South Carolina · Handbook chapter 4 · 3 min read

Tire pressure and tread, seat and mirror adjustment, safety belts, air bags, South Carolina child seat rules, securing loads, driver assistance features, steering methods and backing up.

Why this chapter matters

Safe driving starts before the car moves. Sections 4 and 5 of the manual cover checks, adjustments and the basic control skills the examiner watches for.

Tires

• Check pressure monthly with a gauge, when the tires are cold, and match the PSI on the sticker inside the driver's door frame.
• Penny test: put Lincoln's head into the deepest groove. If you can see all of his head, the tires are too worn.

Seat, head restraint and mirrors

• Sit upright, with at least 10 inches between your chest and the steering wheel.
• The top of the wheel should be no higher than the top of your shoulders.
• The head restraint should touch the back of your head, not sit below ear level.
• The inside rearview mirror is your main mirror to the rear; set it to frame the rear window.
• The enhanced side-mirror setting adds about 12 to 16 degrees of view on each side.

Safety belts and air bags

• South Carolina has a primary belt law: an officer can stop you just for an unbelted driver or passenger.
• Wear the shoulder belt across the shoulder and chest, never under the arm or behind the back, and the lap belt snug and low across the hips.
• Air bags are supplemental: wear your belt even with air bags.

Children

• Children seven and younger ride in the back seat.
• Never put a rear-facing seat in front of an air bag.

Driver assistance features

Blind-spot warning, backup cameras and automatic braking assist you but do not drive for you. They may not work well in rain, snow, ice, fog, hills and curves. You may not use features such as parking assist and cruise control on the driving test.

Steering and backing

• Hold the wheel with the left hand at 7 to 9 o'clock and the right at 3 to 5 o'clock. The old 10 and 2 grip is not recommended in cars with air bags.
• Hand-to-hand (push/pull) steering is used above about 10 to 15 mph; hand-over-hand at low speeds, such as turning at intersections or parking.
• When backing, check behind the car first, put your left hand at 12 o'clock, turn and look through the rear window, and go slowly. Mirrors do not show the area right behind you.