I've often seen people steering a car at low speed by using the palm of one hand on the face of the rim of the wheel. I've tried it purely out of curiosity but never been able to manage it. Is there a special technique for doing this (not that I want to) or have these drivers got cars that have a high degree of power assistance?
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L\'escargot.
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White van man's trick....not recommended.
Bordering on driving in such a position as to not have proper control?
dvd
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It's a function of the stickiness of the steering wheel and your hand. The grip is more between the middle two knuckles on the palm rather than the palm itself. how do I know? I find myself doing it very occasionally while reversing and putting lots of lock on without really being aware of doing it. Then again, in the past I was white van man, so perhaps it's a genetic thing.
Not something to practice - I stop as soon as I realise I'm doing it, because I know that if anything goes wrong I'm stuffed.
V
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Learnt how to do it in a Hillman Imp dozens of years ago. Couldn't begin to describe how to do it. Works best on a vehicle with very light steering and minimal feedback eg a Citroen CX, or reversing when the self-centreing tends to help turn the steered wheels. The potential for losing one's grip on the wheel is high so I would never use on a public road.
Hawkeye
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Stranger in a strange land
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It's the heel of the hand, not the palm. It's the counterpart to the cab-driver spin - letting the wheel self centre after a slow speed turn, braking it as it approaches the centre.
Useful when reversing, but does need care. Don't practice in the Tesco carpark on a Saturday morning.
You could fit one of those busdriver or disabled driver knobs on the steering wheel, but that would hurt if you let the wheel spin back to centre.
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i use this method for moving cars in tight spots at work ,but am a die-hard ten to two man on the road
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As with anything, practice makers perfect. I do it when swapping cars around on the drive etc., only at low speed where it wouldnt matter if my hand slipped off the wheel. Once you are used to it it is easy to get the right amount of hand pressure on the wheel. I don't normally do it on the road though, I use two hands for proper corners.
Its like the one-handed/ two-handed steering thing; if you are not used to steering with one hand, it may feel strange and unsafe, but perfectly natural if you are used to it. Yesterday I was walking into town, waiting to cross a road and an old lady took the 90 degree corner quite quickly with only one hand on the wheel, very neatly and in control. Made me smile and made a change from all the ones who don't seem to have a clue what they are doing!.
;o)
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"an old lady took the 90 degree corner quite quickly with only one hand on the wheel, very neatly and in control."
If she was using her mobile in the other hand it is normal to only have one hand available to hold the steering wheel. However with a few genetic mutations and the growth of a third hand, Darwinism will kick in, and everybody will be back to 2 hands on the wheel.
I could suggest that 3rd hand will then start to find other uses, but if we explorethis in depth the moderators will step in!
;-)
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pmh (was peter)
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However with a few genetic mutations and the growth of a third hand ...........
Would that third hand be right-handed or left-handed? It could be important! ;-)
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L\'escargot.
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"Would that third hand be right-handed or left-handed? It could be important!"
Right handed people live on average nine years longer than left handed people.
(Source: Fact of the day. FHM High Street Honeys desk calender. 14 Dec.)
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"an old lady took the 90 degree corner quite quickly with only one hand on the wheel, very neatly and in control." , Darwinism will kick in,
I don't think so. For natural selection to work she would have had to be at or below child-bearing age. Then her action would have had to give her an advantage, or disadvantage, in life, so that she either had more, or less, opportunity to breed. And finally the action would have had to result from a genetic mutation that was inheritable by her children.
Of course, if the old tortoises were still breeding, a different picture might emerge.
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Cliff
"I don't think so. For natural selection to work she would have had to be at or below child-bearing age. Then her action would have had to give her an advantage, or disadvantage, in life, so that she either had more, or less, opportunity to breed. And finally the action would have had to result from a genetic mutation that was inheritable by her children.
Of course, if the old tortoises were still breeding, a different picture might emerge."
I stand part corrected. However you have neglected to consider that her children would benefit from increased life prospects from her enhanced dexterity! :-)
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pmh (was peter)
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I stand part corrected. However you have neglected to consider that her children would benefit from increased life prospects from her enhanced dexterity! :-) --
True - good point. But only if the benefit was really inheritable. There would be no point in prolonging their lives if her dexterity did not confer an inheritable benefit. Or worse, if her action was likely to shorten her life, their's would be shortened too.
Unless of course someone or thing created them already with the ability to drive one-handed.
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You could fit one of those busdriver or disabled driver knobs on the steering wheel,
The disabled 'versions' I have seen, just the spinner tend to be £15 plus....
In a motorway services I found them, badged with lorry makes, for £7.95.
Now being disabled and on a low income which do you think I bought?
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Guilty as charged your honour. I do it in the (white) van when manoeuvring at slow speeds, tends to speed things up a bit.
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I do this for low speed manoevering too, but now the leather on the wheel is wearing where I usually keep my hand:(
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Do it all the time. Don't understand what this thread's about at all.
One thing I would never ever have is a silly little crank handle on the steering wheel even with unassisted American 5 turns lock-to-lock steering gear. Sure to break your thumb in a moment of passion. Damn silly.
What's wrong with the palm of your hand anyway?
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Don't understand what this thread's about at all.
As the original poster I'll explain. I can't do it and it's not because I'm weak. I can only assume it's because my car's steering doesn't have sufficient power assistance to enable me to do so. Does the degree of assistance vary significantly from one car make/model to another?
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L\'escargot.
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I don't think degree of steering assistance is the point. I can do it with a light PAS and also a manual one.
If it's not strength then it must be just one of those knacks. I bet you can't make a wine glass sing either?
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I bet you can't make a wine glass sing either?
Well, a few discordant notes perhaps but not anything that you would recognise as a song. ;-)
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L\'escargot.
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I didn't think they were legal on the road, unless the driver was disabled??
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Aim low, expect nothing & dont be disappointed
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I'm talking about the knobs on the steering wheel, by the way.
I replied to a post further up and it got posted down here.
{an edit button would be nice}
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Aim low, expect nothing & dont be disappointed
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Sim-O, your post is in the correct place, so no need for you to have an edit button.
If you temp change how you view this thread to "threaded view" you'll see what I mean.
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=47445&...t
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