Drive with two hands.
 

Driving the boy back to school for sophomore year.

He is taking his car.

It’s a 4-5 hour ride.

First time he has driven this far and first time i’ve spent this much time with him on a highway.

No idea where he picked this habit up but he’s a two hands driver.

And i don’t mean having a grip on the wheel with one hand and the other there loose.

As in he seems to grip the wheel equally as hard with both hands.

He’s constantly correcting himself, alternating input.

Really annoying.

How does one develop this habit and how do i break it.

Getting seasick driving with him.

Worst part is he doesn’t seem to realize he’s doing it.

10 and 2 o'clock, right?

Two hands. That's a good thing.

Maybe relax a little and not constantly correct.

Suggest he pick a point further ahead to focus on. If one focuses too close you will have a tendency to constantly correct. Easier said than done, but you can catch it early.

Yup.
That said, I had trouble driving modern vehicles with their power steering compared to the heavy steering with my small steering wheel in the 944.

My first time driving a rental suburban I ended up only touching the wheel with a single finger from each hand.

Over time I got used to the need for lighter inputs in modern cars.
I do not like riding with people that keep making lots of corrections.
Some people do not like riding with me as I'll let the vehichle wander a little with the natural pull of the road and incrementally increase correction.
It's a habit from low powered kart racing, tight fisting back and forth scrubs acceleration.
Let it wander a little, keep it free, and get that speed.

No, that's really old advice. But I don't debate the point. If that best suits the driver, it's fine.

3 and 9 is much better hand placement.

And as already mentioned, have him look about 15 seconds ahead. That should address over-correction and it'll also facilitate early braking as well.

I only give younger drivers the following tips.

hands 3-9
look ahead 15 seconds
early braking
check mirrors very often

And having both hands on the wheel at all times is best.

I know, I know. "I drive with my only one wrist draped over 12o'clock. Been doing it for 3000 years, no issue."

Fine, keep doing it. Just don't teach new drivers that technique.

Agreed on all points.

And those who drive with one hand at 12 o'clock? If their car is airbag equipped, that is a very, very bad thing to do. In a head on collision, said hand will eventually become a claw or mechanical hand.

^^^ sshhh.

I've told many, they all know more than me and tell me "phht, that's just dumb, I know how to drive!"

And I say no more.

was he extra nervous or self conscious because you were in the car?

I am told it is 9 and 3 they teach these days, to reduce wrist injuries in air bag deployments.

Yep. By the time you've lived long enough to have learned a few things, the young don't want to hear it.

Never thought of the 9-3 thing because of airbags...makes sense.

The steering wheels on both of my Hondas have the thumb rests at the 9 and 3 spots.
Which makes the hands lower at 8 and 4.

My niece corrected my 9 & 3 driving position and told me it was 8 & 4. She had just finished drivers ed.
I looked it up and that's what they are teaching now. She said it had to do with the airbag.

There is more to it. With your hands at 9 & 3, when you turn, your body is still centered. If you are at 10 and 2, when you turn left, you body will lean left, and thus, your center of gravity will also shift left. You won't be as balanced, and if tings go south, it will be more difficult for you to maintain control of the car.

Not really a big deal on the street, but at the track, you want to keep your body as centered as possible when turning.

Two hands is good. But the alternating bit is weird. I have no idea how to fix that. He'll, I'm not even exactly sure how he's doing it. When I drive with 2 hands, things are more stable, not less.

A friend of mine likes to drive on long straight roads with just his knee keeping the car going straight. Bad habits.

I wouldn't worry about it.
There are a lot of worse driving habits than that. Give him credit for being super vigilant.

I've always felt that 3-9 was much better. I've never used 10-2. Maybe just a tiny bit higher than 3-9, but not nearly as high as 10-2.

These days, because of air bags, I think a lower grip may be the recommended/safer spot.

Good call, don't look at the car ahead, look way up.even in traffic, I'm looking at cars 3-5 cars up, even if I have to look at cars in other lanes, so I can see brake lights come on that much earlier.

I haven't driven with my wrist in a long time. And these days, in cars with air bags, that's a great way to get hurt really badly. When that air bag goes off and causes you to punch yourself in the face at 200mph, Ouch!

Exactly. Lots of modern steering wheels are setup to get you a little lower than 9-3.

It could be worse....

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