Manoeuvring
Page 47
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YOUR LEARNER driver will need ample practice at manoeuvring his vehicle in confined spaces and this means plenty of time spent on the off-road area. He must become thoroughly familiar with the width and length of his vehicle and must acquire a high degree of accuracy in positioning the vehicle by forward and reversing movements.
Practice must be given in driving slowly close to rows of marker cones without touching them and reversing into a space approximately one and a half times the width of the vehicle.
In order to pass the heavy goods vehicle driving test, the examiner must be satisfied that the driver is able to handle the vehicle safely and competently in all situations and conditions.
The new driver must learn to negotiate courses marked out with cones, using right-hand and left-hand steering locks and bring his vehicle to a halt within a 3ft marked area. Whether reversing or going forward, the examiner will look for control, observation and accuracy at all times.
The lessons learned on the offroad area must be applied at all working times, coupled with courtesy and consideration for other road users. These are the hall-marks of the good driver which have such a significant effect on establishing the public image of the goods vehicle and of the industry as a whole.
While practising manoeuvres on the road, the basic drill of mirror-signal-manoeuvre should always be adhered to.
The new driver must know not to reverse into a main road from a side road and that he should get help with a reversing operation if his rear view is obstructed. It is always advisable to reverse with the hazard on the off-side if at all possible, as righthand reverses with the use of the right-hand mirror enable a greater degree of accuracy to be achieved. Both left and righthand mirrors must be constantly checked throughout all reversing manoeuvres.
Let your learner driver have all the practice he needs at turning left and right at road junctions and negotiating roundabouts. He must be able to sense instinctively whether his position in the road is correct for the manoeuvre he intends to execute.
It invariably will be better for him to change his position in the road he is in, when it is safe to do so, before executing the turn rather than arrive in the next road in the wrong position or even on the wrong side of the road altogether, endangering other traffic.
When carrying out any form of manoeuvre, the driver must always bear in mind the type and size of the load he is carrying.
New drivers should be instructed in the regulations about abnormal loads, particularly in regard to forward, rear and side projections.
Marking and lighting requirements should be explained, the circumstances in which an attendant should be carried and the police or Highways and Bridges authorities notified of the movement of the load.
• by Frank Lewsey