Manoeuvres: Step 3 - Comfort, Control & Accuracy
What's behind?
As with the previous step this information is based on that offered to learner drivers - but equally important to you and your new career.
Comfort, good observation, good car control and reasonable accuracy are essential for all of your driving - good observation is especially important. It's very easy to let your concentration and observation slip when doing slow speed manoeuvres - but a glance around and multi-storey car park and you will see paint left behind on walls and pillars.
Scraping your car in a multi-storey car park is one thing - failing to see a child behind is another thing entirely.
You need to ensure that you are sitting in a position that gives you maximum flexibility for observation. When reversing it's normally best to look back over your left shoulder this will give you a good view behind and you will easily be able to glance back to the front.
In order to look back along the road you will need to turn around slightly in your seat. If you wear glasses you might have to turn around quite a long way in order to see clearly.
Some drivers have to move the seat forwards slightly in order to reach the clutch when turning around; if you need to do this, remember to readjust your seat after you've finished reversing otherwise you may well have difficulty controlling the car in normal driving.
You can (legally) remove your seatbelt when completing any manoeuvre which includes reversing - you can also do this when supervising learner drivers. Having said this, the flexibility provided by most modern seat belts will allow you to turn around without unfastening. If you release your seatbelt you must remember to put it on again before driving off.
All of the set manoeuvres are assessed on proper observation, control and accuracy – for good reason. If you get these three things right, and make good decisions, you will remain safe whenever you are reversing. Get these things wrong, and you will be faced with hefty car insurance premiums!
Observation: This is probably the most common reason for manoeuvring problems during ADI Part-Two. The most common problems are:
Check all around before starting any manoeuvre using your six-point check. Then repeat this observation two or three times more (or as often as required) during the manoeuvre. It is especially important to check all around before any direction change, for example before steering when parking.
Control: The best way to control your car during slow speed manoeuvres is 'clutch control' - keeping the clutch at or around the 'biting point'. If you are manoeuvring on a downhill slope keep the clutch down and control your speed with the footbrake. If driving an automatic you can use two foot control, braking with your left foot – however, this should not normally be necessary.
Accuracy: Accuracy should not be a problem for experienced drivers – simply practise until you could do the manoeuvres blindfolded (not literally!).
When accuracy problems arise during Part-Two it's usually because the driver is going too fast – often in order to complete the manoeuvre quickly if someone gives way. If other drivers are giving way it's because they are happy to wait, take your time!
Next: Angle start