Emergency Stops

Emergency Stops. Throughout your driving test your aim will be to slow down in good time and pull up gently, except in the emergency stop exercise, which will show your competence in taking immediate and effective action.

From 4th May 1999 the emergency stop will be conducted at random during one-in-three car tests to enable extra time to be spent in normal driving.

The examiner on the driving test will expect you to:- 

·  Stop the car promptly.

·  Keep the car under control without locking the wheels.

·  Stop the car in the shortest possible distance.

·  Stop the car without endangering other road users.

Roundabouts Part 2

Last week, we tackled the problem of roundabouts and how to successfully navigate them. It was a large topic and therefore I decided to split it into two sections.
This section specifically targets Mini Roundabouts. After reading this, you should be ready to go out there and try it for real!

Know Your Traffic Signs 2

It's that time of the week already; welcome to the second Know Your Traffic Signs! 

Let's get going:

What is the following traffic sign telling you? 

Click on 'read more' to see if you were right!

Turn In The Road

Plenty of students struggle to perform a turn in the road, but it's much easier than you think! Have a read through this post to reinforce your knowledge on turning in a road.




The examiner on the driving test will expect you to turn your car around in the road:- 

·  Safely.

·  Smoothly.

·  Under control.

·  Making proper use of the accelerator, clutch, brakes and steering.

·  Without touching or mounting the kerb.

The examiner will also be looking to see that you:-

·  Are aware of other road users.

·  Keep looking all around throughout the manoeuvre. 

Roundabouts

We're tackling roundabouts this week. Roundabouts can be a large topic to talk about, so I've decided to split it into two separate blog posts; Roundabouts and Mini Roundabouts. The latter will be up next Monday!



On approaching a roundabout take notice and act on all the information available to you, including traffic signs, traffic lights and lane markings which direct you into the correct lane.

The examiner on your driving test will expect you to:- 

·  Use the MSM routine.

·  Position correctly and adjust your speed.

·  Choose the correct lane where there are lane markings.

·  Watch out for motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians.

·  Take effective observations.

·  Assess the speed of traffic. 

Know Your Traffic Signs 1

Welcome to the first of (hopefully many!) Know Your Traffic Signs! 

Each week we'll be posting an image of a random traffic sign for you to test yourself on, and improve your road knowledge. In addition, this will be of much use if you're yet to take your theory test!

So let's get started:

What is the following traffic sign telling you?

Click on 'read more' to see if you were right!

Moving Off

You should normally use 1st gear for moving off except when moving off down a steep hill, then it may be best to use 2nd gear.

The examiner on your driving test will expect you to:

·  Move off safely and under control on a level road, from behind a parked vehicle and on a gradient.

·  Use the MSM routine.

·  Check your blindspot for traffic and pedestrians.

·  Make balanced use of the accelerator, clutch, brakes and steering.

·  Use the appropriate gear. 

Steering

Most people get the hang of proper steering once they've had a couple of hours of tuition, but if you're still strugging then we're here to help!



Fold your palms loosely over the rim and rest your thumbs lightly up the flat of the wheel.
Relax your shoulders and keep your arms free of your body.

The examiner on your driving test will expect you to:- 

·  Hold the steering wheel at either the ten-to-two or quarter-to-three position.

·  Steer at the correct time and smoothly.

·  Avoid crossing your hands over one another when turning.

·  Avoid letting the wheel spin back through your hands when straightening up.

·  Keep to the left normally.

·  Avoid weaving in and out between parked cars.

·  Obey lane markings.

The Bay Park

From 5th May 1999 you may be required to do the reverse park exercise as a reversing into a parking bay at the driving test car park.
If you are asked to reverse into a parking bay, you can usually choose whether to reverse from the right or the left.
Reverse parking into a bay must be carried out at the test centre at the start or end of the test, when there is a car park at the test centre. So if your test centre does not have a car park, you will NOT be asked to do this exercise.

The examiner on the driving test will expect you to do your bay parking:- 

·  Safely.

·  Smoothly.

·  Under control.

·  Making proper use of the accelerator, clutch, brakes and steering.

·  Without crossing the white bay marking. 

The examiner will also be looking to see that you:- 

·  Are aware of other road users.

·  Keep looking all around throughout the manoeuvre. 

Hill Starts

In this post, we're going to take you through the dreaded hill start. After a bit of practice, you should find this to be much easier than you first thought!



When you can move off safely and smoothly on a level road, the next stage is to move off on a hill. 

The examiner on the driving test will expect you to:- 

·  Move off safely and under control on a gradient.

·  Use the MSM routine.

·  Check your blindspot for traffic and pedestrians.

·  Make balanced use of the accelerator, clutch, brakes and steering.

·  Use the appropriate gear.

·  Avoid rolling back. 

Reverse Parking

In this post, we're going to help you tackle the reverse park.



Reverse parking

This takes advantage of a car's manoeuvrability when driving in reverse gear. When doing this you will be something of an obstacle, so use of the mirror-signal-manoeuvre routine is important. 
It is also vital to keep a look-out for passing traffic.

The examiner on the driving test will expect you to:- 

·  Reverse into a space of about two car lengths.

·  Park your car at the kerb safely, smoothly and under control. 

The examiner will also be looking to see that you:- 

·  Take all-round observation

·  Do not get too close to the parked car

·  Do not mount the kerb

·  Stop reasonably close to the kerb 

The Cockpit Drill

To get off to a good start on your driving test, you've got to be comfortable in the car and everything must be in order. If you fail to adjust your mirrors (if needed) then you may struggle later on in the test. This could cause you to fail your test, so make sure you go through the cockpit drill!



The examiner on your driving test will expect you to:- 

·  Make sure all the doors are closed.

·  Ensure your seat and head restraint are properly adjusted.

·  Check your mirrors are properly adjusted.

·  Fasten your seatbelt. 

The examiner will also be looking to see that you make sure the hand brake is on and the gearstick is in neutral before starting the engine. 

Changing gears

One of the first things you'll have to master when you begin learning to drive is changing gears. Some people will find it relatively easy and straightforward, whilst others may struggle. If you're part of the latter group, then don't worry! We're here to help you successfully master changing gears.


When driving, you should be able to change gears without looking down at the lever or your feet. Practise this sitting in the car with the engine switched off and the clutch pressed down. 



The examiner on your driving test will expect you to:-

·  Use the controls smoothly and correctly

·  Balance the accelerator and clutch to move away smoothly

·  Accelerate evenly

·  Avoid stalling the car

·  Choose the right gear and change in good time before a hazard

·  Brake gently and in good time

·  Know how and when to apply the hand brake 

Reverse Around a Corner

For our first instructional blog post, I thought i'd jump into one of the manoeuvres that pupils tend to struggle with... The dreaded Reverse around a corner!
If you're finding it difficult, check the diagram at the bottom of this post for an illustration.



Using reverse gear is difficult for new drivers. The car steers differently, the front wheels become, in effect, the rear ones. When you drive forward you can see the car turning when you steer. In reverse, you have to wait for the steering to take effect.

The examiner on the test will expect you to reverse:-

·  Safely

·  Correctly

·  Smoothly

·  Under control

·  Keeping reasonably close to the kerb

·  Without mounting or hitting the kerb

·  Without swinging out too wide.

The examiner will also be looking to see that you:-

·  Check traffic and road conditions

·  Look out for traffic and pedestrians

·  Stop in a safe position. 

As long as you stick to the following sequence and remember to check for hazards, then you will have no problem with this manoeuvre on your test!