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Cockpit Drill
Cockpit Drill
Check your door is shut and the handbrake is on.
Seat
Adjust the height of the seat to ensure a good view through the front and back windscreens, ensuring that the steering wheel and head restraints do not obscure your vision.
Adjust the base of your seat so you can depress the clutch pedal to the floor and still have a slight bend in your left knee.
Adjust the back of your seat to reach the steering wheel with both hands positioned at ‘ten to two’ or ‘quarter to three’ to achieve an even balance on the steering wheel.
Adjust the head restraint so that the back of your head is centred on the cushion.
Mirrors
Adjust the interior mirror to give you a clear view through the back windscreen.
Adjust the exterior mirrors so that one third of the mirror is taken up with your car and two thirds gives you a clear parallel view back down the road or pavement.
Seatbelt
Apply the seat belt making sure that it is fully secured and is flat against your chest and stomach without any twists in the belt.
Pre Start Checks
Check handbrake is fully on and the gear stick is in a neutral position.
Moving Off &- Stopping
Moving Off
Start the car, select 1st gear in which to pull away and obtain the bite point.
Starting from your left shoulder check the blind spot, left exterior mirror, interior mirror, right exterior mirror and over your right shoulder to check the blind spot.
Signal if helpful to warn or inform others.
Release the handbrake.
Look into your right exterior mirror once more.
Once you are moving maintain a safe distance from the kerb line, one metre unless
circumstances determine otherwise.
Periodically check your interior mirror.
Stopping the Car
Locate a safe, legal and convenient place to stop.
Check your interior mirror and left exterior mirror
Signal if helpful to warn or inform others.
Start to slow the vehicle down using smooth but progressive braking.
Depress the clutch just before the car stops.
Make sure the car comes to a stop in a normal parked position, within one foot from the kerb with the wheels of the car parallel to the kerb.
Apply the handbrake and select neutral.
Supporting comments
Drive in a smooth and coordinated fashion.
Periodically scan from the ‘far ground’ through the ‘foreground’ and use your mirrors to check the ‘background’
Monitor your road position.
Ensure the speed suits the road conditions.
Check the interior on approach to all hazards.
Turn in the Road
Find a safe, legal and convenient place to carry-out this manoeuvre
Stage One
Engine running, select the correct gear in which to pull away and adjust the biting point to suit the conditions of the road. (Hill starts)
Make an all-round observation, checking for other road users and when clear, release the handbrake.
Using the pull push method, turn the steering wheel briskly to the right.
Look in the direction that you are steering.
Keep the vehicle at a slow but constant pace by slipping the clutch and applying the footbrake when necessary to help to relate to the camber/gradient of the road.
One metre from the opposite kerb reverse the steering wheel to the left.
Stop without overhanging or touching the kerb.
Secure the car, select reverse gear and obtain the bite point.
Look where the kerb lines intersect the side windows as a reference for stopping.
Stage Two
Make an all-round observation, checking for other road users and when clear, release the handbrake.
Using the pull push method, turn the wheel briskly to the left.
Look in the direction that you are steering.
Keep the vehicle at a slow but constant pace by slipping the clutch.
When three quarters across the road look over your right shoulder and reverse the steering wheel to the right.
Stop without overhanging or touching the kerb.
Secure the car, select first gear and obtain the bite point.
Look where the kerb lines intersect the right side window of the car.
Stage Three
Make an all-round observation, checking for other road users and when clear, release the handbrake.
Look the way you are steering.
Stage Four
Locate a safe, legal and convenient place to park on the opposite side of the road.
Park within one foot from the kerb line.
Secure the car.
Supporting comments
Drop your window a few inches as you may hear another vehicle before you see it.
Give way to all other road users.
When another vehicle appears and stops to give way to you, ensure it is safe before continuing with the manoeuver, but monitor the action of the waiting vehicle in case the person changes their mind and pulls away.
Remember – No one has priority.
Reverse to the Left
Find a safe, legal and convenient place to carry-out the manoeuvre
Stage One
Look into the road to make sure it is safe to carry-out the exercise.
Observe the severity of the corner around which you are to reverse around.
Carryout your M.S.M to pull up to the side of the road.
Park up to 3 car lengths past the entrance to the road and leave approximately two feet from the kerb to give you a margin for error for re
Secure the car.
Adjust your seating position to be able to see clearly over your left shoulder to the rear of the car and identify where the kerb line intersects the rear windscreen.
Ensure you can still operate the clutch and adjust your hands position on the steering wheel to maintain control.
Make an all-round observation, checking for other road users and when clear look over your left shoulder and release the handbrake.
Keep the vehicle at a slow but constant pace by slipping the clutch and applying the footbrake when necessary to help to relate to the gradient of the road.
Share your observations by looking over your left shoulder, checking the left exterior mirror to monitor position from the kerb and look ahead for oncoming vehicles.
When the kerb line in the rear window disappears and reappears in the side window, stop and apply the handbrake as this is your point of turn.
Stage Two
Make an all-round observation, checking for other road users and when clear look over your left shoulder and release the handbrake.
Continue to share your observations.
Keep the speed at a slow but constant pace.
Steer enough to the left to suit the shape of the corner.
On the apex of the corner make an additional quick check over your right shoulder.
When the back of the car begins to square up in the new road, return the steering to the right to straighten the wheels.
Maintain an appropriate gap from the kerb.
Reverse back approximately three car lengths into the new road.
Select a safe place to park and secure the car.
Supporting Comments
Never obstruct other road users.
Stop if other road users appear while you are reversing and wait until they are safely out of the way.
If a car wants to emerge left when you are within 1 car’s length of the corner – whether before the turn or after the turn – pull back around to your start point.
Drop your window a few inches as you may hear another vehicle before you see it.
Reverse to the Right
Find a safe, legal and convenient place to carry-out the manoeuvre
Stage One
Look into the road to make sure it is safe to carry-out the exercise.
Observe the severity of the corner around which you are to reverse around.
Carryout your M.S.M to pull up on the right side of the road.
Park up to 3 car lengths past the entrance to the road and leave approximately two feet from the kerb to give you a margin for error.
Secure the car.
Adjust your seating position to be able to see clearly over your left shoulder to the rear of the car.
Ensure you can still operate the clutch and adjust your hands position on the steering wheel to maintain control.
Make an all-round observation, checking for other road users and when clear look over your left shoulder and release the handbrake.
Keep the vehicle at a slow but constant pace by slipping the clutch and applying the footbrake when necessary to help to relate to the gradient of the road.
Share your observations by looking over your left shoulder, checking ahead for oncoming vehicles and in the right exterior mirror to monitor position from the kerb.
At the point of turn stop and apply the handbrake.
Find a reference point in your right window.
Stage Two
Make an all-round observation, checking for other road users and when clear look over your left shoulder and release the handbrake.
Continue to share your observations.
Keep the speed at a slow but constant pace.
Steer enough to the right to suit the shape of the corner.
On the apex of the corner make an additional quick check over your left shoulder.
When the back of the car begins to square up in the new road, return the steering to the left to straighten the wheels.
Continue to keep an appropriate gap from the kerb.
Reverse back approximately eight car lengths into the new road.
Select a safe place to park and secure the car.
Supporting Comments
At point of turn you are looking over your right shoulder to monitor position from the kerb and to ensure it is safe in the new road.
Never obstruct other road users.
Stop if other road users appear while you are reversing and wait until they are safely out of the way.
If another vehicle wants to enter the new road, continue to reverse until you are far enough into the new road, then stop and allow the vehicle to pass.
Drop your window a few inches as you may hear another vehicle before you see it.
Bay Parking
Find a safe, legal and convenient place to carry-out the manoeuvre
At the start of the manoeuvre
Look all around with emphasis on the ‘main’ road traffic before emerging from the parking bay.
Start the exercise by parking the vehicle to the appropriate side of the parking bay in a similar position to a left or right corner reverse manoeuvre.
Select reverse gear and obtain the bite point.
Before releasing the handbrake carry-out an all-round observation.
Look in the direction you are traveling.
Keep the vehicle at a slow but constant pace.
Pause at your turning point and look all around.
Continue to share your observations all around the car.
Turn the steering wheel swiftly to a full lock.
When the back of the car begins to square up in the bay, return the steering to straighten the wheels.
Ensure the vehicle is centralised between the bay lines.
Reverse far enough into the bay so as not to obstruct the main road.
Once stopped secure the car.
Supporting Comments
Give way to other road users.
When other vehicles appear, stop to confirm their actions. Either continue with the exercise to clear the road or return to your starting point, whichever is safest
Drop your window a few inches as you may hear another vehicle before you see it.
Emergency Stop
Drive up to the speed limit or road conditions providing it is safe to do so.
Periodically check your interior mirror whilst waiting for the command to stop.
When you are told to Stop
Do not check your mirrors before braking.
Stiffen your arms and keep both hands firmly on the steering wheel throughout the exercise.
Quickly pivot your foot from the gas onto the brake.
Brake firmly but progressively.
Depress the clutch immediately after applying the brake.
Keep the car straight.
When the car has stopped, secure the car and select 1st gear.
Obtain the bite point
Make an all-round observation.
Signal if necessary and release the handbrake.
Supporting Comments
Do not stamp on the brake; make sure your braking is firm but progressive.
As you are in the middle of the road, you must look over both shoulders to be sure that there is no one either undertaking or overtaking you.