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Original poster

How do you steer a car?!

70 replies

Berryberryberry · 20/08/2021 22:02

I know that sounds stupid. I had a driving lesson today and I couldn't work out were I should be in the road or how to get the car to stay there. The instructor spent a lot of time adjusting my steering. I have Dyspraxia and can't visualise things. I feel like I'm never going to do it because I don't understand how.

OP posts:

thenightsky · 20/08/2021 22:44

@Berryberryberry

It seems more natural to steer a scooter or bike though I suppose because you aren't inside them? No idea if that makes any sense. And also you aren't sat in the middle of the car so centering the car seems much harder

I remember when I was learning I found myself leaning into the middle of the car, so I was over the gear stick/handbrake, so I felt more central. It took a while to get over that, but I did.

texasss · 20/08/2021 22:46

My husband and son are both dyspraxic but excel at driving! Don't give up hope.

pigeonpies · 20/08/2021 22:46

@Berryberryberry

Well yes, I could steer a car straight on a road.

Cherrypies · 20/08/2021 22:49

Practice makes perfect, do you have anyone who can take you out, to give you more time, to practice.
I had this problem, but dont have dyspraxia.
Lucky I had someone who I would drive to work every morning, they then took the car to their work.
I also had problems with steering, changing gears, looking wher I was going all at the same time, changed to automatic lessons, game changer.

ISpyCobraKai · 20/08/2021 22:49

Roy tells us how to steal a car.

I like this thread

Nothappyland · 20/08/2021 22:52

My driving instructor used to tell me to put the middle of the lane I’m driving in underneath my seat. So I guess my driving position would be slightly more towards the kerb than perfectly central. But that’s what he told me to do. No idea if that helps at all 😂

Original poster

Berryberryberry · 20/08/2021 22:52

[quote pigeonpies]@Berryberryberry

Well yes, I could steer a car straight on a road.

[/quote]
Yes but you wouldn't have been safe to drive would you? On your own without an instructor. And anyway I won't eventually pass my test unless I'm deemed safe to drive at that point.

OP posts:

Original poster

Berryberryberry · 20/08/2021 22:53

@ISpyCobraKai

Roy tells us how to steal a car.

I like this thread

Now that would be a skill. Come on Roy.

OP posts:

Original poster

Berryberryberry · 20/08/2021 22:55

@Cherrypies

Practice makes perfect, do you have anyone who can take you out, to give you more time, to practice. I had this problem, but dont have dyspraxia. Lucky I had someone who I would drive to work every morning, they then took the car to their work. I also had problems with steering, changing gears, looking wher I was going all at the same time, changed to automatic lessons, game changer.

I'm thinking Automatic might be the way forward.

OP posts:

Mantlemoose · 20/08/2021 22:55

Do you have a parent/partner/friend who would be able to let you drive their car in a car park just so starts to feel a bit more normal and you can build your confidence??

Oh and pay no attention to @pigeonpies - I know I can be horrible sometimes but that's downright nasty!

Clydie89 · 20/08/2021 22:57

Not sure if it'll help but my instructor used to talk about reading the road like reading a book,so start top left to right,then same for middle distance /paragraph and then again for the bottom paragraph/very close distance...then start again. He explained it better though

Mantlemoose · 20/08/2021 23:00

dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk/dyspraxia-adults/driving/ Hope you find some useful information here :)

alexdgr8 · 20/08/2021 23:01

have you ever had a go on those car games at service stations, where you have an electronic display and a steering wheel, and you have to avoid obstacles etc. and accrue points for performance.
like a kind of superior in-ball.
find one of those and have a go.

tabulahrasa · 20/08/2021 23:01

It’s just practise and getting used to it...

I had the same thing when I first took lessons, except I can’t ride a bike or anything so I didn’t even have that to compare, lol.

There’s no special trick to it, it’s just doing it lots makes you realise how the car moves when you move the wheel.

MyMabel · 20/08/2021 23:01

It took me ages to centre myself in the road, my driving instructor many a times grabbed my wheel when I was learning as I was too close to either side. It’s hard because you’re driving places on the side of car, you don’t drive in the centre of a care so it takes getting used to.. but you will get used to it. You’ll get the general feel of how you vision feels, how you position feels and how your surroundings feel as your driving and after a while it will become second nature; but it does take time, don’t be disheartened at not getting your placement straight away. The instructor is there to help you, if he can see your too close to either side he will let you know, he won’t let you just scrape across bushes or a pavement. It’s a learning curve. Good luck!

HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime · 20/08/2021 23:05

Can you book a lesson on private land, like the young drivers lessons that are offered. You can focus on car manoeuvres instead of worrying about pedestrians and other road users.

Another thing that might help is a driving simulator, like a more grown up version of Mario kart. You can have buy them with steering wheels, pedals and hand brakes although I think the full set up is quite expensive although may save you money longterm if you practise on that and get your head around the manoeuvres.

FelicityBeedle · 20/08/2021 23:06

My instructor has actually told me to stop gripping the wheel so hard, she asks me to lightly touch it to prevent my steering too much, that works. Along with longing up road marking with windscreen wiped.
@pigeonpies So people with disabilities just should drive then?

MuchTooTired · 20/08/2021 23:14

It’s not a stupid question at all! The only time it might be slightly stupid and alarming is if you had passed your test

Look further up the road or at the car in front and Check your wing mirrors frequently - you should see the white lines on one side and the edge of the road on the other. If something large/wider is coming towards you, glance at the kerb out the windscreen, you’ll automatically adjust slightly to the left and out the way. It just takes practice.

If it makes you feel any better, I nearly gave up learning to drive when I got to clutch control - took me forever and a day to get it. Like anything though, once you’ve got it, you’ve got it.

Automatics are a hell of a lot easier (basically point and shoot is how I describe my car!) but I’d try and stick manual if you can do because then you can drive either. Plus autos tend to be more expensive to buy as there’s generally not as many around.

Good luck!

godmum56 · 20/08/2021 23:14

@tabulahrasa

It’s just practise and getting used to it...

I had the same thing when I first took lessons, except I can’t ride a bike or anything so I didn’t even have that to compare, lol.

There’s no special trick to it, it’s just doing it lots makes you realise how the car moves when you move the wheel.

I was going to say exactly the same. I was DREADFUL when i started and it did take me a while to get the feel of it. I can't ride a bike either and am slightly dispraxic...I as a child i had trouble with things like skipping and catching a ball, also left/right. persevere because it CAN be done.

MountainDweller · 20/08/2021 23:18

I found it hard to learn to drive and DH is still a terrible backseat driver. However (frantically touching wood) I have been driving nearly 20 years and never had a serious accident. I found steering fairly instinctive once I got used to the car, but on my new car DH is always telling me to turn the wheel more! I think there are two issues here - one is actually steering round bends, and it's a slightly different technique for country driving (windy roads) and town driving (lots of right angled junctions). The other is the position of the car in the road - so once you've steered round the corner or whatever, keeping close but not too close to the edge. My instructor told me to drive in the tyre tracks which are visible on most roads - this helped me. It all gets easier after more practice I promise (I went on to learn to drive on the right when we moved abroad after 18 months and apart from feeling like an octopus in a LHD car at first, it went fine!).

MrsBellamy · 20/08/2021 23:19

Use the kerb as a reference point by lining it up with a fixed point on the windscreen/dashboard, use a quiet road to get the car in the correct position on the road then see where the kerb lines up for you in the windscreen.
It will come naturally with time and practice. Also try to look up at the road ahead rather than the small section of road immediately in front of the car, if that makes sense.

LittleOverWhelmed · 20/08/2021 23:19

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

pigeonpies · 20/08/2021 23:21

@FelicityBeedle

My instructor has actually told me to stop gripping the wheel so hard, she asks me to lightly touch it to prevent my steering too much, that works. Along with longing up road marking with windscreen wiped. *@pigeonpies* So people with disabilities just should drive then?

Some disabilities would make it unsafe to drive, so yes. Being visually impaired for example, or having active seizures with epilepsy.

HumdrumGuga · 20/08/2021 23:23

Do automatic, people are snobby about it but once you pass no one gives a single fuck. It is so much easier. You can concentrate on the driving instead of having to think about six things at once.

bobbilyknob · 20/08/2021 23:26

When you look at the road there tends to be a darker area in the middle. My instructor told me to position the car so I’m sitting above the darker area. I used that as reference a lot in the early days and now it all comes naturally. You’ll be fine.

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