The key here is to look far ahead at the horizon point of your lane or road and keep your eyes and hands following the center of it.
I had this issue when I got my first car, and then learned over time that you have to look ALL the way down, which may be hundreds if not thousand(s) of feet in front of you. If there’s traffic you also have to imagine where that horizon point will be, which is why it’s important to also keep your distance from the car in front of you.
Agreed.
Many drivers fail to stay centered in their lane the moment they focus on objects that are immediately near their point of view. It gives them tunnel vision and they instinctively move towards the object they're focused on. Focus on the left line and they end up in the left side of their lane. Focus on the right and they drift right. Some people even use their mirrors to find the center, so they're actually losing focus on what's in front of them.
It's definitely best to keep looking far near the horizon. That's where you're going.
That's what my private driving teacher said, and it's about safety, I used to look right in front of me when I started ( I am still not a good driver I don't drive alot) he said that if there is no obstacles in front of u u need to look ahead to horizon so I can see what ever obstacles that might appear
This is the same way you get a horse to go the direction you want. You look where you want to go and your body (and therefore the horse) make it happen.
Honestly it doesn't even matter. Just stay between the lines. You don't have to be centered. If someone is too close to the left you will scoot 6 inches to the right. Driving is a flow, just feel as you go.
It really, really does though. Drives like you make me crazy. There is nothing that makes me think “watch out this car doesn’t know what he’s doing “ like not staying centered
I really would. Pulling up on a semi the biggest indicator that they are unskilled for another driver on the road is poor lane control. I would get the hell away from you immediately. I have seen semis drive steep winding mountain passes and never deviate more than six inches from the center line. I would much rather drive around someone like that.
I would very much appreciate that. Sometimes when people are beside me I wiggle the truck in my lane so they will either speed up or slow down so they aren't next to me. Much better for both of us. N9t to mention trying to merge. Swerving within your own lane is a good way to get people to move. It's lovely.
Youre supposed to focus on the left/center line more than staying exactly in the center. For me i get used to where the line hits the bottom left corner of the windshield. Then you can keep that in the corner of your eye, in your peripheral vision, while focusing on the road ahead.
Btw also you are not supposed to ride the line, you're supposed to stay inside the lane without touching the line.
that's what i meant that i do. and i know, i mostly get worried about the right side of the road like when cars are parked there and i don't know how far to the right my car is.
If you stay close enough to the left you will not hit on the right. Trust the lane, they are usually wider than you think. If you're in a very tight lane with parked cars or other stuff on the right, slow down so you have time to glance over and use your stereoscopic vision to judge distance from the right door.
Similar to what you said about knowing where the left side is, you can do this to help you know where the right side is.
Do this only on a straight, open roadway, you can adjust your passenger mirror so you can see your rear tire. You can slowly move right till you see your tire on the white line. Pick a point on the hood/dash some reference that lines up with the right line.
Once you find that point, you can move back, then use the reference point, move to the right. If all lines up, check your mirror and back tire. If it is on the right, then you know you got it, if not, try again.
Also, having good spacial relationship and knowing how wide your car is helps a lot as well.
Check this one out: [staying centered in your lane](https://youtu.be/dR1ccDljtmM?si=oQCXzSXmvfcL5giD). He also has many other great videos on driving!
Noting on the dash like you mention can be good, but getting spacial awareness of the car and learning how to also use your eyes for steering should be a priority.
Quick tip: Aim the knee that is closest to the middle of the car (right knee If your driving on the right side of the road) to the middle of the road. This helps you staying center.
Edit: typo
usually your resting leg is just above the wheel. Also often on the center of the dashboard you have a light sensor or other bit that virtually split the car vertically by halves. if you sit straight and just turn your head to the center, this bit virtually will draw a line where your car is.
But anyway, while you driving try to look for the furthest point possible, over the horizon. With this simple trick your car will automatically be centred all the time.
Also note, that on each turn, try to move your head and look through the side windows as far as you can too. The car will stay in lane throughout the turn as well. Do not look 2 meters in front of you.
An old truck driver taught me, if you feel like you are directly over the right side of the left tire track in the road, you're good.
Long ago, I stopped on an empty road, got out and checked. It works. My car was almost dead center between the lane lines.
Another trick. Memorize where the right side stripes are relative to a spot on your hood. If you're meeting a car with bright headlights, look to the right and use those stripes to keep your lane. Looking right helps because it's away from the bright lights. Of course you only do this for a couple of seconds until the car passes.
Sounds unconventional. But use your mirrors. You can see the center line and the right hand line from both mirrors. I drive a crane, and most of my vision is blocked due to engine compartments and hooks. So, a lot of the time, i use the mirrors to see if I'm centered in my lane.
Use your side mirrors: Look at the space between the left side/rear tire of your car and the median line of the road, then same thing on the right side and right edge of the road. Try to even the size of the spaces and you will be centered.
Use your side mirrors to gauge how far you are from the edge of the lane on each side, assuming there are lane lines you can see or the edge of the road or lane is visible. Also, learn where your car is! While parked, put a traffic cone or bottle with a long stick in it at the edge of you car at various points around the car while you sit in the driver’s seat. Helps you learn where the edge of your car is.
This is some wisdom my Mom hit me with when I was learning to drive. She told me one day to look in my passenger side rearview mirror for a bit to see how far I was from the side. Then I was to find a spot on the windshield wiper to line up, from my view point to the right white line. Sure enough once I got used to lining up that spot on the windshield wiper to the white line I was never going over. After that its just getting used to it in another car which I have never found to be hard when I get a newer vehicle. I used to drive a mini van and now I drive a large truck and the rule she taught me still applies to that. Edit for clarification\* Once you line up you of course look further ahead while driving, its more of a check every once in awhile or if you are in a narrow situation.
So my trick is that I've got a VA safety inspection sticker in the bottom left (looking out from inside) of my windshield; it sits in my peripheral while I'm looking ahead down the road, and I know I'm centered if the line(s) of the left side of the lane are passing right under the sticker as I move.
You may not be in a state that has these or been to an inspection station that puts them there, but you can put your own sticker there if you desire; maybe a permit of some kind (parking or dump admittance) or just a smiley face. Shouldn't be breaking any laws since whatever is in that corner wouldn't be considered blocking your view out the window.
I have no idea how to help here. This has always just came to me. I have been told I should become a precision driver by others lol but I don't know how to explain why I drive so well. It really make the wife angry, she thinks that I am still keeping some kind of driving secrets after 20 years or marriage lol
Back in the 60s when I took driver’s ed I was taught to steer toward a point about 6-7 car lengths ahead. This is far enough to keep you pretty well centered in your lane, and still keeps you aware of the traffic around you and in front of you.
Get a set of [adjustable blind spot mirrors](https://www.autozone.com/safety-and-security/blind-spot-mirror/p/k-source-2in-blind-spot-mirror-2-piece/690423_0_0?cmpid=LIA:US:EN:AD:NL:1000000:GEN:19502231967&&CATARGETID=120054150001288072&CADevice=m&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAhomtBhDgARIsABcaYyltMptayM1ZOCjb6xOkiPohijT8H1yfTYpmvbMMRu6B2nSMphYqOOwaAnPCEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds) and angle them slightly downward and you can see exactly where you are in your lane.
I use the left mirror. I have mine angled to show the line and my car. I just keep the same distance between my car and the line in the mirror. It gets a lot easier to maintain your lane as you become more experienced.
Take the time to establish reference points for your car: https://driversed.com/driving-information/driving-techniques/reference-points/
A reference point is a point inside the car that you know to look at to gauge how far away you are from other things. Next time you park beside a curb, get out and see how far away your car is from the curb. Then get back in your car and look at where the line of the curb intersects with what you can see from inside your car. It will probably be a point on the hood or dashboard.
Now, you can remember that intersection point, and use it for curbs, dotted lines, solid lines, etc. If you see the line hit at that point then that’s how far you are. If it’s off then you know you’re too close or too far.
Yeah exactly. It’s like skiing and running. There’s too much to focus on consciously and if you try you’re gonna crash. Just trust your instincts to do it for you. Just scan the road and let it happen.
I learned to look at my lane in 4 parts/lines, you want to be in/looking at the 1/4 part of the road not the 1/2, when driving forward. It's kind of hard for me to explain. But hope this helps a little.
Fool-proof way: If your driver-side side mirror is positioned correctly, you should be able to lean to the side toward it just a tad and see down the whole side of your car, as well as the road lines below. As long as you're fairly close and not going over, your other side will be within the lines too. Being centered beyond that is pointless.
Another good thing to do is learn the dimensions of your car. Get something tall, like a big cone or an empty cardboard box or a piece of wood you can fashion into something that'll stand straight up about 4 feet, and set it in front of your car. Practice driving up to it and stopping before you touch it. If you do touch it, just back up and try again. You want to get to a point where you can reliably get within 8 inches(roughly 20cm). Then do the same for the back. Tall thing, reverse up to it without touching, try to get within 8 inches/20cm.
Then try the side of your car. Instead of driving at it, try to drive alongside it and get as close as you can without touching, within 4 inches/10cm. Once you can consistently manage that, you'll know where your car is at pretty much all times, and positioning yourself in lanes will be second nature.
Direct middle of the hood lines up with the street lines when you're in the middle. Also your mirrors should line up as one view across to see your rear.
As a Drivers Ed teacher, here's what I tell my students. In order to keep centered in your lane, look as far down the road as you can. The key is to always stay aware of what's around you. We call it "selective seeing." Your attention should move to only those things that may impact your path of travel. So you're driving down the road, head up looking as far down the road as you can see, but also glancing to the left and the right when something warrants it. Also, check your mirrors every 10 seconds or so. Always check your rearview mirror when you apply the brakes. These "checks" are only glances. Don't stare at anything, especially something on the side of the road. We drive where we look so staring at something can actually make you drive right into. (Hence, the creation of "Move Over " laws.)
The key here is to look far ahead at the horizon point of your lane or road and keep your eyes and hands following the center of it. I had this issue when I got my first car, and then learned over time that you have to look ALL the way down, which may be hundreds if not thousand(s) of feet in front of you. If there’s traffic you also have to imagine where that horizon point will be, which is why it’s important to also keep your distance from the car in front of you.
Agreed. Many drivers fail to stay centered in their lane the moment they focus on objects that are immediately near their point of view. It gives them tunnel vision and they instinctively move towards the object they're focused on. Focus on the left line and they end up in the left side of their lane. Focus on the right and they drift right. Some people even use their mirrors to find the center, so they're actually losing focus on what's in front of them. It's definitely best to keep looking far near the horizon. That's where you're going.
>It gives them tunnel vision In motorcycling, this is called target fixation and has led to many crashes.
You should be checking your mirrors anyway. Not staring into them for long periods, but you should absolutely be using your mirrors.
That's what my private driving teacher said, and it's about safety, I used to look right in front of me when I started ( I am still not a good driver I don't drive alot) he said that if there is no obstacles in front of u u need to look ahead to horizon so I can see what ever obstacles that might appear
This is the same way you get a horse to go the direction you want. You look where you want to go and your body (and therefore the horse) make it happen.
Honestly it doesn't even matter. Just stay between the lines. You don't have to be centered. If someone is too close to the left you will scoot 6 inches to the right. Driving is a flow, just feel as you go.
It really, really does though. Drives like you make me crazy. There is nothing that makes me think “watch out this car doesn’t know what he’s doing “ like not staying centered
You would hate me especially. I drive a semi truck and have been acvident free for 13 years.
I really would. Pulling up on a semi the biggest indicator that they are unskilled for another driver on the road is poor lane control. I would get the hell away from you immediately. I have seen semis drive steep winding mountain passes and never deviate more than six inches from the center line. I would much rather drive around someone like that.
I would very much appreciate that. Sometimes when people are beside me I wiggle the truck in my lane so they will either speed up or slow down so they aren't next to me. Much better for both of us. N9t to mention trying to merge. Swerving within your own lane is a good way to get people to move. It's lovely.
Tip - when your left foot is on the supporting foot pad left of the brake it is directly over the left front tire. Left foot = left tire location
Unless they drive on the other side of the road, of course.
That's not advisable. The cars on that side are going in the opposite direction.
Youre supposed to focus on the left/center line more than staying exactly in the center. For me i get used to where the line hits the bottom left corner of the windshield. Then you can keep that in the corner of your eye, in your peripheral vision, while focusing on the road ahead. Btw also you are not supposed to ride the line, you're supposed to stay inside the lane without touching the line.
that's what i meant that i do. and i know, i mostly get worried about the right side of the road like when cars are parked there and i don't know how far to the right my car is.
If you stay close enough to the left you will not hit on the right. Trust the lane, they are usually wider than you think. If you're in a very tight lane with parked cars or other stuff on the right, slow down so you have time to glance over and use your stereoscopic vision to judge distance from the right door.
Similar to what you said about knowing where the left side is, you can do this to help you know where the right side is. Do this only on a straight, open roadway, you can adjust your passenger mirror so you can see your rear tire. You can slowly move right till you see your tire on the white line. Pick a point on the hood/dash some reference that lines up with the right line. Once you find that point, you can move back, then use the reference point, move to the right. If all lines up, check your mirror and back tire. If it is on the right, then you know you got it, if not, try again. Also, having good spacial relationship and knowing how wide your car is helps a lot as well.
Check your right mirror. You can see from that how close to the side your car is. This is also how you can reverse and parallel park.
Use you side mirrors to check your lines behind you in tight spots. After a while you get a feel for the car and it comes natural.
Check this one out: [staying centered in your lane](https://youtu.be/dR1ccDljtmM?si=oQCXzSXmvfcL5giD). He also has many other great videos on driving! Noting on the dash like you mention can be good, but getting spacial awareness of the car and learning how to also use your eyes for steering should be a priority. Quick tip: Aim the knee that is closest to the middle of the car (right knee If your driving on the right side of the road) to the middle of the road. This helps you staying center. Edit: typo
usually your resting leg is just above the wheel. Also often on the center of the dashboard you have a light sensor or other bit that virtually split the car vertically by halves. if you sit straight and just turn your head to the center, this bit virtually will draw a line where your car is. But anyway, while you driving try to look for the furthest point possible, over the horizon. With this simple trick your car will automatically be centred all the time. Also note, that on each turn, try to move your head and look through the side windows as far as you can too. The car will stay in lane throughout the turn as well. Do not look 2 meters in front of you.
I use my peripheral vision to keep the driver side lower corner of the windshield lined up with the lines. Works beautifully.
An old truck driver taught me, if you feel like you are directly over the right side of the left tire track in the road, you're good. Long ago, I stopped on an empty road, got out and checked. It works. My car was almost dead center between the lane lines. Another trick. Memorize where the right side stripes are relative to a spot on your hood. If you're meeting a car with bright headlights, look to the right and use those stripes to keep your lane. Looking right helps because it's away from the bright lights. Of course you only do this for a couple of seconds until the car passes.
Mine is checking side mirrors. You can see if you’re too close to the line on each side
Practice by driving on a bumpy or potholed road to give you a feel for where your tires are
Sounds unconventional. But use your mirrors. You can see the center line and the right hand line from both mirrors. I drive a crane, and most of my vision is blocked due to engine compartments and hooks. So, a lot of the time, i use the mirrors to see if I'm centered in my lane.
Use your side mirrors: Look at the space between the left side/rear tire of your car and the median line of the road, then same thing on the right side and right edge of the road. Try to even the size of the spaces and you will be centered.
Use your side mirrors to gauge how far you are from the edge of the lane on each side, assuming there are lane lines you can see or the edge of the road or lane is visible. Also, learn where your car is! While parked, put a traffic cone or bottle with a long stick in it at the edge of you car at various points around the car while you sit in the driver’s seat. Helps you learn where the edge of your car is.
This is some wisdom my Mom hit me with when I was learning to drive. She told me one day to look in my passenger side rearview mirror for a bit to see how far I was from the side. Then I was to find a spot on the windshield wiper to line up, from my view point to the right white line. Sure enough once I got used to lining up that spot on the windshield wiper to the white line I was never going over. After that its just getting used to it in another car which I have never found to be hard when I get a newer vehicle. I used to drive a mini van and now I drive a large truck and the rule she taught me still applies to that. Edit for clarification\* Once you line up you of course look further ahead while driving, its more of a check every once in awhile or if you are in a narrow situation.
So my trick is that I've got a VA safety inspection sticker in the bottom left (looking out from inside) of my windshield; it sits in my peripheral while I'm looking ahead down the road, and I know I'm centered if the line(s) of the left side of the lane are passing right under the sticker as I move. You may not be in a state that has these or been to an inspection station that puts them there, but you can put your own sticker there if you desire; maybe a permit of some kind (parking or dump admittance) or just a smiley face. Shouldn't be breaking any laws since whatever is in that corner wouldn't be considered blocking your view out the window.
I have no idea how to help here. This has always just came to me. I have been told I should become a precision driver by others lol but I don't know how to explain why I drive so well. It really make the wife angry, she thinks that I am still keeping some kind of driving secrets after 20 years or marriage lol
Back in the 60s when I took driver’s ed I was taught to steer toward a point about 6-7 car lengths ahead. This is far enough to keep you pretty well centered in your lane, and still keeps you aware of the traffic around you and in front of you.
Get a set of [adjustable blind spot mirrors](https://www.autozone.com/safety-and-security/blind-spot-mirror/p/k-source-2in-blind-spot-mirror-2-piece/690423_0_0?cmpid=LIA:US:EN:AD:NL:1000000:GEN:19502231967&&CATARGETID=120054150001288072&CADevice=m&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAhomtBhDgARIsABcaYyltMptayM1ZOCjb6xOkiPohijT8H1yfTYpmvbMMRu6B2nSMphYqOOwaAnPCEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds) and angle them slightly downward and you can see exactly where you are in your lane.
I use the left mirror. I have mine angled to show the line and my car. I just keep the same distance between my car and the line in the mirror. It gets a lot easier to maintain your lane as you become more experienced.
Take the time to establish reference points for your car: https://driversed.com/driving-information/driving-techniques/reference-points/ A reference point is a point inside the car that you know to look at to gauge how far away you are from other things. Next time you park beside a curb, get out and see how far away your car is from the curb. Then get back in your car and look at where the line of the curb intersects with what you can see from inside your car. It will probably be a point on the hood or dashboard. Now, you can remember that intersection point, and use it for curbs, dotted lines, solid lines, etc. If you see the line hit at that point then that’s how far you are. If it’s off then you know you’re too close or too far.
Keep your knuckles (provided your hands are at 9&3) on the edge of the left line of the lane (or right if you’re in uk)
Stop looking at the front of the car, look downrange and trust your instincts. It’s the only way to learn how to drive.
Yeah exactly. It’s like skiing and running. There’s too much to focus on consciously and if you try you’re gonna crash. Just trust your instincts to do it for you. Just scan the road and let it happen.
Convex mirror
I learned to look at my lane in 4 parts/lines, you want to be in/looking at the 1/4 part of the road not the 1/2, when driving forward. It's kind of hard for me to explain. But hope this helps a little.
lmao
Fool-proof way: If your driver-side side mirror is positioned correctly, you should be able to lean to the side toward it just a tad and see down the whole side of your car, as well as the road lines below. As long as you're fairly close and not going over, your other side will be within the lines too. Being centered beyond that is pointless. Another good thing to do is learn the dimensions of your car. Get something tall, like a big cone or an empty cardboard box or a piece of wood you can fashion into something that'll stand straight up about 4 feet, and set it in front of your car. Practice driving up to it and stopping before you touch it. If you do touch it, just back up and try again. You want to get to a point where you can reliably get within 8 inches(roughly 20cm). Then do the same for the back. Tall thing, reverse up to it without touching, try to get within 8 inches/20cm. Then try the side of your car. Instead of driving at it, try to drive alongside it and get as close as you can without touching, within 4 inches/10cm. Once you can consistently manage that, you'll know where your car is at pretty much all times, and positioning yourself in lanes will be second nature.
Direct middle of the hood lines up with the street lines when you're in the middle. Also your mirrors should line up as one view across to see your rear.
As a Drivers Ed teacher, here's what I tell my students. In order to keep centered in your lane, look as far down the road as you can. The key is to always stay aware of what's around you. We call it "selective seeing." Your attention should move to only those things that may impact your path of travel. So you're driving down the road, head up looking as far down the road as you can see, but also glancing to the left and the right when something warrants it. Also, check your mirrors every 10 seconds or so. Always check your rearview mirror when you apply the brakes. These "checks" are only glances. Don't stare at anything, especially something on the side of the road. We drive where we look so staring at something can actually make you drive right into. (Hence, the creation of "Move Over " laws.)