Reversing Around a Corner

Wurly

Hi folks,

I have my 3rd test coming up in SGS Dun Laoghaire. I'm very nervous as it's my third go but I feel confident enough. Except for...... the feckin reverse around the corner.

I am absolutely diabolical at it. I don't know why. I have done a huge amount of driving lessons with <SNIP> and we focussed heavily on this manouvere. And when I do complete it successfully, I feel it's just a fluke. I have big problems with spatial awareness so I just don't 'get it'. I seem to always second guess what way I should be turning the wheel to get the car to go a certain way. And when i'm straightening up after turning, I never know which way to turn the wheel. I just cant visualise it in my head.

Has anyone experienced this problem? If you have overcome it, how? And does anyone have any advice on how to 'nail' it?

Thanks in advance.

mach1982

When your car is stationery turn the steering wheel till the wheels are straight, this is your 12 o’clock position, if you have to mark it on the steering wheel. When turning around the steering wheel will go from 3 o’clock to 12, the move back to 12 and you know you straight.

Susyblue

Tri, I have the same problem, very little spacial awareness! I have my test next week and spent the whole weekend reversing around corners, I'm at a stage where Im even dreaming about it now:-(

In my opinion, its not something that can be explained, it has to be learnt through practice, I know its not what you wanna here, but with practice it does get better. I was shocking bad at it!!

The only tip I can give you is watch for the triangle in your left wing mirror between the car and the footpath, lock the wheel slowly as you go around and go as slowly as possible, nobody said it had to be fast!

And lock the wheel right to get the car to go right in reverse and left to go left in reverse.

Good luck with the test!

Mark200

When looking in your left side-mirror, if you want to move closer to the curb turn the steering wheel towards the curb, if you want to move away from the curb, turn the steering wheel that way. Once the curb starts disappearing out of your side-mirror, start turning the steering wheel towards it.

About 50% of the time you should be looking in your left side-mirror, and the other 50% you should be looking around to make sure there are no cars coming or kids or anything.

So you should be going slowly, and if you're able to just use the clutch...no accelerator.

Alanstrainor

Remember to check your blind spot over your right shoulder before turning the wheel!
And just take it easy, the best advice i got for this manoeuvre was to do it in 2 turns of the wheel, one to get you round the corner, and the other to straighten up. And it works!

coolshark

Tri wrote: »

Hi folks,

I have my 3rd test coming up in SGS Dun Laoghaire. I'm very nervous as it's my third go but I feel confident enough. Except for...... the feckin reverse around the corner.

I am absolutely diabolical at it. I don't know why. I have done a huge amount of driving lessons with <SNIP> and we focussed heavily on this manouvere. And when I do complete it successfully, I feel it's just a fluke. I have big problems with spatial awareness so I just don't 'get it'. I seem to always second guess what way I should be turning the wheel to get the car to go a certain way. And when i'm straightening up after turning, I never know which way to turn the wheel. I just cant visualise it in my head.

Has anyone experienced this problem? If you have overcome it, how? And does anyone have any advice on how to 'nail' it?


Thanks in advance.

<SNIP>

Reversing Around A Corner.

The reverse around the corner on your driving test is the trickiest of the three manoeuvres so PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!
When approaching a left turn on a straight road the tester will ask you to pull in just after the next left turn. DON’T INDICATE LEFT UNTIL YOU’RE HALFWAY PAST THE TURN OR A CAR MAY THING YOU’RE TURNING LEFT. THIS MAY COST YOU YOUR TEST!!

Watch for the shape of the bend. When reversing you have to GIVE RIGHT OF WAY TO CARS DRIVING DIRECTLY BEHIND YOU ON SAME SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CARS DRIVING OUT OF TURN YOU ARE REVERSING INTO. AS SOON AS YOU SEE A CAR YOU MUST STOP IMMEDIATELY. DON’T WAIT TIL THE CAR IS TOO CLOSE TO YOU. THIS MAY COST YOU YOUR TEST!!

1.When parking make sure you are not too tight to the path or else you may rub your tyres when coming around the corner. Park no closer than 6 inches to the path and make sure the steering wheel is straight so you will reverse back in a STRAIGHT LINE. Don’t turn the wheel to left and right to compensate the fact you’re too tight or you may rub your tyres or reverse around TOO WIDE.

2.Scan all mirrors (right wing mirror, rear-view mirror then left wing mirror) as you go into reverse, keep feet still and look over your right shoulder and then left with two hands on the wheel.
3.
Keep looking over your left shoulder, handbrake down when you reach the biting point. When reversing you may just press the gas to get you moving then off the gas when the car is in motion. The beginning of the biting point is all you need or else you will be going too fast. Nice steady pace is perfect; Make sure to look over your right and left shoulder BEFORE you reverse. DON’T RELY ON YOUR MIRRORS! You’ll be marked for BAD OBESERVATION. The car is travelling backwards so you need to be looking BEHIND YOU! 80% behind you and 20% in left wing mirror to check your position on the kerb.

4.As you are reversing, looking OUT YOUR BACK WINDOW glance at your left-wing mirror every few seconds then back to the back window. Only turn the wheel to the left when the kerb has completely gone from view.

5.2 half turns with the wheel to the left at will bring you around the corner. At this stage all of your attention will be on the left side of your back window and your left wing mirror. You will not be able to see a car coming over your right shoulder. TIP: Glance in your right wing mirror or over your right shoulder as you’re reversing around in case a car comes up your blind spot over your right shoulder so you can stop if you need to.

6.When coming to the bend in the kerb gently begin to the turn the wheel. Control your speed by pressing in the clutch about halfway. That will control the speed of the car. You should not need to use the footbrake unless a car comes behind you and you have to stop.

7.Stop turning the wheel; your car will be half way around the bend now. Quick glance to the right to check for cars and pedestrians but DON’T STOP THE CAR. Keep it moving.

8.Continue looking over your left shoulder then check the left wing mirror. You should see the kerb in your left wing mirror. Continue in 12-18 inches to it then start straightening up the car by gently turning to the right.

9.This will bring the back wheels away from the path and bring the front wheels in to the path. Continue to look out back window and glance in your wing mirror again as you straighten the wheel with a very slight turn to the left to continue to reverse in a straight line.
10.Keep looking out your back window checking for cars, pedestrians etc and wait for the tester to ask you to stop.

snorlax

so its about half a foot from the footpath? WOuld you get a grade two for going slightly too wide?

2qk4u

"7.Stop turning the wheel; your car will be half way around the bend now. Quick glance to the right to check for cars and pedestrians but DON’T STOP THE CAR. Keep it moving." ???
Dont stop ? why not ? its a safety test, if you need to stop the tester will not have a problem.

2qk4u

snorlax wrote: »

so its about half a foot from the footpath? WOuld you get a grade two for going slightly too wide?

Dont try reversing half a foot away, move out about 2 feet...

Alanstrainor

snorlax wrote: »

so its about half a foot from the footpath? WOuld you get a grade two for going slightly too wide?

The examiners will be reasonable, and are not looking for a perfect uniform half foot the whole way around, so long as you dont end up a million miles away from the curb you'll be fine.

Greenmachine

Alanstrainor wrote: »

The examiners will be reasonable, and are not looking for a perfect uniform half foot the whole way around, so long as you dont end up a million miles away from the curb you'll be fine.

Good stuff nearly stuffed my last attempt at a reverse around the corner because I was too close to the kerb. There was a lot of lefting and righting. :rolleyes:

J_R

Tri wrote: »

Hi folks,

I have my 3rd test coming up in SGS Dun Laoghaire. I'm very nervous as it's my third go but I feel confident enough. Except for...... the feckin reverse around the corner.

I am absolutely diabolical at it. I don't know why. I have done a huge amount of driving lessons with <SNIP> and we focussed heavily on this manouvere. And when I do complete it successfully, I feel it's just a fluke. I have big problems with spatial awareness so I just don't 'get it'. I seem to always second guess what way I should be turning the wheel to get the car to go a certain way. And when i'm straightening up after turning, I never know which way to turn the wheel. I just cant visualise it in my head.

Has anyone experienced this problem? If you have overcome it, how? And does anyone have any advice on how to 'nail' it?

Thanks in advance.

If your instructor has not taught you the principle and given you at least the basic understanding of reversing then IMHO you have an incompetent instructor.

Lets suppose you are driving along and you suddenly realise you are on the wrong road, took a wrong turn, necessitating you to turn the car, return the way you have just come.

Normal way, look for a gap on the left, such as a driveway or lane, you find one, drive past, stop, reverse into the opening then drive back.

The reverse manoeuvre in the test is designed to see if you are capable of doing just the above. It is not a test to see if you can "Reverse around a corner" keeping 6 inches or whatever from the kerb. You merely need to prove you can "Reverse into a limited opening, keeping reasonably close to the kerb"

The acceptable distances. Start and if possible keep about 2 feet from the kerb. However you are allowed to go out by HALF A CAR WIDTH

The reverse manoeuvre takes about 3% of the overall test time, yet people spend an inordinate amount of time practicing.

My advice, try another instructor if only for the one lesson and tell him/her you just want to do reversing. Failing that practice someplace quiet by yourself doing just ROUGH reversing into a road. Then when you have the basic principle, fine tune a little.

bumblebee0207

ive done my test a couple of weeks ago, and failed! TOTALLY LOST MY CONFIDENCE TILL NOW!
I surely sympathize with OP. Had too much practicing in reverse around the corner(passed this one) and forgot the rest part of the test...i.e. controls! Yes its easy to blame it on nerves,but I was feeling too concious of everything and forgot that the most basic ones.Feeling like i have a thousand head that day!
Im surely changing instructor...any advise around my local, my last came from Navan which he always comes late.I wish i could get a punctual instructor this time.

dublinrose

Hi , I have exactly the same problem with reversing..second test coming up Thurs...
What I find a great help is to change the angle of your left wing mirror- just say to the tester that you are going to move the mirror for the reversing- there is no problem with this- I know at least 2 people who passed using this method.
If you angle the mirror downwards, it is easier to see where the car is going in relation to the kerb.
Also when you come round the corner and if you see in your mirror that you are very far from the kerb, as somebody else said here- turn the wheel in the direction of the kerb, keep doing that and then straighten the car out by turning to the other direction.)also don't forget to readjust your mirrors once the reverse move is over!)
The tester will also allow you to correct your position once you have come around the corner- if you see in your mirror that you are very far from the kerb....just maneuvre around til you get nearer- you don't have to do the reverse right in one straight move round the corner- you might pick up a fault for this- but it shouldn't be a fail..hope that helps.good luck!

the_syco

When I was doing lessons, I found it good to tilt the mirror down a little, so you can see the kerb easier.

J_R

coolshark wrote: »

<SNIP>

Reversing Around A Corner.

When approaching a left turn on a straight road the tester will ask you to pull in just after the next left turn.

No. He asks you to :-

Reverse Manoeuvre

For the reverse manoeuvre, and where possible, the tester should stop the applicant before the junction and should say - "This road on the left/right is the one I want you to reverse your vehicle into. Will you drive past it and stop on the left/right, and I will give you further directions."

"Reverse into this road on the left/right. You should continue reversing, while it is safe to do so, keeping reasonably close to the left/right. I'll tell you when you have gone back far enough; you may start when you are ready."

From Pratical Part of the Test

J_R

the_syco wrote: »

When I was doing lessons, I found it good to tilt the mirror down a little, so you can see the kerb easier.

But the OP did not mention they had any trouble seeing the kerb, only that had problem with knowing which way to turn the wheel to get the car to go in the desired direction.

This fixation on the kerb only adds to the confusion. Learn the basic principles of reversing first, do a few rough reverses into a quiet road, then and only then fine tune, learn to keep on your own side of the road.

Remember: You are NOT asked to reverse around a corner in the test.

Crazy situation. The more incompetent the instructor the more lessons the more money he makes.

RedzDrivingScho

Hello Tri......

J R is right in his second quote...... you will be asked to pull in before the left hand junction that you will be asked to reverse into.

Unfortunately it really is a matter of practice but here's some tips that might help.....hopefully....

After you have pulled in and are driving past the turn you are going to reverse into, make sure you have a good look and assess the turn....i.e is it a square right angle or is the bend more rounded....or is there a big drain that you can use as a guide......

What really helps is how you mange to pull in to start the procedure......try to make sure the car is in line with the kerb...about a large sliced pan width away from the kerb......as you pull up you can use your left wing mirror to check you are level with the kerb........you can adjust your mirror downwards to use it as a guide when reversing but don't forget all round observations as well.....

the trick, which takes practice, and very hard to explain, is to reverse in line with the kerb and when the kerb starts to move away from the view in your wing mirror to turn the wheel a number of 1/4 turns to the left to stay in line with the kerb...depends on the corner but around 3 1/4 turns...the kerb will dissapear from the wing mirror view but will come back into view shortly and then its a matter of correcting the wheel the same number of turns to the right......

if you're in line with the kerb at the start and you turn the wheel 3 1/4 turns to the left to reverse around the corner, then when you see the curb again in the wing mirror 3 1/4 turns to the right will straighten the car up.....

The thing to do is take your time.....have good all round observations....and 2 points....

1. you can adjust your left wing mirror downwards if it helps.....
2. you can correct yourself once if you feel your going off course without fault......

Best of luck with the test

Richard

Wurly

Folks, thank you so much for all your help. It is so much appreciated.

I am going to reverse my arse off this weekend.:D Hopefully, ill nail it this time.

Thanks again,
Tri