When do I learn my manoeuvres?

Be patient when it comes to learning manoeuvres.

As soon as you have mastered the basic skills of controlling the car, the manoeuvres will be easy and you will learn them quicker.

A logical order for initial manoeuvres:

Emergency stop as soon as you have mastered basic control skills (steering, clutch control, etc.); then straight reversing and angle starts.

Reversing right and left can be done later in your course, after you have been introduced to busier traffic.

Finally, turning around and parallel parking and dealing with car parks should be left until late on in your course when you have developed a wide range of skills and are gaining confidence.

If you start your 'set manoeuvres' too soon you will waste money and practice time.

Example

The 'Turn-in-the-road' manoeuvre needs the following skills:

	Clutch control
	Reversing
	Moving off on a slope
	Accurate steering
	Coping with traffic

If you don't have these skills, you will spend too much time (and money!) practising.

Break down ...

The skills for the turn-in-the-road break down as follows:

Clutch control can be learnt as a specific exercise early on in training, however, it needs to be 'second nature' before the turn is attempted.

Reversing skills need to be in place ... Broadside across the road with traffic approaching is not the best time to start learning to reverse!

Moving off on a slope is required because of the 'camber' of the road.

Accurate steering will only be achieved\ after you can turn right into or from a narrow road. Angle-starts will also help you to co-ordinate clutch-control and steering.

The ability to cope with traffic (learned at crossroads and in narrow streets with parked cars) is essential to deal confidently with vehicles that approach during the turn.