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. 

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.

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