Driving Tips - Making Progress
Guidance reviewed: 25 September 2026. Use these prompts with professional instruction and the handbook for the vehicle you drive.
Accelerator
Anticipation
Approaching Junctions
Brake
Clearance
Clutch
Crossing Other Traffic
Crossroads
Emergency Stop
Exterior Mirrors
Gear Lever
Gears
General
Handbrake
Head Restraint
Indicators
Interior Mirror
Making Progress
Meeting Approaching Traffic
Mirrors
Moving Away
Moving Off
Overtaking
Pedestrian Crossings
Reverse Parking
Reversing
Road Positioning
Safe Distance
Safety Routine
Seat
Seat Belts
Signals
Steering
Steering Wheel
Stopping
T-Junctions
The Engine
Turning the Car Around
Practical Driving Test Tips — Making Progress
| Problem | Reason | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| You approach hazards too quickly | Progress is being confused with maintaining the maximum permitted speed. | Adjust early for bends, junctions, parked vehicles, visibility and vulnerable road users. The limit is a maximum, not a target. |
| You drive unnecessarily slowly on a clear road | Confidence or planning is limiting progress. | When conditions allow, build speed smoothly to an appropriate level without exceeding the limit. Do not hold up a long queue unnecessarily. |
| You feel pressured to close an unsafe gap | Traffic behind is influencing your judgement. | Keep a safe following distance and choose only gaps you can use without causing others to brake or change direction. |