Question re reverse around the corner

leahyl

Hi all

I have my driving test on Wednesday and i'm pretty nervous about the reverse around the corner. To be honest i haven't done enough practice on it so it's my own fault but i was just wondering what constitutes a fail with the reverse around the corner manoeuvre? Will the tester make allowances for not being the perfect distance from the kerb once your observation is very good (obv when i say not being the perfect distance i don't mean ending up on the other side of the road! But you know what i mean:))

Thanks

**Timbuk2**

You don't have to keep an EXACT uniform distance from the cerb at all times - if you actually think about it, as the side of the car is straight and the cerb is rounded, it's impossible to do so (exactly!).

As long as you don't swing out too much, the tester will be much more concerned with your observation. If you swing out too wide, I imagine that you will at most stand to get a Grade 2 for Competency.

Practice a few times before Wednesday - you will get the hang of it!

leahyl

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

You don't have to keep an EXACT uniform distance from the cerb at all times - if you actually think about it, as the side of the car is straight and the cerb is rounded, it's impossible to do so (exactly!).

As long as you don't swing out too much, the tester will be much more concerned with your observation. If you swing out too wide, I imagine that you will at most stand to get a Grade 2 for Competency.

Practice a few times before Wednesday - you will get the hang of it!

Thanks Timbuk2 - i have been having pre test lessons and the instructor was making it pretty clear all right that observation is very important but at the same time you want to do it reasonably well too and not be too far from the kerb or swing too wide! Thanks a mil for your quick response;)

DriveSkill

As said above there is no exact distance required but the recommendation is about 12-18 inches.

As you've mentioned the main faults incurred during the reverse are usually on observation. It is very important that you look out the rear-window and not rely on your mirrors alone - by all means check the mirrors to help guide you but dont rely on them completely. Also remember you must check your blindspot just before you start to turn the wheel as the front of the car will 'step-out' at that point.

The other 2 categories that you are marked on are :

Competently :

Try and keep a reasonably consistent distance from the kerb throughout - dont be weaving in and out. As said the exact amount is not critical but about 12-18 inches. Dont hit the kerb, so if you are heading that way its better to correct by driving forward slightly and then continuing if you cant correct during the reverse. Dont overshoot the corner and swing wide - you should never be in the center of the road you are reversing into

Right of Way :

This is sort of linked with the observation as you have to have good observation in the first place in order to yield to someone

Simple rule is if anyone approaches - STOP. Keep your car in reverse (i.e. reversing lights on) and foot on the brake pedal. This indicates to the car approaching from behind what you are doing and while your foot is on the brake they will have more confidence to drive past you. If it turns out that you start to cause an obstruction (i.e. the car behind is not driving around you) then pull forward into the starting position again. This rarely happens.

Dont be too focused on the reverse, while it is important to get right it is just one part of the test. Your general driving - observation, turning left and right, hazard awareness etc is more important to the outcome of the test.

One final point is remember that you will end up pulled in before the reverse and also at the end of the manoeuvre - you must remember to check your blindspots before moving off again in both cases. It's common that people are so focussed on the reverse coming up or just completed that they forget their normal 'moving off' procedure at these two points.

Best of luck with it.

Gusc

leahyl wrote: »

Hi all

I have my driving test on Wednesday and i'm pretty nervous about the reverse around the corner. To be honest i haven't done enough practice on it so it's my own fault but i was just wondering what constitutes a fail with the reverse around the corner manoeuvre? Will the tester make allowances for not being the perfect distance from the kerb once your observation is very good (obv when i say not being the perfect distance i don't mean ending up on the other side of the road! But you know what i mean:))

Thanks

Reverse { An Irregular Manoeuvre }
Manoeuvre competenly using clutch control at the correct speed keeping resonably close to the kerb Approx. 14 inches. Take adequate observation looking through back window, at least 4 blindspot checks and due consideration for other road users. Do Not Stare in left door mirror.
Best of luck
Gusc

Chickus

Hi, Just passed the other day but take the reverse around corner nice and slow,Take your time.. Dont pull in too close to kerb, its allows you to see kerb better in mirror..Observation is key though..good clutch control..ie:control speed with clutch.Dont overthink it...
I failed it on this area first time round as my observation wasnt good but flew through it the other day, even though my legs were like jelly Good luck

spurious

+1 on don't over think it. Slow and easy allows you time to correct mistakes.

I made a complete hames of the reverse around the corner last test. I ended up on the opposite side of the road with a rather unnerved tester grabbing the door handle. I got a grade 3 for that. Admittedly, laughing nervously was probably not the reaction they wanted from me after it.

Switched instructor and feel much more confident about it now and am ready for next time.

Gusc

spurious wrote: »

+1 on don't over think it. Slow and easy allows you time to correct mistakes.

I made a complete hames of the reverse around the corner last test. I ended up on the opposite side of the road with a rather unnerved tester grabbing the door handle. I got a grade 3 for that. Admittedly, laughing nervously was probably not the reaction they wanted from me after it.

Switched instructor and feel much more confident about it now and am ready for next time.

Your bang on when you say slow and easy allows you time to correct mistakes.
Best of luck in the next test
Gusc

cython

Chickus wrote: »

Hi, Just passed the other day but take the reverse around corner nice and slow,Take your time.. Dont pull in too close to kerb, its allows you to see kerb better in mirror..Observation is key though..good clutch control..ie:control speed with clutch.Dont overthink it...
I failed it on this area first time round as my observation wasnt good but flew through it the other day, even though my legs were like jelly Good luck

I'd agree with this. It's been a while since I sat my test, but my girlfriend is learning at the moment, and in addition to her lessons with the instructor, I've been letting her practice in my car, including this manoeuvre. When she first did it in my car, she was incredibly focussed on the distance she was keeping from the kerb, trying to get it inch perfect, and as a result her observation would have suffered, and her path would have been a bit irregular around the corner.

I then showed her the method I had been taught for the reverse around a corner, which entails no use of the mirrors, except for the usual observation, and the first time she tried it this way, there was a marked improvement in both the observation and smoothness of the reversing once she wasn't fixated on the kerb distance. And guess what? She was just as close to the kerb doing it this way as when she had been obsessing over it in the wing mirror!