chapter 5 — see-think-do Handling curves Gear use  Steering  You in the driver’s seat 71 Steering, like any skill, takes practice. Practice will help you  coordinate your hands and your eyes so that you can drive in a straight line or a smooth arc. The two main principles of good  steering are controlling the wheel and maintaining good road position. You’re about to make a left turn at a major intersection.  You’re a bit nervous because you haven’t been driving  long. You see a gap in the oncoming traffic, so you let  your eyes guide you as you steer in a smooth arc, ending  up in the correct lane. If you’re driving a vehicle with a standard transmission,  you need to be able to choose the appropriate gear and  shift smoothly. You need practice to coordinate the clutch,  accelerator and gearshift.  It is illegal to coast downhill in neutral or with the clutch in. You need to be in gear to safely control your vehicle. Before you enter a curve,  slow down to a speed  that will allow you to go  through the curve without  using your brakes. When  you reach the middle,  begin to straighten your  wheels and accelerate to  help you leave the curve. If you do start to lose traction in a curve, don’t brake. Ease off  the accelerator and re‑apply gently when you regain traction.  When you go around a curve, inertia tries to keep your vehicle  going in a straight line, while traction tries to keep your tires  sticking to the curved pavement. The faster you travel, the more  pressure is exerted on the outside front tire. If you are going  too fast, inertia will cause your vehicle to go off the road. If you  brake, your vehicle may skid. The problem is increased if the  road is slippery or uneven. The best practice is to slow down  before the curve and avoid braking in it.  A c c e l e r a t e g e n t l y s y o u t u r n S $_{l}$o w $_{ }$d o w n Str aig ht e n  $_{w}$ h e l a n d ac cel er a t e  t o a s a f e s p e d