The Future of Driving Test Manoeuvres

There seems to be constant debate about which manoeuvres should be included in the test, how many we should do, and their relevance with modern driving conditions.

The most feared manoeuvre in the driving test amongst learners tends to be reversing around a corner. There have been many rumours of its demise regarding its relevance and suitability for modern tests but as I type it’s still very much alive and kicking and sending shivers down nervous spines.

The argument about this particular manoeuvre is whether anyone really uses it anymore? And why would you want to? Lots of people suggest it’s dangerous, and I agree. After all, you’re reversing towards oncoming traffic. It should always be the absolute last resort. Put yourself into the shoes of an approaching driver, thinking about the give way line they will soon arrive at, and suddenly you have a car reversing towards you?! It does seem strange, crazy even, and I believe within the next 10 to 15 years at the most we would have waved goodbye to this particular manoeuvre.

I would abolish reversing around a corner. I think it’s generally seen as a chance to monitor a learners car control when reversing more than it is seen as an actual manoeuvre that will be used, but surely the other two show this to a sufficient level.

It’s strongly argued it’s far more important to have more emphasis and practice on driving country lanes and possibly motorways too. Especially with county lanes being officially the most dangerous we will come across. Statistically they claim the most lives.

For now though it remains.

The only really relevant one now is the ‘turn in the road’, or to you and I, ‘3-point turn’. Certainly the most widely used. The parallel park is also a common one of course and I’m sure will stay too, but it’s very different doing it in the test and then in the real world. In the test, and indeed in lessons too, learners will only ever be required to complete it using one car – so there would be no vehicle behind you once you finish. This is due to the fact it being very difficult to find two cars parked the perfect distance away from each other and the owners probably wouldn’t be best pleased! In reality, spaces will be smaller and roads busier. I guess it gives an idea of how to complete it, but that’s about it. The learning, as with all driving, comes once you have passed the test.

The past year has seen the test changed in that only 1 manoeuvre is required to be completed on the test, and this was a step in the right direction. Once reversing around a corner is long forgotten and we have tougher testing on a variety of roads, we’ll really be getting somewhere.

Jason Vines