In the TV show Canada's Worst Driver, bad drivers are nominated by family or friends to "go to rehab" and learn to be better drivers. In the early episodes, viewers are exposed to some terrible driving skills by these nominated bad drivers… eventually they do get better.
This is part 3 of a 5-part article series highlighting some of the key themes we see over and over again from the TV show Canada's Worst Driver… and it offers a lesson to all Canadians. In this article, the lesson is: Know where your wheels are.
This sounds funny but it's surprising to discover just how bad drivers are at understanding where their car's wheels are. What's more surprising is how much better they become once they learn where their wheels are. In fact, you'll discover that most of the challenges the show's contestants have to perform (and most of the elements of driving that you and I face every day) are largely impacted by an understanding of where your wheels are.
Here are a few things to know:
When driving forward, your wheels are in line with each other. But when turning, each of your wheels take their own path and your rear wheels cut a sharper corner than your back wheels. Therefore, if you want to make a clean turn around a corner without running up onto the curb, you need to slightly oversteer with your front wheels so your back wheels can make the turn. Therefore making a turn, always consider what path the inside wheel is going to take and adjust your steering accordingly.
And here's something else to remember: The longer your car, the more your car will "cut the corner" during your turn. (That's why those big 18-wheelers have to sometimes pull into the far lane in order to make a turn safely).
It's different when you are reversing. That's because the wheels that determine direction are in the "back" – they follow the wheels that don’t determine direction. Although this gives you a lot of precision control when reversing, it also presents an entirely new dynamic when reversing that you don't have to consider when driving forward. The front fenders of your car are highly exposed to damage because you can easily steer into something that you aren't looking at when reversing.
If you find that you hit the curb a lot when turning (whether driving forward or reversing), there's a good chance that you struggle with knowing where your wheels are. Take some time to practice in an empty parking lot: Make turns going forward and going backward to get to know how a turn impacts the location of your wheels.
If you're turning and you collide with something (or if someone else is turning and collides with you), bring your car to one of our convenient local Boyd Autobody & Glass locations. We'll restore the look and safety of your car.
