Steering

Good steering technique is one of the first things you will practise, and one of the last things you will still be quietly refining even as a confident driver. It sounds simple, but small habits formed early make a real difference to how smooth and controlled your driving looks and feels.

Reviewed by Aqua Driving School. Last checked: 28 September 2026.

Hand position

A common and comfortable starting position is holding the wheel at roughly the "ten to two" or "quarter to three" positions, whichever your instructor recommends and feels natural for you. What matters more than the exact clock position is that:

Both hands are on the wheel unless you need to briefly operate another control, such as the gearstick or indicators.
Your grip is relaxed rather than tense. Gripping too tightly makes your steering jerky and tires your arms unnecessarily.
You can turn the wheel a reasonable amount in either direction without having to release your grip or cross your arms awkwardly.

The pull-push (or "shuffle") technique

Rather than crossing your hands over each other, most instructors teach a pull-push steering method: one hand pulls the wheel down while the other slides up to take over, feeding the wheel through your hands smoothly. This keeps both hands roughly in their starting positions and avoids your arms crossing, which can restrict your view and control at the exact moment you need it most, such as in a tight turn or manoeuvre.

Steering smoothly

Look where you want to go, not at the road immediately in front of the car. Your steering naturally follows your eyes, so looking further ahead produces smoother, earlier corrections.
Make small, early adjustments rather than large, late corrections. If you find yourself needing a big last-second turn of the wheel, it is usually a sign you looked or reacted too late.
Keep your steering inputs proportional to your speed. At low speed, such as manoeuvring or parking, you can turn the wheel more sharply; at higher speed, small movements have a bigger effect on the car's direction.

Steering through bends

Approach a bend at a speed that lets you steer smoothly through it without needing to brake mid-corner. Braking while turning can unsettle the car's balance, particularly in wet weather, so the aim is to do your slowing down before the bend and your accelerating once you can see the road straightening out ahead.

Steering during manoeuvres

Manoeuvres such as reversing around a corner or bay parking rely heavily on precise, well-timed steering, usually at very low speed. Because the car is moving slowly, you generally have more time to make adjustments, but the steering itself needs to be more deliberate, checking your reference points and adjusting in small stages rather than a single sweeping turn.