Keep your wheels pointing straight while you wait to turn across traffic

You are stopped in your lane with your turn signal (called an indicator in the UK) on, waiting for a gap in the oncoming traffic so you can turn across it. In the US that is a left turn. In the UK it is a right turn. It feels natural to steer toward the turn while you wait, so the car is ready to go. The driver manuals of New York and California say not to.

When you wait in your lane to turn across oncoming traffic, keep your front wheels pointing straight ahead until you actually start the turn.

The reason in both manuals is the same. If your wheels are turned and another vehicle hits you from behind, you could be pushed into the oncoming lane. Keeping the wheels straight is meant to prevent that. This page cannot tell you that it prevents a crash or an injury, only what the manuals say it is for.

What the manuals say

New York State’s driver manual says: “Keep your wheels straight until you actually begin to make your turn.” It adds that if your wheels are turned and you are hit from behind, your vehicle could be pushed into the oncoming lane of traffic.

The California Driver Handbook, in its section on left turns, says: “Keep your wheels pointed straight ahead until it is safe to start your turn.” It adds that if your wheels are pointed to the left and a vehicle hits you from behind, you could be pushed into oncoming traffic.

Many people say the same thing: do not turn the steering wheel while you wait for a gap, so that if you are hit from behind you are not pushed into oncoming traffic.

If you drive in the UK

The Highway Code, in Rules 179 and 180, says to take up a position just left of the middle of the road, or in the space marked for traffic turning right, and to wait until there is a safe gap between you and any oncoming vehicle. Rule 180 also says to watch out for cyclists, motorcyclists, pedestrians and other road users, and to check your mirrors and blind spot again before you turn.

This page found no UK government page that says anything about the direction of your wheels while you wait. For the UK, the advice here rests on the reason the US manuals give and on what people say, not on a UK rule. A driving instructor can tell you what they teach.

Only for turns across oncoming traffic

Some people point out that the habit is too broad if it is stated for every turn. It fits a turn that crosses oncoming traffic, and not a turn that goes with the traffic. One person says that when you turn with the flow, being pushed could be less serious than being pushed into the oncoming lanes. The two manuals above give the rule for left turns, which cross oncoming traffic. This page found no official statement about any other kind of turn, so it gives no rule for them.

A second habit: leave room when you stop behind a car

Many people say to leave enough room between you and the car in front when you stop. They often judge it by being able to see where the other car’s rear tires meet the road. They say the room lets you steer around an obstacle or get out of a dangerous situation. Some people say this is an old rule, taught in driver education long ago, so that you are not squeezed between the car ahead and a car that hits you from behind.

The Oregon driver manual says: “When stopping behind another vehicle, make sure you can see where the rear tires of the vehicle in front meet the road.” It also lists being stopped on a hill as a time when you need even more space, because the vehicle ahead may roll back when it starts to move.

In the UK, Highway Code Rule 151 is for slow-moving traffic. It says you should reduce the distance between you and the vehicle ahead to maintain traffic flow, never get so close to the vehicle in front that you cannot stop safely, and leave enough space to be able to manoeuvre if the vehicle in front breaks down or an emergency vehicle needs to get past. The rule has more items than these.

People disagree about how much room is enough. Some people say a full car length. Others say that is too much in city traffic, because it invites other cars to cut in, and that seeing the rear tires is enough. How much room you can leave depends on how crowded the road is, and your own driver manual says what applies where you drive.

Who this page is not for

If you are learning to drive or taking a driving test, your instructor’s advice comes first. If you are turning with the traffic, or parking, this page gives no rule. If you are the driver behind a stopped car, the part on leaving room is the one for you. If you have just been hit from behind, start with the box at the top of this page. If you drive outside the US and UK, this page read three US state manuals and the UK Highway Code and nothing else, and your country has its own rules.