Successfully manoeuvring your car is one of the most challenging aspects when learning to drive, and can be quite a daunting task. With various steps to remember, a proper technique is crucial in ensuring you stay safe and keep your vehicle away from accidental damage.
Below, we've gone through each manoeuvre you'll find on your practical driving test and explained how you should approach them, helping you to be confident while out on the open road.
Turning your vehicle around
Turning your vehicle around can take two main forms: a three-point turn (a turn in the road) or a five-point turn (a U-turn). Both of these manoeuvres require some fairly complex skills, which can unnerve some drivers. The type of turn that you should do will often be dependent on the type of road on which you are driving, as well as the road markings and road signs.
Turns in the road
A turn in the road involves turning and reversing, and is used to turn a vehicle around so that it is facing in the opposite direction. It is used when it is not possible to use a side road to perform the turn.
The usual way of conducting a turn in the road is to move to the side of the road, turn your wheels to the side, pull across to the opposite kerb, turn your wheels to the other side, reverse until your back wheels are almost touching the opposite kerb and correct your steering so that your wheels are back pointing in a central direction. At this point, you can move off as soon as it safe to do so, as you should now be pointing in the right direction.
In the first phase of the turn, turn the wheel as far to the right as you can and then hold it steady while moving across the road until you are around a yard from the kerb. At this point, counter steer, move slowly and brake around a foot before the kerb. Apply the handbrake and select neutral.
In the middle phase of the turn, you need to be extremely accurate to avoid hitting the kerbs at the start and end. Turn the wheel as far to the left as you can and hold it steady throughout this phase. As before, brake around a foot from the kerb, apply the handbrake and select reverse gear.
The 'three-point turn' name comes from the fact that you must perform three (or sometimes more) separate manoeuvres to complete the turn.Large steering movements are necessary to complete the turn as smoothly as possible. Maintaining a tight control over your vehicle at all times is essential, both in terms of speed and steering.
U-turns
This involves making a full 180-degree turn in the road. The 'U-turn' part of the name comes from the fact that the turn takes a 'U' shape.
A U-turn is considered to be illegal if one of the following happens:
- You cross a kerb
- You cross double white lines in the centre of the road (unless there is a gap between them)
- Road markings or signs indicate 'No U-turns'
- You are on a one-way street
If you are unable to make a U-turn, a turn in the road is the better option.
Reversing
The act of reversing a vehicle is also known as backing-up. It can be one of the most difficult manoeuvres to get the hang of for novice driver’s as it can seem strange when you have to move the car backwards.
To help a driver with this manoeuvre most vehicles in the UK come with three mirrors as standard. On the inside there is usually a rear view mirror unless you are driving an LCV with no windows in the rear doors. You will also have two wing mirrors – one on the left and one on the right, this can be of great help when reversing but they are also useful when driving forwards.
How to reverse correctly
- Do not try to reverse into a busy road from a side road or reverse onto a road from a driveway, you should always try to reverse in and drive out.
- Use all your mirrors so that you have a good view of your surroundings, checking your blind spot regularly as you execute the manoeuvre.
- Watch out for pedestrians, cyclists and other road users as they may not realise that you are reversing your vehicle so be sure to check your surroundings for as long as you make the manoeuvre.
- Always remember that when you reverse around a corner, the front of your vehicle will swing out, before you execute this part of the manoeuvre make sure there are no obstructions close to the front of your car.
- If you cannot see clearly what is behind your vehicle then ask your passenger to guide you through the manoeuvre safely.
- You must not reverse your vehicle further than you need to.
- You must not reverse across a central reservation, if you are driving on a motorway and have missed your junction by mistake then wait and take the next junction off the motorway. It is forbidden to reverse up a hard shoulder by law.
Using parking aids when reversing
Nowadays it is common to have luxury or executive vehicles come with reversing aids fitted as standard. This can be in the form of parking sensors or a camera that is positioned so that you don’t scratch the rear of your car. These gadgets are an aid but remember you need to check all around your vehicle and continually check that it is clear for you to continue and execute your reversing manoeuvre.
When you need reverse make sure you choose an appropriate place, preferably somewhere quiet where you can execute your manoeuvre in safety and not hold any other road users up.
Parallel parking
Parallel parking (otherwise known as reverse parking) is often thought of as one of the most challenging driving skills for a new driver to get the hang of. It can be difficult to get right, even if you are not a new driver. It differs from 'normal' parking manoeuvres, as the majority of the manoeuvres is done whilst the car is in reverse.
Because you are spending so much of the manoeuvres in reverse, you need to be checking both in front and behind your vehicle at regular intervals for safety purposes. This article offers driving tips for parallel parking.
What is parallel parking?
As the name suggests, parallel parking involves parking behind other vehicles (that are parked directly alongside the kerb) that you have to negotiate in order to park safely. In most cases, you will be parking at the end of a line of cars.
How to parallel park
Firstly, you should bring your car parallel to the car that you want to park behind. This may involve driving forwards past the car that you want to park behind, so that you can reverse into a gap. This will give you a good opportunity to gauge whether or not your car will fit into the gap. You should be about one metre away from the line of cars before you start reversing. At this point, you should stop and make sure that it is safe to carry on reversing.
If it is, reverse slowly and carefully until the corner of the other car appears in your side window. Turn the steering wheel fully to the left (which will make the car swing to the side), and check your mirrors and blind spot to make sure that it is safe. Once you have checked this, you can carry on reversing until the front of your car lines up with the back of the other car. Make sure that there is enough room for you to clear the back of the other car, and turn the steering wheel fully to the right, which will make the car swing towards the kerb.
Once the car gets close to the kerb, turn the steering wheel slightly back towards the centre so that you don't crash into the kerb. Ideally, you should stay two car lengths behind the other car until you have completed the parallel parking manoeuvre. At this point, you can move the car slightly forwards or backwards so that you are in a safe parking position, but remember to leave enough room to get out again without problems.
To parallel park safely, you need to be making constant checks to the road in front of and behind your car to make sure that there are no dangers. Very few drivers (no matter how experienced they might be) manage to parallel park without having to make at least a few corrections if space is tighter than they anticipated, so you shouldn't be too surprised if you have to complete the parking manoeuvres in at least three stages.
What to consider when completing manoeuvres
It is important to consider other road users when performing any manoeuvre. This involves checking both your mirrors and your blind spot to make sure that it is safe to move off during each of the separate elements, checking your mirrors progressively to ensure you're still safe. If other vehicles approach, complete the phase of the turn before, and then let them pass before you continue the rest of the turn.
Keep an eye out for hazards such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists in particular, as they can approach seemingly out of nowhere. If pedestrians approach, let them move away before you carry on the phase of the manoeuvre that you were about to complete.
