Driving Tips - Moving Off
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 — Moving Off
| Problem | Reason | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| The car moves away without effective observation | Attention is focused on the controls. | Prepare the controls, then make effective all-round observations including blind spots and move only when safe. |
| The move is jerky or the manual car stalls | The controls are being operated too quickly for that vehicle. | Pause, secure the car if necessary and practise smooth vehicle-specific coordination with your instructor; fixed pedal measurements are unreliable. |
| You move into another road user's path | Their speed or the available gap has been misjudged. | Wait for a gap that lets you join without causing anyone to brake, swerve or abandon an overtake. |