Corner Reverse in Test

squiggy

Just wondering if anybody can offer me any advice on the corner reverse my instructor seems to think i will be ok but ive never had to do it with out him helping me at some point.

Will i fail if i mess this up? Im confident with everything else but really worried about reversing any help would be great thanks!

Altreab

squiggy wrote:

Just wondering if anybody can offer me any advice on the corner reverse my instructor seems to think i will be ok but ive never had to do it with out him helping me at some point.

Will i fail if i mess this up? Im confident with everything else but really worried about reversing any help would be great thanks!

The best way to deal with this is practise practise practise.

Anan1

Altreab wrote:

The best way to deal with this is practise practise practise.

I'll second that. Find a quiet corner in a housing estate (make sure it's safe, ie that you have a good view) and just keep doing it until you have it off pat.

Elessar

Yes practise as much as possible.

Have your wing mirror dipped slightly before the test so you can see the kerb better - DONT change it mid-test as if you forget to change it back (and you will) the tester will mark you.

After the turn when you are reversing straight back look out the BACK window (as in physically looking out, not using the mirror), while only glancing every so often at the front/sides. This is important. They want you to look out the back.

Good luck, let us know how you get on.

dudara

Observation is crucial in this one. Physically turn around and look out every window as well as using your mirrors

Mike07

Take it nice and slow, and as above--- pretend you are reversing around an elephant--- My instructor told me to imagines elephants everywhere , especially at junctions and stop signs--It worked

Lamps

I just recently passed my test and my reverse was perfect.

Make sure you indicate when your told to pull in.
Look all around before you start, incl the blind spot.
Dont use your side mirror, reverse back until you cant see the corner of the kerb anymore through your back side window, then lock the wheel around.
When your around, straighten up the wheel and reverse back until told to stop.

Observation all the way keeping looking around.

kilasser

A trick that my instructor told me was to have you window slightly open. That way you will hear other vehicles and people coming so you have more time to spot them and react to them.

Peter Collins

good advice

miju

and take your time doing it loada people think it has to be done quickly and make a balls of it , put simply it only has to be done safely

squiggy

kilasser wrote:

A trick that my instructor told me was to have you window slightly open. That way you will hear other vehicles and people coming so you have more time to spot them and react to them.

Thats a good idea actually thanks, anyway I only have my test Tuesday so Ill let you all know how I get on.

cormie

A trick my pre test teacher did for me was to line the car up with the kerb as good as possible (say leave the tyres about 10-20cm away from the kerb) make sure it's lined up properly, hop back in your seat, turn around and look at where the kerb goes out of vision on your rear window, keep this position focused lean into the back and mark that point on the window with a marker/pencil/sticker, nothing too obvious and you'll then be able to use this point to line up with the kerb in future to make sure you're a good distance from the kerb and not a metre out or half way up on the grass patch:D

Clank

Yep all good advice, and if a car comes from behind you(the road you just drove down), stop and let him go through!
I stopped and he waved me on so I failed on right of way, my reverse was perfect, bastard!

cormie

Clank wrote:

Yep all good advice, and if a car comes from behind you(the road you just drove down), stop and let him go through!
I stopped and he waved me on so I failed on right of way, my reverse was perfect, bastard!

Who waved you on? The guy coming up behind? How did it happen exactly?

Stark

Clank wrote:

I stopped and he waved me on so I failed on right of way

I hate when people do that. What do you do in such a situation, do you mouth back at them "No you go around!", do you just sit there hoping they'll get the hint and go around or what.

cormie

In that situation, you should have your indicator indicating around the corner, the one closest to the kerb obviously, so hopefully they'd view it as you are pulling in to the side of the path to let somebody out and just go around you. But we have to remember it's Irish drivers we've to deal with;)

thund3rbird_

Clank wrote:

Yep all good advice, and if a car comes from behind you(the road you just drove down), stop and let him go through!
I stopped and he waved me on so I failed on right of way, my reverse was perfect, bastard!

this happened me TWICE during my test
once at a stop sign (I was turning right) and once at a yellow box junction (turning right as well)
both times the drivers stopped & flashed their lights - I just sat there [with sweat coming from every pore] until they all moved on.

the tester commented that I could have gone both times but didn't fail me for it
strange cos the instructor I had told me to wait no matter how many people flash

as regards the turn, they normally get you to pull in before the junction (don't forget to indicate/mirrors), then tell you to pull up past the junction (don't forget to indicate/mirrors when pulling off & again when pulling in before the reverse) and reverse around it

best is to practice over & over until you are comfortable. observation is v important.

best of luck

tc20

cormie wrote:

In that situation, you should have your indicator indicating around the corner, the one closest to the kerb obviously

Im afraid thats incorrect cormie. Reverse lights will alert other traffic to what you're doing, and if you think about it you are saying to indicate left, altho you are actually making a right turn. You do not indicate as you are reversing around the corner.
In the situation where you are reversing and a car comes up the road you are reversing into, the first thing you do is stop. The other car has priority, and he may choose to do one of two things - (A) he passes you and continues on his way or (B) he waits and lets you continue, providing he's far enough away.
In case (A) the correct procedure is to move back to your original start position, making sure that you indicate firstly that you are pulling out (ie right signal) check mirrors, blind spot etc, then signal left to indicate that you are turning left, and providing it is safe to do so, complete the turn, then pull in and stop on the left. Once the road is clear, begin the manoeuvre again, tho the examiner may have seen enough and ask you to drive on

Clank

cormie wrote:

Who waved you on? The guy coming up behind? How did it happen exactly?

The guy coming from my right as I was almost halfway round the turn, slowed to check blind spot, saw him, stopped, sat for 5secs as he slowed down then waved me on to finish the reverse since he stopped, i waited some more, he didnt move so I did.****e.
Instant grade 3, instant fail and I was doing great.

Stark

And they left you drive away from the test centre after you failed? No wonder road deaths are so high in this country

Seriously though, tough break. You'd think if they were being anyway fair at all, they would have just given you a Grade 2 for it.

Clank

Stark wrote:

And they left you drive away from the test centre after you failed? No wonder road deaths are so high in this country

Seriously though, tough break. You'd think if they were being anyway fair at all, they would have just given you a Grade 2 for it.

Ha yeah it felt weird sitting back in the car with a piece of paper in my hand basically saying im unfit to drive a car, then driving home.

I only had 3 Grade 2s so that would've been grand!

cormie

Clank wrote:

The guy coming from my right as I was almost halfway round the turn, slowed to check blind spot, saw him, stopped, sat for 5secs as he slowed down then waved me on to finish the reverse since he stopped, i waited some more, he didnt move so I did.****e.
Instant grade 3, instant fail and I was doing great.

Does anyone actually know what the problem here was? I mean if the guy has stopped in good distance and it's unsafe for him to overtake you, if you give him time to get past you (imagine it was a really narrow road even and there was nowhere for him to overtake), then the only option is for you to finish the manoeuvre

Did the tester explain that situation after he failed you on it?

bogmanfan

Stark wrote:

Seriously though, tough break. You'd think if they were being anyway fair at all, they would have just given you a Grade 2 for it.

In my test last week I got 10 Grade 2 faults and not one Grade 1. When the tester went through the results after, most of them were for incredibly minor things, which my instructor said afterwards should only have been Grade 1 faults. I'm all for marking hard on safety issues (observation etc.) but why not allow common sense to prevail on minor issues...

Clank

Always give way to traffic on your right I believe Cormie.

He had loads of space to go by me though that wasn't a problem.

Jimoslimos

In addition to the "practise practise practise" suggestion, I'd also recommend practising on different types of corners, wide and sharp. You'd be surprised how many people can mess up because the corner is a little wider than what they've been used to. Also the most critical point is when the front of the car begins to swing out - observation left and right is critical here.

Tony Danza

Made an absolute balls of reversing round the corner in my test and I still passed it.

stovelid

OP, I passed 2 weeks ago and was worried about the reverse too but it went fine. Just practice and take it nice ans slow when you're doing it.

ballooba

Off topic : Fair play on the new business Cormie. You have a budding empire starting there.

On topic: If a car comes up behind you in that manouveur aren't you supposed to go back to your original position to let them by?

Wishbone Ash

Clank wrote:

Always give way to traffic on your right I believe Cormie

When reversing, a driver has no right of way and must give way to traffic from all directions.

Tony Danza wrote:

Made an absolute balls of reversing round the corner in my test and I still passed it.

While you may have physically made a "balls" of it, you probably displayed excellent observational skills.

You won't kill anyone by hitting a kerb but you could do so by lack of observation.

I have done (and passed) the test in all categories and I can't stress enough the power of "observation". Sadly, most motorists judge themselves on their manual capabilities only.

OfflerCrocGod

Wishbone Ash wrote:

You won't kill anyone by hitting a kerb but you could do so by lack of observation.

I was under the impression that hitting the kerb was an instant fail in certain maneuvers.

Stark

It's a Grade 2 if you hit the kerb during a turnabout. (Grade 3 if you hit something like a postbox or a tree, the logic being that it could have just as easily been a person).