Safe driving and emergencies
You are using hand-to-hand (push/pull) steering. How should you hold the wheel?
- Hands at 9 and 3 or 8 and 4 o'clock, never crossing over the middle of the wheel. Correct answer
- Hands at 8 and 4 o'clock, reaching one hand across to grip the far side in turns.
- One hand at 12 o'clock, leaving the other free for the vehicle controls.
Why
Push/pull steering starts from one of two positions, 9 and 3 or 8 and 4 o'clock, and the hands stay there through turns as well. What defines it is that neither hand ever crosses the center of the wheel. Reaching one hand over to grab the far side is a different method, hand-over-hand, which the handbook keeps for low-speed turns, parking and recovering from a skid. A single hand at 12 o'clock is the position for turning while backing up so you can see behind you, one of only two situations where one hand may be needed. Behind all three sits the same general rule: both hands on the wheel whenever you can.
Where this comes from
California Driver's Handbook, June 2025 edition. The correct answer is Hands at 9 and 3 or 8 and 4 o'clock, never crossing over the middle of the wheel.
- Section 5. An Introduction to Driving › Controlling the Vehicle › Hand-to-Hand Steering (Push/Pull), page 9
- Section 5. An Introduction to Driving › Controlling the Vehicle, page 9
- Section 5. An Introduction to Driving › Controlling the Vehicle › Hand-Over-Hand Steering, page 10
- Section 5. An Introduction to Driving › Controlling the Vehicle › One-Hand Steering, page 10
The rule behind this one
Safe driving and emergencies in California goes through the whole topic, with the page of the California Driver's Handbook behind every rule.
More on safe driving and emergencies
- In which situation does the handbook call for hand-over-hand steering?
- You are turning while backing up and need to look behind you to see where you are going. How should you hold the steering wheel?
- You are on a narrow mountain road and a curve ahead keeps you from seeing at least 200 feet down the road. What does the handbook tell you to do?
- You are driving at night with your high beams on and come up behind a vehicle going the same way. Within what distance of it must you switch to low beams?