Reversing in a straight line

By the end of this topic you can

• You can choose a safe, legal place to reverse.
• You can keep the car moving at walking pace or slower using clutch control or the brake.
• You can look mainly through the rear window while checking all around.
• You can keep the car roughly parallel to the kerb with small steering corrections.
• You can stop and give way to anyone who approaches.

What you need to know and understand

• Before reversing, check all mirrors, the blind spots and for pedestrians, especially children, cyclists and obstructions.
• Look mainly through the rear window while reversing, with regular checks all round.
• You must not reverse further than necessary.
• Do not reverse from a side road into a main road.
• When reversing, the car turns in the direction you turn the steering wheel, but the front swings the opposite way.
• If you cannot see clearly, get someone to guide you.

Getting the speed right

In a manual car, find the biting point in reverse gear and let the car creep back with the clutch, covering the brake. In an automatic, the car will usually creep on its own, so control the speed with gentle brake pressure. Go no faster than a slow walk. Slow means you have time to look and correct.

If the road slopes, you may need a little more accelerator going uphill and more brake going downhill.

Where to look and how to hold the wheel

• Turn your body slightly to the left so you can see clearly out of the rear window. You can hold the top of the wheel with your right hand if that helps you turn, but return to a normal grip when you can.
• Pick a point well behind the car to aim at, rather than staring just behind the bumper.
• Glance at the left door mirror to check your distance from the kerb.
• Look all around regularly, including over your right shoulder, for traffic and people.
• Make tiny steering adjustments. If the back drifts towards the kerb, steer slightly right; if it drifts away, steer slightly left.

When someone comes along

If a pedestrian, cyclist or vehicle approaches, stop and let them pass. Do not keep reversing towards them and assume they will wait. Once they have gone, check all round again before carrying on. On the test, stopping to give way is good driving, not a fault.

Common mistakes

• Reversing too fast, which makes small errors grow quickly. Keep it to a slow walk.
• Looking only in the mirrors. Look mainly out of the rear window, with mirror checks.
• Over-steering, so the car snakes from side to side. Use small, early corrections.
• Forgetting to look round for traffic and pedestrians. Check all around every few seconds.
• Reversing much further than needed. Stop as soon as you reach your target.

Test yourself: Reversing in a straight line

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Reversing and U Turns