Reversing around corner

HOS 1997

My driving instructor thinks this is my 'Achilles Heal' when it comes to driving and something I really need to practice/work on before my test in a couple of weeks.

I can never seem to manage to do it correctly.

Can anyone here give me tips/advice on how to master this?

TEMPLAR KNIGHT

HOS 1997 wrote: »

My driving instructor thinks this is my 'Achilles Heal' when it comes to driving and something I really need to practice/work on before my test in a couple of weeks.

I can never seem to manage to do it correctly.

Can anyone here give me tips/advice on how to master this?

I always found changing the position of the wing mirror is the best thing to help with this to give you a view of the curb and what's behind the corner, this is easy with electric mirrors but with normal ones would be hard. Also pulling into the curb and getting the distance right is key..but keep practicing and you will get better it just takes time! Goodluck with it!

HOS 1997

Thanks. I'll work on the best way to position the mirror this evening when I'm out practicing.

starlit

Its my faux pas too but I find the best way to do it is to have the mirrors positioned to view the kerb better.

Position car at a certain point from the kerb. Locking the wheel at a certain point such as when you reach the end of the kerb before you turn, once it out of view in mirror/window then you start locking/turning wheel, and how much you lock it can affect how the car will be positioned.

How you are turning the wheel. Going slow, if there is a fall of ground you need to give a bit more gas, if flat going around the corner, Most importantly all round observation!!! You need to set it at biting point but just clutch control is ok unless you need a bit of gas, be ready to brake if you see cyclists/pedestrians/vehicles that be close to you.

You could fail on the reverse alone if your vehicle control/pedal control isn't that good, if stalling and haven't managed to do the manoeuvre. The reversing alone you could fail on it if not done properly and to standard required for the test.

Best way to tackle it is practice, do it as often as possible, no matter how much practice it could go one way or the other often its down to luck,situation (the scene as it can change) and technique not just the manoeuvre its self , and practice on various different types of kerbs not the same ones all the time, not a challenge otherwise and could be asked to do the manoeuvre on any potential kerb such as on flat/fall of ground, busy or quiet area, not many hazards/lots of hazards.

Best of luck.

woodchuck

HOS 1997 wrote: »

Thanks. I'll work on the best way to position the mirror this evening when I'm out practicing.

Just remember to put it back to it's original position when you're finished! And that when you're taking off again that you need to indicate and check your blind spot first... these may be obvious things, but I'm always forgetting and trying to work on it myself :rolleyes:

maximoose

woodchuck wrote: »

Just remember to put it back to it's original position when you're finished!

This. Did the corner reverse manouevre early on in my test and then realised half way through I had forgot to put the mirror back

(Still passed :pac:)

Good luck. Practice makes perfect, then nail it in your test and you're well prepared to never have to use this utterly pointless manoevre in normal driving again.

Daxve

I struggled with this for a long time I just couldn't do it by looking out the rear and side window things just never seemed to line up and I'd end to far from the curb. In the end I was taught to tilt the wing mirror down until I could clearly see the curb, sit forward almost over the steering wheel and reverse slowly until the curb disappears from view in the wing mirror now start your turn and when the curb comes back into view straighten up and finish the maneuver. Got it every time after that the one thing you must watch though is your observation if you just stare at the mirror all the way through you'll fail on observation you need to be seen to be looking all around the car for hazards as well.

starlit

Completing the reverse slowly will minimise mistakes.

HOS 1997

Tried it again this evening. Got nowhere with it again. Didn't help that the road was very busy but it could also be very busy on the day of the test.
Have a lesson booked for the morning so will try again.

ADIDriving

Find a quiet place to practice. Get it right really, really, really, really slow. Then try it slightly less slow.

Pomplamousse

OP you could buy a blindspot mirror & stick it onto your wing mirror. They allow you to see the entire curb while reversing so you wouldn't need to adjust your wing mirror. I bought one in Halfords recently and it was less than a tenner I think.
I was the same as you and could not for the life of me get the hang of reversing around the corner. My instructor had one of these blind spot mirrors on his car & suggested I buy one for my own car.
Passed my test recently & I don't think I would've without it:D

Chris_Heilong

its very possible to pass the test even if you mess up the reverse, but you will get a grade 2. Remember after you finish the maneuver and the tester asks you to continue on that you check rear view mirror,indicate,right mirror and check your blind spot before you hit the accelerator. Lots of people make this mistake and usually pick up another grade 2 there and then.

gubbie

Slow and steady.

Picture the distance between the curb and the car in your mirror and turn the wheel about 90 degrees. Reverse a tiny amount. If this distance increases you're too wide so stop and adjust your wheel and vice versa.

Don't forget to look behind you and over into your right mirror when the front of your car swings out.

I had to do my hill start and my reversing around the corner together. It was an ass

Cathalog

Just for reassurance, I'm going to say this:

I was quite comfortable with both reversing around a corner and the turnabout while practicing for my test. They were quite possible my strongest aspect of driving that'd be assessed during the test.

But whatever happened, I made an absolute balls of both (!!) of them during the test. I reversed too wide, and the turnabout took me around 9 points (going forward and back 9 times). I was afraid I'd hit the kerb, so therefor I was overly-cautious.

I still passed with 4 Grade-2s in total. I picked up just 1 grade2 for the reverse and 1 grade2 for the turnabout.

My advice:
- DON'T hit the kerb whatever you do (could be a grade 3)
- Keep checking your mirrors and observing correctly

^Follow the above and you should only pick up a grade2 at worst. (Look at the marking sheet - there's only one "Grade2" box beside the "Competently" section)

Lavisa

I was useless at Reverse around corner aswell, the tips that helped me were :

Dont turn your wheel until you can no longer see the kerb
Then only turn the wheel a tiny bit, you only need small movements on the steering wheel turn.

woodchuck

HOS 1997 wrote: »

Tried it again this evening. Got nowhere with it again. Didn't help that the road was very busy but it could also be very busy on the day of the test.
Have a lesson booked for the morning so will try again.

I'd say try getting it right on a quiet road to begin with. Once you've mastered it there, THEN take it to a busy road. I've always been fine at it, but recently started doing it on very busy roads to put extra pressure on myself (make it more like 'test conditions') and it's quite hard to do. I don't think I would've been able to manage it all though if I hadn't got the hang of it on quiet corners first though.

I'd also concentrate on getting the actual manouver down first without focusing too much on observation (just make sure you have someone with you to keep an eye out). Once you get the manouver down, then you can concentration on upping your obvervation and then do it on a busy road. Just my two cents!

clo4cb

In my car the stick to move the mirror is on the passenger side. When you push it down, it doesn't go down enough to see the kerb unless you push it down with your hand. My instructor said on the day of my test the tester might refuse to move the mirror for me. Surely this isn't fair because it's going to be harder for me to reverse around the corner? By the way my test is on Monday.

gubbie

clo4cb wrote: »

In my car the stick to move the mirror is on the passenger side. When you push it down, it doesn't go down enough to see the kerb unless you push it down with your hand. My instructor said on the day of my test the tester might refuse to move the mirror for me. Surely this isn't fair because it's going to be harder for me to reverse around the corner? By the way my test is on Monday.

My instructor told me that I should move it myself which I did, although I did ask before if the inspecter minded me reaching across her. Just make sure your car has hand brake up and in neutral. And of course return it after

J_R

clo4cb wrote: »

In my car the stick to move the mirror is on the passenger side. When you push it down, it doesn't go down enough to see the kerb unless you push it down with your hand. My instructor said on the day of my test the tester might refuse to move the mirror for me. Surely this isn't fair because it's going to be harder for me to reverse around the corner? By the way my test is on Monday.

Hi,

I always advised my pupils to ask the examiner to adjust the mirror. Used to tell them if he refused then they should adjust whilst muttering under their breath about unhelpful B's. But never had any problem.

In the booklet "Standard Procedure for Conducting Driving Test". section Practical Part of the Test

The tester says- "Thank you. Now, would you please ensure that the seat, seat-belt, head restraint, and mirrors are properly adjusted and that your door is properly closed." The tester should confirm that the tester's door is closed and should also adjust an exterior mirror, if asked to do so by the applicant.

Granted this is at the beginning of the test, but see no reason why when they are supposed to assist at the start, that they would refuse later.

Also used to tell the pupil when asking him to adjust the mirror to add "And don't forget to put it back after we have finished" Do not know if anybody ever did.

HOS 1997

Did it correctly for the first time during a lesson last night. Big boost for my confidence.

I have my test Monday and will be practicing it more between now and then.

Some good information on this thread, thanks all.

The Black Oil

TEMPLAR KNIGHT wrote: »

I always found changing the position of the wing mirror is the best thing to help with this to give you a view of the curb and what's behind the corner, this is easy with electric mirrors but with normal ones would be hard. Also pulling into the curb and getting the distance right is key..but keep practicing and you will get better it just takes time! Goodluck with it!

Are you allowed to do this? My mirror set up is fine for the road and that, but less so for reversing around the corner unless I change it to see more of the kerb. If you are allowed I presume it's fine once you then readjust for normal driving once you've done this part of the test. My instructor let me readjust, but I haven't seen him in a few months, so I can't remember much. So, if I don't adjust it I can't see much out of the left hand mirror, but obviously I'm not keen to over rely on it.

This manoeuvre is a bit of an issue for me at the moment, though that's partly down to not having practiced it in a good while. I'm fine on the control of speed and I don't think I've ever stalled on it. Could probably observe a little more.

cents

It is not possible to do too much observation on this manouvere imo. When pulling out afterwards also it can be easy to forget, mirror signal mirror blindspot, used to always get me at the start.

cactus10

Suppose this is a good thread to ask...

From all the reading and DVD's and such, its says the tester will mark you for moving in reverse in this manoeuver if there are cars or pedestrians around you. It seems to be an instant fail. So what I want to know is:

1) if you are starting on a busy road, and say reversing into a quiet road, do you just need to wait - perhaps a looong time - to start the move, if there's even a break in traffic?

2) if you are halfway around the corner and a car comes up the road you are reversing into, what do you do? (other than stop). Likely the oncoming car isnt going to try and pass you on a corner so will just stop in its tracks, so do you abort the move and go forward?

This one has me a bit nervous

ADIDriving

1. If it is a busy road you need to make little bits of progress in the gaps.
2. Initally stop. If it looks like they are going to try drive around you let them do that. If it looks like they are going to wait, then you go back to the start.
Years ago I had a student who had to reverse around the corner three times, because two cars came just before he had gone back far enough. He pass. Said it gave him great confidence that he nailed three reverses, they could throw nothing else at him.