Stopping question

mada999

Hi all,

I've have a silly question. If your coming up to a stop sign, do you have to stop and engage the hand brake everytime even if there are no cars coming. Does the car have to come to a full stop?

Wishbone Ash

mada999 wrote:

I've have a silly question

No such thing here mada999!

mad999 wrote:

If your coming up to a stop sign, do you have to stop and engage the hand brake everytime even if there are no cars coming. Does the car have to come to a full stop?

You must bring the vehicle to a complete stop at a STOP sign even if the junction is clear. There is no need to apply the parking brake (unless it's required for a hill start).

During a driving test, failure to stop completely at a STOP sign will result in an automatic failure, however flawless the rest of the test may have been.

pete4130

Wishbone is right. You must come to a complete stop no matter if the junction is clear. The handbrake/parking brake is situation dependant. If you are facing uphill, then the handbrake should be used as you will have to complete a hillstart to pull off.

If it is not an uphill start but you can't see clearly and safely at the junction with ease and you have to take an extra few seconds to make sure the road is clear and safe before you pull off from the stop sign, applying the handbrake while making your observations would be a good idea.

If again you are not facing uphill you have stopped using the footbrake and can see clearly that the junction is safe for you to proceed after your observations and you are comfortable and confident to move off from the junction then this should be ok.

It is all really a judgement call on the day at the particular junction as well I'm afraid. One good way to cope with this is to get familiar with your test route if possible so that you know the area quite well and are familiar with most of the junctions, lights, road signage, traffic flow etc....

One thing I always kept in mind when I was in a difficult situation was to try not to panic and rush into something. The way I saw it was that it's better to get a minor mark against you in the green or blue categories than panicking and allowing yourself to get a mark in the pink and instantly be disqualified.

scoot on

When you stop, for example at a stop sign, and and it is on a flat surface so you don't use the hand brake, what is the correct procedure with the clutch. Do you keep the car in first or put it intro neutral and release the clutch?

MrPudding

Whenever I was learning in the north i was told you had to apply the handbrake if the car came to a complete stop. This went so far as applying it during gear changes whilst doing the turn using forward and reverse gears.

MrP

Noskoda

You MUST come to a complete stop at a STOP sign, as the name suggests. I get my pupils to come to a stop, move into first gear, count three seconds and then move off as soon as it is safe - obviously after having looked carefully. Handbrake only to be applied if on a hill, otherwise you will take up too much time.