How to Adjust your Speed When Turning: This Guide Has Got You Covered!
When you have your driving lessons, you will be taught many things, most of which are the basics that you need to master to be able to pass your road test. Among others, one of the most important that you should know is how to adjust your speed when turning. This is because when approaching your turn, the first thing you have to do is to mind the speed.
There are instances wherein there is no more need to adjust your speed when making a turn. This is the case when you are driving on the highway and when the turn is wide. However, for city or neighborhood driving, it is necessary that you slow down, especially if it is a small corner. Here are a few steps to follow to adjust your speed when turning:
- Brake- Hit the brake pedal as lightly as possible.
- Release- Once you have already made your turn, at this point, you can now release your foot from the brake.
- Accelerate- After successfully making a turn, now is the time to release your foot from the brake and accelerate.
To learn these steps in detail, read this post and find out.
Step-By-Step Guide on How to Adjust your Speed When Turning
To begin with, watch the short video below for a visual guide of the things that will be discussed in the next part:
1. Brake
Obviously, the first thing that you have to do is to hit the brake pedal as lightly as possible once you have noticed a turn. As noted in the introduction, if the turn is wide and if you are on a highway that is not congested, there is no need to brake. Otherwise, you need to brake to avoid cutting corners and damaging your tires or car.
In some cases, you do not really need to brake, but you just have to slow down. The tighter or sharper the turn is, the slower you should go.
At what speed should you make a turn? This will depend on a number of factors, such as the angle of the turn. Most drivers would say that you should make a right turn when at 15 kilometers per hour and 20 kilometers per hour when you have to turn to the left. Nonetheless, this will still depend on various conditions, such as how wide the intersection is.
2. Release
Once you have already made your turn, at this point, you can now release your foot from the brake. However, by release, this does not mean that it should be completely taken off. Just put your foot on the brake, ready to push when there is an emergency. If in case you need to brake during a turn, make sure that you do this as lightly as possible.
3. Accelerate
After successfully making a turn, now is the time to release your foot from the brake and accelerate. You can go back to your normal driving speed once you have passed through the intersection. The rate of your acceleration, however, will depend on the place where you are. If you are in a busy neighborhood, be careful with your speed.
Pro Tips
To make this post more valuable and for you to gain more knowledge, this section will provide you with more tips on how you can become a better driver. Keep these things in mind, and for sure, it will be a lot easier to pass your road test with flying colors!
Pay Attention to Road Conditions
You need to be as attentive as possible when driving. Your focus should be on the road. When you have a presence of mind, it will be easier for your foot and your hand to determine how it should move. With this, look at the road conditions before making a turn, and this will let you know the best way to do it.
For instance, if the turn is crowded with vehicles, if it is sharp, if it is narrow, or if the road is slippery, you need to go slower. If there are blind spots, you need to check the turn thoroughly to be sure that you will not hit anyone.
Being within the Speed Limit
After braking and turning, when you accelerate, it might be easy to forget about the speed limit. This is one thing that you should not do. As a part of being attentive, you need to be aware of the speed limit at the place where you are driving. Keep an eye on the signs. For sure, the least that you would want is to be issued a ticket for speeding.
To be within the speed limit, one thing that you can do is to check the speedometer often. However, as discussed in the video shown in the first part of this post, avoid staring at it too long, as you will lose sight of what is on the road. Once you become a more experienced driver, it will be easier to adjust your speed without having your eyes glued to the speedometer.
When driving on a highway, the speed limit is higher compared to driving within your neighborhood. When you are approaching intersections or when you are in a place with dense traffic, these are signs that you have to limit your speed.
Staying Safe in Intersections
Aside from knowing how to adjust your speed when it is time to turn in an intersection, it is also important to pay attention to the things that will ensure your safety. It should be noted that 50% of collisions and 20% of fatal car accidents happen in an intersection, which should provide you with more reasons to proceed with caution.
A quick mirror check and a look over your shoulders is one thing that you can do. It is not enough that you just look straight. You also have to make sure that your car won’t hit the gutter.
Another thing that you should not ignore is to be in the correct lane before turning an intersection. Let us say that you are turning right, be sure that you are in the innermost lane before you turn.
You should also not forget to turn on the signal light. This is an act of courtesy to the driver behind you.
Keep in mind that pedestrians always have the priority to use the intersections and crosswalks. Even if there is no pedestrian lane, take note that they still have the right of way.
Conclusion
After reading this post, I hope that you gained insights on how to adjust your speed when turning. As shown in the discussions above, there are three things that you basically have to do – break, release, and accelerate. Do this with as much caution as possible. Learn how to adjust your speed and go slow.
Do you enjoy reading this guide? Are there other tips that you would like to share? Do not hesitate to write a comment below.
