Website design By BotEap.comHave you ever squirmed while watching another driver try to move backwards, but keeps diving left or right, in fact going anywhere instead of where he wants to end up!

Website design By BotEap.comAnd then, did you end up hugely embarrassed when you tried that simple maneuver too and got blown off course too? Why does that happen? How can you make that car go where you want it to go?

Website design By BotEap.comI have given driving lessons to many people who have struggled with the problem. There seems to be a number of common reasons behind this.

Website design By BotEap.com1. The first and simplest reason is that many people do not watch where they are going! They keep looking straight ahead or check the mirrors. No, you have to turn around and face directly where you want to go. I know you feel uncomfortable. You have to turn your body and look out the back window.

Website design By BotEap.comWhen you drive forward, it’s easy to go where you want. You look where you want to go and your hands do whatever it takes to get there. Try looking around you and see what a difference it makes.

Website design By BotEap.com2. Another reason is that many people have not really chosen their ‘target’. They just want to go back. But they haven’t looked to see where they want to end up on the road. So they roam everywhere.

Website design By BotEap.comTry to pick your target, then watch it as it moves and only steer the wheel when necessary to get to that target.

Website design By BotEap.com3. Many people get confused about which direction to go. In general, if you want to go left, turn left. If you want to go right, turn right. But maybe it’s better not to think about ‘left’ or ‘right’. Think ‘towards the curb’, ‘towards the hedge’, ‘towards the middle of the street’ or whatever. Then head towards the curb, hedge or whatever. So you don’t need to know which is your left hand or your right hand.

Website design By BotEap.com4. There is one aspect of steering back that is of concern to many people. In order to push the rear of the car in one direction, the front of the car has to go in the other direction. This only really becomes a problem when you make a mistake and then try to correct it. The only real solution is to take your time, move very slowly and feel in which direction the car starts to move. Whatever you do, don’t keep turning the wheel without knowing what it’s doing to the car. Most likely, it will only make the problem worse!

Website design By BotEap.com5. And when are the wheels straight? When will the car be moving in a straight line? The steering wheel may appear straight, but it may have made a full turn to the left or right. Again, the only way to find out is to move very, very slowly, just a few inches, and feel what the car is doing.

Website design By BotEap.com6. Did we mention choosing your goal. But when you’re in a tight space, like just a few inches from the curb, which is where we normally are when backing up, we need a way to not get too close or too far away.

Website design By BotEap.comThis is where some benchmark can help. Stay a comfortable distance from the curb and straighten the car. Then turn around and look out the back window. See the sidewalk behind you. See how far you are from the bottom of the rear window when it disappears from view. Can you identify that point? On my car it is at the end of the rear wiper arm. In your car it may be somewhere else. Wherever you are, that is your reference point.

Website design By BotEap.comTo use it, look in two places while driving backwards. Look well on the road, towards some objective, to stay straight. But also check if the curb is still at that reference point. If it has moved to one side, gently turn (towards or away from the curb, remember) to bring the curb back to your reference point.

Website design By BotEap.com7. Lastly, the biggest tip of all. DO NOT RUSH! Take it easy, take it very easy. Even when you’re in a hurry. Even when you’re under pressure on the road. When you rush, it will go wrong. Then you will spend a lot more time trying to fix it. Do it slowly and calmly, and it will work. Do it slowly and make it work.

Website design By BotEap.comGo ahead and go out and find a quiet and straight path, and try it. Take this article with you and read it again before you try or when you get frustrated. What part did you not do?

Website design By BotEap.comDriving is about solving problems. That’s one of the things that makes it fun and rewarding. So work at it, and these tips will help you get it right. Good luck!