Driver's License Test Prep
New York Practice Turning

According to the manual, what do the rear wheels do as your vehicle turns?

  1. A.
    They travel inside the path of the front wheels. Correct
  2. B.
    They swing outward, wider than the front wheels' path.
  3. C.
    They lock briefly at the sharpest point of the turn.
  4. D.
    They follow the exact same path as the front wheels.
The Why

The answer is "They travel inside the path of the front wheels."

As you turn, the rear wheels cut inside the arc drawn by the front wheels: closer to the curb on a right turn, closer to oncoming traffic on a left. Drivers who picture the car pivoting on its front axle, an image built from the driver's-seat view, imagine the tail swinging outward instead, which is what draws them to option B.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

B. They swing outward, wider than the front wheels' path.

The rear wheels track inside, not outside, the arc of the front wheels. This answer pictures the car pivoting on its front axle, an image built from the driver's-seat view rather than from how the vehicle actually turns.

C. They lock briefly at the sharpest point of the turn.

The manual describes where the rear wheels go, not any lock behavior at the wheels. This answer invents a mechanical detail that no turning-tip in the manual ever mentions.

D. They follow the exact same path as the front wheels.

The wheelbase forces the rear tires onto a tighter arc than the front. This answer assumes both axles trace the same line, which is what a car looks like from above at rest but not while turning.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Turning in New York. Source: New York State Driver's Manual, "Chapter 5 – Turns," p.36..

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