When you’re driving, you may come across hazards on the road that requires you to stop suddenly. Imagine that you’re on the road and a child runs out from behind a parked car, for example. You need to stop the car as quickly as possible while ensuring that the car stays under your control.

In a driving test scenario, your examiner will ask you to pull over at the curbside and explain that you will now be performing an emergency stop somewhere on the road ahead. The examiner will inform you that they are going to raise their hand in advance so that you know to look out for the cue. When the examiner raises their hand, you will need to bring the car to a standstill as fast as you can without losing control of the vehicle. The examiner will manage traffic behind you and only ask you to stop when it’s safe to do so.

How To Do An Emergency Stop

To pass this element of your driving test, follow these simple steps:

• Stop without checking your mirrors: this will increase your stopping time and slow your reaction time.
• Brake firmly but don’t slam your foot down on the pedal.
• Put your clutch down just before you stop to prevent stalling.
• Keep both hands on the wheel at all times to keep control and prepare for the next movement. In a real-life scenario, this might be moving the car in a different direction, for example.
• Move away safely after checking all mirrors and blind spots.

What To Do After An Emergency Stop

After you have performed an emergency stop, it’s imperative that you check your mirrors and your blind spots before moving off. If there are vehicles passing, wait for a safe gap, due to your position in the road a signal isn’t needed and may even be seen as misleading to other drivers. Don’t the moving off process as to move away without mirrors and blind spot checks will always result in a fail.

Skid Control & Anti-Locking Braking Systems

When you perform an emergency stop, there may be a risk of skidding. If you feel the back of the car moving to the left, steer the car in that direction. Sometimes, especially in older vehicles, the wheels can lock when you stop suddenly, and this indicates that you’ve gone into a skid. If this happens, gently release the brake and then brake again. Repeat this pattern.

If you have a new car, it’s highly likely that it will have anti-locking braking systems. If the wheels are about to lock, the system will be activated and the car will start to pump the brakes quickly to prevent locking and avoid skidding.

Stopping Distances

It’s important to be aware of stopping distances, especially if it’s raining or the roads are icy. If you’re travelling on a 30mph road, for example, the stopping distance is 23 metres. Always leave a gap of at least 2 seconds between your vehicle and the car in front.

Why Do People Fail The Emergency Stop?

The most common reasons for failing an emergency stop include:

• Slow reactions
• Failing to stop fast enough
• Losing control and skidding
• Taking your hands off the wheel
• Using the handbrake before the car has stopped
• Failing to carry out checks and observations

Never assume that another driver will drive sensibly on the road, some people make mistakes and some people are bad drivers.

Stay calm

If you are feeling stressed, stop somewhere and take a break. Getting angry with other drivers will just distract you from driving safely. Bad drivers are a fact of life, if you come across one just keep your distance and don’t let them spoil your day.

Don’t rush or be impatient

If you are late for something don’t take risks just to save a few seconds – it’s not worth it. Keep to the speed limits and don’t overtake unless you have to. Don’t intimidate slower drivers by flashing your lights or tailgating them.

Don’t be distracted

Concentrate on driving not on your passengers, sat nav, cd player etc. If your mobile phone rings, indicate and pull over in a safe place, if you miss the call just call them back! If you find your concentration wandering, you may be tired. Stop somewhere have a coffee and a rest.

Look out for pedestrians

Be alert and watch out for pedestrians in urban areas on country roads where they may not be a footpath. Watch out for children emerging from between parked cars.

Look out for motorbikes, scooters and cyclists

Small vehicles like motorbikes and scooters are easily missed. Take extra care at junctions and when changing lanes check your blind spot. If you want to overtake a bike allow plenty of space because they may swerve or wobble. If there isn’t enough space to pass safely, wait.

Look out for animals

Take care on country roads to watch out for horses and their riders. Pass them wide and slow. Be wary of smaller animals in the road, but remember that you should only try to avoid them if it does not put you or another road user in danger.

Respect the speed limits and the weather conditions

Always drive within the speed limits. If you are driving at speed you are less likely to be able to stop in time if you come across an unexpected hazard. Always drive at a speed that is appropriate for the weather conditions if you want to avoid having an accident. Stopping distances will increase significantly if the road surface is wet or icy, and reduce your speed in foggy or conditions where visibility is reduced.

Be aware of whats around you

Ensure that you are aware of whats going on around you at all times. Remember to check your mirrors and signal before moving.

So what can be difficult is to make the right decision shortly, or at the least the right one and to ensure it is done safely. This tutorial clarifies the right approach for changing lanes and when it is basically necessary.

Changing Lanes Procedure

Changing lanes whether to the left or right ought to be done using the Mirror Signal process. The right blind spot check should also be made a sign is used.

Changing Lanes Roundabouts

For multi-lane roundabouts with a number of exits, usually for exits as much as one hundred eighty degrees from your own entry point, keep to both the left or centre lane if going straight forward. For exits over a hundred and eighty degrees, use the proper hand lane. That is also determined by highway marking or highway indicators if applicable.

Must you want to change lanes on a roundabout, you ought to first check you mirror and the relevant blind spot followed with a sign. If there is a car to your side inside the lane that you need to change into, or you are just uncertain it’s safe to change, stay in your present lane. Then you can either continue throughout the roundabout to the exit again or take another exit.

Driving In the Wrong Lane

It’s pretty common for learner drivers to find themselves in a bad lane during a driving test. This may be one-way-lanes, approaching roundabouts or junctions and so on. The last thing you need to do is to panic and abruptly get into the lane you’re speculated to be in. Use the correct process and the blind spot and when it is secure for you actually to change lanes, does that, if not, cancel any alerts and stay in your lane. Do not slow down to let and car move that’s in the lane you want to take as this can be unsafe for vehicles behind.

Changing Lanes Dual Carriageways

If you must be going for a driving test where a dual carriageway is on the brink of the take test centre, the possibility is you shall be driving on it. You are unlikely to pay concentrate on a dual carriageway so whether you’ll need to do depends upon the traffic and its speed at that point.

If you have joined the dual carriageway, you are expected to make progress and overtake. The examiner will inform you whom exit you will be taking, so solely overtake once you have some time to do so. The changing lane process ought to certainly be applied for overtaking and additionally the blind spot should be checked before signaling. Upon checking the mirrors and the blind spot, be certain there is enough of distance from yourself and any vehicles before changing lanes.

2. Moving off Safely
When you’re moving off from the side of the road, you need to make sure you look around, check your blind spots – and that you’re indicating the correctly!

3. Use of mirrors

Remember that you need to use your rearview mirror and wing mirrors – and react accordingly! People get caught out by stopping or increasing their speed without checking mirrors or using their mirrors too late.

4. Reverse parking
During the driving test, you can be asked to either parallel park on the road, or reverse into a parking bay at the test centre. You’ll notch up a fault in this area if you need to reposition the car to correct a loss of control or accuracy. A complete misjudgment or significant loss of control will count as a serious fault.

5. Response to traffic lights
Responding correctly to traffic lights is something that catches people out. Some of the mistakes that people make include waiting at a green filter light when it’s safe to proceed or remaining stationary at the stop line when it’s safe to move. Other faults include not conforming to a red light, and stopping beyond an advanced stop line in the area designated for cyclists.

6. Steering
You need to be able to maintain a steady course in normal driving. Things like mounting and dismounting the kerb, and not following the contour of the kerb results in faults in this area.

7. Positioning
Your vehicle should be positioned correctly for the route you’re taking. If lanes are marked, make sure you’re in the middle of the lane. Avoid straddling lanes.

8. Turning right at junctions

When you’re turning right, position your vehicle correctly – it shouldn’t cut the corner when turning right. Also, watch out for cyclists and motorcyclists, and any pedestrians crossing the road.

9. Control when moving off
Repeated stalling is one of the things that count as control when moving off. Other things that are included in this reason are moving off (or trying to!) with the handbrake on, rolling backwards when trying to move off – and not putting the car in gear and attempting to move off.

10. Response to road markings
You’ll be marked with faults in this area for doing things like unnecessarily crossing the solid white centre lines on the road, and not following directional arrows. Stopping in a yellow box junction when the exit is not clear also counts for this reason. So make sure you know the rules about using them.