The best way to maintain lane position is to

1. look well ahead in the direction you want to go ✓
2. hold onto the wheel very tightly
3. look directly in front of your car
4. look at the car beside you and maintain the distance between you

Answer: A. look well ahead in the direction you want to go

The best way to maintain lane position is to look well ahead in the direction you want to go.

Why this is the answer

The handbook says to steer in a smooth line with little side-to-side movement, and that looking well ahead in the direction you want to go is the way to do it. It adds that your peripheral vision then helps you center the vehicle and keep it moving straight. The same idea applies in turns: look well ahead in the direction you are turning and you will turn in a smooth arc.

Why the other answers are wrong

• B. hold onto the wheel very tightly — Gripping the wheel very tightly is not what the handbook recommends; it points to smooth steering guided by where you look, not to a hard grip.
• C. look directly in front of your car — Looking directly in front of your car gives you too little warning of what is coming and does not let your peripheral vision center the vehicle the way looking well ahead does.
• D. look at the car beside you and maintain the distance between you — Watching the car beside you and chasing the gap between you takes your attention off your own path, while the handbook has you look well ahead in the direction you want to go.

Remember it

Your hands follow your eyes: aim your view far down the lane and the car settles into it.