Uphill move-off past a parked truck
It is 07:45 on a two-way street in Amman with a 40 km/h limit. You are parked at the right-hand curb in a manual hatchback, facing uphill on an 8% gradient. About 30 m ahead a delivery truck is stopped in your lane with its hazard lights on, leaving a gap of roughly 2.5 m between it and the centre line. Oncoming cars are passing in the other direction, a city bus is 15 m behind you and closing, and a pedestrian is walking along the right edge. The road narrows at the truck, and the surface is dry. Your test examiner is in the front passenger seat. You need to move off, pass the truck and continue uphill without rolling back or cutting off the bus.
1. Describe how you would move off from the curb on this uphill gradient without rolling back, including the observation sequence and clutch/handbrake use.
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On an 8% uphill start the risk is rolling back into the bus, so I would use the handbrake, not just the footbrake.
- Prepare: first gear, clutch down, right foot on the brake, handbrake on, slight gas.
- Observe: interior mirror, left door mirror, then look over the left shoulder for the blind spot; signal left to show I am joining the lane.
- Wait for a gap that lets me enter without forcing the bus to brake. If the bus is already too close, I wait.
- Set the clutch to the bite point until the car strains, release the handbrake smoothly while adding a little gas, and keep the left foot steady.
- If the car rolls back, press the brake and pull the handbrake on immediately, then restart the procedure. I would not swing wide into the oncoming lane; the move-off should be slow and controlled.
2. As you approach the truck, oncoming traffic is continuous and the gap beside the truck is only 2.5 m. What is your plan?
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With oncoming traffic continuous, I would not cross the centre line just because the bus is behind. The gap beside the truck is 2.5 m, which is not enough to pass safely while an oncoming car is alongside; the truck may also hide a pedestrian.
- Slow early and stop behind the truck if the oncoming lane is not clear, leaving room to see and be seen.
- Check mirrors, signal left, and wait for a gap that lets me pass with at least 1 m clearance from the truck and without forcing oncoming traffic to brake.
- If the bus closes up, I keep my position; I do not let it pressure me into a gap that is too small. If the gap never comes, I wait; the examiner expects patience, not a squeeze.
- Once clear, pass steadily, then return to the right lane only when I can see the truck in the interior mirror.
3. The engine stalls just as you release the handbrake and the bus is close behind. What do you do?
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If the engine stalls as I release the handbrake, the first action is to stop the car rolling back.
- Press the footbrake firmly and pull the handbrake on immediately. The bus is close, so I would also switch on hazard lights if the car is stationary in the lane.
- Check mirrors and blind spot; restart in neutral with the clutch down. If the bus has stopped or gone around, rebuild the bite point and try again with more gas.
- If it stalls a second time, I would not keep blocking the lane. I would secure the car, tell the examiner, and, if safe, restart or move to a safer position. The priority is preventing a rollback, not saving time.