Practical Driving Test Tips - Turn In The Road
| Problem | Reason | Solution |
| When reversing, you weren’t looking properly, taking effective observation | Because you were looking through the rear side window | Look through the middle of the rear window |
| When reversing, you weren’t looking properly, taking effective observation | Because you hadn’t turned in your seat | Turn sideways in your seat so that you can look squarely through the back window |
| When reversing, you weren’t looking properly, taking effective observation | Because you were using the door mirrors too much, staring in them | Look mainly through the middle of the rear window, using quick glances in door mirrors for no more than a count of say, 1 - 2 |
| When reversing, you weren’t looking properly, taking effective observation | Because you were looking through / over the head-rest | Look clearly between the headrests. This will give you the best view to the rear |
| When reversing, you weren’t looking properly, taking effective observation | Because you were looking over the wrong shoulder | Look mainly over your left shoulder when reversing in a straight line, or to the left |
| When reversing, you weren’t looking properly, taking effective observation | Because you were looking over the wrong shoulder | When you start to steer to the right, look mainly over your right shoulder to monitor the right-side back wheel’s distance from the kerb |
| When reversing, you weren’t looking properly, taking effective observation | Because you looked forward before the car came to a stop | Be looking through the middle of the back window when the car comes to a stop |
| When reversing, you weren’t looking properly, taking effective observation | Because although you saw the approaching traffic you carried on | Pause or stop, making eye contact with the other driver(s) |
| When reversing, you weren’t looking properly, taking effective observation | Because you waited unnecessarily | Be positive - if another road user has stopped for you and you’ve checked that it’s safe, then carry on |
| When reversing, you weren’t looking properly, taking effective observation | Because you stared at the hazard | Look mainly at the hazard but keep checking all around for others |
| When reversing, you weren’t looking properly, taking effective observation | Because you were unaware of a moving hazard (specify) | Look actively for hazards - think about what is happening / likely to happen, within a 30m radius of the car |
| When reversing, you weren’t looking properly, taking effective observation | Because you didn’t open the windows | Open your windows and actively listen for hazards before starting, and throughout this manoeuvre |
| You didn’t check up and down the road | Because you were concentrating too much on the front of the car and the opposite kerb | Glance up and down the road as you cross the middle of the road |
| You didn’t look behind before you started reversing | Because you weren’t aware of the dangers | Check right, left, over right, then left shoulder, before the car starts moving backwards |
| You drove too far in a straight line before turning | Because you didn’t turn early enough | Start steering as soon as the car moves - at least by the time the car has travelled half a car length |
| You hit the kerb, going backwards | Because you weren’t looking where you were going | Look over your left shoulder, through the middle of the rear window, when steering left and then over your right shoulder as the car nears the kerb (consider the angle of the car). Count 1 - 2 - 3 to yourself slowly, once you cross the middle of the road, |
| You hit the kerb, going forward | Because you didn’t accurately judge the distance to the kerb | Reduce speed even further when the kerb appears under the lower edge of the your door mirror |
| You hit the kerb, going forward | Because you went too fast | Dip the clutch and cover / use the brake as necessary |
| You hit the kerb, going forward | Because you didn’t steer (enough) | Steer briskly, taking large bites of the steering wheel |
| You let the car overhang the kerb, unnecessarily | Because you didn’t realise the dangers and / or where to stop | Stop earlier, say, 45cm, and where possible, avoid letting the car overhang the pavement / verge (advise where to stop) |
| You moved off unsafely | Because you didn’t carry out any observation | Check all around, starting with left blind spot, before moving away |
| You moved off unsafely | Because, although you looked, you didn’t act on what you saw / heard | Act sensibly on the information you receive |
| You moved off unsafely | Because you looked too quickly | Take twice as long, say, two seconds, and give yourself a chance to take in what you see |
| You moved off unsafely | Because you misjudged the speed and distance of approaching traffic | Check at least twice to judge a vehicle’s speed and distance |
| You stalled | Because you didn’t realise that the power steering and / or air conditioning take power | Set the gas more, another pound coin, say, to compensate for PAS and AC |
| You stalled | Because you didn’t realise that with the wheels turned there is more friction | Increase the gas slightly to overcome this effect |
| You stalled | Because you came off the clutch too quickly | Keep your left foot still as the car starts to move |
| You stalled | Because you didn’t have enough gas | Set gas taking the type of start into account |
| You stalled | Because as the clutch came up your foot came off the gas | Keep the gas set as you prepare to move |
| You stalled | Because you misjudged the type of start | Assess the start before you move: is it level, uphill, downhill? |
| You stalled | Because you misjudged the camber and / or slope of the road | Look at the road: does it slope from left to right, or vice-versa? How steep is the camber? |
| You stalled | Because you selected 3rd instead of 1st / 4th instead of reverse | Use the correct hand position on the gear lever to select the gear |
| You stalled | Because you didn’t release the handbrake | Release the handbrake just before the car starts to move |
| You started too close to / far from / at an angle to the kerb | Because you weren’t aware of your position | Start the manoeuvre from a parked position close to and parallel to the kerb |
| You stopped unsafely | Because you didn’t apply the handbrake between turns | Apply the handbrake, as a general guideline after each turn and before selecting first or reverse |
| You took more turns than were necessary | Because you didn’t steer (briskly) enough / use large enough bites of the wheel | Start steering briskly, using large bites of the wheel, as soon as the car starts moving |
| You took more turns than were necessary | Because you didn’t put on opposite lock (early enough) | Start steering the opposite way when you’re about 1m from the kerb (or as you cross the middle of the road when reversing). The narrower the road the later you’d leave it to steer back |
| You took more turns than were necessary | You started off too wide from the kerbs | Start the manoeuvre from a position close to and parallel to the kerb. If you are wide, steer left initially to maximise road space |
| You took more turns than were necessary | Because you stopped too far from the kerb - you’re unsure how to judge | Reduce your speed by 50% when the kerb appears under the lower edge of your door mirror. At this point, you’re very close to the kerb, say, within 45cm (note: this will vary with different cars and drivers) |
| You took more turns than were necessary | Because you were going too fast | ‘Keep the speed at walking pace, or below, using clutch control |
| You took more turns than were necessary | Because you took your foot off the clutch completely | Keep the clutch at about the biting point, using small movements, say, the thickness of a pound coin up or down |
| You took more turns than were necessary | Because you set too much gas | Set the gas about the thickness of 2 one-pound coins |
| You took more turns than were necessary | Because you misjudged the start you thought it was level when it was downhill | Assess the type of start before you move away |
| You took more turns than were necessary | Because you misjudged the (extent of) camber / slope of road | Ask yourself: is the camber slight or steep and does the road slope? |
| You waved another driver / rider on unsafely | Because you didn’t check effectively before doing so | Check all sources of danger before considering waving others on |
| You weren’t using the steering correctly | Because you ‘dry-steered’ in the road | Turn the wheel only when the car is moving |