Stopping A Car Tutorial

Before stopping, you should always ask yourself: is it safe? Is it legal? Is it convenient? If you answer no to any of the questions, you should continue ahead and find somewhere else to park.

During the driving test, when asked to stop the car, the examiner will ask you to pull up and stop at a convenient place on the left side of the road. You will not be expected to do this immediately.

You will be required to use your judgment and pull up in a place where you will not be endangering, inconveniencing, or obstructing anyone.

On your driving test, when stopping, the examiner will expect you to:

Be able to identify suitable stopping places.
Use the MSM/PSL routines
Effectively observe your surroundings and be aware of what is happening in your blind spots.
Make balanced use of the accelerator, clutch, brakes, and steering
Know where and when to signal.
Cancel any signal made once you have safely stopped the car.

Stopping On The Left

Check your mirrors and give a left indicator signal if necessary.
Steer gently towards the kerb, remembering to correct the steering as you approach so you don’t touch it with your wheels.
Brake progressively – apply light pressure at first, gradually increasing pressure as the car slow.
Just before the car stops, push the clutch pedal down fully with your left foot so that the engine doesn’t stall. You should try and stop parallel to the kerb.
Cancel the indicator signal, apply the parking brake, select neutral gear then remove your feet from the pedals.

Braking

Normal braking should be commenced lightly, increased to a steady pressure, then reduced to nothing as the wheels come to a stop. The whole process should be safe, smooth, and controlled.

Avoid braking on bends – the force applied when braking must not be greater than tyre grip – otherwise, you will skid. When driving around a corner additional force is applied to the tyres, as the weight of the car is thrown outwards as well as forwards. This reduces the tyres ability to grip the road, so if you brake too harshly when taking a bend, the chances of putting the car into a skid greatly increase. When braking hard, you should always try and do so when travelling in a straight line.

Road Surfaces affect braking – always take into account the road surface you are driving on. A road covered with loose chippings or mud can make skidding more likely, and increase stopping distances, as can wet roads, and roads with poor or badly maintained surfaces.

Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) – senses the tyres locking up under braking and before it occurs and causes a skid, releases sufficient pressure to avoid it. The biggest advantage of ABS is that it lets you change direction while braking hard, which allows you to steer to avoid impact. Most cars now have ABS.