Driving Lessons - Reverse Around a Corner

When doing a reverse around a corner you will initially be instructed to park on the side of a road, immediately (within 4 to 5 car lengths) before the side road you will be using. You will then drive past that side road and pull up on the left again about 3 to 4 car lengths after, ready to reverse into that road.

As with all the manoeuvres it is best and more easily done at very slow speed. Your head will almost constantly be moving as with the reverse corner, if there is another vehicle approaching you from anywhere – even if its from the other side of the road – then you need to stop and wait for it to pass. You are a potential obstacle for everyone and a stationary obstacle id much easier to pass than a moving one.

Select reverse and carry out all your observations as always. This should be your 6 point check to ensure everywhere is clear including the pavements. Its easier to think of this manoeuvre being in 3 parts, firstly reversing back to your turning reference point, then negotiating the corner, followed by reversing in a straight line again, with slight adjustments to ensure you are close to the kerb, making sure you are 4-5 car lengths back from the junction. This ensures you are out of the way of any vehicle approaching the give-way line, and they wont have to arrive at the end of the road, on the wrong side.

So, firstly reverse back to your turning reference point. This is generally when the rear of your car is level with the point the kerb starts to go around the corner. Your instructor will help you out with possible reference points so you know when you are there. You stop there and do all your checks again to make sure you haven’t missed anything before you swing the car into the corner. The reason for this is that when you begin to, the front of the car will swing out into the road.

As you follow the kerb around the corner its important top stay fairly close. Usually you would want to make sure you are within a metre so not causing too much of an obstruction. Again you will have a reference point to help you do this. As you are moving, slowly, you need to be checking constantly what is on the road. You need to be looking behind you as you reverse of course, in front of you too, and out your right window to make sure no-one is approaching from that way.

When you realise you are now straight in the new road you need to straighten up the steering wheel. There can be a number of ways you see this. You can use your judgement if you trust it, or look for the kerb in either your left wing mirror or out the back window. Once you have straightened up the steering wheel and are reversing backwards again, make only slight adjustments or its easy to go wrong. Continue doing all your checks and keep the car slow. Its easy to think as you’re nearly done to go a bit faster to get it over and done with, but this can be when mistakes happen.

Once you feel you are 4-5 car lengths away then you are finished. If you think of it in these three stages, and go very slowly, it will seem a lot less complicated. Remember they wont be impressed if you do it fast, its slow and safe they are looking for.

Jason Vines