Some driving skills get all the attention, like merging, parking or driving in snow.
Others get learned once at sixteen and then quietly forgotten.
Where your hands sit on the wheel, when you signal and when your headlights go on are in that second group.
Yet these small basics are how you control the car and how you talk to everyone around you.
This guide is a refresher on the everyday controls that make driving smoother and safer.
The rules come from the California Driver Handbook.
Most states follow very similar rules, but check your own state handbook for exact distances.
Hands on the wheel
The California Driver Handbook starts with a simple rule.
To control your car, keep both hands on the wheel whenever possible.
The handbook describes three steering methods, each for a different situation.
Hand-to-hand steering, for everyday driving
This method is also called push-pull steering.
- Start with your hands at 9 and 3 o'clock, or at 8 and 4 o'clock.
- Do not cross your hands over the middle of the wheel.
- Keep your hands in these positions, even when making turns.
One hand pushes the wheel up while the other slides and pulls it down.
Keeping your hands low and to the sides also keeps your arms clear of the airbag.
Hand-over-hand steering, for sharp turns
The handbook says to use this method when turning at low speeds, parking or recovering from a skid.
- Start with your hands at 8 and 4 o'clock.
- Reach across the wheel to grasp the opposite side.
- Let go of the wheel with your other hand.
- Reach across the arm still holding the wheel, grip the wheel and pull up.
Practice it slowly in an empty parking lot until it feels natural.
One-hand steering, only in two cases
The handbook names just two situations for steering with one hand.
- Turning while backing up, so you can look behind you. Place your hand at the 12 o'clock position.
- Operating a control that requires you to take one hand off the wheel.
Resting one wrist on top of the wheel on a long drive is not on that list.
Signals: tell others what you plan to do
Your turn signal is a short message to every driver, rider and pedestrian nearby.
The handbook says to always signal when you turn, change lanes, slow down or stop.
When to signal
- At least 100 feet before you turn.
- Before every lane change.
- At least five seconds before you change lanes on a freeway.
- Before pulling next to the curb or away from it.
- Even when you do not see other vehicles around you.
That last point matters most.
The car or bicyclist you did not notice is exactly the one who needs your signal.
A tricky timing case
Sometimes you plan to turn right after crossing an intersection, perhaps into a driveway.
The handbook says to signal when you are almost through the intersection.
Signaling earlier could make a waiting driver think you are turning at the intersection itself.
And always turn the signal off when you no longer need it.
A blinker left on is a false message to everyone around you.
Hand signals
If your signal lights fail, or bright sun makes them hard to see, you can use hand and arm signals.
- Left turn: left arm straight out the window.
- Right turn: left arm out, bent up at the elbow.
- Slow or stop: left arm out, bent down at the elbow.
The handbook adds that bicyclists may signal a turn with an arm held straight out, pointing the way they plan to go.
Knowing these helps you read riders as well as signal yourself.
Our guide to left turns, right turns and U-turns shows how signals fit into each turn.
The horn: a warning, not a complaint
The horn is a safety tool.
The handbook says to use it to let other drivers know you are there or to warn of a hazard.
It gives two clear examples:
- To avoid a collision.
- To alert oncoming traffic on narrow mountain roads where you cannot see at least 200 feet ahead.
A quick tap is usually enough.
Leaning on the horn out of frustration rarely helps and can startle other drivers into mistakes.
Headlights: see and be seen
Headlights do two jobs.
They help you see the road, and they help others see your car.
The handbook says it is illegal to drive using only parking lights.
When headlights must be on
- When it is too dark to see 1,000 feet ahead.
- From 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise.
- Whenever weather makes you use your windshield wipers, in fog, rain or snow.
- When clouds, dust, smoke or fog keep you from seeing other vehicles.
- On mountain roads and in tunnels, even on sunny days.
- When a road sign says headlights must be on.
The handbook also suggests headlights when the sun is low, so other drivers can see you.
The wiper rule is the one most drivers forget.
If the wipers are on, the low beams should be on too.
Dim your high beams in time
High beams help on dark, empty roads, but they blind other drivers.
The handbook says to switch to low beams within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle.
Dim them within 300 feet of a vehicle you are following.
Our guide to night driving and headlight glare explains what to do when someone does not dim theirs.
Emergency flashers: warn the drivers behind you
You are often the first to see trouble ahead, like a crash or stopped traffic over a hill.
The handbook lists three ways to warn the drivers behind you:
- Turn on your emergency flashers.
- Lightly tap your brake pedal three or four times.
- Use a hand signal when slowing and stopping.
Tapping the brakes flashes your brake lights and gets attention fast.
That warning can prevent a chain of rear-end collisions.
When your own car has trouble
If you must stop because of a problem with your vehicle, turn on the flashers.
If your car has no flashers, use your turn signals.
Pull off the road away from traffic when you can.
Never stop just over a hill or just around a curve, where drivers cannot see you in time.
Our guide to car trouble on the highway walks through each step.
A quick checklist
- Both hands on the wheel, at 9 and 3 or 8 and 4.
- Hand-over-hand only for low-speed turns, parking and skids.
- Signal 100 feet before turns and five seconds before freeway lane changes.
- Signal even when no one seems to be around, and cancel it afterward.
- Use the horn to warn, not to vent.
- Headlights on from 30 minutes after sunset, and whenever the wipers are on.
- Dim high beams within 500 feet of oncoming cars and 300 feet of cars ahead.
- Warn drivers behind you with flashers or brake taps.
The bottom line
Steering, signals, the horn and headlights are the most basic controls in your car.
Used well, they keep you in control and let everyone around you know what comes next.
A short refresher on these habits pays off on every single trip.
Sources and Further Reading
- California DMV: California Driver Handbook, Section 5, Introduction to Driving — supports the steering methods, when and how far ahead to signal, hand signals, horn use, the headlight rules, dimming high beams and the use of emergency flashers.
- California DMV: California Driver Handbook, Section 8, Safe Driving (Continued) — supports what to do when your vehicle has trouble and you need to pull off the road.