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How to Stay Centered in Your Lane

ByMatsumoto Naoki-September 18, 2020

The most popular question that we got from new drivers is how do you stay in center of lane when driving. And it’s really important for you to be able to keep your vehicle in the centre of the lane. So this article will help you out how to stay centered in your lane. Let’s get it together!

How Do You Stay In Centre Of Lane When Driving

We will introduce to you some tips to keep you driving in the centre of the lane without cracking the other car. This is really easy even for the new driving student. Read these tips carefully then you will be able to drive the car in the centre of the lane. 

1. Your Vehicle Must Be In The Centre Not You

So, let’s start from the thing that you should keep in your mind on how to stay in your lane while driving, which is you are not in the centre but your car. Yes, exactly your car should be in the centre of the lane, not you. And the driver seat is in the left or right side of the car, not in the middle. If your driver seat is on the left side, you try to centre yourself in the lane, the car will go over on the right. Vice versa, if your driver seat is on the right, you try to centre yourself in the lane, the car will go over on the left. 

Exactly your car should be in the centre of the lane, not you. (Source: Drive)

So keep looking for the centre of your lane even when you drive your car on the curve road. The best thing you can do is try to draw yourself an imaginary line that goes from the asphalt to the sky and look at the level of the horizon. But it does not mean that you have to always stare at the centre. You should look at the other sides but for 2-3 seconds, then return your eyes back. It’s the first tip on how do you stay in center of lane when driving. 

2. Don’t Looking Down Over The Hood Of Vehicle

This is important! Many people make this mistake while learning to drive a car and it is one of the most common things that may cause you to drift away from the center of your lane. That is looking down over the hood of the vehicle, focusing on things that are too close. Most new drivers think that they should look down the hood of the car because they want to make sure looking as far up the center of your intended path as you can, which generally means they’re looking at the horizon. What’s right in front of your vehicle (that you can see) is available to your peripheral vision. And your peripheral vision can alert you to a problem. Keep your focus far ahead, and you’ll still see what’s in front of your vehicle.

3. Do Not Follow The Car Ahead

Another common mistake that many new drivers get is following the car ahead with the belief that you will be in the right and centre of the lane. That’s really wrong. If the car in front of you keeps going the same way with you and he/she does not change his/her mind to another lane, you will be safe. 

Another common mistake that many new drivers get is following the car ahead with the belief that you will be in the right and centre of the lane. (Source: moneycontrol)

But what happens if the car ahead changes the lane or needs to make a stop? It is possible that you will crash into that car. So keep going in the centre by let your car be in the centre but do not completely follow the car ahead, and keep looking far ahead at the centre of your link just a side. Otherwise, bad things will happen. And as the law requires, you have to leave the whole lane between you and the vehicle in question if possible when passing by an emergency vehicle by curiosity. It is the third tip on how do you stay in center of lane when driving. Next, let’s see what more you can do!

4. Do Not Look At The Concrete Border

New drivers tend to look at the concrete border so that they do not hit it but what happens is they almost hit it. So do not look at the border, look far at the centre of your lane. For example, when you drive your car on a circular highway, if you look in straight ahead, you will always be closed to the border or guardrail. So do not look there but the centre. By that you will avoid the unnecessary accidents.

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5. Check The Fog Line

Another tip to use is you should check the fog line when driving. When you are already in the centre of the lane as what you think, check the fog line on the right side. there’s a fog line that runs up on the right side of the road here, actually this is the bike lane, on a lot of highways they’ll have fog lines. So you can check over on that right side and see where that fog line is. Usually, the fog line will be right on the front corner of the vehicle. Don’t use it as what you’re gonna be looking at all the time, just look at it as a reference point every now and again for centering the vehicle in the lane. Get your vehicle centered in the lane, just have a look over there and see where the fog line is and that’ll give you a quick reference point of where the fog line is.

6. Don’t Be Stress On Your Steering

It is true to say that new drivers will always feel stressed which causes accidents on the street. When you feel you are not ready to continuously study, just stop and take it easy. If you pressure yourself to be in the centre of the lane when you are not able, the possibility that you can not control the steering is really high.

If you pressure yourself to be in the centre of the lane when you are not able, the possibility that you can not control the steering is really high. (Source: Tebyan)

Moreover, new drivers tend to hold the steering wheel tightly. It is difficult to turn and control. If there is another car in the opposite lane, it will scare drivers  and they will drift to the opposite side of you. So, do not control your steering wheel by one hand. You may see a lot of people do that but it is really dangerous for a new driver. So hold the steering wheel with both hands but not too tight. 

Here are 6  tips on how do you stay in center of lane when driving. It may be difficult for new drivers but by keeping practice driving. You will soon be professional at driving. Check the video below to see how to stay centered in your lane.

Sum Up

So you already have the answer for the question: how do you stay in center of lane when driving. What you need to do is keep calm, don’t be pressured and practice more. Remember to check other driving tips so you soon will be professional on driving and have great driving experience.

Matsumoto Naoki is senior car blogger at Car From Japan. Having background in mechanical engineering, he has a unique perspective on a lot of new car innovations. Prior to Car From Japan, Matsumoto was Mechanical Design Engineer at Yajima Plant, Subaru Corporation. His articles provide detailed DIY instructions and how-tos to help you get your new car on the road. If you want to save money and feel more confident when working on your cars, you should not ignore Matsumoto’s sharing posts. He presents driving tips and tricks for everyone through easy-following steps and mechanically but friendly writing.

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