Vehicle controls, manoeuvres and safe driving technique
What the exam tests
This domain tests whether you can control a light vehicle smoothly and legally: cockpit drill, clutch and gears, steering, braking, observation and the standard manoeuvres. The examiner looks for a system, not luck - mirrors, signal, manoeuvre, and blind-spot checks before every change of direction.
Cockpit drill and controls
Before moving: seat position, mirrors, seatbelt, doors closed, gear in neutral, handbrake on, then check surroundings. Hold the wheel at about nine and three o'clock with both hands; use push-pull steering, not crossing arms. Do not dry-steer while stationary. The clutch is used to pull away and change gear, not to hold the car on a slope.
Braking and gears
Brake progressively and use engine braking in a low gear on long descents. With ABS, press the pedal firmly and keep it pressed - do not pump. Without ABS, cadence braking may be needed on slippery surfaces. Change up early for economy and down before a hazard, not during it. Coasting in neutral downhill is illegal and dangerous because you lose engine braking and control.
Observation and manoeuvres
Mirror–signal–manoeuvre is the backbone: check mirrors, signal in good time, check the blind spot, then move. Reversing requires all-round observation, slow speed and a banksman if visibility is poor. For a hill start: handbrake on, first gear, clutch to biting point, small throttle, release handbrake smoothly. For a three-point turn: check all round, move slowly, use full lock, and re-check before each direction change.
Worked example
You must start on a steep uphill slope with a manual gearbox. Reasoning: keep the handbrake on, select first, bring the clutch to the biting point until the bonnet lifts slightly, add gentle throttle, then release the handbrake and move off without rolling back. If the car stalls, secure it with the handbrake before restarting.
Traps
Riding the clutch, coasting downhill, steering with one hand, forgetting the blind spot, pumping ABS brakes, and rolling back on a hill start. Also watch for dry steering and for moving off without checking the left mirror and blind spot.