Learning to drive can often be a scary and challenging thing, but it doesn’t have to be. Here at My Driving School we have decided to give you a few hints and tips to help you along your way and make you aware of things you may not have already known.

Dry Steering

Dry steering is the act of turning the steering wheel while the vehicle is stationary. One of the most common occasions for a student to dry steer is during the turnaround manoeuvre (aka three point turn). If performed during a driving test, dry steering is likely to be marked as a non-critical driving error.  

Manoeuvres List

The reverse parallel park is not the only manoeuvre you will have to do in your driving test. Your driving examiner will assess your ability to perform some of the following:

• hill start
• turn-around
• U-turn
• reversing in a straight line
• reverse parallel park
• gear change (for automatic tests)

Check back soon for specific details on these manouevres or ask your MDS instructor.

Manoeuvres - Reversing Straight 

Here are a few common errors made while reversing straight:

• Clutch coasting: Many students are afraid of going too fast backwards, so are continually putting the clutch in and out to slow the vehicle. Check with your instructor to ensure you are releasing the clutch during this manoeuvre.
• Observation: Look where you're going and don't just rely on your mirrors when reversing as there are blind spots. Turn your head, get a good look and watch out for oncoming hazards.
• Steering: It's amazing how many students want to do a lot of steering adjustment during their reverse. If you pull up with a straight wheel, parallel to the gutter, and ensure you're not too close when you come to a stop, you will likely find you don't need to alter your steering at all on your reverse!

Speed zones

One of the most common reasons why students fail their practical driving tests is speeding. Most know that the speed sign shows the maximum speed to be driven in a particular zone. But many students make errors when entering a zone with a different limit. For example, if you are travelling in a 40 kph zone and are approaching a 60 kph zone you must continue to drive at a maximum speed of 40 kph until you pass the 60 kph speed sign. In other words, you can't get a run up! Also, when travelling from a higher to a lower speed zone area, you must already be at the lower speed when you pass the new sign.

Stop signs

When you face a stop sign or line you need to bring your vehicle to a complete stop just behind the stop line. Almost stopping is not good enough and can result in a critical driving error and an instant fail on your driving test!