Practical Driving Test Tips - Moving Off
| Problem | Reason | Solution |
| The car rolled backwards | Because you didn’t assess the start - you thought it was level when in fact it’s an uphill gradient | Look at the geography of the road (advise the pupil) and use the appropriate technique |
| The car rolled backwards | Because you didn’t have the clutch at the biting point before you released the handbrake | Find and hold the biting point before releasing the handbrake |
| The car ‘kangaroo jumped’ | Because the clutch came up too quickly, coupled with too much gas | Keep both feet still, as soon as the car starts moving, and until you have driven a car length. Then gradually and smoothly increase the gas and bring the clutch fully up |
| The car ‘kangaroo jumped’ | Because you didn’t set enough gas for the gradient | Set more gas, say, the thickness of three pound coins |
| The car ‘kangaroo jumped’ | Because you rolled back and then brought the clutch up too quickly | Release the handbrake only when the car is at the biting point |
| The car ‘shot’ forward | Because you used the wrong hill start technique - uphill instead of downhill | Look at the road - if the handbrake was released would the car roll forwards or backwards? |
| The car’s not moving | Because you’re in the wrong gear (state which) | Use the-correct hand-positions palm away from you, to ensure you select first |
| The car’s not moving | Because you didn’t release the handbrake | Release the handbrake just before you move away |
| The car’s not moving | Because your right foot was pressing the brake pedal | Position your right foot on the gas pedal |
| The car’s not moving | Because you’re in neutral | Select first gear to move away |
| The car’s not moving | Because you haven’t brought the clutch up far enough | Bring the clutch up to the biting point and then bring it up slightly more, say, about the thickness of a 10p coin |
| The car’s not moving | Because you haven’t released the foot brake | Release the foot brake to set the car in motion |
| You coasted for too long as you moved away | Because you didn’t bring the clutch up soon enough | Drive forward for no more than, say, half to one car length with the clutch disengaged |
| You didn’t check in a logical order | Because you checked your right blind spot before the left | Check left blind spot first, then sweep round checking right blind spot finally |
| You didn’t make the necessary checks before moving | Because you didn’t check the blind spots | Check over your left and right shoulder before the car moves (if moving off from the right, check over right shoulder first) |
| You got too close to the stationary car | Because you used small ‘bites’ of the steering wheel | Turn the steering wheel briskly, taking larger ‘bites’ |
| You got too close to the stationary car | Because you moved forward too far without steering (enough) | Turn the steering wheel briskly as soon as the car starts to move |
| You got too close to the stationary car | Because you were unable to judge the distance | Start to steer as the car begins to move, or at the latest when you can no longer see the tarmac of the ‘tyres and tarmac’ guideline. Then you are, generally, within 1m of the car in front |
| You hadn’t make the necessary checks | Because you looked too quickly | Take twice as long to look, say, 2 seconds |
| You hadn’t make the necessary checks | Because you didn’t check any / all of the mirrors | Check all the mirrors before moving off |
| You looked, but didn’t take effective observation | Because you didn’t act on what was seen or heard | Act sensibly on the information You receive |
| You stalled (angled start) | Because you didn’t have enough gas | Set the gas about them thickness of two one-pound coins. Use more gas, say, another pound coin’s thickness. The car’s power steering / AC took some of the power so you need to compensate for this |
| You stalled (downhill start) | Because you brought the clutch up while the footbrake was applied and the car was stationary | Release the clutch fully when the car has travelled a short distance, say, half to one car length |
| You stalled (downhill start) | Because you selected a gear that was too high for the start | Look at the start and decide how steep the gradient is and then choose the appropriate gear (advise the pupil) |
| You stalled (level start) | Because you brought the clutch up too quickly | Take twice as long to bring the clutch up from the biting point |
| You stalled (level start) | Because you didn’t set the gas (enough) | Press the gas pedal down more -about the thickness of two one-pound coins |
| You stalled (level start) | Because your foot came off the gas as the clutch came up | Keep the gas set - applying very slight pressure as the clutch is brought to the biting point (ease (the clutch up) and squeeze (the gas)) |
| You stalled (uphill start) | Because you brought the clutch up too far, with the handbrake on | Release the handbrake when the car is at the biting point |
| You went across to the other side of the road | Because you didn’t use ‘tight’ clutch control | Use small movements, say, the thickness of a pound coin either side of the biting point, easing or squeezing, to precisely control the speed of the car |