Learning to drive

Manoeuvres in the driving test

Dread, I know. But learning your driving test manouevres now will make your life so much easier after you’ve passed.

Zipping into a titchy space right outside Tesco, nabbing the last spot in the high street on a Saturday morning... Trust me, you need this.

What are the manoeuvres in the driving test?

The 3 manoeuvres that could come up on your driving test:

• Bay park forward and reverse out or reverse bay park and drive out
• Parallel park
• Pull up on the right, reverse for 2 car lengths and rejoin the road

During your test, you’ll be asked to do one manoeuvre. It could be any one, so spend plenty time getting to grips with each.

Your driving instructor will spend time teaching you the right technique, but practice makes perfect so spend a lot of time on these in your private practice too.

Remember that this isn’t like the algebra that you learn in school and never use again. You’ll use your manoeuvres all the time, so you need to know them well.

While not technically a manoeuvre (it's a simulated event), you may also be asked to do an emergency stop in your driving test. Your examiner might call this a 'controlled stop'.

 

The key to acing your manoeuvres

You’ve heard it over and over by now and it applies to everything from moving off to turning right at a junction.

Mirror - Signal - Manoeuvre (Position, Speed and Look)

In your test, the examiner chooses the location of the manoeuvre for you. All of your manoeuvres make you a potential hazard to other road users. That means that you need to make sure:

• You have enough space to perform your manoeuvre
• Other people know what you’re doing
• Your manoeuvre won’t put you or others in danger
• You’re aware of everything around you as you perform your manoeuvre
• You won't make anyone have to Stop, Slow, Swerve or Swear