I hope that Driver's Ed classes are still not teaching techniques from the 60's. With the widespread adoption of technology like airbags in the steering wheel and anti-lock brakes, what we learned in our youths aren't the best ways to drive anymore.

I was taught the hand-over-hand method of turning. My first car had no power steering and hand-over-hand does generate the necessary torque, but nowadays, cars all have power steering. I later switched to the push-pull (or pull-push) method in my early 20's for a number of reasons. One reason being that it keeps your forearms clear of the airbag in case you crash while executing a turn. I also find it smoother to execute. Supposedly, you're less likely to get your steering confused by your crossed arms if you suddenly have to make an emergency maneuver in the middle of executing a turn but I've never had the opportunity to test that theory yet.

"Feathering" your brakes or "threshold braking" are not really necessary if you have ABS and could actually lengthen your shortest possible stopping distance compared to simply braking hard and not freaking out when the ABS kicks in and makes noises or you feel that pulsing in the pedal.

Taller drivers or those with longer arms may disagree, but I think holding the wheel at 8 o'clock and 4 o'clock should be standard, not 10-and-2 or 9-and-3 like we were taught in Driver's Ed. I have read that research shows no reduction in control, it's less fatiguing for long drives, and again, it helps keep your forearms away from the airbag in case of a crash. Most new cars these days conveniently have those grips at the 8-and-4 position, too, so even auto engineers expect you to hold the wheel that way. You often have the horn buttons within reach of your thumbs if you're holding the wheel at 8-and-4.

I have short arms and it also lets me sit further back from the air bag. I see too many smaller folks sitting really close to the steering wheel all the time. Well, the first priority is to sit close enough to be able to maintain proper control of the car, but after that, you should position yourself further away from the air bag, if possible.

And did anyone ever learn how to use their mirrors properly in Driver's Ed? The "normal" method is to simply point your center and side mirrors straight back. You end up with that big blind spot to the left and right rear quarter. It's such a waste to have all three mirrors covering essentially the same real estate behind your car.

A rough guide to the way I later learned to position my mirrors is to point the center straight back. For the left side mirror, rest your head against the side window and then position the mirror to just see the edge of your car body. For the right mirror, lean your head to the centerline of the car and adjust the mirror to just see the right edge of your car body.

As a car comes up from behind you, when they're a safe distance away, they will appear in your center mirror. As they come closer, the car will disappear from your center mirror but then simultaenously appear in your side mirror. Your blind spot is much smaller when you position your mirrors this way and you generally only need a quick look directly to the side to check your blind spot for a lane change, not a three-quarters turn like we were taught in Driver's Ed. Set up this way, a quick glance in your mirrors should normally show all vehicles in your vicinity without you having to worry about what's in your blind spot.

Try it, if this technique is new to you. It's really neat the first time you follow a car from your center mirror into your side mirror and then into your peripheral vision as it pulls up alongside you. Made me wonder why they didn't teach us this neat technique in Driver's Ed??? Unfortunately, I find that many cars don't allow their mirrors to turn outward far enough so I don't think this is the standard way to position your mirrors but it seems like such a no-brainer to me.