your government road test but also help keep your vehicle safely in your lane.