Moving off safely in a car can take practice and you may need many hours of tuition before you become confident.  

                                  

Moving off from a stationary position is an exercise a learner driver will undergo frequently during lessons. It is also a particular area where many driving tests are failed.       

           

Moving Off Procedure 

​

There are three parts to the Moving Off Process:

 

Prepare    

Observe 

Move

 

Prepare 

Make sure the engine is on and the handbrake is engaged. Squeezing the gas pedal will set the car in motion if you have an electronic handbrake, so be wary of depressing it just yet. 

 

If you have a manual handbrake, place your left hand on it with the thumb on the button ready to release. Your right hand should be placed on the steering wheel around the 2 o’clock position. Set the car’s gear shift lever to drive.  The car is now ready to go.        

​

Observe  

Complete a full all-round check, starting with the left blind spot, followed by the left-door mirror, the main interior mirror, straight ahead, the right-door mirror, the right blind spot and finishing off looking out of the front windscreen.                                       

You will need to decide if a signal to the right is necessary. If there are vehicles approaching, cyclists or pedestrians in the vicinity, you must indicate before driving off. If there is a vehicle approaching and you intend to wait until they have passed, do not indicate until they have passed otherwise this can cause the vehicle to slow down.

      

Move 

Now that it is safe to move off, you can do so by squeezing the accelerator pedal and releasing the handbrake (if necessary). Do so briskly but not aggressively. Examiners tend not to like learners who drive too slowly during a driving test. Take a final look into your main interior mirror once you are moving to establish if vehicles behind are approaching quickly. If they are, accelerate faster up to the speed limit.     

 

​

Quick Tips for Moving Off

• Always perform an all round check before moving off. 

• Never forget the car blind spot. This is a very common cause for failing.  

• If you are in doubt whether to drive off or not, wait and go when you are sure.

• Always signal to the right before driving off if others would benefit.

• Never signal to the right if you are waiting for a vehicle behind you to pass before moving off. Signal after they have passed.