Apparently there is more to driving than being able to change gear without creating an angry growl from the engine and remembering not to list to the left when checking mirrors.
According to Steve, and the rest of the known world, I need to learn about these things called manoeuvres which largely involve being in reverse and trying not to hit parked cars.
I can see the point of most of the things I’m going to be covering over the next few weeks. I’ve already done a three point turn a couple of times and it seems to be quite a useful skill to have, especially as my sense of direction means I will undoubtedly be travelling the wrong way more often than not.
The ability to park without hitting things either side of you also seems like a good thing so I fully expect to embrace that when I eventually get round to it. One thing I don’t understand, however, is when I will need to reverse around a corner.
Having been a passenger for all my life (in most elements of life, in fact) I can never recall a driver having to reverse around a corner for any reason.
It is, of course, entirely possible that I am missing something really obvious and this is an essential skill, the point of which has somehow eluded me.
If this is the case, please share it with me so I don’t feel like I’m wasting my time for the sake of jumping through yet another driving hoop.
Try driving a 2m wide vehicle around London without SatNav. Plenty of dead-ends and width restrictions. That’s why you have to reverse around corners.
I gather that even examiners don’t take that part seriously. I have never needed to do it even once since passing my test. In fact, I have only needed to parallel park once. As for 3-point-turns, I have done them several times and it’s probably the only one you need to know re: post-test driving.
I guess if you needed to reverse out of your house’s drive into the road, it might come in useful. Oddly, it was the one I never screwed up. I am King of pointless driving skills.
All manoeuvres are useful all of the time in city driving. You never know when you’ll be called upon to reverse out of the way of a bin lorry, nip in between two parked cars to take the only available space within a three mile radius or whip the car round to get out of an horrendous traffic jam and take an alternative route. Learn them, master them and (eventually) enjoy them!