How To Stay In The Middle Of Your Lane

This tip will also help you straddle speed bumps, keep good lane discipline, as well as stopping you shaving parked cars or cyclists.

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[bertjesklotepino]

as a lorry driver i was taught that way by my driving instructor here in the Netherlands.
He said right from the start: check your right draw a line in your mind from your head through your knee to the road and you know where the middle is.
So yes, it works.

[jonrellim]

As a van driver, I only ever used the mirror check to see if I'm in the middle of the lane. The seating position is usually higher in vans, so I suspect the knee trick won't be that reliable. At a certain point you just get the feel for the width of the car, and you know exactly where your left and right wheels are, and what holes you can squeeze through. As a delivery driver in a shopping zone you have to navigate tight passes quite a lot.

[nataliedebiase]

When I was learning I found the whole look where you want the car to be ahead and look at the space worked better for me.

[Jmston]

I have to say that the little tid-bit from the learning point was a revelation even after 10 years of driving. I'm glad to see it expanded on.

Cheers Ashley.

[bigjock]

I’ve had a full driving license for over 40 years you have taught me something new, brilliant

[katefletcher]

John we are all looking at you as the van driver to test the theory 😉

[PedroConejo]

This reminds me of a senior British Airways 747 pilot who was gently reprimanded by the tower at Heathrow on landing that he was slightly to the left of the centre line, to which he replied, 'I know, and my co-pilot was slightly to the right of it.'

All that notwithstanding, I will try this next time I'm out. I do have a tendency to keep a little to the left of centre-lane myself so this will be interesting - it's not enough to hit the white edge lines, but I sometimes catch cats-eyes that are inside of them. I think it's a tendency to keep away from oncoming traffic, something that has saved me a few times on a motorbike with those who get close to the vehicle in front and then stick their car out for a look, and once with an unmarked wide load of flat steel plates that were a good yard overhanging - more frightening than actually life-threatening to me but scary nonetheless. Generally, I'm looking into the distance rather than what's right in front of the car, so here goes.

[ibs]

Hello fellow viewers. Remaining in the middle of my seat whilst I watch

[kennethlewis]

i have struggled with my positioning at times during lessons as a learner in the middle of the road and i do put it down to nerves, and this video will be of great help to me to help to calm me down so thank you for those tips i appreciate anything that i can take on board and help to educate me more.

[markwalton]

Interesting point there Ashley. I occasionally drive a Van with a Trailor wider than the Van and is quite tricky to keep away from the kerbs, especially when going around narrow, windy country roads also driving abroad in a left hand drive car i find tricky to keep the car in the middle, I'm going to give this a go and see if it improves the driving👍

[donaljamescaddye]

Great tip Ashley - It works brilliant I'm my LHD classic car - I would have judged it before on the hedge or nearside road edge before but this is a gamechanger - Thanks a million

[kennethlewis]

As a learner driver this will help me a great deal as i have struggled with my positioning in the middle of the road, this will help me immensely in helping me to keep lane discipline and educate me that bit more so thank you very much.

[DavidSmith-vjuf]

Bus driver here. I was instructed to aim the vehicle so the mini-speedbumps go between my knees. Seems to work for the most part

[AdamG]

It certainly works for vans. I’ve been doing this ever since I heard you mention it briefly in an earlier video 😊

[woutervanr]

Yes, I've been doing this since I started driving as well. You just kinda feel where you are after a while.

[KendalSmithy]

Interesting observation. Thanks Ashley. I guess the left knee generally points towards the centre of the front bumper (unless we're bursting for the loo 😬), so it makes sense. Also stereo vision - which we don't get from a single camera of course - is bound to help with positioning.

[CBGX]

Cant wait to try the knee trick out in my car! I'm normally okay at centering myself, but it's always good to have extra tools!

[ClamityZerv]

The little trick that Ive always used, may not be as good as your left knee trick. But works for me. I use the curb line on the left through the windscreen, it sits visibly slightly left of the center of the dashboard. Works for me in cars, vans and lorries!

Will have to try your knee trick going forward

[WayneTulip-zmgw]

Brilliant advice mate, I also have another way that might help some people, forget the left hand side of your car, just focus on the steering wheel and imagine the steering wheel is a clock, imagine the whole of your car is within the steering wheel, from your perspective your left wheels are at around 11 o’clock and your right wheels are at around 1 o’clock so for example, if you line up a pothole at 12 o’clock then the middle of your car will go over the middle of the pothole. 🙃

[smilerbob]

Great video and explanation as always.

Since I saw it on your video a short few weeks ago I have used it myself and it is great. It is also good for avoiding potholes that are in the main carriageway of the road that if you put the left knee “over” the pothole then you avoid it 👍